GIFT OF

BIOLOGY RA

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(From the 22d Report of the Department of Geology and Natural Resources of Indiana, 1897. W. S. Blatchley, State Geologist.)

The Birds of Indiana.

A Descriptive Catalogue of the Birds that Have

Been Observed Within the State, with

an Account of Their Habits.

By AMOS W. BUTLER,

INDIANAPOLIS, INO.

WM. B. BURFORD, INDIANAPOLIS.

THE

BIRDS OF INDIANA

A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE BIRDS THAT HAVE

BEEN OBSERVED WITHIN THE STATE, WITH AN

ACCOUNT OF THEIR HABITS.

ArvIOS W. BUTLER.

INTBODUCTION.

At the request of Prof. W. S. Blatchley, the chief of the Department of Geology and Natural Resources, I have undertaken the preparation of a report upon the birds of Indiana. This is made necessary by the fact that Dr. A. W. Brayton's "Catalogue of the Birds of Indiana/' published in 1879, has long been out of print ancPthe supply of my own cninlogue of 1890 is practically exhausted. Both of these papers were published by the Indiana Horticultural Society.

With the increasing interest in the relations of birds to the farm, orchard, garden and lawn; with the attention that has of late been directed to birds as subjects for nature study in all our schools and with the awakening desire to prevent the slaughter of native beneficial bin is. for purposes of decoration and adornment, has come a demand for information relating to the birds about us that is unsupplied.

It is desired that I give at this time an account of the occurrence, distribution, breeding range, nesting habits and foods of the birds of . to \vhich shall be added descriptions of all the species that occur within our limits and an artificial key to aid in their determina- tion. With the material available, the result of over twenty-one years' \ations on the migrations of birds within the State of Indiana, it \VM.S to have been hoped that the way might have opened for some extended cimsi deration of the data at hand. I have been enabled

238172

516.\ REFORT oi1 STATE GEOLOGIST.

to illustrate slightly the movements of birds generally, giving the ear- liest and latest dates as indicating the two extremes of the migratory periods as they are known to us. It is to be hoped that at an early date at least one volume will appear, giving some of the more impor- tant results of the observations that have been made.

While this report is based largely upon my notes, made principally in southeastern Indiana within the past twenty-one years, I have also had the benefit of the material that has come into my hands as the curator of the Department of Ornithology of the Indiana Academy of Science. Dr. C. Hart Merriam, chief of the Biological Survey of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, has very kindly afforded me facil- ities for examining the migration reports in his office from Indiana for a series of years. He has also arranged to supply such cuts as are in the possession of that department for the purpose of illustrating this report.

I have been favored with the assistance of Mr. Eobert Ridgway, curator of the Department of Birds of the United States National Museum; Dr. J.'A. Allen, American Museum of Natural History, New York; Dr. F. W. Langdon, Mr. Charles Dury, Mr. H. W. McBride, Cincinnati, 0.; Mr. Ruthven Deane, Mr. H. K. Coale, Mr. J. G. Par- ker, Jr., Mr. F. M. Woodruff, Chicago, 111.; Mr. E. R. Quick, Brook- ville, Ind.; Mr. C. E. Aiken, Salt Lake City, Utah; Mr. Jerome Trombley, Petersburg, Mich.; Mr. L. Whitney Watkins, Manchester, Mich.; Prof. B. W. Evermann, Icthyologist, U. S. Fish Commission, Washington, D. C.; Prof. W. S. Blatchley, Dr. A. W. Brayton and Hon. R. Wes. McBride, Indianapolis, Ind., and also of Mrs. Jane L. Hine, Sedan; Mr. E. J. Chansler, Bicknell; Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test, Lafayette; Prof. H. S. Voorhees, Brookville, and Miss Lulu Ward, Milton, and of a great number of patient investigators who, for the love of nature and the desire to advance knowledge, have made careful observations and submitted valuable reports. Towards the end of this paper I have attempted to mention them by name, and I sin- cerely hope I have omitted none. To each one I extend my thanks for the assistance rendered.

In addition the J. B. Lippincott Company have kindly given me permission to make use of the keys in Ridgway's Manual of North American Birds. A. C. McClung & Company have granted the same permission regarding Dr. Jordan's Manual of Vertebrates, and Dr. Elliott Coues has authorized me to make use of his Key to North American Birds. I am indeed thankful for the courtesy ex- tended by the persons interested in these valuable works. I have availed myself of the opportunity, and from them have gathered much

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 517

of the material for the keys and descriptions found herein. In addi- tion I have consulted Dr. Wheaton's Birds of Ohio, Mr. Mcllwraith's Birds of Ontario, Prof. Cook's Birds of Michigan, Mr. Ridgway's Birds of Illinois, Dr. Hatch's Birds of Minnesota, Dr. Warren's Birds of Pennsylvania, Mr. Chapman's Birds of Eastern North America, Maj. Bendire's Life Histories of North American Birds, Mr. Nehrling's North American Birds, the reports of Professors King and Forbes on the food of birds, and numerous other publications, from all of which I have used more or less material. For this I desire to acknowledge my indebtedness to those authors and to others to whose works reference is made herein.

It has been my purpose not to include within this list any bird which has not been ascertained to occur within the State and not to note any species as having bred unless I have been satisfied upon good authority that it has done so. I have added a supplemental list of species which, from their having been taken near our limits, may, will i greater or less probability, be expected to be found within the State.

THE INDIANA BIRD LAW.

Jn 1891 the Legislature, at the request of the Indiana Academy of Science and the Indiana Horticultural Society, enacted the following law for the protection of our native beneficial birds:

"AN ACT for the protection of birds, their nests and eggs.

(Approved March 5, 1891.)

"Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That it shall be unlawful for any person to kill any wild bird other than a game bird or purchase, offer for sale any such wild bird after it has been killed, or to destroy the nests or the eggs of any wild bird.

"Sec. 2. For the purpose of this act the following shall be considered game birds: the AnatidsB, commonly called swans, geese, brant, and river and sea ducks; the Rallidse, commonly known as rails, coots, mud hens, and gallinules; the Limicolse, commonly known as shore birds, plovers, surf birds, snipe, woodcock, and sandpipers, tattlers, and cur- lews; the Gallinae, commonly known as wild turkeys, grouse, prairie chickens, quail, and pheasants, all of which are not intended to be af- fected by this act.

"Sec. 3. Any person violating the provisions of section 1 of this act shall, upon conviction, be fined in a sum not less than ten nor more than fifty dollars, to which may be added imprisonment for not less than five days nor more than thirty days.

"Sec. 4. Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall not apply to any person hold- ing a permit giving the right to take birds or their nests and eggs for scientific purposes, as provided in secton 5 of this act.

518 EEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

"Sec. 5. Permits may be granted by the Executive Board of the Indi- ana Acadoiuy of Science to any properly acrcedited person, permitting the holder thereof to collect birds, their nests or eggs for strictly scientific purposes. In order to obtain such permit the applicant for the same must nt to said Board written testimonials from two well known scientific men certifying to the good character and fitness of said applicant to be entrusted with such privilege, and pay to said Board one dollar to defray the necessary expenses attending the granting of such permit, and must file with said Board a properly executed bond in the sum of two hundred dollars, signed by at least two responsible citizens of the State as sure- cies. The bond shall be forfeited to "the State and the permit become void upon proof that the holder of such permit has killed any bird or taken the nests or eggs of any bird for any other purpose than that named in this section, and shall further be subject for each offense to the penalties provided in this act.

"Sec. 6. The permits authorized by this act shall be in force for two years only from the date of their issue and shall not be transferable.

"Sec. 7. The English or European- house sparrow (Passer domesticus), crows, hawks, and other birds of prey are not included among the birds protected by this act.

"Sec. 8. All acts or parts of acts heretofore passed in conflict with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

"Sec. 9. An emergency is declared to exist for the immediate taking effect of this act, therefore the same shall be in force and effect from and after its passage."

In some localities this law has been enforced, but presumably in others it is not well known. It is to be hoped that our citizens will familiarize themselves with it to the end that it may be made efficient throughout the Commonwealth.

POSITION AND BOUNDARY.

The following is an account of the location and physical features of Indiana. The quotations, are from Dr. Charles R. Dryer's "Studies in Indiana Geography:"

"Indiana is one of the North Central States, situated in what is sometimes called the Middle West, between the upper Great Lakes and the Ohio, and mostly in the Mississippi basin. The central par- allel of the United States, the 39th, crosses its southern third and it is included between 37 degrees 41 minutes and 41 degrees 4.6 minutes north latitude, and between 84 degrees 44 minutes, and 88- degrees 6 minutes west longitude. It is bounded on the north by the parallel which is ten miles north of the southern extremity of Lake Michigan; on the east by the meridian of the mouth of the Great Miami River; on the south by the, Ohio, and on the west by the Wabash river and the meridian of Vincermes. Its extreme length is 250 miles, its av- erage width 145 miles, its area 36,350 square miles.

BIBDS or INDIANA. 519

ELEVATION.

''According to Powell's division of the United States into physio- graphic regions, Indiana lies mostly on the Ice Plains, but includes a small portion of the Lake Plains on the north and of the Alleghany Plateau on the southeast. The highest land in the State, in southern Randolph county, is 1,285 feet above tide; the lowest, at the south- west corner is 313 feet. The area above 1,000 feet comprises 2,850 square miles, in three tracts: (1) An irregular area around the head- waters of the Whitewater river, in Union, Wayne, Randolph, Dela- ware, Henry, Rush, Decatur, Franklin and Ripley counties;* (2) a narrow crescentic ridge in Brown county; (3) a considerable area in Steuben, DeKalb, Noble and Lagrange counties. Isolated peaks rise in Brown county to 1,172 feet and in Steuben to 1,200 feet. The area between 500 and 1,000 feet in elevation is 28,800 square miles and that below 500 feet is 4,700 square miles. The average elevation of the state is 700 feet.

PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS.

"The most striking physical contrast in Indiana is that between the glaciated and unglaciated areas. A comparison of the topographic map with that showing the revised glacial boundary brings out this contrast sharply. North of the limit of drift the contour lines run in large curves and are far apart, showing the generar-smoothness and monotony of the surface. -South of the glacial boundary the lines are crowded and extremely tortuous, showing a surface much cut up. The limit of drift incloses and fits this area of broken surface as a man's coat fits his shoulders.

"The Ohio -Slope. — That portion of the State which slopes directly to the Ohio, including the driftless area and the southeastern part of the drift plain, is a region of deep, narrow valleys, bounded by precipitous bluffs and separated by sharp, irregular divides. Isolated knobs and buttes are numerous; the crests and summits are from 300 to 500 feet above the valley bottoms. The streams are rapid and broken by frequent cataracts. All open out into the Ohio Valley, a trench from one to six miles wide, 400 feet deep and bounded by steep bluff-

"The Central Plain. — North of an irregular line extending in a general direction from Richmond to Terre Haute, and south of the westward flowing portion of the Wabash from Fort Wayne to Attica,

* Also Fayette and a part of Dearborn.

520 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

the topography is that of an almost featureless drift plain. It is traversed by numerous morainic ridges, but they are low and incon- spicuous. The traveler may ride upon the railway train for hours without seeing a greater elevation than a hay stack or a pile of saw- dust. The divides are flat and sometimes swampy, the streams muddy and sluggish. The valleys begin on the uplands as scarcely percepti- ble grooves in the compact boulder clay, widen much more rapidly than they deepen and seldom reach down to the rock floor.

"The Northern Plain. — The portion of the drift plain north of the Wabash river is more varied than the central plain, and comprises several regions which differ materially in character. A small area around the head of Lake Michigan is occupied by sand ridges and dunes, partly due to a former extension of the lake and partly to present wind action. Some of the drifting dunes are more than 100 feet high. This region is separated by a belt of morainic hills from the basin of the Kankakee, which contains the most extensive marshes and prairies in the State. This region also is traversed by numerous low, ridges of sand, the origin and character of which are not yet well understood. Many of its features are probably due to the fact that during the retreat of the ice-sheet it was temporarily occupied by a glacial lake, which received the wash from the high moraines to the eastward. Northeastern Indiana is the region of high moraines, and has a strongly marked character of its own. A massive ridge of drift, 25 miles wide, 100 miles long and from 200 to 500 feet thick, extends from Steuben County to Cass County and is joined by several smaller branches from the northwest. This is the joint moraine of the Erie and Saginaw lobes of the Laurentide glacier. Much of its surface is extremely irregular, presenting a succession of rounded domes, conical peaks, and winding ridges, with hollows of corresponding shape be- tween, which are occupied by innumerable lakes and marshes; the highest points are 100 to 300 feet above the level intermorainic inter- vals. A large proportion of the material is sand and gravel. A small area in eastern Allen County is a part of the bed of the glacial Lake Maumee.

DRAINAGE.

"The general slope of Indiana is to the southwest, as indicated by the course of the Wabash River and its tributaries, which drain two- thirds of the State. Of the remaining third one-half is drained di- rectly to the Ohio and one-half to Lakes Erie and Michigan and to the Mississippi through the Illinois.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 521

"The Wabash River is the great artery of Indiana, which it traverses for more than 400 miles. The fall is quite uniformly about eighteen inches per mile. Its current is gentle and unbroken by notable rapids or falls. Its valley is quite varied in character. Above Huntington it is a young valley, without bluffs, terraces or flood plain. Below Hunt- ington it once carried the drainage of the upper Maumee Basin, and is nowhere less than a mile wide as far down as Attica. Below that point its width varies from two to six miles. The original valley has been largely filled with drift, which the present river has been unable to clear out. It winds between extensive terraces of gravel, which border it at various elevations, and flows at a level from 50 to 100 feet above the original rock floor. Below Terre Haute, the wide flood plain, ox-bow bends and bayous give it a character similar to that of the lower Mississippi. The upper tributaries as far down as Lafayette are post-glacial streams in drift valleys, whose courses are largely deter- mined by the trend of the moraines. Below that point the smaller tributaries enter the river through picturesque sandstone gorges.

"White Eiver, the largest tributary of the Wabash, and rivaling it in volume of discharge, is a much more varied and complex stream. The larger West Fork rises at the summit level of the state in Eandolph county. In its upper course it is moraine-guided, like the upper trib- utaries of the Wabash, and presents the same characters as the other streams of the central plain. In Morgan county it assumes a different aspect, and thence to its mouth flows through a valley from one to three miles wide, 100 to 300 feet deep, bordered by wide bottoms. The East Fork rises on the same elevation as the West, but reaches its destination by a more tortuous course. AlthouglTTts length is in- creased and its slope decreased by its numerous meanders, it is still a swift stream. Both forks of White river suffered many disturbances during the glacial period, which have not yet been studied in detail, but are obvious from the varying character of their valleys and from the terraces which border them at all heights up to 300 feet.

"The Whitewater River takes the shortest course of all from the sum- mit level to the Ohio, and its average fall is about seven feet to the mile. At Eichmond it has cut a narrow gorge into the soft shales 100 feet deep. In strongest contrast with this and the other rivers of the Ohio Slope is the Karikakee, which winds through wide marshes with # scarcely perceptible current and without definite banks. Its basin, however, is sufficiently elevated to render good drainage possi- ble by the construction of the requisite ditches, and much has already been done to that end.

522 REPORT otf STATE GEOLOGIST.

PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES.

"Many import;! nt land forms are wanting in Indiana. There are no mountains, no valleys formed by upheaval or subsidence, no volcanoes or volcanic rocks except foreign fragments brought by the ice sheet, no features due to disturbance of the earth crust except the rock foun- dations of the State itself.

"Plains. — As already indicated, the greater part of Indiana is a plain of accumulation; the surface of a sheet of glacial drift which varies in thickness from a few feet to 500 feet or more. The average thickness is more than 100 feet. It consists chiefly of a mass of clay containing more or less gravel and boulders—the till or boulder clay of the geol- ogists. This is locally varied by heaps, ridges, sheets and pockets of sand and gravel, and in the southern part of the State is overlain by a peculiar fine silt called loess. The boulder clay is the grist of the glacial mill, and is composed of a very intimate and heterogeneous mixture of native and foreign materials, containing fragments of almost every known mineral and rock. The large fragments, or boulders, are widely distributed, and of every size up to 30 feet in di- ameter. They are nearly all igneous or metamorphic in character and can be traced back to their origin in the Canadian highlands north of the Great Lakes.

"The driftless area is a plain of degradation, formed by the removal of the original rock surface to an unknown depth, and now reprre- scnied by the summits of the flat and even-topped divides^ ridges and hills.

"Hills. — On the northern plain occur numerous hills of accumula- tion forming the great morainic belts, the result of excessive dumping and heaping up of drift along the margins and between the lobes of the melting ice-sheet. The most impressive examples are found in Steuben, Lagrange, Noble and Kosciusko counties, where they attain a height of 200 feet or more, and are as steep and sharp as the mate- rials will lie. Their peculiar forms and tumultuous^arrangement give a striking and picturesque character to the landscape.

"The Ohio Slope is studded all over with hills of degradation — blocks and fragments of the original plain left by the cutting out of the valleys between them. Some are broad and flat-topped, some narrow, crooked and level-crested, some sharp or rounded, isolated knobs or lnilics. These are very conspicuous in the counties of Greene, Da- viess, Martin, Crawford, Orange, Washington and Jackson, W attain their greatest development in Floyd, Clark and Scott, where the Silver Hills and Guinea Hills rise to 400 and 500 feet above the valley

OF INDIANA. 523

bottom?. In Brown County the knob topography attains the highest absolute elevation in Weed Patch Hill, and the surrounding region is so rugged as to have gained the title of the 'Switzerland of Indiana/

"In Benton county Mounts Nebo and Gilboa are isolated masses of rock projecting above the general level of the plain, and are probably entitled to the name of monadnocks.

The surface of the northern plain is peppered with small lakes which occupy irregular depressions in the surface of the drift, and are especially- characteristic of the massive moraines. The whole number cannot be less than 1,000. The largest, Turkey Lake in Kos- ciusko county, has an area of fiver -and a half square miles.

"Marshes and Swamps. — These exceed the lakes in number and extent. The smaller ones are the basins of former lakes which have been rilled up with sediment and vegetation. The largest are in the Kankakee Basin, and are the remaining vestiges of a glacial lake. Everywhere over the central plain the divides are too flat and the slopes too gentle for good drainage, and marshes abound. These, however, have been largely drained by ditches."

The surface of the State presents considerable differences in its vegetation. The heaviest timber which was found in central an«l southern Indiana has for the greater part disappeared. Throughout the northern part of the State the number of large trees is much less and the general size of forest trees decreases noticeably as- one proceeds northward.

"Contrary to the statements made in many books, Indiana is not a prairie state. An area estimated to comprise one-eighth of the whole, situated, except a few isolated patches in the northwestern part, is marsh and upland prairie. The remainder of the State was orig- inally covered by a heavy growth of oak, walnut, beech, maple and other hardwood timber, with sycamore and poplar near the streams and a little pine along the Ohio slope. No region in the United States could show finer specimens or a greater number of individuals and species of forest trees than the lower Wabash Valley. The same region is said to be the original habitat of the bluegrass which has made IiMiana and Kentucky pastures so famous." (Dryer, p. 25.)

524 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

PECULIARITIES AFFECTING BIRD DISTRIBUTION.

The region about the southern end of Lake Michigan presents an unusually fertile field for the ornithologist. Situated as it is, midway between the wooded region of the East and the treeless plains of the West, with the warm river bottoms of the South, rich in southern species, extending to within a comparatively short distance, and the great lake upon the north, northwestern Indiana forms a kind of "f our corners" where the avian faunas of four regions intergrade. To the proximity of Lake Michigan we are indebted for a number of more or less strictly maritime species. As would be expected the southern species occur only in summer, with the exception of Lophophanes bicolor, which is found only in winter. Not only is the influence of the lake upon the faunae shown by the occurrence of numerous species of birds, attracted by the presence of a large body of water, with its congenial surroundings, but the influence of the lake upon the climate and the vegetation in its immediate vicinity has a marked influence upon the list of summer residents. The northwestern portion of the State is divided into alternating tracts of prairie, marsh and wood- land, each possessing a bird life of its own. In Lake County, along the Lake Shore, is a stretch of pine woods 'known as "the pinery," which is quite peculiar. (Condensed from E. W. Nelson's notes of "Birds of Northeastern Illinois.") Coming smith one crosses the Kan- kakee Eiver and marshes, well-known regions for wate? fowl and marsh-inhabiting birds, and enters the Wabash Valley. Back from this valley proper we find occasional prairies and extensive meadows, where such prairie-inhabiting forms as Henslow's Sparrows, Yellow- winged Sparrows, Black-throated Buntings and Prairie Larks are ex- pected to be found. The lower Wabash Valley is noted for its extended "bottom lands" and "cypress swamps," which, for their flora no less than their birds, are of much interest. The amount of bird life here in summer is very much in excess of that in the north- western corner of the State at that season. The difference in the num- ber of birds noted would be readily observed. In the southeastern part of the State the land rises in some places almost 400 feet above the Ohio Eiver within a mile or very little more. On leaving the fertile river bottoms, with their successive terraces, one ascends the steep river hills and soon reaches the wet flats where the drainage is so poor that the water stands upon the surface beneath the oak and beech timber the greater part of the year. There is an intimate relation be- tween the topography and the character of the soil here. There is a

BIRDS or INDIANA. 525

comparatively level plateau extending from the Ohio Kiver "bluffs" to the northward, west of the valley of the Whitewater, and forming the water shed of a number of streams, some running into the White- water and some into the White River. This surface soil is usually a white or gray clay, characteristic of the country within 30 miles of the Ohio River in the southeastern corner of the State. From this one de- scends until the "broken uplands" are found lying just below the level land. Still lower down the "hillsides" are reached. These rise more or less abruptly from the bottom lands. The prevailing timber of this region is oak, maple, beech, sweet gum, black gum, etc., and with them are found, each in its season, some birds which prefer these surround- ings— Summer Redbird, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Blue War- bler, etc. East of the Whitewater River to beyond the Ohio line the country is more level and the soil darker and more fertile, the land ranking with the best in the State. The central portion of the State is comparatively level and very fertile. It was more recently settled than the southeastern portion, and hence to-day there may still be seen among the finest farms specimens of the largest trees to be found upon Indiana soil. The northeastern part of the State has been but little explored by the zoologist. Doubtless it will prove a valuable field for the one who will occupy it. This is the "lake region" of Indiana. Within this quarter is the meeting of two drainage systems — the Wa- bash to the southwest and the St. Joseph and St. Mary's to the north- east. The Wabash River is the line of principal migration in Indiana. As it turns to the eastward many routes leave it for the north, par- ticularly just south of Lake Michigan, but many birds follow its course along its length. To this fact seems to be due the peculiar distribu- tion of such forms as the Prothonotary and Cerulean Warblers, and in less degree the Kentucky, Worm-eating and Sycamore Warblers.

CHANGES IN BIRD-LIFE.

When our race first viewed this region it was a vast forest, a wilder- ness, unbroken save by the water courses, the trail of the Indian, the runways of the deer, the roadways of the buffalo. Our birds were only such as frequented the densest woodland or the bars in the river chan- nels, together with forms of wide range and birds of passage. With the cutting away of the larger trees sprang up thickets, and therewith came thicket-inhabiting forms. As the clearings were extended meadow lands and pasture lands were reserved. To the meadows came such forms as the Bay-winged Bunting, Field Sparrow, Black-throated Bunting and Grasshopper Sparrow, species peculiar to such surround- ings. Some parts of this land were wet and, where the drainage was

526 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

not good, became swamps and sloughs. There birds peculiar to such localities settled, among them Marsh Wrens, Rails, Gallinules, Swamp Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds. As the orchard and garden de- veloped, other birds, well known to us and greatly beloved for their cheery, social ways, there made their home; such are the Orchard Oriole, Warbling Vireo and Yellow Warbler. The changes in condi- tions and continual increase in number of settlers caused a continual diminution in numbers of many birds; especially is this true of geese, ducks and other water-loving species, while some birds famous in his- tory and literature have passed from us and are fast becoming extinct. Such are the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Wild Turkey and Carolina Parakeet. About our homes the Bluebirds, House Wrens and Carolina Wrens came and lived with us, even nearer and dearer than other birds.

As time went on drainage became a feature introduced into the new country. With the drainage of our sloughs and swamps a second change was noted. The forms of avian life, which lived among its •reeds and flags, mingling their voices with those of the frogs, disap- peared, and the land reclaimed tells, in its luxuriant growth of corn, no story to the casual passer-by of the former population which occu- pied it. Time went on, change followed change, little by little, but still each cleared field, each rotation of crops, each one of a thousand variations in cause had its effect upon the numbers or the life his- tory of our birds.

DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS.

By man's agency the English Sparrow was introduced, and as its numbars increased, began to assert itself in the struggle for existence. The Bluebird, which has come from the hole in the snag, was driven from her box. The Martin and Chimney Swift, which formerly nested in hollow trees, left their nesting sites about the house, and even the Eave Swallow, which in olden times fastened its nests to the cliffs, was in some cases driven away. The warfare still continues with this aggressive little foreigner, worse some places than others, but with such surprising powers of reproduction and un- heard-of audacity, it seems they must soon cover our entire continent.

Another epoch in this category is marked by the abnormal craze which has for some years been noted of using the skins and parts of birds for purposes of decoration and adornment. This barbarous cus- tom has been frowned down in some places by society leaders, but is still quite common.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 527

It is marvelous, the destruction of innocent, beneficial lives that have been sacrifice! upon the altar of fashion. Our State has now a very good law for the protection of our native birds, and it behooves us all to see that in our communities, our separate neighborhoods, that law is fully enforced. Unless this is done we may awake too late to the importance of protecting these feathered friends who gather their sub- stance from the insect enemies of the farm, the orchard, the garden and the woodland.

Birds are also destroyed in great numbers by natural causes. The sudden severe storms which occur at times in the migrating season often cause the death of a great number of tiny wanderers. It is no unusual thing to find along the shores of Lake Michigan, and numbers of other great lakesj following some severe, cold storm, the bodies of great numbers of migrating birds. How great this loss of life is cannot be estimated, but they are often found lying close together on the beach where they have been tossed by the waves. Again, it is no unusual thing to find, following a spell of cold weather in April or May, the bodies of many birds which have just arrived from the South and have been unable to withstand the effects of the sudden cold which came upon them. Other birds which irregularly winter with us, at times when they attempt to remain, are destroyed in great num- bers in unusually severe and unfavorable winter weather. A striking illustration of this was the severe weather of the late winter and early spring of 1895, when, over almost the entire Southern States east of the Mississippi, a cold wave prevailed coincident with the winter range of the Buebirds, Hermit Thrushes, Robins and other birds occupy- ing that region. These wintering birds were destroyed in great num- bers— so great, in fact, as almost to exterminate the entire race of Bluebirds and to greatly lessen the numbers of some other forms. In addition to this, many birds are destroyed at the time of migration on dark nisrhts by flying against the lighthouses, light towers and other lights in high places. Unfavorable weather during the breeding season is also the cause of large loss of life among the young birds and of the destruction of many eggs.

In addition, birds are subject to disease, fall a prey to their enemies, are killed by accident, and, as these conditions combine in a favorable or in an unfavorable way, we may note among many species, taking one year with another, an increase or a decrease in their normal numbers.

528 KEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

ZOOLOGICAL AREAS.

Geographers have attempted to divide the world into zoological re- gions in accordance with the harmonic distribution of certain typical forms. These zoological areas have not been very accurately denned. They may be termed the different divisions of the sea of animal life, with its tides, currents, varying temperature and depth, two areas meeting as land and sea, each with irregular shore lines and deeply indented coasts, the boundaries continually changing as barriers in one direction are overcome, and in another a different coast configura- tion appears.

Indiana is included entirely within the Eastern (Atlantic) faunal province, and while it is within the limits of the Carolina fauna of Mr. Allen, the southern portion contains so many birds that are dis- tinctive of the Louisiana fauna (Austroriparian Province of Professor Cope) that it has been thought it should be referred to that district. According to Dr. Merriam's provincial classification, almost all of Indiana is included within the upper Sonoran Zone. The Transition Zone appears in the northern part, while the extreme southwestern portion is included in an arm of the lower Sonoran Zone.

BIRD MIGRATION.

The migratory instinct is one of the wonders of nature. The origin of migration seems to reach far back into the unwritten history of the past. According to geological testimony, in the earlier ages of the earth's history a warm climate existed almost to the North Pole. Then neither lack of food nor the consequences of rigorous winter compelled the birds to leave that favored region. With the changing of conditions by which the circumpolar area became colder, then ice- locked and finally the limit of ice extended far to the southward, the birds were forced to more congenial lands. With the winter they sought warmer climes, and as the summer approached they sought to return to the ancestral home. Finally the southern limit of the ice sheet was reached, and it began to recede. With its recession the birds were enabled to reach higher latitudes, and in time, when the frigid area reached its present limitation, there was left for our solution the problem of the migration of birds. This habit is not the acquirement of any one bird, but is the influence of the experience of many gen- erations of birds extending through long ages of time, an inherited desire to seek nesting sites near the old home of their race.

With what regularity do certain forms leave their summer homes in the temperate and frigid realms and traverse the great expanse of plain and wood and ocean to far within the tropics, there spending the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 529

colder parts of the year, returning to the same breeding ground when summer approaches! Unerringly they pursue long lines of migration, as though following beaten paths, for thousands of miles. O'er river and lake and sea, o'er marsh and mountain and meadow they fly. So accurate is the chart, so true the compass of instinct, that each re- turning annual pilgrimage brings the little wanderers to their former homes. When the frosts touch the maple leaves and tinge the woods with bright autumn colors we miss some of our little friends. Day after day as the daylight grows shorter others follow where they led, until, when the snows come, many of the summer songsters have left us. These have sought the regions best suited to their condition in winter, where the food supply is more abundant or more easily ob- tained. Others from farther north have taken their places. These, to us, are winter residents. To our friends farther northward they are summer residents; between us there is a region where they are known as migrants. Among these latter bids which spend a part or the whole winter in our States are the Junco or Black Snow-bird, one form of Shore-lark, Tree Sparrows, the Sapsucker or Yellow-bellied Wood- pecker, rarely the White Snow-bird or Snowflake, the Snowy Owl and the Bohemian Waxwing. Their summer homes are north of us.

Some of the forms, perhaps most of them, which are with us the whole year round are not represented winter, spring, summer and au- tumn by the same individuals. In winter the Song Sparrow among the garden shrubbery or in the willow thickets are not particularly numer- ous, but late in March and early in April a host of Song Sparrows have appeared from the milder climate of Tennessee and neighboring States. Their numbers are very noticeable, but they, with many, perhaps all, of those who wintered with us, have passed on farther north. The usual number remains to keep house, rear a family and cheer humanity with their songs. With October those who spent their summers farther north return, and, as the frosts succeed dews and snows succeed frosts, they gradually pass by to favorite winter homes, leaving the individ- uals we knew the past winter with their children, our companions through the colder part of the year. The American Goldfinch that appears with the apple leaves in April in lemon-yellow dress with black cap and wings, comes from the southland to replace other more hardy relatives of his by the same name, who were hardly recognized by many of us for the plain winter dress they wore. Well, they passed on north- ward just a day or two before these brighter-appearing ones arrived from the pine groves and cotton fields of the Southern States. Next fall they will return with their bright colors deadened by the touch of the north wind, but we will know them by their voices.

34— GEOI,.

530 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The impression which may prevail that the winter residents are smaller than tin1 >u miner forms is erroneous. The Shore-larks, which winter with us, represent the same species which is resident in summer and the northern form which is larger. The idea that many birds mi- grate at night is correct.

Some winters the Robins, Meadow Larks, Kingfishers, Killdeers, Red-headed Woodpeckers and Chewinks remain with us. Other years they pass to the southward. Even when they are here, some years they seem to the casual observer to have left; yet the inquisitive lover of birds knows his little friends are to be found, even in inclement weather, though they do not appear to the uninitiated. To such an one a protected thicket, a deep ravine, an unexposed hillside, a dense wood- land, as his tramp leads through such out-of-the-way places, is found to be inhabited by forms which have disappeared to many eyes. The instinct which calls upon some to seek the better feeding grounds, the warmer places of earth, has impelled these to well-protected spots and localities where food may be most easily obtained.

The Catbird, Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow and Phoebe go but a little farther south, some years lingering along the Ohio Eiver.

The Marsh Wrens, Red-winged Blackbird, Hermit Thrush and sometimes the beautiful little Ruby-crowned Kinglet and eccentric lit- tle Blue-gray Gnat-catcher linger along the gulf coast, while all the north is snow-bound.

Other birds go farther on their winter journey. The Baltimore Orioles go as far as Panama. Our cheery Bobolink with "his Quaker wife," both plain clad when cold comes nigh, visit the West Indies and South America. The King Bird reaches the West Indes and Bolivia. The Night Hawk covers the same islands and Eastern South America. The Cerulean Warbler, on the contrary, visits Cuba and Central Amer- ica. Kirtland's rare warbler winters only in the Bahamas. The little Spotted Sandpiper visits Brazil. The Blue-winged Teal extends its journey to Ecuador, and Swainson's Thrush to Peru.

Some make more extended tours even than these. The American Golden Plover, a well-known game bird, which breeds in the northern part of our continent, when winter holds the northern hemisphere in his cold grasp, is found as far away as Patagonia, while the Knot, a coast bird which breeds in very high northern latitudes, the eggs of which were taken by the members of the Greely Arctic expedition at Ft. Conger, about north latitude 82 degrees, ranges to Cape Horn during our winter. Thus it will be observed migra- tion may mean the trip to the protected thicket in the vi- cinity of wild grapes, blac-kberries and weed patches laden with seed

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 531

at the southern edge of the farm, or the almost endless voyage of some shore birds across every one of the earth's zones. It may mean a change of individuals; a moving of those which summer with us a little farther south and a filling of their places by others of the same kind from a lit- tle farther north. It may mean a restlessness which some years impels the Bob White to move southward a few miles, or again to leave the hills and congregate in the valleys, or the reverse. Many times they fly into towns, and becoming confused, enter houses and stores, and are readily caught in the hand. It may mean the slow movement of the short-winged warblers and wrens, or the rapid flight of the swallo\7 and Wild Pigeon. Its cause is the instinct which tells them to prepare for winter or return for spring. A call that must be answered, an in- herent demand that comes to each individual through the accumulated experiences of the past which it cannot disobey.

Birds do not move promiscuously over the country, but are observed to have migratory routes. The Mississippi River is a great artery along which in spring courses a mighty stream of avian life destined to its breeding ground. At the mouth of the Ohio a large stream turns off to ascend that river, sending out branches of considerable size up the Wabash, Whitewater and Miami rivers. The Whitewater Valley forms one channel by which these wandering birds reach the Maumee and the lakes, whence many pass on still farther northward to their summer homes. As the rivers become the channels of migra- tion for certain species, other forms of different habits follow 'the higher lands or the mountain bases, along characteristic topographical features. As the warm air of spring comes, as from the throbbing of a great tropical heart, so the birds come, in pulsating movements, each succeeding one stronger and driving its tide of life farther along its course. Each bird-wave seems to move as though the rear of the mi- grating forms was continually passing over the more advanced and tak- ing the lead. Among the smaller streams, the main ridges, the connect- ing woodland, at the height of the migration may readily be observed the smaller currents of bird life given off by the larger streams, each following its own course, all instinctively going in a definite direction — north. The whole movement may be compared to the circulation of sap in a tree. From trunk to limb, from limb to branch, from branch to bough, from bough to twig, from twig to leaf. The entire move- ment over either hemisphere may be likened to numberless trees with their roots at the equator, their topmost branches approaching the poles. In autumn the courses of the bird currents are not so plainly marked, but yet along the borders of our streams may be seen, at favorable times, hordes of little wanderers moving past in almost end- less streams at early morn and eventide.

532 EEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF INDIANA ORNITHOLOGY.

The following bibliographical notes, while not complete, indicate many of the publications relating to Indiana birds, most of which were at hand for reference:

1808.

WILSON, A. American Ornithology ; or the Natural History of the Birds of the United States ; illustrated with plates, engraved and colored from original drawings taken from nature. By Alexander Wilson. Vol. I (-IX). Philadelphia. Published by Bradford & Inskeep. Printed by Robert Carr. Vol. I, 1808. Vol. II, 1810. Vol. Ill, 1811. Vol. IV, 1811. Vol. V, 1812. Vol. VI, 1812. Vol. VII, 1814.. Vol. VIII, 1814. Vol. IX, 1814.

1827.

AUDUBON, J. J. Birds of America. 4 v. doub. elephant folio. Lon- don. 435 colored plates. Original edition colored plates. 1827-49. The original edition of the text to Audubon's great work, "The Birds of America." Very valuable. A copy at the Larking sale, May, 1892, brought £345. A copy is quoted in Quaritch's cata- logue, May, 1894, at £350.

1831.

CROGHAN, COL. GEORGE. Journal of Col. Croghan, Monthly Ameri- can Journal of Geology and Natural Science. Philadelphia, De- cember, 1831. Mentions the occurrence of some birds in Indiana.

AUDUBON, J. J. Ornithological Biography ; or an Account of the Hab- its of the Birds of the United States of America, accompanied by the descriptions of the objects represented in the work entitled, "The Birds of America,", and interspersed with delineations of American scenery and manners. By John James Audubon, F. R. SS. L. and E , etc. Vol. I— Edinburgh, Adam Black, 1831 ; also printed at Philadelphia by E. L. Carey and A. Hart, 1832. Vol. II — Edinburgh, Adam and Charles Black, 1834; also printed at Boston by Hilliard, Gray & Co. Vol. Ill — Edinburgh, Adam and Charles Black, 1835. Vol. IV— Edinburgh, Adam and Charles Black, 1838. Vol. V— Edinburgh, Adam and Charles Black, 1839.

1834.

BUTLER, MANN. History of Kentucky. Louisville, 1834. Contains a copy of the Journal of Col. Croghan down the Ohio in 1765. Refers to Indiana birds.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 533

1840.

AUDUBON, J. J. The Birds of America. From drawings made in the United States and their Territories. By John James Audubon. New York, published by J. J. Audubon. Philadelphia, J. B. Che- valier, 1840-44. 7 vols.

1846.

CROGHAN, GEORGE. Journal of George Croghan. The Olden Time, a monthly publication devoted to the preservation of documents and other authentic information in relation to the early explorations and the settlement and improvement of the country around the head of the Ohio. Edited by Neville S. Craig, Esq. Two vols., small 4to. Pittsburg, 1846-48.

1856.

HAYMOND, RUFUS, M. D. Birds of Southeastern Indiana. Proc. Acad- emy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, Vol. VIII, 1856, pp. 286- 298. A list of birds observed in the Whitewater Valley.

1868.

ALLEN, J. A. Notes on birds observed in Western Iowa, in the months of July, August and September ; also on birds observed in Northern Illinois in May and June, and at Richmond, Wayne County, In- diana, between June 3d and 10th. Memoirs Boston Soc. Natural History, Vol. I, Pt, IV, Art. XII, December, 1868, pp. 488-526. Also issued separately. Mentions 72 Indiana species.

1869.

HAYMOND, RUFUS. Birds of Franklin County, Indiana. First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Indiana, made during the year 1869, by E. T. Cox, State Geologist, 1869, pp. 209-335. Also issued bound with Agricultural Report of the same year, entitled Indiana Agricultural and Geological Report, 1869, etc.

1873.

EDITOR'S NOTE. Refers to southern part of Wayne County, Indiana, as a good place for quails. Forest and Stream, N. Y., Vol. I, 1873- 4, 7, p. 106.

AMATEUR. Prairie Chickens. Account of a trip into Indiana after them. Forest and Stream, N. Y., 1873-4, Vol. I, 7 p. 98.

534 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1874.

KIRTLAND, J. P. Letter from, dated 1857, mentioning various Indiana birds Proc. Cleveland Acad. Nat. Science, 1874, pp. 131-132.

KIDGWAY, R. The Wabash Valley and Its Avian Fauna. Proc. Bos- ton Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XVI, pp. 303-332.

RIDGWAY, R. The Lower Wabash Valley, considered in its relation to the Faunal Districts of the Eastern Regions of North America, with a Synopsis of Its Avian Fauna, by Robert Ridgway. Boston, 1874, p. 31. Repaged edition of the above.

COUES, ELLIOTT. Birds of the Northwest, a handbook of the Ornithol- ogy of the region drained by the Missouri River and its tributaries. Dept. of the Interior, U. S. Geol. Survey of the Territories, Mis- cellaneous Publications, No. 3, 1874.

EDITOR'S NOTE. Wild Turkey found breeding at Valparaiso, Ind. Forest and Stream, N. Y., Vol. Ill, 1874-5, 10, p. 150.

EDITOR'S NOTE. Wild Pigeon, very abundant in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin in beech woods. Sept. 15, 1874. Forest and Stream, N. Y., Vol. Ill, 1874-5, 7, p. 107.

1876.

JORDAN, DAVID STARR. Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United States, including the District East of the Mississippi River and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, exclusive of marine species, by David Starr Jordan, Ph. D., M. D., Porfessor of Nat- ural History in N. W. C. University and in Indiana State Medical College. Chicago, Jansen, McClurg & Co., 1876. Refers to a number of Indiana birds. A second edition, dated 1878; a third, 1880; a fourth in 1888.

SMITH, G. AUG. Birds of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Forest and Stream, Vol. X, 1876, p. 148. Fifty species mentioned, some by error.

COUES, ELLIOTT. Peculiar nesting site of Bank Swallow (i. e., Stelgido- pteryx serripennis) . Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. I, 1876, p. 96.

HAYMOND, R. Notes on the Bank Swallow (i. e. , Stelgidopteryx serripen- nis). Field and Forest, Vol. I, 1876, No. 11, p. 88.

COUES, ELLIOTT. Notable change of habit of the Bank Swallow (i. e., Stelgidopteryx serripennis) . American Naturalist, Vol. X, 1876, pp. 492-493.

NELSON, E. W. Additions to the avifauna of Illinois, with notes on other species of Illinois birds. Bull. Nuttall On. Club, Vol. I, 1876, pp. 39-44. Notes some observations on the Wabash River.

1877. .

NELSON, E. W. The Louisiana Heron in Indiana. Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. II, 1877, p. 51.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 535

NELSON, E. W. Birds of Northeastern Illinois, Bull, of the Essex Institute, Vol. VIII, 1877, p. 90-155. Some observations noted about the southern end of Lake Michigan, along the Indiana and Illinois line.

NELSON, E. W. Notes upon birds observed in Southern*Illinois between July 17 and September 4, 1875. Bull, of the Essex Institute, Vol. IX, 1877, pp. 32-65. Part of the observations made on the Wabash River and part on the White River.

OOLOGIST (A. W. BUTLER). The Nesting of the Wood Pewee. The Oologist, Vol. Ill, 1877, p. 37.

LANGDON, FRANK W. A catalogue of the birds in the vicinity of Cin- cinnati, Frank W. Langdon, Salem, Mass. Naturalists' Agency,

1877, pp. 18. Mentions several observations on Indiana birds.

ARROW. A voice against the English Sparrow from Indianapolis, In- diana. Forest and Stream, N. Y., Vol. VIII, 1877, 17, p. 261.

CAREY, A. G. Observations on the English Sparrow at Indianapolis, Indiana. Forest and Stream, N. Y., Vol VIII, 1877, 19, p. 307.

1878.

RIDGWAY, ROBERT. A review of the American species of the genus

Scops Savigny. Proc. U. S. National Museum, Vol. I, 1878, pp.

85-117. Notes the results of observations on the dichromatic phases

of Scops asio. In part made in Indiana. BREWSTER, WILLIAM. The Prothonotary Warbler. Bull. Nuttall Orn,

Club, Vol. Ill, 1878, pp. 153-162. Based on observations made m

Knox and Gibson Counties, Indiana. RIDGWAY, ROBERT. Notes on birds observed afc Mt. Carrnel, Southern

Illinois, in the spring of 1878. Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. Ill,

1878, pp. 162-166. Based in part upon observations ha the cypress swamps in Indiana.

SANGBR. Ruffed Grotwe. Observations made at Elkhart, Indiana.

Believes not over one-third killed are males. Forest and Stream,

N. Y., Vol. IX, 1877-8, 26, p. 489. ALLEN, J. A. Early nesting of the Shore Lark near Indianapolis,

Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. Ill, 1878, p. 189. COUES, ELLIOTT. Birds of the Colorado Valley. Derpt. of the Interior

U. S. Geol. Survey of the Territories. Miscellaneous Publications,

No. 11. Part First, Passeres to Laniidse. 1878.

, B. W. Notes on the winter birds of Carroll County, In-"

(liana. Printed in various issues of the Delpbi Journal during the

winter of 18784*.

536 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1879.

LANGDON, FRANK W. A revised list of Cincinnati birds. Journal Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist, Vol. II, 1879, pp. 1-27. Mentions several Indiana birds.

ANONYMOUS. Note on Woodcock flushed at Bath, Indiana, March 2, 1879. Forest and Stream, N. Y.,. Vol. XII, 1879, 13, p. 245.

1880.

RIDGWAY, ROBERT. On six species of birds new to the fauna of Illinois, with notes on other rare Illinois birds. Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. V, 1$80, pp. 30-32. Notes the occurrence of Ibis alba at Mt. Carmel, Illinois.

BRAYTON, ALEMBERT W. A catalogue of the birds of Indiana, with keys and descriptions of the groups of the greatest interest to the horticulturist, by Alembert W. Brayton, B. S., M. D. Transac- tions Indiana State Horticultural Society for 1879, pp. 87-165.

ALLEN, J. A. Review of Brayton's catalogue of the birds of Indiana. Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. V, 1881, pp. 174-175.

LANGDON, FRANK W. Ornithological field notes, with five additions to the Cincinnati avifauna. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. of Nat. Hist., Vol. Ill, 1880, pp. 121-127. Contains several notes on birds of Franklin County, Indiana.

ANONYMOUS. Bird architecture. St. Nicholas, Vol. VII, 7, 1880, p. 57. Refers to Oriole's nest at Spiceland, Indiana.

1881.

QUICK, E. R. Gatharista atrata Less. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. IV, 1881, pp. 340-341. Two specimens noted near Brookville, Indiana.

QUICK, E. R. Chen hyperboreus Boie. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. IV, 1*81, p. 341. Specimens taken near Brookville, Indiana.

LANGDON, F. W. Zoological Miscellany — Ornithology. Journ. Cin- cinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. IV, 1881, pp. 337-341. Contains sev- eral notes from Brookville, Indiana.

RIDGWAY, ROBERT. A catalogue of the birds of Illinois. Bull. No. 4. Illinois State Laboratory of Nat. Hist., May, 1881, pp. 163-208. Mentions the occurrence of the Louisiana Heron (J.. tricolor rufi- coUis Gosse) in Indiana, etc.

BAILEY, H. B. Forest and Stream. Bird Notes; an index and sum- mary of all the ornithological matter contained in Forest and Stream, Vol. I-XII (Aug., 1873; Aug., 1879). Compiled by H. B. Bailey, New York. Forest and Stream Publishing Company, 39 Park Row, 1881.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 537

1882.

HIDGWAY, ROBERT. Notes on some of the birds observed near Wheat- land, Knox County, Indiana, in the spring of 1881. Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. VII, 1882, pp. 15-33.

EVERMANN, B. W. A short note on the nesting of the Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. VI, p. 61.

LANGDON, F. W. Dichromatism in the Screech Owl (Scops asio Bp.). Journal Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. V, 1882, pp. 52-53. Re- fers to several Indiana specimens.

LANGDON, F. W. A synopsis of the Cincinnati fauna. Zoological Miscellany, Journal Cin. Soc. Nat, Hist., Vol. V, No. 3, pp. 185-194. Includes birds.

QUICK, E. R. Winter birds of 1880 and 1881 on the White Water. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. V, 1882, pp. 54-56.

QUICK, E. R. Ornithological notes from Brookville, Indiana. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. V, 1882, p. 192.

BUTLER, A. W. The birds of Franklin County, Indiana. Atlas of Franklin County, Indiana, etc., J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1882, pp. 11-12.

BUTLER, A. W. Ornithological notes from Brookville, Indiana. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. V, 1882, pp. 192-193.

QUICK, E. R. Brookville (Indiana) notes. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist, Vol. V, pp. 93-95. Appears under the caption "Ornithol- ogy" under "Zoological Miscellany."

WHEAT ON, J. M., M. D. Report on the birds of Ohio. Report of the Geological Survey of Ohio, Vol. IV ; Zoology and Botany, Part I ; Zoology, Section II, Columbus, Ohio, 1882, pp. 187-628. Notes several observations on Indiana birds.

1883. LANGDON, F. W. , M. D. Bibliography of the Cincinnati fauna. Journ.

Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. VI, 1883, pp. 5-53. Mentions

several publications on Indiana birds. EVERMANN, B. W. Notes from Bloomington, Indiana. Ornithologist

and Oologist, Vol. VIII, pp. 27-28.

1884. BUTLER, A. W. Local Weather Lore. The American Meteorological

Journal, Dec., 1884, pp. 313-316. Relating to birds. BUTLER, A. W. Local Weather Lore. Proc. A. A. A. S., Vol.

XXXIII, 1884, pp. 603-609. Abstract of above.

538 KEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

BUTLER, A. W. The Cerulean Warbler. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. IX, 1884, pp. 27-28.

EVERMANN, B. W. Arrivals of birds at Camden, Indiana, 1884. Or- nithologist and Oologist, Vol. IX, 1884, p. 74. Also published in the spring of 1884, in "The Township Institute."

NOE, FLETCHER M. Chimney Swallows. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. IX, 1884, p. 104.

BICKNELL, EUGENE P. A study of the singing of our birds. The Auk, Vol. I, Oct., 1884, p. 326. A series of articles running through several numbers of this journal. This particular citation refers to the note of the Scarlet Tanager in Indiana.

EVERMANN, B. W. Bird Migration. Am. Field, Vol. XXI, pp. 544- 545.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Are Owls beneficial to the farmer? Also notes on the species in Indiana. Indiana Farmer, July 5, 1884.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Variation in color of the Screech Owl. Indiana Farmer, July 10, 1884.

1885.

SHARPE, R. BOWDLER. Catalogue of the Passeriformes or Perching Birds in the collection of the British Museum, etc., Vol. X, Lon- don, 1885.

Contains a number of Indiana references, including Geotldypis maegillivrayi (?) from Wolf Lake, Indiana. This series of publica- tions, which began to be issued in 1874, and is still being published, contains a number of references to Indiana birds.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Red Crossbill in Indiana. Ornithologist and Oolo- gist, Vol. X, 1885, p. 32.

BUTLER, A. W. The Cuckoo. - Indiana Farmer, April, 1885, p. 14.

BUTLER, A. W. Observations on Faunal changes. Bull. Brookville Soc. Nat. Hist., No. 1, pp. 5-13. Includes notes on birds which were republished in Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. X, 1885, pp. 98-99.

BUTLER, A. W. Observations on Faunal changes. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. X, 1885, pp. 98-99. Reprint of last.

NOE, FLETCHER M. The value of birds as insect destroyers. Indiana Farmer, Jan. 17, 1885. ( Abstract of paper before State Board of Agriculture.)

EVERMANN, BARTON W. A day with the birds of a Hoosier swamp. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XI, 1886, p. 99.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 539

1*86.

BUTLER, AMOS W. A list of birds observed in Franklin County, In- diana. Bull. Brook ville Soc. Nat. Hist,, No. 2, J886, pp. 12-39.

BLATCHLEY, W. 8. Winter birds of the vicinity of Bloomington, In- diana. Hoosier Naturalist, 1, pp. 169-171.

EVERMANN, B. W. White eggs of the Bluebird. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. II, 1886, p. 124.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Notes on the destruction of Indiana birds for mil- linery purposes. Indianapolis News, Feb. 22, 1886.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Notes on Indiana birds. Indianapolis News, Feb. 27, 1886.

THOMPSON, MAURICE. Some song birds of Indiana. Report of the State Board of Agriculture, 1885, pp. 247-252.

A. O. U. CHHICK LIST. The code of nomenclature and check list of North American birds, adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union, New York, 1886.

GREGG, J. C. Hoosier Naturalist, Vol. I, p. 155. Letter about birds.

BUTLER, A. W. The Periodical Cicada in Southeastern Indiana. U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, Bulletin No. 12, pp. 24 31. Refers to birds known to eat cicadas.

1887.

HAY,-O. P. The Red-headed Woodpecker a Hoarder. The Auk, Vol. IV, July, 1887, pp. 193-6. Observations near Irvington, Indiana.

EVERMANN, B. W. Birds of Monroe County, Indiana. The Hoosier Naturalist, Vol. II, 1887, pp. 137-145.

EVERMANN, B. W. Some rare Indiana bird?. American Naturalist, Vol. XXI, 1887, pp. 290-291.

EVERMANN, B. W. Bird Migration. Popular Science Monthly, April, 1887.

EVERMANN, B. W. An addition to the list of birds of Monroe County, Indiana. Hoosier Naturalist, Vol. II, 1887, p. 164. *

RIDGWAY, ROBERT. A Manual of North American Birds. Philadel- phia. J. B. Lippincott Co., 1887.

1888.

BUTLER, A. W. Tropical Sojourners. The Agassiz Companion, Vol. Ill, No. 6, 1888, pp. 61-63,

BUTLER, A. W. Notea on the range of the Profchonotary Warbler in Indiana. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XII, 1888, pp. 33-34.

540 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

EVERMANN, BARTON W. Birds of Carroll County, Indiana. The Auk, Vol. V, 1888, pp. 344-351; continued in Vol. VI, 1889, pp. 22-30.

BUTLER, AMOS W. Notes concerning albinism among birds. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Jan. 1, 1888, pp. 214-216.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Do English Sparrows protect trees from insect rav- ages? Indianapolis News, June 15, 1888.

BLATCHLEY, W. S. "A Gnatcatcher's Strategy." Audubon Magazine, March, 1888. Describes a two-story nest of the Blue-gray Gnat- catcher, Polioptila ccendea (Linn.), taken near Bloomington. A Cowbird had deposited an egg in the nest proper and the second story was built over the egg.

WEST, F. M. A Cross-billed Woodpecker. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XIII, p. 95, June, 1888. Specimen of Melanerpes carolinensis noted from Greensburg, Indiana.

TROLLER, JAS. S. Correspondence from (Greensburg) Indiana. The Bay State Oologist, Vol. I, No. 6, June, 1888, p. 52. Account of nesting of a pair of Bluebirds in the sand pump of a well-driller's outfit. Reprinted in the Ornithologist and Oologist Annual, Vol. I, No. 1, January, 1889, p. 29.

HANGER, O. P. Black Vulture (Catharista atrata) in Orange County, Indiana. The Curlew, Orleans, Indiana, Vol. I, No. 3, December,

1888, p. 35.

1889.

LANGDON, F. W. , M. D. On the occurrence of large numbers ef six- teen species of birds. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XII,

1889, pp. 57-63. Notes the unusual abundance of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Brookville, Indiana, in the spring of 1885.

EVERMANN, B. W. The Wood Ibis of Indiana. The Auk, Vol. VI, 1889, pp. 186-187.

RIDGWAY, ROBERT. The Ornithology of Illinois. Natural History Sur- vey of Illinois. State Laboratory of Natural History, S. A. Forbes, Director. Part I, Descriptive Catalogue, by Robert Ridgway, Vol. ^ I, Springfield, 111., 1889, pp. 520+ VIII, pis. XXXII. The present volume ends with Columbae. Contains many references to Indiana birds.

BARROWS, WALTER B. The English Sparrow (Passer domesticm) in North America, especially in its relation to agriculture. Prepared under the directions of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Ornithologist, by Walter B. Barrows, Assistant Ornithologist. Bulletin No. 1, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Economic Onithology and Mammalogy, Washington, 1889, pp. 405 and map. A number of Indiana observations noted.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 541

DWIGHT, JONATHAN, JR. The Horned Larks of North America. The Auk, Vol. VII, 1890, pp. 138-158 and map. Notes specimens from Indianapolis, Indiana.

THOMPSON, MAURICE. Preliminary sketch of the aquatic and shore birds of the Kankakee region. Kept. Ind. Geol. Survey, 1888, pp. 102-164.

DAVIE, OLIVER. Nests and Eggs of North American Birds. Fourth ed., 1892, pp. 455+124-11. Three previous editions.

BLATCHLEY, W. S. "The Coming of the Birds." Terre Haute Ga- zette, April 17, 1889. Gives the arrivals in the vicinity of Terre Haute to that date.

NEHRLING, H. North American Birds. Issued in parts. No. 1, 1889. George Brumder, Milwaukee, Wis. 1889-1896.

18*9.

BLATCHLEY, W. 8. Our Feathered Friends of Indiana. A series of five articles in Indiana Farmer, under dates of May 4, May 18, May 25 and Nov. 23, 1889, and March 29, 1890.

1890.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Wood Ibis in Indiana. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XV, p. 167.

N(ORRIS), J. P. A series of the eggs of the Prothonotary Warbler. Or- nithologist and Oologist, Vol. XV, Dec. 1890, pp. 172-182. Speci- mens noted from Carroll County, Indiana. .

1891.

BUTLER, AMOS W. A catalogue of the birds of Indiana. Trans. In- diana Hort. Soc., 1890. Appendix C, pp. 1 135. Also separately printed.

BUTLER, AMOS W. Our birds and what they do for the farmer. Kept. State Board of Agl., Indiana, 1890, pp. 113-125. Also issued sep- arately in pamphlet form.

HASBROUCK, EDWIN M. The Carolina Paroquet (Conurus carolinensis). The Auk, Vol. VI U, 1891, pp. 369-379.

ALLEN, J. A. Butler's Birds of Indiana. Review. The Auk, Vol. VIII, p. 383.

HASBROUCK, EDWIN M. The present status of the Ivory-billed Wood- pecker (Campephilus principalis). The Auk, 1891, Vol. VIII, pp. 174 186.

HINE, JANE L. Tyrant Flycatchers. The Waterloo Press, Vol. XXXIII, No. 30, March 19, 1891.

542 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

KBYSER, L. S. Bird-dom. Boston. D. Lothrop & Co., 1891. Refers to Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Indiana, p. 44.

PARKER, B. S. Hoosier Bards. Chicago. Charles H. Kerr, 1891. A

delightfully accurate interpretation of the songs of our birds by a

poet. BLATCHLEY, W. S. Birds and Their Value on the Farm. Terre Haute

Gazette, Jan. 13, 1891. A paper read before the Vigo County

Farmers' Institute.

1892.

BUJLER, AMOS W. Notes on Indiana birds. Proc. Indiana Acad. of Sci , 1891, pp. 164-166.

BUTLF.R, AMOS W. Notes on the range and habits of the Carolina Par- akeet. The Auk, Vol. IX, No. 1, Jan., 1892, pp. 49-56.

McBRiDE, R WE^. Some notes on the birds of Indiana. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci , 1891, pp. 166-169.

BUTLEK, AMOS W. Some notes concerning the Evening Grosbeak. The Auk, Vol. IX, pp. 238-247.

NOE, FLETCHER M. Note on White Pelican. New Castle, Indiana. Ornithologist and Ob ogist, Vol. VI, p. 123.

ULREY, A. B. Notes on the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). Ornithologist and Oblogist, Vol. XVII, pp. 7677.

GOULD, JAMES E. Note on nesting of Bald Eagle at English Lake, In- diana. Ornithologist and Ob'logist, Vol. XVII, p. 64.

KINDLE, E. M. Arrivals of some migratory birds of Johnson County, Indiana. Ornithologist and Oologisf, Vol. XVII, p. 44.

BENDIRE, CHARLES, CAPT. U. S. A. Life Histories of North American Birds. Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum. Special Bulletin No. 1, 1*92, pp. 1-414.

1893

BUTLEK, AMOS- W. Range of the Crossbill (Loxia) iu the Ohio Valley, with notes on their unusual occurrence in summer. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci., 1892, pp. 63-72.

BUTLER, AMOS W. Further notes on the Evening Grosbeak. The Auk, Vol. X, 1893, pp. 155-157.

COOK, A. J. Birds of Michigan. Bull 94, Mich. Agl. College, pp.

1-148, first edition. References to Indiana birds. COOK, A. J. Birds of Michigan. Bull. 94, Mich. Agl. College, pp.

1-168, second edition.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 543

FISHER, A. K. , M. D.. The Hawks and Owls of the United States in their relation to agriculture. Bull. No. 3, Div. Orn. and Mam. U. S. Dept. Agriculture, 1893, pp. 210.

Cox, ULYSSES O. A list of the birds of Randolph County, Indiana, with some notes on the mammals of the same county. Ornitholo- gist and Oologist, Vol. XVIII, 1893, pp. 2-3.

Me BRIDE, HERBERT W. Letter. Notes on Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Michigan and Indiana. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XVIII, p. 47.

BUTLER, AMOS W. On the migration of birds. Indiana Farmer, Oct. 21, 1893.

BUTLER, AMOS W. The range of Crossbills in the Ohio Valley, with notes on their unusual occurrence in summer. The American Nat- uralist, Vol. XXVIH, 1894, pp. 136-146.

ANONYMOUS. Account of Swan (sp?) killed on Little Beaver Lake, Newton County, Indiana. Forest and Stream, Vol. XL, No. 13, p. 72.

HASBROUCK, E. M. Evolution and Dichromatism of the Genus Mega- scops. American Naturalist, Vol. XXVII, pp. 521-533; 638-649

MURCHISON, A. C Distribution of the Mocking Bird in Illinois. Or- nithologist and Oologist, Vol. XVIII, 1893, pp. 67-70. Indiana reference.

HitfE, JANE L. Birds that Befrieud Our Forest Trees. A series of chapters irregularly published in the Farmer's Guide, Huntingtou, Indiana. Chapter I in Vol. V, No. 1, Jan. 1 ; ChTlI in Vol. V, No. 2, Jan 15 ; Ch. Ill in Vol. V, No. 3, Feb. 1 ; Ch. IV in Vol. V, No. 4, Feb. 15; Ch. V in Vol. V, No. 6, March 15; Ch. —in Vol. V, No. 27, Dec. 15.

MURCHISON, A. C. Distribution of the Loug-eared Owl and Cooper's Ha\Vk in Illinois. Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XVIII, 1893, pp. 17-22, 33-35, 49-51. Indiana reference.

COOK, A. J. Birds of Michigan. A review. Ornithologist and Oolo- gist, Vol. XVIIT, 1893, p. 106.

MURCHISON, A C. Distribution of the Black-cfowned Night Heron in Illinois. Ornithologist and Oobgist, Vol. XVILI, 189 •>, pp. 82-K5. Indiana reference.

NEHRLING, H. Our Native Birds of Sang and Beauty, Vol. I, 1893. Geo. Brumder, Milwaukee, Wis. Also issued in parts as North American Birds, beginning in 1889.

544 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1893.

BLATCHLEY, W. S. Our Winter Birds. A series of ten articles in Terre Haute Gazette under dates of Dec. 9 and 16, 1893, and Jan. 6, 13, 20; Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, and March 3, 1894.

1894.

EIGENMANN, C. H. Report of Director Division of Zoology Indiana Biological Survey. Proceedings Indiana Academy of Science, 1893, pp. 68-69. Reference to work done in ornithology.

BUTLER, A. W. Bibliography of Indiana Ornithology. Ibid., pp. 108-116.

BUTLER, A. W. Notes on Indiana Birds. Ibid., pp. 116-120. Notes on 24 species. First Indiana record of Tryngites subruficollis, Mi- cropalama himantopus, Tringa bairdii, and Dendroica kirtlandi.

LOUCKS, W. E. The life history and distribution of the Prothonotary Warbler in Illinois. Bull. 111. State Lab. of Nat. Hist, Champaign, 111., Vol. IV, No. 3. Springfield, 111., 1894. Reference to Indiana.

HINE, JANE L. Farmers, Take Care of Your Birds. The Farmer's Guide, Huntington, Indiana, Vol. VI, No. 10, May 15, 1894.

1895.

BARROWS, WALTER B , AND E. A. SCHWARZ. The Common Crow of the United States. Bull. No. 6, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Div. of Ornithology and Mammalogy, pp. 98, 1895.

DEANE, RUTHVEN. The European Widgeon (Anas penelope) in Indi- ana. The Auk, Vol. XII, 1895, April, 179.

D*JANE, RUTHVEN. Another European Widgeon (Anas penelope) in In- diana. Ibid. , July, 292.

DEANE, RUTHVEN. Additional records of the Passenger Pigeon in Illi- nois and Indiana. Ibid., 298-300.

DEANE, RUTHVEN. Record of a third specimen of the European Wid- geon ( Ana* penelope) in Indiana. Ibid , 292.

DUNN, JAMES O. The Passenger Pige m in the Upper Mississippi Val- ley. Ibid , Oct., 389. Reference to record near Liverpool, Indi- ana, March 14, 1894.

DUNN, JAMES O. Henslow's Sparrow in Indiana. Ibid., 391-2

DUNN, JAMES O. Notes on some birds of Northeastern Illinois. Ibid., 393-5. Record of Prothonotary Warbler, Wilder's, Indiana.

BLATCHLEY, W. S. Protect the Woodpeckers. Indianapolis Sunday Journal, Oct. 27, 1895.

BIEDS OF INDIANA. 545

MONOQUET (L. H. RAYMOND). An American King, or the Home, Haunts and Habits of the Ruffed Grouse. The American Field, Vol. XLIV, No. 22, Nov. 30, 1895, pp. 509-511.

MONOQUET (L. H. RAYMOND) . American Woodcock and Woodcock Shooting. Ibid., No. 26, Dec. 28, 1895, pp. 605-608.

BUTLER, A. W. With the Birds of Winona. The Indiana Synod, Vol. II, No. 2, Dec., 1895, pp. 78-80.

KINDLE, E. M. Preliminary list of the birds of Brown County. Pro- ceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 1894, pp. 68-73. Enumerates 106 species.

GAINES, 'ANGUS. Books and Birds. Nidiologist, August, 1895, p. 162,

GAINES, ANGUS. Eggs of Nighthawks and Whippoorwills. Nidiolo- gist, March, 1895, p. 91.

GAINES, ANGUS. Migration. Nidiologist, July, 1895, p. 152. GAINES, ANGUS. Owls and Their Nests. Oologist, May, 1895, p. 85.

GAINES, ANGUS. Hawks and Their Nests. Oologist, Dec., 1895, p. 175.

BUTLER, A. W. Notes on the Birds of 1894. Ibid., pp. 73-80. Notes on 24 species of . birds. Includes record of the first occurrence of Anas penelope and of the breeding of Porzana jamaicensis.

GAINES, ANGUS. Woodpeckers and Their Nests. Oologist, July, 1895,

p. 115. BEAL, F. E. L., Assistant Ornithologist. Preliminary report on the

food of Woodpeckers. Bull. No. 7, U. 8. Dept. of Agriculture,

Div. of Ornithology and Mammalogy, pp. 33.

GAINES, ANGUS. The Blue Jay. Nidiologist, June, 1895, p. 132.

1896.

HINE, JANE L. Farm Birds in Northern Indiana. The Farmer's Guide, Huntington, Indiana, Vol. VIII. A series of articles in chapters in the following numbers of that paper: No. 3, Feb. 1, 1896 ; No. 4, Feb. 15 ; No. 5, March 1 ; No. 6, March 15 ; No. 7, April 1; No. 8, April 15; No. 9, May 1.

CHANSLER, E. J. Our Feathered Beauties. Indiana Farmer, Feb. 15r 1896, p. 6.

ANONYMOUS. Pigeon Roosts Fifty Years Ago. Indiana Farmer, Feb. 22, 1896. From Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette.

HINE, JANE L. Cedar Waxwing. Farmer's Guide, Vol. VIII, No. 12, June 15, 1896.

35— GEOL.

54:6 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

BUTLER, A. W. The range of the Crossbills in the Ohio Valley, -with notes on their unusual occurrence in summer. In a volume entitled " Papers Presented to the World's Congress on Ornithology." Ed- ited by Mrs. E. Irene Rood, Chairman Woman's Committee of the Congress, under the direction of Dr. Elliott Coues, President of the Congress, Chicago. Charles H. Sergei Company, 1896, pp. 47-58.

GAINES, ANGUS. Our Animal Friends. The Nest in the Rushes (Grebe), p. 62, Nov., 1896.

ULREY, ALBERT B. Contributions to the Biological Survey of Wabash County, Indiana. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci., 1895, Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb., 1896, p. 147. Refers to the result of investigations of the bird fauna of that county.

HINE, JANE L. The Picnic of the Birds. The Farmer's Guide, Hunt- ington, Indiana, Vol. VIII, No. 15, Aug. 1, 1896.

ULREY, ALBERT B., AND WILLIAM O. WALLACE. Birds of Wabash County. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci., 1895, Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb-, 18%, pp, 148-159. A local list of 186 species.

BUTLER, A. W. Additional Notes on Indiana Birds. Ibid., pp. 162- 168.

CHAMBERLAIN, F. M. Water Birds of Turkey Lake. Ibid., p. 264. A list of 14 species noted between July 1 and Sept. 1, 1895.

NEHRLING, H. Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty, Vol. II. Geo. Brumder, Milwaukee, Wis., 1896.

RIDGWAY, ROBERT. A Manual of North American Birds, by Robert Ridgway. Second edition, Philadelphia, J. B. Lippiacott Com- pany, 18?6. A number of Indiana references.

WOODRUFF, FRANK M. On birds reported as ranging in Cook County, 111. The Auk, Vol. XIII, 1896, April, 179 81. Reference to In- diana notes.

DEANE, RUTHVEN. Record of a fourth specimen of the European Wid- geon (A)ws penelope) in Indiana. Ibid., July, 255.

GAINES, ANGUS. In the Haunts of the Sandpiper. Recreation, Au- gust, 1896, p. 97.

BUTLER, A. W. Indiana — A Century of Changes in the Aspects of Nature. President's address. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 1895, pp. 31-42. Refers to changes in avifauna.

BUTLER, A. W. Indiana— A Century of Changes in the Aspects of Nature. The Inland Educator. Printed in advance of preced- ing, of which it is a copy.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 547

1897.

WOODRUFF, F. M. The Chicago Academy of Sciences. Notes on the meeting of the Ornithological Section, Jan. 6, 1897. Reference made to the capture of a specimen of Uria lomvia. Brunnich's Murre, at Foresman, Indiana, Dec. 31, 1896. The Osprey, Gales- burg, 111., Vol. I, No. 6, Feb., 1897, p. 83.

GAINES, ANGUS. The Nest of the Brown Thrush. Recreation, August, 1897, p. 420.

MEYNCKE, O. M. An Early Whippoorwill. The Osprey, Vol. I, No. 9, May, 1897, p. 123. Notes on hearing a Whippoorwill in Frank- lin County, Indiana, March 2, 1897.

GAINES, ANGUS. Our Animal Friends. Winter visitors (Doves), p. 158, March, 1897.

GAINES, ANGUS. Our Animal Friends. Summer Yellowbird, p. 233, June, 1897.

PALMER, T. S. Extermination of Noxious Animals by Bounties, by T. S. Palmer, First Assistant Biological Survey U. S. Department of Agriculture. Year Book of the Department of Agriculture for

1896, pp. 55-68.

BUTLER, A. W. The unusual occurrence of Brunnich's Murre {Una lomvia) far inland, with notes on other rare birds. The Auk, Vol. XIV, 1897, April, 197-200.

WOODRUFF, FKANK M. Lake Michigan Bird Notes. Ibid. , 227-8. Notes partly on Indiana birds.

ALLE.V, J. A. Review. Butler on a Century of Changes in the As- pects of Nature in Indiana. Review of address of President of In- diana Academy of Science, 1895. Ibid., 245.

EDITOR. Review. Butler, a Century of Changes in the Aspects of Nature. The Ibis, Vol. Ill, No. 11, 1897, July, p. 459, London, Eog.

GAINES, ASGUS. The Nest of the Brown Thrush. Recreation, June,

1897, pp. 420-1. Observations in Knox County, Indiana.

DWIGHT, JONATHAN J. , M. D. A Study of the Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo phUadelphicus). The Auk, Vol. XIV, No. 3, July, 1897, pp. 25VJ-272.

BUTLER, A. W. The Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in Indiana. Pro- ceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science of 1896, pp. 227-243.

548 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

BUTLER, A. W. Some additions to the Indiana bird list, with other notes. Ibid., 1896, pp. 244-246.

JOHNSON, W. A. The Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) in Indiana, by A. W. Butler. A note on this paper. The Osprey, Vol. II, No. 4, Dec., 1897, p. 54.

1898.

WOODRUFF, FRANK M. Lake Michigan Notes. The Auk, Vol. XV, No. 1, pp. 61-62, January, 1898. Mentions a number of birds from the shore of Lake Michigan, in Lake County, Indiana.

SMITH, C. PJPER. Variation of Nest Material. The Osprey, Vol. II, Nos. 6 and 7, 1898, p. 91.

EXPLANATION.

The nomenclature used is that adopted hy the American Ornitholo- gists' Union.

The first number given before each species is the serial number for this list; the second number, enclosed in parenthesis, is that by which it is indicated in the A. 0. U. Check List.

No species is included in this list unless it is known to have been reported, upon good authority, to have been observed within the State, and no species has been reported as having bred within the State un- less it is known, according to the same authority, to have done so.

All measurements are given in inches and hundredths of an inch.

KEY TO BIRDS.

ORDERS.

a1. Hind toe well developed, all four toes connected by webs.

STEGAXOPODES. C a2. Hind toe, if present, not connected with the others.

61. Nostrils opening through tubes. (Extralimital). TUBIXARES.

ft2. Nostrils not opening through tubes.

c1. Cutting edges of bill more or less distinctly fringed, notched or toothed. d1. Legs short or slightly lengthened ; bill not abruptly bent downward from the middle. AXSERES. D

d2. Legs excessively lengthened; bill bent abruptly downward from the

middle. (Extralimital.) ODOXTOGLOSS.E.

c2. Cutting edges of bill not fringed, notched, or toothed.

el. Legs inserted far behind the middle of the body, which, in standing position, is more or less erect; the toes webbed or conspicuously lobed. PYGOPODES. A

e2. Legs inserted near the middle of the body, which, in standing posi- tion, is nearly horizontal, or else toes not webbed. fl. Anterior toes distinctly webbed, tarsus shorter than tail.

LOXGIPEXXES. B

f2. Anterior toes not distinctly webbed (with rare exceptions); toes not webbed, or webbed at base or on sides (full webbed only in a few waders with very long tarsus and the tibia partly naked). (Jr1. Tarsus more or less elongate; tibia more or less naked below.

Waders.

hl. Hind toe well developed, inserted at same level with the anterior toes ; the claws never excessively lengthened ; the space between the eye and the bill or the space around the eye, or both (some- times the whole head), naked. HERODIOXES. E A2. Hind toe, if present, small and inserted above the level of the rest (or else size small or medium, length less than 36 inches); the space between the bill and the eye or the space around the eye fully feathered ;" no comb-like teeth on inner edge of middle claw. i1. Length over three feet.

jl. Hind toe short and elevated. PALUDICOL^E. F

i-. Length under three feet.

A-1. Hind toe almost on level with other toes.

PALUDICOL^E. F

/•-. Hind toe, if present, short and elevated, or else claws excessively lengthened and wings spurred.

LLMICOL.E. Gh

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 551

•y2. Tarsus not greatly elongate; tibia mostly entirely feathered. Not Waders.

11. Bill strongly hooked, with distinct cere at base.

m1. Toes three in front, one behind. The outer toe

sometimes reversible. RAPTORES. J

m2. Toes two in front, two behind. PSITTACI. K

12. Bill not both strongly hooked and cered.

•n1. Hind toe short, decidedly elevated ; "toes slightly connected at base by web;" no soft membrane about nostrils. GALLINJE. H

n2. Hind toe little, if at all, above the level of the rest (rarely absent).

01. Nostrils opening beneath a soft, swollen cere; hind claw short. COLUMBJE. I

02. Nostrils not opening beneath a soft, swollen cere. p1. Wings very long, with ten quills; tail of ten

feathers; gape very wide- and deeply cleft, or else the bill long and slender ; (tongue ex- tensile); secondaries only six in number.

MACROCHIRES. N

p2. Wing not very long; gape not very wide nor deeply cleft; or else wing with only nine quills and tail with twelve feathers. 91. Toes only two in front; or, if three, the middle and outer toes connected for at least half their length.

rl. Tail feathers stiff and pointed; bill more or less chisel-like. PICI. M

r2. Tail feathers neither stiff nor pointed; bill not chisel-like. COCCYGES. L

</3. Toes three in front, one behind, the middle and outer toes not united for half their length ; lower part of thighs feathered and the tarsus equal to or longer than the lat- eral toes. PASSERES. O

FAMILIES. A. ORDER PYGOPODES.

DIVING BIRDS.

•o1. Feet lobate. PODICIPIDJB.— GREBES. I

•a2. Feet webbed.

ft1. With four toes. (TRINATORIDA:.— LOONS. II

62. With three toes. ALCIDA:.— AUKS, ETC. Ill

552 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

B. ORDER LONGIPENNES.

LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS.

a1. Covering of upper mandible of three distinct pieces ; a terminal hook, a lateral piece, and a cere-like piece overhanging the nostrils.

STERCORARIIDJ2. — JAEGERS, ETC. IV

a2. Covering of upper mandible of a single piece pierced by the nostrils.

LARID^E. — GULLS AND TERNS. V

[Included in this order are the Rhynchopidae or Skimmers, the limits of whose range do not reach this State. The above key is not intended to include them.]

C. ORDER STEGAJSFOPODES.

DARTERS, PELICANS, CORMORANTS.

a1. Upper mandible hooked at tip.

ft1. Tarsus moderate, much longer than hind toe with claw.

c1. Bill shorter than middle toe, compressed; gular sack small.

PHALACROCORACIDJE. — CORMORANTS. VII

c2. Bill much longer than middle toe, much flattened; gular sack very large.

PELECANID^E. — PELICANS. VIII

62. Tarsus very short, not longer than hind toe with claw ; wings and tail excessively long, the latter deeply forked.

FREGATHXE.— MAN-O'-WAR BIRDS. IX

a2. Upper manible not hooked at tip. Bill slender, nearly straight ; tail long, feathers very broad ; neck very long and slender.

ANHINGID^E. — DARTERS. VI

D. ORDER ANSERES.

DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS. Characteristics the same as the order. ANATIDJE. — DUCKS, ETC. X

E. ORDER HERODIONES.

HERONS, STORKS, IBISES, ETC.

a1. Sides of upper mandible with a deep, narrow groove extending from the nos- trils to the tip.

ft1. Bill very broad, much flattened, and greatly widened toward the tip, only

the end bent down. PLATALEID^E. — SPOONBILLS. XI

fe2. Bill slender, nearly round, gradually bent downward for nearly its whole

length. IBIDIDJE. — IBISES. XII

a2. Sides of upper mandible without groove.

c1. Middle toe nail with comb-like inner edge; claws narrow, arched, and

sharp pointed. ARDEID^E. — HERONS, ETC. XIV

c2. Middle toe nail with comb-like edge; claws broad and flat, resting on

a horny pad or shoe. CICONHDJE. — STORKS, ETC. XIII

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 553

F. ORDER PALUDICOL.E.

THE SWAMP BIRDS-CRANES, RAILS, COOTS, ETC.

a1. Size large; wing over 10 inches ; bill over 3 inches. GRUID^E. — CRANES. XV o2. Size small ; wing under 10 inches; bill under 3 inches.

RALLIDyE. — RAILS, ETC. XVI

G. ORDER LIMICOLJ^.

THE SHORE BIRDS-SNIPES, PLOVERS, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

a1. Toes with lobed webs on the sides; tarsus compressed.

PHALAROPODID.E. — PHALAROPES. XVII

a2. Toes without lobed webs on the sides; tarsus not extremely compressed. &'. Tarsus more than twice the length of middle toe with claw.

RECURVIROSTRID^E. — AVOCETS, ETC. XVIII b2. Tarsus less than twice the length of middle toe with claw.

c1. Front of tarsus covered with a continuous row of transverse, four-sided scales. Toes four (except Sanderling). d\ Bill slender with blunt tip, soft skinned and sensitive throughout.

SCOLOPACID^E.— SNIPE, ETC. XIX

c2. Front of tarsus covered with small six-sided or irregular scales; toes three (except Black-bellied Plover). CHARADRIID^E. — PLOVEBS. XXI d2. Bill stout, hard, pointed and wedge shaped at the tip in our species.

APHRIZID.E. — SURF BIRDS, ETC. XX

H. ORDER GALLING.

PHEASANTS, GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, ETC.

a1. Tarsus with spurs in male ; head naked or tail long and vaulted.

PHASIANIDJE. — PHEASANTS, ETC. XXIII a2. Tarsus without spurs; head feathered (or nearly so) ; tail not vaulted.

TETRAONID.E. — GROUSE, ETC. XXII

I. ORDER COLUMB.E.

THE PIGEONS. Characters same as the order. COLUMBID^E. — PIGEONS. XXIV

J. ORDER RAPTORES.

BIRDS OF PREY.

a1. Head entirely naked (downy in young); feet not adapted for grasping; nostril longitudinal. CATHARTIDJE. — AMERICAN VULTURES. XXV

a2. Head nearly or fully feathered; feet especially adapted for grasping; nostrils vertical or roundish.

554 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

bl. Eyes lateral, not surrounded by discs of radiating feathers ; cere exposed.

FALCONID.E.— FALCONS. XXVI

6a. Eyes set in front, surrounded by discs of radiating feathers; cere covered. c1. Middle claw having comb-like edge. STRIGID.E. — BARN OWLS. XXVIf «2. Middle claw not having comb-like edge.

BUBONIDJE. — HORNED OWLS; SCREECH OWLS, ETC. XXVIII

K. ORDER PSITTACI.

PARROTS, PAROQUETS, ETC.

Characters the same as the order.

PSITTACID.E. — PARROTS, PAROQUETS, ETC. XXIX

L. ORDER COCCYGES.

CUCKOOS AND KINGFISHERS.

a1. Toes two in front, two behind ; bill as long as head, curved downwards.

CUCULID^E. — CUCKOOS. XXX

a2. Toes three in front, one behind ; outer and middle toes united for half their length ; bill straight, longer than head.

ALCEDINIDJE. — KINGFISHERS. XXXI

M. ORDER PICI.

WOODPECKERS. Characters the same as the order. PICID.E. — WOODPECKERS. XXXII

X. ORDER MACROCHIRES.

WHIP-POOR-WILLS, SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS, ETC.

a1. Bill short, broad at base; mouth deeply cleft; plumage not metallic.

61. Middle toe much the longest, its claw with comb-like edge; gape bristled ; plumage spotted. CAPRIMULGID^.— WHIP-POOR-WILLS, ETC. XXXIII

62. Middle toe not much, if any, longer than others, its claw without comb-like edge; gape without bristles; plumage black.

MICROPODIDJE. — SWIFTS. XXXIV

a2. Bill very long and slender; mouth not deeply cleft; plumage more or less metallic ; size small. TROCBILIDJE. — HUMMINGBIRDS. XXXV

0. ORDER PASSERES.

a1. Tarsus with its hinder edge rounded.

61. Inner toe free at base from middle toe; bill hooked at tip, with bristles at base ; primaries ten, the first about as long as second.

TYRANNID.E.— FLYCATCHERS. XXXVI

BIRDS or INDIANA. 555

b2. Bill not hooked at tip, no bristles at base ; developed primaries nine ; hind toe with. long, nearly straight claw. ALATJDID^E — LARKS. XXXVII

a2. Tarsus with its hinder edge compressed.

r1. Primaries apparently only nine; hill not hooked at tip.

d1. Bill very short, flat, hroad at base, deeply cleft; wings very long.

HIRUNDINID^E. — SWALLOWS. XLII d2. Bill not very flat and deeply cleft ; outer primary never twice as long as

the innermost.

el. Bill more or less conical, hroad at base.

fl. Bill rather long, often longer than head, without notch at tip or bristles at base.

ICTERIDyE. — ORIOLES, BLACKBIRDS, ETC. XXXIX

/2. Bill shorter than head, often notched at tip, usually with bristles at base. FRINGILLJD.E — FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. XL

/3. Bill stout, upper mandible curved with slight tooth near the middle of the cutting edge; color chiefly red and yellow.

TANAGRID*;.— TANAGERS. XLI e2. Bill not conoid.

gl. Hind claw long and nearly straight, generally longer than its toe; tertials much elongated, reaching nearly to tips of primaries.

MOTACILLIDJE. — WAGTAILS AND PlPITS. XLVII

f/2. Hind claw short and curved, generally shorter than its claw; tertials short, not nearly reaching to the tip of primaries.

.MNIOTILTID^E. — WOOD WARBLERS. XLVt

-c*. Primaries evidently ten, the first developed but short, rarely half the length of the next; or else bill hooked at tip.

hl. Front of tarsus covered with transverse four-sided scales. i 1. Bill strongly hooked and notched at tip.

LANIID^. — SHRIKES. XLIV. •i 2. Bill not strongly hooked or not hooked at all. jl. Head with conspicuous crest; tail, in our species, tipped with yellow; bill slightly hooked and notched at tip.

AMPELID^E. — WAXWINGS. XLIII

;'2. Head usually not crested ; tail not tipped with yellow. kl. Back generally olive green; bill slightly hooked and notched at tip ; length five to seven inches.

VlREONID^E.— VlREOS. XLV

kz. Back not generally olive green.

11. Tail feathers stiff, pointed; bill slender, curved down- ward. CERTHIIP^E.— CREEPERS. XLIX

12. Tail feathers more or less soft, not pointed.

TO1. Nasal feathers directed forward on bill, usually cov- ering the nostrils. n1. Birds of large size, length over ten inches.

CORVEE.— CROWS, JAYS, ETC. XXXVIII n2. .Birds of small size ; length under ten inches (ex- cept genus Harporhynchus).

01. Bill notched toward the tip, very slender. SYLVIIDJE. — KINGLETS AND GNATCATCHERS. LI

02. Bill not notched.

.PARID.E.— NUTHATCHES AND TITMICE. L

556 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

m2. Nasal feathers erect or directed backwards, not cov- ering nostrils; bill more or less curved downwards. TROGLODYTID^E. — WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. XLVIII A2. Front of tarsus not divided into scales except at extreme lower portion.

pl. Small birds; length under five inches : young,

not spotted.

SYLVIIDJE. — KINGLETS AND GNATCATCHERS. LI p2. Larger birds; length over five inches; young distinctly spotted.

. — THRUSHES, ETC. LII

A. ORDER PYGOPODES. DIVERS.

SUBORDER PODICIPEDES. GREBES.

I. FAMILY PODICIPIDJE. GREBES.

a1 . Bill slender, straight, rather acute ; its length rather more than twice its

depth at base.

ft1. Neck much shorter than body. COLYMBUS. 1

a2. Bill stout, somewhat hooked; its length not quite twice its greatest depth.

PODILYMBUS. 2

1. GENUS COLYMBUS LINN^US.

a1. Wing more than 6.00; bill about as long as head. Subgenus Colymbus.

bl. Length 18.00, or over. C. holbcellii (Reinh.) 1

a2. Wing not over 6.00; bill much shorter than head. Subgenus Dytes.

c1. Bill compressed; deeper than wide at base. C. auritus Linn. 2

c2. Bill depressed; wider than deep at base.

C. nigricollis californicus (Heerm.) 3

Subgenus COLYMBUS.

1. (2.) Colymbus holbcellii (REINH.).

Holbcell's Grebe. Synonym, RED-NECKED GREBE.

Adult. — Front and sides of neck rich brownish-red; throat and sides of head ashy, whitening where it joins the dark color of the crown, the feathers slightly ruffled; top of head with slight occipital crest; upper parts, generally, and wings dark brown, the feathers of the back paler edged; primaries brown, part of inner quills white; lower parts pale silvery-ash, the sides watered or obscurely mottled, sometimes obviously speckled with dusky; bill black, more or less yellow at base; eye carmine. (Wheaton.) Immature. — Above, blackish; sides of head with white stripes; fore part and sides of neck light rusty; otherwise as in adult.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 557

Length, 18.00-20.00; wing, 7.30-8.10; bill, 1.65-2.40.

KANGE. — North America, from South Carolina and Nebraska to Arctic coast and Greenland, also northeastern Asia south to Japan. Breeds from Minnesota northward.

Nest, a mass of floating material fastened to reeds. Eggs, 2-7, dull white, tinged with greenish; 2.30 by 1.35.

Eare migrant and possibly winter resident. It has only been re- ported from the northern part of the State, where it has been taken in spring. Dr. J. L. Hancock, of Chicago, 111., reports it at Wolf Lake, Indiana, in the spring of 1883, also at Park Side, 111., April 29, 1883. Mr. Eobert Eidgway (Birds of Illinois, Vol. II, pp. 259-261) gives it as a winter visitant to Illinois. Its summer home is farther north, mainly much to the northward of the United States. Dr. T. S. Eoberts (The Auk, April, 1890, p. 213) found it breeding in limited numbers in west-central Minnesota. It breeds abundantly along the Yukon Eiver, where Mr. Eobert Kennicott saw it and gave an account of its nest and habits. These are very similar to those of other grebes.

Subgenus BYTES Kaup.

*2. (3.) Colymbus auritus LINN.

Horned Grebe.

Adult in Summer. — Above, dark brown, the feathers paler edged; below, silvery-white, the sides mixed dusky and reddish; most of the secondaries white; foreneck and upper breast brownish-red; head, glossy black, including the ruff; a broad band over the eye to and in- cluding occipital crests, brownish-yellow; bill, black, yellow tipped (Wheaton); eye carmine. Adult in Winter and Immature. — Above, in- cluding top of head, dusky gray; sides of head and lower parts, white; the chest and sides more or less grayish.

Length, 12.50-15.25; wing, 5.75; bill, 1.00.

EANGE. — Northern hemisphere, in North America south to Gulf States. Breeds from northern Indiana and southern Michigan north- ward. Winters from Indiana and southern New York southward.

Nest, of water plants attached to reeds and floating on the surface of the water. Eggs, 2-7; whitish or greenish; 1.78 by 1.20.

Eegular migrant in some numbers, but never abundant. Some are winter residents in suitable localities. In the northern part of the State among the lakes and marshes it breeds. Mr. Geo. L. Toppan has a young bird of this species, in downy plumage, taken at Sheffield, Ind., May 24, 1878. He considers it more common in winter. Dr.

* Species marked with an asterisk (*) breed within the State.

558 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

F. W. Langdon, in "Summer Birds of a Northern Ohio Marsh," notes having taken two sets of eggs which he thinks were of this species July 2, 1880. They are known to breed in numbers at St. Glair Flats, Mich. Most often seen in March, April and May, October and Novem- ber. In the spring of 1883 they were more numerous in the Whitewater Valley than I ever knew them. They were found from April 15 to May 19. Prof. B. W. Evermann reports it from Vigo County January 5, 1891. Mr. E. M. C. Hobbs. Salem, Ind., has an immature specimen taken alive in a barnyard near Harrisontown, Washington County, about Christmas, 1897. In habits there is much similarity among all the Grebes. To this one, in particular, attention has been called be- cause of its habit of quietly sinking beneath the water, the bill being last to disappear, leaving no ripple to mark its place upon the surface.

3. (4.) Colymbus nigricollis calif ornicus (HBERM ).

American Eared Grebe.

Adult Male. — Long ear-tufts of rich yellowish-brown; head and neck all round, black; upper parts, grayish-black; sides, chestnut; lower parts, silvery-gray; primaries, dark chestnut; secondaries white, dusky at the base. Young. — Similar, the ear-tufts wanting and the colors generally duller. (Mcllwraith.)

Length, 12.00-14.00; wing, 5.20-5.50; bill, .95-1.10.

RANGE. — North America from Guatemala to Great Slave Lake; east to Indiana and Ontario. Breeds from Wyoming northward.

Nest and Eggs, similar to those of C. auritus.

This species is an accidental visitor or perhaps a rare migrant. The first record of its capture in Indiana was a specimen shot four miles north of Brookville by Mr. Edward Hughes, May 19, 1883. A second specimen was killed at Brookville, Nov. 5, 1886. These are the only specimens I have seen from the State, and I do not know that it has been taken farther eastward. Dr. Brayton says it is a winter visitor on Lake Michigan. Mr. Eidgway says it may possibly breed in Illi- nois. Mr. J. Graf ton Parker has twice noted it in Cook County near the Indiana line, but he records it as extremely rare. One day during April, 1890, a flock of six flew over Mud Lake like a flock of ducks. He supposed he was shooting into a flock of ducks, and one fell, prov- ing to be a grebe of this species. He also observed one on the Calu- met River a half-mile from the Indiana line near Hammond. Mr. N. S. Goss, in "The Auk" for January, 1884, pp. 18-20, gives a very interest- ing description of the breeding of about one hundred pairs of these

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 559

liirds found at Como Lake, Wyoming. He says: "The nests were in a narrow strip of rushes growing in water eighteen inches deep, and ahout one hundred and thirty feet from the shore. I collected the eggs from two nests, five in each; and counted from where I stood over twenty nests with from one to five eggs each. Quite a number of others were completed, but without eggs, and still others were building. The floating nests were made of old broken rushes, weeds and debris from the bottom, and were partially filled in and around the standing, growing rushes. There were no feathers or other kind of lining. They were from five to ten inches in diameter; the outei edge or rim was from two to three inches above the water. The eggs in several touched the water, and were more or less stained, in their wet beds. The color of the eggs when fresh was white, with a slight bluish shade. The average measurements of the ten eggs waa 1.81 by 1.20 inches." The same careful observer notes that in leaving their nests the birds would dive and come up quite a distance away out in the open lake and, when returning to their nests, would dive out in the lake and come up among the rushes. He says in no instance did he see them swim to or from their nests, but adds, they may do so when not disturbed.

2. GKNUS PODILYMBUS LESSON. a1. Wing 5.0€ or less. P. podiceps (Linn.) 4

*4. (6.) Podilymbus podiceps (LINN.)

Pied-billed Grebe.

Synonyms, WATER WITCH, DABCHICK, DIDAPPER, DIDIPPBR, DIPPER, HELL- DIVER.

Adult in Summer. — Above, dusky grayish brown, top of the head darker; sides of head lighter; inner webs of the secondaries tipped with white; below, grayish white, everywhere spotted with dusky; chin, throat and a spot at the base of the mandible, black; bill, white, a black band around it at the middle. Adult in Winter and Imma- ture.— Similar, but lacking the black throat patch, and the distinctive marks on the bill. Downy Young. — Head and neck with black an«l white stripes.

Length, 12.00-15.00; wing, 4.50-5.00.

RANGE. — America, from Argentine Republic and Chili to Hudson Bay and Great Slave Lake. Breeds from Florida northward. Winters from southern Missouri, southern Illinois and New Jersey southward.

560 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, a floating island of marsh vegetation and mud fastened to Avater plants. Eggs, 4-7, whitish with greenish shadings; 1.72 by 1.99.

Prof. Cooke notes (Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley, p. 54) that it "winters wherever there is open water, from Illinois southward, and breeds from southern Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and eastern Kan- sas northward." It has also been found breeding in Florida. It has never been reported as wintering in Indiana, and is known as a migrant, or summer resident only in this State. Throughout the greater part of the State it is seen regularly, but not very commonly, during the migrations, and is, perhaps, more commonly observed in spring. The creeks, ponds, rivers and lakes are frequented by it. Where there is no water it is comparatively unknown. Owing to the screen of the season's vegetation it rs not so often noted in fall. Throughout the lake region of northern Indiana it is a common sum- mer resident. It arrives about April 1 and can be found in all lakes, rivers and muddy ponds until the early part of November. In Lake, Starke and Laporte counties it is reported as breeding abundantly, and sparingly in Steuben County. Mr. Robert Ridgway (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club., Jan., 1882, p. 22) reports it breeding commonly in swamps in Knox County. Prof. B. W. Evermann found it breeding May 30, 1890, at Terre Haute.

The following account of the nesting of this species near Sandusky, 0., by Dr. F. W. Langdon, in his "Summer Birds of a Northern Ohio Marsh," will give a good idea of the floating nest. He says: "I desire here to testify to the fact that the nest of the present species does float. * * * * The little floating island of decayed vege- tation, held together by mud and moss, which constitutes the nest of this species, is a veritable ornithological curiosity. Imagine a 'pan- cake' of what appears to be mud, measuring twelve to fifteen inches in diameter, and rising two or three inches above the water, which may be from one to three feet in depth; anchor it to the bottom with a few concealed blades of 'sawgrass' in a little open bay, leaving its circumference entirely free; remove a mass of wet muck from its rounded top and you expose seven or eight soiled brownish-white eggs, resting in a depression, the bottom of which is less than an inch from the water; the whole mass is constantly damp. * * * * The anchoring blades of coarse sawgrass, or flags, being always longer than is necessary to reach the bottom, permit of considerable lateral and vertical movement of the nest, and so effectually provide against drowning of the eggs by any ordinary rise of water level, such as fre- quently occurs during the prevalence of strong easterly winds on the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 561

lake. A small bunch of sawgrass already growing in a suitable situa- tion is evidently selected as a nucleus for the nest, and the tops bent so as to form a part of it. During the day we invariably found the eggs concealed by a covering of muck, as above described; but as we ascertained by repeated visits at night and in the early morning they are uncovered at dusk by the bird, who incubates them until the morning sun relieves her of her task."

Mr. Euthven Deane informs me that Mr. Hatfield found it breed- ing at English Lake, June 3, 1892. Mr. J. E. Gould, of Columbus, Ohio, took a nest at the same lake July 1, 1891, that contained nine eggs. The same gentleman, the latter part of the previous month, found several pairs, of Terns despoiling the nest of a Grebe. The nest had two or more eggs in it, one was found in the nest and one outside.

This Grebe dives forward very suddenly. Its motions are so quick that it often escapes' the shots fired at it. It is often noted to appar- ently .disappear. After diving it arises to the surface of the water and projects only the bill, the rest of the bird remaining below the water. It thus remains invisible. It is said to be able to settle back- wards and disappear from view beneath the water. This is done quietly so that the casual observer wonders what has become of it.

The earliest spring record from Brookville, and it is the earliest for the State, is March 17, 1884, and the latest first arrival from the same station is April 18, 1885. Mr. J. 0. Dunn reports it from the vicinity of Chicago, near the Indiana line, March 23, 1894. Usually, however, they reach that latitude between April 1 and 15. In the late summer they begin to journey south in October, and a few remain into November (Hillsdale, Michigan, November 11, 1894), possibly until severe freezing weather.

SUBORDER CEPPHI. LOONS AND AUKS. II. FAMILY URINATORID^. LOONS.

Characters same as for family. URINATOR. 3

3. GENUS URINATOR CUVIKR. a1. Tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw; wing 13. or more.

U. imber (Gunn.).. 5 a2. Tarus longer than middle toe with claw ; wing under 12.

U. lumme (Gunn.). 6

5. (7.) Urinator imber (GUNN.).

Loon.

Synonym, GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.

Adult. — Above, black; back, with square white spots; head and neck, glossy black, with violet and green reflections; a patch of white 36— GEOL.

562 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

streaks on each side of the neck, and one on the throat: below, white; bill, black. Immature. — Above, dark gray, feathers edged with paler; below, white, dusky on the sides; bill, yellowish green and dusky.

Length, 28.00-36.00; wing, 13.00-15.25; bill, 2.75-3.50.

RANGE. — Northern part Northern Hemisphere; in America, south to Gulf of Mexico. Breeds from Indiana, Minnesota and northern New England northward.

Nest, a depression in the ground near the water, sometimes lined with grass and weeds. Eggs, 2-3, brownish, spotted and blotched with darker brown.

Loon.

The Loon is a regular migrant throughout the State in some num- bers. They sometimes remain through the winter, but most of them do not. Mr. J. W. Byrkit informs me that they are permanent resi- dents in Laporte County. He says they axe sometimes caught by fishermen on Lake Michigan, near Michigan City, Indiana, "in gill nets and on hooks in thirty fathoms of water." In the Whitewater Valley I have never found them except in April. That seems to be the month of their principal spring migration, though in the northern part of the State the advance guard makes itself noticeable in some numbers a month earlier. The movement southward begins in Sep- tember, rarely August, and continues through November. Mr. J. E. Beasley reports two specimens from Boone County August 25. Hon. R. "VYes. McBride says (Proc. Indiana Academy of Science, 1891, pp. 166-7): "It is a summer resident of Steuben County, and breeds in at least two of the many beautiful lakes in that county. Their eggs have been taken at Lake James and Crooked Lake. I have been familiar with those lakes for more than twenty years, and have never failed to find them there in summer. I have also seen them in the breeding season in Hamilton Lake and Golden Lake, also in Steuben County;

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 563

in Turkey Lake, on the line between Steuben and Lagrange counties, and in Bear Lake, Noble County/' Mr. C. L. Cass notes it as breed- ing in Steuben County, and Mr. W. B. Van Gorder in Noble County. Mrs. Jane L. Hine is informed that they formerly nested in Steuben County, on the point of land extending between the Twin Lakes of the Wood, also at Big Turkey Lake.

In 1876 Nelson gave it as "very common winter resident upon Lake Michigan/' * * * * "of uncommon occurrence during sum- mer" in Cook County, Illinois. Mr. J. Grafton Parker says of the same county and Lake County, Indiana: "Although not common, it is the common Loon with us. It can be found at Wolf and Calumet lakes during April, October and November, and until late years bred about these lakes." In the State Museum in the State House there is a young Loon marked Zionsville, June, 1885. Mr. Stephen A. War- nie informs me that some breed at St. Clair Flats, Michigan.

The Loon's nest is simply a depression in bare ground, or a collec- tion of a few sticks, weeds and swamp vegetation on land, or some- times a depression in the top of a muskrat house.

Its habits are very similar to those of the Grebes. It swims lower in the water, often with little more than neck and head exposed; is ever alert for danger; has come to regard every human being as its enemy; is rapid in movement, diving at the flash of a gun, and coming up out of range.

The cry of the Loon is one of the characteristic sounds of the more quiet lakes of northern North America. Its weird, melancholy notes convey to those who have heard them impressions of the most lasting character.

6, (11.) Urinator lumme. (GUNN.).

Bed-throated Loon.

Adult. — Blackish; below, white; dark along the sides and on the vent and crissum; most of the head and fore neck, bluish-gray; the throat with a large chestnut patch; hind neck, sharply streaked witli white on a blackish ground; bill, black. (Wheaton.) Immature. — Lacking the markings on the head and neck; the back marked with round or oval spots.

Length, 18.00-27.00; wings, 10.00-11.50; bill, 2.25.

RANGE. — Northern part of the Northern Hemisphere. South in winter to South Carolina and southern Indiana. Breeds from Mani- tqba and Labrador northward.

Nest, similar to that of U. imber. Eggs, 2, pale green, spotted with brown.

564 KEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Eare winter resident and occasional migrant, breeding far to the northward of the United States. One shot from a flock of five near Brookville, February 23, 1885. That morning the thermometer regis- tered 10 degrees below zero. For several mornings previous the weather had been equally severe. The canal, most of the smaller streams, ponds and the rivers, except where there were rapids, were frozen over. In one of these open places the Loons were found. I am informed by Mr. Charles Durj, of Cincinnati, of a specimen that was killed near Chalmers several years ago. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge reports it as a rare visitor at Ft. Wayne. Mr. Euthven Deane found one at English Lake, May 4, and another May 11, 1890. Dr. Langdon noted two or three in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and Dr. Wheaton says it is not rare on Lake Erie. Mr. Nelson says it is a very common winter resident upon Lake Michigan. Prof. Cook reports it from Michigan. The Loons subsist chiefly upon fish, and their flesh has a fishy flavor, rendering them unfit for food, although it is said they are eaten by the Indians. They also, while engaged in fishing, are reported to become entangled in the fishermen's nets.

III. FAMILY ALCIDJE. AUKS, MURRES AND PUFFINS. SUBFAMILY ALCIN^E. AUKS AND MURRES.

a1. Bill not very short ; nostril concealed or enclosed in dense velvety feathering;

secondaries tipped with white.

61. Bill narrow: culmen slightly curved, both mandibles destitute of grooves; tail rounded, its feathers not pointed. URIA. 4

4. GENUS URIA BRISSON. a1. Bill under 1.60. TJ. lomvia (Linn.). 7

7. (31.) Uria lomvia (LINN).

Brunnich's Murre. Synonym, THICK-BILLED MURRE.

Adult. — Above and throat and neck, sooty black; secondaries, tipped with white; other lower parts, white; the cutting edge, towards the base of the upper mandible, thickened and extending outward beyond the edge of the lower mandible.

Length, 14.50-18.50; wing, 7.45-8.80; bill, 1.45-1.50; depth of bill at nostril, .47.

BIEDS or INDIANA. 565

KANGE. — "Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and Eastern Arc- tic oceans; south to the lakes of northern New York and the coast of New Jersey." (A. 0. U.) Accidental west to Michigan and Indiana and south to South Carolina. Breeds from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward.

Nest, in communities on inaccessible cliffs. Egg, one, pear shaped white, greenish, brownish or yellowish, plain or marked with blotches, or zigzag markings of brown and black.

While at Indianapolis the last week in December, 1896, Prof. W. S. Blatchley, State Geologist of Indiana, told me of a strange bird that had been taken near there. His information was it was some sort of a Guillemot. I learned it had been sent for mounting to Mr. J. E. Beasley, at Lebanon, Indiana, and that the same taxidermist had received others. Upon my return home I found a letter from my friend, Mr. Euthven Deane, informing me that Mr. F. M. Woodruff, of the Chicago Academy of Science, had received a Murre from Indi- ana. A few days later this information was supplemented by a letter from Mr. Woodruff informing me that the specimen was Uria lomvia.

In looking over my accumulated mail I found a report from Mr. A. W. Hamilton, Zanesville, Indiana, of the capture of a specimen near there. Prof. E. S. Moseley wrote me of the capture of four speci- mens near Sandusky, Ohio, and Mr. J. E. Beasley, in a note, said he had received four specimens. Thus the total number of records received in a few days was ten. I give herewith data concerning the specimens.

The first specimen mentioned above was brought to Mr. F. M. Noe, a dealer in natural history specimens, of Indianapolis, December 17, 1896, by a boy who told him that it had been taken alive the preceding Sunday, December 13, near Schofield's old mill, on Fall Creek, about seven miles north of that city. The specimen is now in the collection in the State Geologist's office at the capitol. The specimen reported by Mr. Hamilton was taken by Mr. J. W. Eoe, of Zanesville, Indiana, in the northern part of Wells County, December 18, 1896. It was first observed slowly moving about in an open field and was shot at long range. This specimen is in my collection.

On December 28 Mr. J. E. Beasley wrote me that he had in his possession four of these birds from four different Indiana localities. One was the specimen sent by Mr. Noe. Another was brought to him alive by Mr. David Johnson, from Hazelrigg, Boone County, Decem- ber 18. Mr. A. W. Beck, of Hazelrigg, informs me that it was cap- tured alive about December 15. Mr. Johnson was driving along the road near that town and saw the bird in a field near by. He caught

566 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

it and kept it two or three days. It was a persistent diver when put into- the water; would offer to fight when approached, and did not make much effort to get away. The third bird was sent to him by Mr. J. F. Warner, of Fowler, Benton County. Mr. Warner has written me the bird was captured on the road about three miles west of Fow- ler by a teamster, whose name is unknown to him, about December 20. He adds that he never saw but one other bird of this kind. It was caught near Reynolds, White County, Indiana, by Mr. Linck, a night watchman on the Panhandle R, R., in March, 1869. He adds, "it lived three or four days and died in my possession, but was not pre- served." The fourth was received by the taxidermist, about December 20, from Mr. A. C. Littleton, Piekard, Indiana. It was caught alive by Mr. Abel Christy, about three-fourths of a mile north of that place, December 10, and was kept alive until it was sent to be mounted, but died on the road.

Prof. E. L. Moseley, Sandusky, Ohio, informs me that the fo-ur specimens he reported were taken within twenty miles of Sandusky, December 19, 1896.

Bulletin No. 13, of the Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agas- siz Association, March 30, 1897, p. 16, records the identification of two specimens by Rev. J. M. Keck, Mentor, Ohio, December 19, 1896, as Uria troile. Mr. Lynds Jones made a careful examination of the one specimen taken and found it to be an immature Brunnich's Murre, Uria lomvia. It was captured near Painesville, Ohio, on Lake Erie.

A fine adult male was taken by a twelve-year-old boy on the Iro- quois River, Iroquois Township, Newton County, Indiana, one and a half miles from Foresman, near what is known as the old Indian Ford, December 31, 1896. It was shipped to a firm on South Water street, Chicago, where Mr. F. M. Woodruff obtained it, and it is now in his collection. He obtained the information given above from the postmaster at Foresman, Indiana, and kindly sent it to me.

The Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club, January, 1897, p. 10, refers to a Murre identified as Uria troile, which Mr. N. A. Wood informs me is shown by reexamination to be Uria lomvia. The specimen is an adult male and was shot from a flock of several near Gibraltar, Michigan, December 26, 1896, by some duck hunters. The specimen is, 'I understand, in the museum of the University of Michi- gan at Ann Arbor. In the same publication, on page 8, is a reference to two Black Guillemots taken at the St. Clair Flats near Detroit, Michigan. From a letter received from Mr. W. A. Davidson, Detroit, Michigan, I gather that one of the two birds noted is in the possession of Mr. C. Havens of that city. The other belongs to a lighthouse-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 567

keeper, whose name he does not know, at the St. Glair Flats. Evi- dently both specimens are Uria lomvia. It is possible a careful examination of the specimens will show that these also belong to this species.

Briinnich's Murre has, as I have been informed, been reported the present winter from other interior localities. It has, I believe, how- ever, never before been authentically reported far from the ocean. Mr. Robert Eidgway informs me that they have this winter ranged down the Atlantic coast as far as South Carolina. It would seem probable that some storm had driven them far out of their usual range. Evi- dently those noted herein were carried inland and dispersed about the same time, perhaps by the same storm. They were all taken within a few days. Only twenty-one days elapsed from the date when the first was obtained until the last was in the hands of a naturalist. This is its first record from Indiana, except that reported by Mr. Warner which, unfortunately, is not verified by the specimen. It will be of interest to hear of other records of the occurrence of this species inland. It will be noted that there is a specimen preserved in a public museum in Indiana and in Michigan to verify the records from those States. It is to be hoped that one of the Ohio specimens may be secured for a like purpose.

B. ORDER LONGIPENNES. LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS.

IV. FAMILY STERCORARIID^E. SKUAS AND JAEGERS.

a1. No white at base of the primaries; tarsus longer than middle toe with claw; middle tail feathers, in adult, projecting much beyond the others.

STERCORARIUS. 5

5. GENUS STERCORARIUS BRISSON. a1. Bill 1.4.5 or more ; tarsus 2.00 or more. S. pomarinus (Temm.). 8

8. (36.) Stercorarius pomarinus (TEMM.).

Pomarine Jaeger.

Adult, Light Phase. — Middle tail feathers projecting about four inches, not pointed; bill. 1.45 or more; tarsus, 2.00 or more. "Top and sides of head, with upper parts, sooty slate or dusky; rest of head and neck, including nape, together with lower parts, white, the ear- covert region tinged with straw-yellow, and the lower tail-coverts slaty. Young. — Head, neck and lower parts, dull buff, everywhere barred with dusky; upper parts, brownish dusky, the feathers of back,

568 * REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

etc., tipped with buff, the rump and upper tail-coverts spotted with same. Adult, Dark Phase. — Entirely dark, sooty slate, with a plumbe- ous cast in certain lights. Young. — Entirely sooty slate, the lower parts more or less barred with buff." (Eidgw.) The descriptions are of extreme examples of coloration. Specimens are found showing every possible intermediate condition of plumage.

Length, 20.00-23.00; wing, 13.50-14.00; tail, 8.00-9.00; bill, 1.45- 1.75; tarsus, 2.00-2.10.

RANGE. — Northern portion of Northern Hemisphere, principally on the seas, but also visiting the larger inland waters. In America, south to Nebraska, Great Lakes and New Jersey. Breeds far northward.

Nest, of moss and grass on the ground. Eggs, 2 to 3, grayish-olive, spotted with brown.

The only record I know of its occurrence is that given by Dr. A. W. Brayton (Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 150): "A rare winter vis- itant to Lake Michigan. October 9, 1876, in company with my friend, Mr. E. W. Nelson, * * * we saw a fine specimen of this bird flying along the lake shore near the State line." Mr. E. W. Nelson notes a record under the same date which is possibly the same. Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. 145.) Prof. E.L.Moseley reports a specimen shot at Sandusky, Ohio, October, 1889, and the late W. H. Collins reported one specimen taken on the Detroit River, and now in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massa- chusetts. (Cook. Birds of Michigan ,p. 31.) From these notes it would appear that the bird is of occasional occurrence on the Great Lakes in fall, and doubtless in winter and spring. They spend the warmer parts of the year far to the northward, much of the time fre- quenting places where other water fowl, particularly Terns, congre- gate. They prey upon Gulls and Terns. By reason of their powerful wings they overtake their victim and compel it to drop or disgorge its food. They are called "Pirates/' "Gullchasers," "Sea Hawks" and "Jaegers" (hunters), each of which terms represent some one's attempt to fit the birds with a name that will express their notable habits. Mr. Basil Hicks Dutcher has given a good account of the habits of birds of this .genus on the Long Island coast in The Auk, April 1889, pp. 125-126.

;

BIKDS OP INDIANA. 569

V. FAMILY LARID^E. GULLS AND TERNS.

a1 Bill more or less hooked; general color chiefly white with a darker bluish-gray or slaty mantle. Subfamily LARIN^E. GULLS.

b1. Hind toe rudimentary or wanting, with minute claw or none. RISSA. b2. Hind toe small, but with perfect claw.

c1. Tail even. LARUS. 6

c2. Tail forked. XEMA.

a2. Bill not hooked, but narrow aird pointed, the mandibles even; tail (in our species), deeply forked. Subfamily STERNIN^E. TERNS.

d1. Tail much more than one-third length of wing, its outer feathers narrow

and pointed; toes well webbed.

el . Bill stout, its depth at base equal to one-third length of culmen.

GELOCHELIDON.

e2. Bill slender, its depth at base not one-third its length. STERNA. 7

d2. Tail little more than one-third wing; its outer feathers broad and

rounded. HYDROCHELIDON. 8

SUBFAMILY LARIN^E. GULLS. 6. GENUS LARUS LINNJETTS.

Bill of a Gull much reduced. a1. Length over 18.

b1. Primaries without black; pearl-gray, fading gradually into white at tips. c1. Wing over 16.50. L. glaucus Briinn. 9

c2. Wing 16.50 or less. L. leucopterus Faber. 10

b2. Primaries crossed with black ; shafts of primaries black in the black mark- ings.

d1. Length over 22. ; white tips of outer primary separated from the other white by band of black. L. argentatus smithsonianus Coues. 11 d2. Length 20. or less. L. delawarensis Ord. 12

a2. Length under 16.

el. Bill and feet reddish ; wing over 11. L. franklinii Sw. & Rich. 13 e2. Bill black; feet red or yellow; wing under 11.

L. Philadelphia (Ord). 14

9. (42.) Larus glaucus BRUNN.

Glaucous Gull. Synonym, BURGOMASTER.

Adult. — "Plumage, pure white, except the mantle, which is grayish- blue; bill, gamboge yellow, with a carmine patch toward the end of

570 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

the lower mandible; feet, flesh color." Young. — Above, yellowish- white, mottled with pale brown; breast and lower parts, gray; tail, white, mottled with brown.

Length, 26.00-32.00; wing, 16.75-18.75; tail, 7.40-8.50; bill, 2.30-2.70.

KANGE. — Northern part of Northern Hemisphere. In America, south to the Great Lakes and Long Island. Breeds from Greenland and Hudson Bay north.

Nest, of seaweed, grass and moss on ground. Eggs, 2-3, white, ashy or grayish-brown; 3.05 by 2.21.

Occasional visitor along Lake Michigan. Mr. J. W. Byrkit informs me of its occurrence near Michigan City. Mr. F. M. Woodruff has a beautiful specimen in white plumage that he killed at Millers, Ind., August 8, 1897. Prof. A. J. Cook reports it from Michigan localities, notably St. Joseph County, 1892. He also refers to the fact that Prof. Ludwig Kumlein has taken several specimens at Milwaukee, Wis. (Birds of Michigan, p. 31). Mr. E. W. Nelson (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. 145) notes that Dr. Hoy had taken three of these gulls near Eacine, Wis. Careful attention needs to be paid to the larger gulls iipon the lakes and larger streams during the colder portions of the year, in order that more accurate information may be had concerning them. Mr. L. M. Turner (Contr. to N. H. of Alaska, 1887, p. 125) says this gull is the ealiest bird to arrive at St. Michaels, a few reach- ing there by the middle of April. Mr. Nelson (Cruise of the Steamer Corwin in the Arctic Ocean, p. 106) notes the different surroundings of this gull in Behring Sea, where it breeds on all the islands and shores, from those peculiar to it on the North Atlantic coast, where it is known as Ice Gull, and is so well known as the accompaniment of the ice pack of that region.

10. (43 ) Larus leucopterus FABER.

Iceland Gull. Synonym, WHITE-WINGED GULL.

Adult. — "Primaries entirely white, or palest possible pearly-blue, fading insensibly into white at some distance from the end; their shafts straw-color; mantle, palest pearly blue; bill, yellow, with vermillion spot on lower mandible; feet, flesh colored or pale yellowish. In 'Winter. — Head and neck slightly touched with dusky. Young. — Im- pure white, with or without trace of pearly on the mantle; head, neck and upper parts mottled with pale brownish, sometimes quite dusky

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 571

on the back, the under parts a nearly uniform but very faint shade of the same, the quills and tail often imperfectly barred with the same.'' (Wheaton).

Length, 24.00-26.00; wing, 14.75-16.50; tail, 6.00-6.70; bill, 1.60-1.70.

RANGE.— Circumpolar regions. In America, south in winter to Massachusetts and the Great Lakes.

Nest, similar to that of L. glaucus. Eggs, similar, but smaller, 2.79 by 1.85.

Like the last mentioned species this is but an occasional winter visi- tor to the northern part of the State. Hon. R. Wes. McBride reports it from Dekalb County. It is noted by Nelson (Birds of Northeastern Illi- nois, p. 145) as: "A regular and not uncommon winter resident on Lake Michigan." Dr. A. W. Brayton (Trans. Indiana Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 150) also notes it as: "Not uncommon winter resident on Lake Michigan." This gull and the last species leave early and pass northward as rapidly as the waters open. According to Mr. E. W. Nelson (N. H. Coll. in Alaska, 1887, pp. 52 and 54) this is perhaps the most abundant gull along the coasts of Alaska, about the islands of Behring Sea, and along the lower Yukon River. Along the upper Yukon it is replaced by the American Herring Gull.

11. (5h/.) Larus argentatus smithsonianus CODES,

American Herring- Gull. Synonym, SEA GULL.

Adult in Summer. — Feet, flesh color; bill, yellow, with a red spot; first primary tipped with white and separated from the larger white spot by a black bar; most of remainder of outer web black, and of inner web white; the second primary tipped similarly, and other pri- maries to and including the sixth, tipped with white; mantle, pale dull blue; the remainder of the plumage white. Adult in Winter. — Similar, but head and neck streaked with dusky. Immature. — "At first almost entire fuscous or sooty-brown, the feathers of the back, white-tipped or not; size, at the minimum given. As it grows old, it gradually lightens; the head, neck and under parts are usually quite whitish before the markings of the quills are apparent, and before the blue begins to show, as it does, in patches mixed with brown; the black on the tail narrows to a bar, which disappears before the pri- maries gain their perfect pattern.

Length, 22.50-26.00; wing, 16.25-17.50; bill, 1.95-2.50.

572 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

RANGE. — North America, from Cuba and Lower California to Labrador and Alaska. Breeds from Maine and Michigan northward.

Nest, on ground or in trees; of grass. Eggs, 3, bluish white spotted and marked with different shades of brown, 2.85 by 2.01.

Common migrant throughout the State; locally, a winter visitor or winter resident. They occasionally remain throughout the winter in great numbers, especially on Lake Michigan, and in less numbers along the Ohio River. During winter floods they may be seen about any of the streams of the State. This is the most common gull found in the State, and is known popularly as "Sea Gull." In the Whitewater Valley it is most abundant in February and March, though it is sometimes seen in January, and in October. Mr. J. "W. Byrkit notes that its occurrence about Michigan City is irregular. At times they will be very abundant, and then all will disappear for some time. Mr. J. Grafton Parker says in the vicinity of Chicago and at Millers, Ind., they are very common on Lake Michigan in winter. Hundreds of these birds congregate at the outlets of -the sewers of Chicago, in the lake. They leave for the north in April, and are found breeding on Isle Royale, Gull Island, Thunder Bay Island, Mich., and other islands in the great lakes, and thence northward and along the Atlantic coast. As has been noted, these gulls frequent the upper Yukon Valley, and are replaced in the lower valley by L. leucopterus. Isle Royale is a well-known breeding ground for these birds. There they gather in great numbers before the ice has gone, and proceed to build nests, which vary from a hollow in the accumulations on the rocks to a mass of peat-like material, rootlets, moss and grass matted together placed upon the rocks, the gravelly beach, masses of driftwood on the shore, and even upon the rapidly melting icebergs themselves. In these nests the set of eggs, generally three, is laid some time after the first of May. (Daggett in 0. & 0., July, 1890, pp. 99, 100.) These birds suffer much from the plunder- ing of fishermen and eggers. Finally, however, their work is done. What eggs have been left them are hatched, the young reared, and they turn their flight southward. They reach the lower end of Lake Michigan late in September, and occasionally the Ohio Valley early in October.

12. (54.) Larus delawarensis (ORD).

Ring-billed Gull.

Adult in Summer. — Similar to the last, but smaller; first primary black, but with a white spot on each web near the end; the second and succeeding primaries tipped with white, and the feathers one after

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 573

the other becoming lighter; "bill, greenish-yellow, encircled with a black band near the end, usually complete, sometimes defective; the tip and most of the cutting edges of the bill yellow; in high condition the angle of the mouth, and a small spot beside the black, red; feet olivaceous, obscured with dusky or bluish, and partly yellow; the web, bright chrome." Immature. — Similar to the same stage of the last species. All the changes are substantially the same as those of the species just described.

Length, 18.00-20.00; wing, 13.60-15.75; bill, 1.55-1.75.

EANGE. — North America, from Cuba and Mexico toJLabrador and Manitoba. Breeds from North Dakota and Michigan northward.

Nest, on ground, in a depression; of grass. Eggs, 3 to 4, dark cream or buffy, blotched with brown and lavender gray, 2.39 by 1.71.

Eegular migrant and local winter resident in the same localities as the last mentioned species. Mr. J. Graf ton Parker says of it in the vicinity of Chicago, on Lake Michigan: "Quite common winter resi- dent. Not so abundant as the Herring Gull. I have often found large numbers of these gulls collected at the sewer outlets into Lake Michigan. They stay here during the winter, except when we have our severe cold snaps. Then they go south/' He also reports a large flock of old and young at Miller's, Ind., October 26, 1893. Over the State generally they are seen most numerously as migrants in March, April and May. They resemble the Herring Gull, except they are smaller and have the ring around the bill. Like the Herring Gull, they go north among the islands of the Great Lakes, and among the interior lakes of the northern United States and of the British posses- sions to breed. Mr. Charles L. Cass informs me of their breeding on the Beaver Islands, near Petoskey, Mich. It breeds abundantly on Gull Island, near Escanaba. Mr. Stebbins found this species and the Common Tern occupying an island about an acre in extent in Devil's Lake, Dakota, the first week of June. Mr. Stebbins says: "I don't suppose you could lay down a two-foot rule anywhere without each end of it striking a nest. It was common to find the terns and gulls breeding side by side. Most of the gulls' nests were in the grass, while those of the terns were in the sand. I did not find a gull's nest with more htan three eggs, and a very few with two; whereas, several hollows were found with as many as eighteen terns' eggs in them, which had rolled together. Mr. Frazer noted them nesting in Labra- dor. Mr. E. E. Thompson notes them as breeding at Lake Winnepeg. Neither they, nor the Herring Gull, ordinarily reach the Arctic coast, but the northern limit of their breeding range seems to be unknown.

574 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

13. (5H.) Larus franklinii S\v. AND RICH.

Franklin's Gull.

AdvM Male. — "Eyelids, neck, rump, tail, and lower parts white, the latter, with the under part of the wings, deeply tinged with rich, rosy red; hood, hlack, descending downwards on the nape and throat;, mantle and wings, bluish-gray; a band of black crosses the five outer primaries near the end; all the quill feathers are tipped with white. Young. — Changing with age as with other birds of this class." (Mo- Ilwraith.)

Length, 13.50-15.00; wing, 11.25; bill, 1.30.

RANGE. — Western South America, from Chili north through the interior of North America to the Arctic regions. Breeds from Iowa northward.

Nest, old water-soaked marsh vegetation about open water in marshy lakes. Eggs, 1-3; ground color from dark chocolate, sooty,, creamy-brown and dirty- white, through all the shades of light green and light drab; variously marked with blotches or spots of umber, wreathed at larger end, and with lilac shell markings, 2.04 by 1.38.

Occasional migrant. It has been occasionally seen by Mr. J. W. Byrkit at Michigan City. Mr. Robert Ridgway has frequently seea gulls on the Wabash River, which he was disposed to regard as speci- mens of Larus atriciUa. but which, after an acquaintance with that species, he considers as being more probably L. frankUnii. (Dr. Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, p. 551.)

This gull is a bird of the interior, and not of the sea. Its migra- tions are through the interior of North America, and it breeds in the interior from southwestern Minnesota and Dakota northward through Manitoba. The northern limit of its breeding range has not been noted, and it is not given by the reports on Alaskan ornithology as having been taken in that region. Occasionally specimens are taken east of the Mississippi River, though the bulk of the species migrates to the westward of that stream. It has been reported from Illinois, near Warsaw (Bull. Nuttall. Orn. Club, Vol. V, p. 32); from Milwaukee, Wis. (Nelson, Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. 146); mouth of Fox River, Wis. (Cooke, Bird Migration in Mis- sissippi Valley, 1888. pp. 56-7); and near Hamilton Ontario (Me- Ilwraith, Birds of Ontario, p. 49). An interesting account of their habits and nesting in Western Minnesota is given in the Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XI, 1886, pp. 54 and 55, from which I have gath- ered the description of the nest and eggs.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 575

14. (60.) Larus Philadelphia (ORD).

Bonaparte's Gull.

Adult in Summer. — Size small; bill, black; mantle, pearly-blue; hood, slaty plumbeous, with white touches on the eyelids; many wing coverts white; feet chrome yellow, tinged with coral red, webs, ver- milion; primaries, first five or six with the shafts white, except at tip; first white, with outer web and extreme tip black; second white, more broadly crossed with black; third to sixth or eighth, with the black successively lessening. Adult in Winter. — With no hood but a black auricular spot. Immature. — "Mottled and patched above with brown or gray, and usually a dusky bar on the wing; the tail, with a black bar; the primaries, with more black; the bill, dusky; much of the lower mandible, flesh-colored or yellowish, as are the feet."

Length, 12.00-14.00; wing, 9:50-10:50; bill, 1.12-1.25, very slender.

RANGE. — North America, from Bermudas to Hudson Bay, Labra- dor, and Alaska. Breeds from northern United States northward- Winters from Indiana and Illinois southward.

Nest, in tree or bush, or on stump; of sticks and grass, lined with soft material. Eggs, 3-4, grayish olive, tinged with greenish, and spotted with brown, 1.97 by 1.40.

Common migrant and rare winter visitor. Dr. J. L. Hancock in- forms me that while visiting Wolf Lake, in May, 1882, he was given a fresh specimen of a female of Bonaparte's Gull by a duck hunter, who had shot it near by. At the same time he was handed two quite fresh eggs, which were said to be those of the gull. The same day he saw an- other specimen flying over the same site, which was presumed to be the male. May 20, 1882, he saw three of these Gulls at different times during the day, one of which was shot for identification. The bulk of the species had gone further north to nest. It is best known as a migrant. In the Whitewater Valley I have never found it earlier than March 12. From that date until April 21 it may be looked for. It is not so common in fall on its way southward. In the northern part of the State, particularly in the vicinity of Lake Michigan, it is more numerous. There they remain until May, then depart to return again in October. They are reported to breed in the St. Clair Flats (Collins' Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. V, 1880, p. 62), and on some of the islands of Saginaw Bay (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 33), but I am not aware that this has been verified. It breeds generally on all the lakes of any size from the northern border of the United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts, toward the Arctic Ocean. On the

576 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Alaskan coast of Bering Sea it is rare, and there is no record of its presence along the shore of the Arctic Ocean (Nelson, Cruise of the Corwin, p. 108). It has been noted as breeding at Ft. Yukon, along the Nelson River, and at York Factory on Hudson's Bay (Mcll wraith, Birds of Ontario, p. 50).

SUBFAMILY STERNIN.E. TERNS.

7. GENUS STERNA LINN.EUS. a1. Wing more than 9.00.

b l. Both webs of outer tail feathers white. S. dougalli Montag. 17

b2. Both webs of outer tail feathers not white.

c1. Outer tail feathers with inner web dusky ; outer web white.

S. fosteri Nuft. 15 c2. Outer tail feathers with inner web white; outer web dusky.

S. hirundo Linn. 16 a2. Wing under 7. S. antillarum Less. 18

Subgenus STERSA.

15. (69.) Sterna forsteri NUTT.

Forster's Tern.

Adult in Summer. — Tail deeply forked; whole top of head black; other upper parts pearl gray; outer web of the outside pair of tail feathers white; inner web grayish or dusky toward the end; tips of secondaries, rump, sides of head, and lower parts white; bill dull orange, the tip blackish; edges of eyelids, black; legs and feet, orange red. Adult in Winter. — Similar, but top of head grayish; patch around eye, and over ear coverts black; tail not so deeply forked. Immature. — Above, including head, brownish, back and crown nearly uniform; tail feathers (except the outer web of the outer pair) tipped with dusky; bill dusky.

Length, 12.00-15.00; wing, 9.50-10.30; tail, 5.00-7.70; depth of fork, 2.30-5.00; bill, 1.50-1.65.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil to Virginia on Atlantic coast, to Manitoba in the interior. Breeds locally from Gulf of Mexico north- ward. Winters from Gulf coast southward.'

Nest, a collection of marsh vegetation, placed upon drift or on the ground. Eggs, 3, varying from pale greenish to warm brownish drab, spotted with different shades of brown, 1.78 by 1.23.

Most places this tern is a rare migrant, but during the fall it is exceedingly abundant on Lake Michigan. Mr. B. W. Evermann noted it in Vigo County April 28 and May 19, 1888. Several specimens have been taken on Lake Maxinkuckee (Ulrey and Wallace, Proc. T. A. S., 1895, p. 149). Mr. Charles L. Cass noted one in Steuben

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 577

County, August 26, 1894. He also reports it as breeding at the St. Clair Flats, Mich. Mr. J. Grafton Parker notes it on Lake Michigan in April, August, September, and the early part of October. He reports one specimen taken at Miller's, Ind., August 13, 1896. He says that while a few Forster's Terns can be found during August at Miller's, in company with Wilson's, the bulk does not arrive until in September, after the Common Terns have gone south. Then enormous flocks can be seen flying south at Colehour, 111., and Millers, Ind. It goes north to breed, but is the most common tern on Lake Michigan dur- ing the fall. Mr. E. W. Nelson, in Birds of Northeastern Illinois, notes its breeding there in small, reedy lakes. The young were able to fly about the middle of July. He gives the following account of its breeding: "Although I have been aware that 8. forsteri nested in this vicinity for several years, it was not until the middle of June, 1876, that I had the pleasure of examining one of their nests. While we were collecting eggs among one of the wild rice patches, on Grass Lake, June 14, Mr. Douglass observed a pair of these terns hovering near a small patch of Saggitaria leaves growing in several feet of water, and rowing to the spot found the nest, which was a loosely built structure of coarse pieces of reeds resting upon a mass of floating plants, and concealed from view by the surrounding leaves. Upon the side of the nest was a single young bird, about to scramble into the water, but upon seeing Mr. Douglass, it crouched to avoid being observed, and was captured. A thorough search at the time failed to reveal any other young ones, so the adults, which had been darting and screaming about his head, were secured, with a second pair, which had espoused the cause of their companions. Their anxiety we after- wards found to be the proximity of an unfinished nest, similarly situ- ated. That evening we found and secured two more young upon the nest found in the morning. The next morning fortune favored me, and, while passing between several floating masses of decaying vege- table matter, I observed four small heaps of wild rice stalks resting upon one of these masses, and, on a nearer view, to my delight, they proved to be the desired nests, containing eggs. The nests were situ- ated in a line, and the two outer ones were not over twenty-five feet apart. The only materials used were pieces of wild rice stems, which were obviously brought from some distance, as the nearest patch of rice was several rods distant. The nests were quite bulky, the bases being two feet or more in diameter. The greatest depth was about eight inches, and the depression in the center so deep that, while sit- ting in the boat a rod away, the eggs were not visible. Two of the nests contained three eggs, and two contained two eggs, each. The 37— GEOI,

578 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

following are the measurements of three of the eggs, representing the amount of variation: 1.70 by 1.25, 1.75 by 1.20, 1.68 by 1.25. The ground color varies from pale greenish to warm, brownish-drab. The spots and shell markings are of a varying shade of brown, distributed much as in the other terns' eggs."

16. (70.) Sterna hirundo LINN.

Common Tern.

Synonyms, SEA SWALLOW, WILSON'S TERN.

Adult in Summer. — Similar to 8. forsteri, but with the outer web of outside pair of tail feathers grayish or dusky, the inner web white; below, pale gray or grayish-white, whitening on the throat, and white on crissum; bill, red, blackish toward the tip; feet, red, lighter than bill. Adult in Winter. — Similar, but with forehead and crown white. Immature. — Similar, but the crown with more or less grayish; the upper parts with more or less buffy or brownish; tail, shorter; bill, brownish.

Length, 13.00-16.00; wing, 9.'75-11.75; tail, 5.00-7.00; depth of fork, 3.50; bill, 1.25-1.50.

RANGE. — Northern part of Northern Hemisphere. In America, breeding locally from Florida and Arizona to Arctic coast. Winters from Virginia to Bermudas and Lower California.

Eggs, 2-3, generally deposited in a depression in the sand, varying from greenish to deep brown, spotted and blotched with brown, blackish, and lilac, 1.62 by 1.24.

Migrant; in some localities abundant. Some remain throughout the summer in the northern part of the State, where it may breed. These birds are later arriving in the spring and earlier returning in the fall than the last mentioned species. I have no record earlier than May 2, and generally it is the latter part of the month when they are chiefly noted. They seem to mark the end of the spring migrations. I noted one on the Whitewater River, June 3, 1884, which is the latest spring record for the southern part of the State. They leave for the south in August. It has been reported from Franklin County, Carroll and Marshall (Evermann), Monroe (Bollman), Allen (Stockbridge), Putnam (Earlle), Steuben (Cass), Laporte (Barber i. Lake (Parker, Meyer and Tallman). This species is the common tern of the Atlantic coast, but Forster's is more common in the interior. They are said to breed at St. Clair Flats, on Heisterman's Island, in Saginaw Bay, "on muskrat houses in marshes/' and in the Upper

BIEDS OF INDIANA. 579

Peninsula of Michigan (Cook, Birds of Michigan, p. 34). Mr. Ridg- way notes that it breeds at Lake Koshkonong, Wis. (Birds of 111., Vol. II, p. 247). From there they breed in suitable localities northward to the Arctic coast. They have not been reported from Alaska (See article by William Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1879, p. 13).

17. (72 ) Sterna dougalli MONTAG.

Roseate Tern.

Adult in Summer. — Top of head and nape uniform black; mantle pale pearly-blue; upper tail coverts and tail silvery white; below pure white, tinged with pink; bill black, reddish at base; feet, coral-red. Winter and Immature. — Plumages change as in other species.

Length, 14.00-17.00; wing, 9.25-9.75; tail, 7.25-7.75; depth of fork, 3.50-4.50; B., 1.50.

RANGE. — North America, from West Indies and Central America on the Atlantic coast to Massachusetts; casually to Nova Scotia; ac- cidental in the interior. Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters south of the United States.

Eggs, 3, deposited on ground, similar to those of the last species, 1.65 by 1.12.

Accidental visitor. Rare. Nothing has ben added to the history of this bird in Indiana. I know of no other record of its occurrence in the State than that given by Dr. Haymond, in Proceedings Philadel- phia Academy of Science, 1859, and later in the Indiana Geological Survey, 1869. Dr. Wheaton gave it upon the authority of Mr. Wins- low as occurring on Lake Erie (Birds of Ohio, p. 562); Dr. Langdon notes its occurrence near Cincinnati (Revised List of Cincinnati Birds, p. 21); Prof. Cook and Dr. Gibbs both give it as a bird of Michigan. The former refers to a specimen recorded in the list of the collection of the Kent Scientific Institute. Of course, its occurrence in the in- terior can only be considered accidental.

SUBGRNUS STERN ULA BOIK.

*18. (74.) Sterna antillarum (LESS.).

Least Tern.

Adult in Summer. — Very small; "bill yellow, usually tipped with black; mantle, pale pearly grayish blue, unchanged on the rump and tail: a white frontal crescent, separating the black from the bill, bounded below by a black loral stripe reaching the bill: shafts of two or more of the outer primaries, black on the upper surface, white un- derneath; feet, orange." (WTieaton). Adult in Winter. — Similar;

580 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

the lores, forehead and crown, grayish- white, pure white in front; bill, dull yellow or dusky; feet, pale yellow. Immature. — Similar to last, but lesser wing coverts dusky; scapulars with V-shaped dusky marks.

Length, 8.50-9.75; wing, 6.60; tail, 3.50; depth of fork, 1.75; bill, 1.20.

RANGE. — America, from Trinidad and Central America to Massa- chusetts and Minnesota, and California casually to Labrador. Breeds throughout most of its range. Winters south of the United States.

Nest, a hollow in the ground. Eggs, 2-4; drab or buff, spotted with brown and lilac.

Rare migrant over most of the State. A few are summer residents in the northern part. The only record from the southern part of the State is a specimen taken near Brookville, August 22, 1887, which is now in my collection. Mr. L. T. Meyer notes having seen it through the summer months in Lake County, and Dr. J. L. Hancock found a nest containing three eggs at Wolf Lake, Ind., June 5, 1882. Four birds were seen at the time. The nest was simply a depression on a pile of reeds in an almost inaccessible portion of a small inlet of water. The same gentleman informs me that Mr. George Clingman found it nesting at Hyde Park, 111., May 27, 1875. He notes it was common some years ago, but is now rather rare. Prof. Cook notes it as a breeder at St. Clair Flats. Mr. Ridgway says it doubtless breeds in Illinois, although to his knowledge there is no record of its doing so. (Birds of Illinois, Vol. II, p. 248.)

GENUS HYDROCHELIDOX BOIK.

a1. Tail not deeply forked; toes slightly webbed ; black below in summer.

H, nigra surinamensis Gmel. 19

*19. (77.) Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (GMEL.).

Black Tern. Synonym, SHORT-TAILED TERN.

Adult in Summer. — "Head, neck and under parts uniform jet black; back, wings and tail plumbeous; primaries unstriped; crissum pure white; bill black. Adult in Winter and Immature. — The black almost replaced by white on the forehead, sides of head and under parts; the crown, occiput, and neck behind, with the sides under the wings, being dusky gray; a dark auricular patch and another before the eye." Young. — The upper parts marked with dull brown.

Length. 9.25-9.75; wing, 8.25; tail, 3.75; depth of fork, .90; bill, 1.10.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 581

RANGE. — America, from Chili to Alaska. Breeds in the interior from Indiana and Kansas northward. Winters south of the United States.

Nest, of grass, sedges, etc., on an elevation in a marsh or a de- pression in floating drift. Eggs, 3; brown or greenish, spotted and blotched with different shades of brown and lilac; 1.35 by .98.

Regular migrant in the southern part of the State and a summer resident about marshy lakes, at least from the Kankakee River north- ward. In some localities it breeds commonly. In the Whitewater Valley I have never found it common, but occasionally in May it may be seen moving northward. In this vicinity I have never found it in the fall. Mr. R. R. Moffitt reports it from White County as early as April, where he says it is to be found from April to August. Knox County, April 18, 1888. (Balmer.) They usually are noted in spring in May, and pass directly northward to their summer homes. The dates re- ported from the lakes of northwest Indiana are as early as are those of the most southerly stations. From May 6 to 15 they are first seen. About the marshes they are usually noted in flocks of ten to forty, and it is not unusual that a number of these birds are in immature plumage. They may be seen flying over the waters of the lake, skimming the surface of the marsh, and sometimes, swallow-like, insect catching over the wet meadows or even the dryer pasture land. While flying they utter a peculiar cry, sounding something like krik! krik! krik! Their principal food is insects. Often one may approach their homes and find none flying, but a canoe voyage through the marsh will show them sitting upon masses of roots of upturned pond lilies or other floating material. They nest upon floating half-decayed vegetation or other debris often where the water is not over two feet deep. Two broods appear to be reared in a season, as eggs are taken in May and July. I am indebted to Mr. Ruthven Deane, of Chicago, 111., for the following notes furnished him by Mr. Joseph E. Gould, of Colum- bus, 0. He visited English Lake twice, once each in June and July, 1891, and gives the following results of his observations upon the breed- ing habits of these Terns. He says: "I found the Black Terns nesting in what I suppose you call the 'South Marsh/ My first trip to the lake was made on June 17. The water was very high, and we were able to push our boat through the marsh at will. The nests were mere de- pressions made in the mass of floating drift. This drift was frequently very compact and dotted with growing vegetation. Sometimes a nest was found on a bunch of drift no larger than my hat. In no instance was more than one nest found on a drift, but in favorable localities two or three nests would be found within a small space. We were, too

582 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

early to find full sets of eggs, but on July 1, when at the lake for one day, I secured several sets of three. Owing to the color of the eggs, the nests are sometimes hard to find, but if one remains quiet he will soon see the birds, which have gathered over his head on his first approach, silently returning to their nests, which can then be readily located. I caught several pair despoiling a nest of the Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps). I was attracted to the spot by the cries of the Terns, and found them hovering over the nest, which was a new one, containing two or more eggs, as I found one in the nest and one in the water lodged among the grass." Mr. J. Graf ton Parker, Jr., says they breed abundantly about Hyde and Calumet lakes, 111., and Wolf Lake, Ind. Mr. 0. E. Aiken notes them as breeding abundantly in the marshes of the Calumet and Kankakee rivers. Mr. Charles Barber says they breed in Laporte County. Mr. E. R. Moffitt took two young in White County, May 17, 1886. I know of no record of their breed- ing in the north-central or northeastern part of the State. After the young are grown they collect with the adults in flocks about the lakes and along the sluggish rivers of the breeding region and remain until August or early September, at which time they pass to the southward. It is possible that some remain into October or even early November.

C. ORDER STEG-ANOPODES. TOTIPALMATES\VIMMEKS. VI. FAMILY ANH1NGKME. DARTERS.

Character same as family. ANHINGA. 9

9. GENUS ANHINGA BRISSON.

Vf. FAMILY ANHINGID^ DARTERS.

a1. Chiefly b'ack; greenish luster above; neck with hair-like plumes.

A. anhinga Linn 2O

20. (118.) Anhingu anhinga (LINN.).

Anhinga. Synonym, SNAKE BIRD.

Adult in Summer. — Head, neck and body glossy greenish-black; other parts deep black: wing coverts streaked with gray; tail tipped with whitish; head and neck with hair-like feathers, the forward ones dirty white, the others black. Adult Male in Winter. — Similar, but lacking hair-like feathers. Adult Female in Summer. — Head, neck and breast grayish buff, a band of chestnut separating it from the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 583

belly; neck with a few whitish feathers; rest of plumage black. Adult Female in Winter. — Similar, but lacking the whitish feathers on the neck. Immature. — Similar to the last, but lighter.

Length, 32.25-36.00; wing, 14.00; tail, 11.00; bill, 3.25.

RANGE. — Tropical and subtropical America, north to North Caro- lina and southern Illinois; casually to Indiana and northern Michigan. Breeds in the southern part of its United States range.

Nest, in bushes or trees, over water. Eggs, 3-5; bluish- or greenish- white; 2.15 by 1.35.

The Anhinga can only be counted as an accidental visitor in In- diana. Mr. Robert Ridgway says : "It appears to be a regular summer resident in the extreme southern portion of Illinois," referring partic- ularly to the vicinity of Cairo. (Birds of Illinois, Vol. II, 209.) There are but two records for this State. Mr. J. E. Beasley, of Lebanon, Ind., for many years a resident of Indianapolis, informs me that he killed a pair of Anhingas on the "Broad Cut" of the canal, just north of the latter city, in 1858. Mr. Fletcher M. Noe, of Indianapolis, says he received a male which was killed some two miles south of that city, on White River. Prof. B. W. Evermann noted Mr. Noe's report of this in the "American Naturalist," March, 1887, p. 291. Mr. Charles Dury, of Avondale, Cincinati, 0., informs me that he has in his collec- tion an Anhinga brought from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., by Mr. Roach, who obtained it from the man who shot it. This is indeed very much out of its range.

VII. FAMILY PHALACROCORACIDJE CORMORANTS. Character same as family. PHALACROCORAX. 10

10. GENUS PHALACROCORAX BRISSON.

a1. Tail feathers 12; breeding plumage with supercilliary crests black.

b\ Length 30.00 or more. P. dilophus (Sw. & Kich.). 21

/>-. Length less than 30.00. P. dilophus floridanus And. 22

Subgenus PHALACR~>COKAX.

21. (120.) Phalacrocorax dilophus (Sw. & RICH.).

Double-crested Cormorant.

Adult. — "Tail of twelve feathers; gular sac convex or nearly straight edged behind. Glossy greenish-black; feathers of the back and wings coppery-gray, black shafted, black edged;" curly black crests on side of head. "In the breeding season other filamentous white ones over the eyes and along the sides of the neck. Gular sac and lores orange."

584 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Immature- — Above, grayish-brown; below, brownish; no crests or other decorative feathers on head. (Ridgw.)

Length, 29.00 to 33.50; wing, 12.00-13.00; bill, 2.25.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from the Gulf of Mexico to Man- itoba. Breeds from Dakota and Maine, formerly from Ohio and Iowa, northward. Winters from Maine and southern Illinois southward.

Nest, in trees or on cliffs, of sticks, etc. Eggs, 2-5, pale bluish-green, more or less encrusted with chalky; 2.52 by 1.59.

Regular migrant, more or less common along the larger streams. Doubtless occasionally winter resident in southern part of the State. It must be that most of the cormorants reported from our State belong to this species. While but few of the specimens reported have been preserved, and consequently are not accessible for verification, those examined have generally proven to belong to this species. At Brook- ville I have noted it as early as February 2 (1883) and as late as April 16 (1881) in spring, and from September (1879) to Nov. 19 (1880) in fall. (Langdon Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist, July, 1880, p. 127.) They are most numerous with us in the spring, in April, and in the fall, in Oc- tober. The fall of 1880 they were unusually numerous on the White- water River. One flock of fourteen was seen, from which several were shot, one of which is now in my collection. Mr. E. R. Quick also se- cured others, one of which he placed in the collection of Dr. F. W. Langdon. Farther northward in the State they remain later in spring than they do with us. Mr. H. K. Coale noted it from Lowell. Ind., in April, 1883, and Mr. B. T. Gault from English Lake, May 30, 1880. Mr. J. E. Beasley took one at Indianapolis, May 8, 1858. Prof. Cooke notes that Dr. Ezra S. Holmes, of Grand Rapids, Mich., has a male which he took in northern Indiana, near the Michigan line (Birds of Michigan, p. 36). In the fall I have no Indiana record earlier than September. Prof. Cooke (loc. cit.) records it from Pine Lake, Michi- gan, in August, 1893. Messrs. Ulrey and Wallace note a male and fe- male taken at Long Lake, Ind., Nov. 15, 1890 (Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1895, p. 149), and Mr. Jesse Earlle informs me of one shot Nov. 28, 1895, on Big Walnut Creek, Putnam County, Ind. Mr. Ruthven Deane reports seeing a Cormorant of this species at English Lake, June 5, 1892. In November, 1896, Mr. W. 0. Wallace made a trip down the Wabash River. November 3 he took a female four miles be- low Wabash. He saw others at the following points: One near Logans- port, one near Vincennes, and one near Mt. Carmel, 111.

I do not know that it ever breeds in Indiana, but Dr. Wheaton (Birds of Ohio, p. 544) says it is said to have nested years ago at the Licking Reservoir. In the Ohio Valley they are known as "Water

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 585*

Turkeys," and in the Northwest Territory they are called by the na- tives "Crow Duck." Although a sea bird, and breeding along the shores of the Atlantic from the southern borders of the British pos- sessions on the west side, they nevertheless breed at some places in the interior of America. Formerly they were known to breed in Iowa, but perhaps none now nest south of some favorite lakes in Minnesota and Dakota. Prof. Macoun notes them as breeding abun- dantly in northwestern Canada, at Lake Winnepegosis, in 1881 (Thompson, Birds of Manitoba, p. 473). The food of Cormorants is fish. They may be seen along watercourses and about lakes during the migration, often singly, but many times from ten to a dozen together. To one unacquainted with them they appear as ducks with a peculiar manner of flight, but when they are seen to alight on the projecting limb of some tree that overhangs the water, it at once becomes ap- parent that the bird is something else.

22. (120rt.) Phalacrocorax dilophus floridanus (Auo.).

Florida Cormorant.

Similar to the last species, but smaller. Length, 21.25-30.00; wing, 12.00; bill, 2.10.

RANGE. — Southeastern United States north to North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Breeds north to Ohio.

Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of last species.

The Florida Cormorant is a migrant and perhaps a rare summer resident in southern Indiana. A few may remain through the winter, when the weather is not too severe. Some years ago it was thought the Cormorant most commonly seen in the Ohio Valley was this species. In later years examination of specimens shows that the ma- jority of occurrences are of the Double-crested Cormorant. Whether it or the present species was formerly the more common, I have no means of determining. The birds have been largely destroyed or forced to withdraw from this range. Prof. 0. P. Jenkins found it as far up the Wabash Eiver as Terre Haute. Dr. Stein met with it on the Lower Wabash. Mr. Robert Ridgway notes it as ranging up the Wabash River as far as Mt. Carmel, 111. He thinks it is a summer resi- dent and probably breeds in Knox and Gibson counties. I have the skull of a specimen taken near Brookville in 1877. Dr. F. W. Langr don notes it from the vicinity of Cincinnati (Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., I, 1879, p. 186). The same gentleman, in his observations on Cincinnati Birds, gives the following account, by Mr. Chas. Dury, of

' 586 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

their former abundance at St. Mary's Reservoir, in Ohio, which is probably not over twelve miles east of the Indiana line: "On the south side of the Reservoir, about seven miles from Celina, was the 'Water Turkey' Rookery. Here I used to shoot them, with the natives, who wanted them for their feathers; I have helped kill a boat-load.

"One season I climbed up to their nests and got a cap full of eggs. The nests were made of sticks and built in the forks of the branches. The trees (which were all dead) were mostly oaks, and covered with excrement. I found from two to four eggs or young to a nest. The young were queer little creatures — looked and felt like India rubber. The old birds flew around in clouds, and made their croaking notes, indicative of their displeasure. at my presence. Some 01 the trees had ten or twelve nests in them. As the timber has rotted and blown down, the birds have become less and less numerous.

"The above circumstances occurred during the month of June, 1867, since when, as Mr. Dury states, these birds have rapidly decreased in numbers. The many specimens examined by him were, without ex- ception, var. floridanus"

Dr. Langdon found a single specimen floating on the Reservoir in October, 1874.

VIII. FAMILY PELECANID^E. PELICANS.

Characters same as family. PELECANUP. 11

11. (TKNUS PELECAXUS LIXN.KUS.

a1. Tail feathers 24; lower jaw densely feathered. Subgenus Ci/i1op<ltcan?ix. Keich. 61. Color, white. P. erythrorhynchos Gmel. 23

23. (125) Felecanus erythrorhynchos GMIL.

American White Pelican.

"White; occiput and breast, yellow; primaries, their coverts, bastard quills and many secondaries, black; bill, sac, lores and feet, yellow." (Wheaton.)

Length, 53.50-64.00; wing, 22.25-25.25; bill, 11.30-15.00.

RANGE. — North America, from Guatemala to latitude 61 degrees north in the interior. Rare on the Atlantic coast. Breeds, locally, from Great Salt Lake, Utah, northward.

Nest, a mound of earth with a depression in the top. Eggs. 2-4; dull chalky-white; 3.45 by 2.30,

Rare migrant. Almost every year one or more are noted from some place in the State, yet few are the persons who ever saw one alive. Dr. Rufus Haymond reported it from Franklin County. Mr. E.' J. Chans- ler writes me of the occurrence of these birds in large numbers in Knox County in 1850. One was killed near Swan Pond in the spring

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 587

of 1890. Mr. Robert Ridgway has also observed it in Knox and Gib- son counties. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge, in Allen County; Mr. Charles Dury, from "Swan Lake/' and Dr.- Vernon Gould, from Fulton County. Prof. B. W. Evermann notes its occurrence in Montgomery County, -and the capture of a specimen by Mr. W. W. Black, in Carroll County, in the spring of 1881 (The Auk, October, 1888, p. 346). Mr. F.' M. Noe gives an account of a specimen taken at New Castle May 20, 1892, in the Ornithologist and Oologist, 1892, Vol. XVII, p. 123. A White Pelican was killed May 25, 1892, near Bloomfield, Greene County. One was taken on the Wabash River, near Lafayette, Sept. 29, 1895 (L. A. and C. D. Test). Mr. W. B. Van Gorder reports a specimen taken at Rome City in the spring of 1896. It is now in the possession of Mr. William Williams. Mr. F. M. Woodruff informs me that two of these birds were seen in the vicinity of Millers in the fall of 1896, and that they remained there several days. Mr. F. M. ZToe wrote me that he received a White Pelican which was killed near Con- nersville, May 3, 1897. He says it was reported to have been seen in that vicinity for several days. Mr. T. H. Ball says years ago they were of regular occurrence at Cedar Lake, Lake County. They are usually seen as they go northward in the spring, in May, and on their way southward, in September or October. We are out of the line of their migrations, hence see comparatively few of them, and those observed are generally single birds. The direct line of movement to their breed- ing grounds is to the west of the Mississippi River. There they mi- grate in flocks, and are much more often seen. Their breeding ground is chiefly north of the United States, where about many of the lakes of British America they breed, as they also do on the islands of Great Salt Lake, Utah. Ordinarily to the westward of the Mississippi River the greater number pass north in April. It would therefore seem that those which come to us are among the later migrants.

IX. FAMILY FREGATID^. MAN o' WAR BIRDS

Characters same as family. FREGATA. 12

12. GKNUS FREGATA BRISSO*. a1. Black; shoulders of male lustrous. F. aquila Linn. 24

24. (128.) Fregata aquila LINN.

Man-o'-War Bird.

Adult Male. — Tail deeply forked, entirely black, more or less glossy above. Adult Female. — Similar, but duller and browner; breast and sides whitish. Immature. — Head, neck, breast and belly, white; rest of plumage like that of female.

588 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 37.50-41.00; wing, 22.00-27.10; tail, 14.25-19.25; depth of fork, about half its length; bill, 4.25-5.15.

EANGE. — Tropical and sub-tropical regions; north to Florida, Texas and California; accidentally to Nova Scotia, Indiana and Kansas.

Nest, of sticks in bushes or on rock near the sea. Egg, 1;. chalky- white; 2.62 by 1.75.

Accidental visitor. This graceful bird of the tropic seas rarely wan- ders far inland. Along the Gulf of Mexico it is a resident. Only once, so far as we know, has it been identified in Indiana. In the fall of 1896 I saw, in the office of Mr. J. E. Beasley, the well-known taxider- mist, at Lebanon, Ind., a nicely mounted specimen of a young male of this species. I learned it was killed near Shelbyville, Ind., July 14, 1896, by Mr. W. S. Patterson, and came into Mr. Beasley's. hands for preservation the next day. I took the following measurements from the. mounted specimen: Length, 36.00; wing, 24.00; tail, 16.00; depth of fork, 7.00; bill, 4.25. There is only one other record for the Ohio Valley. In the spring of 1880 a specimen was taken in Franklin County, 0., and is now in the possession of Dr. Eenshaw, of Sugar Grove, 0. (Davie., Nests and Eggs, N. A. Birds, pp. 59, 60). There are two other records that are equally remarkable in showing the in- land wanderings of this species. In the Milwaukee Public Museum is one of these birds, which was killed in the vicinity of Humboldt, Wis., a few miles north of Milwaukee, in August, 1880. In the same month (August 16, 1880) one was killed with a stone while sitting on a tree in Osborne County, Kan. It was mounted, but track has been lost of the specimen. However, a photograph was taken, which serves to verify the record (Bird Migration in the Miss. Valley. Cooke, p. 60).

D. ORDER ANSERES. DUCKS AND GKKSK. X. FAMILY ANATIDJE. DUCKS AM> GEESE.

a1 . Neck shorter than body.

oa1. Space between eye and bill wholly or partly naked. CAIRINA. 18a

ao2. Space between eye and bill feathered.

61. Front of tarsus divided into more or less square plates; its length Jess than

middle toe without claw; sexes unlike. c1. Bill narrow, long; apparently with teeth. Subfamily MERGINJE.

dl. Processes of mandibles conspicuously tooth-like, pointing backwards at tips. MERGANSER. ]:>

d2. Processes of mandibles short, not pointing backwards at tips.

LOPHODYTES. 14

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 589

Bill broad; lower mandible with a very distinct^series of lamella' along the side, besides the series along the upper edge.

Subfamily ANATIN i . e1. Hind toe without lobe or flap.

fl. Bill not spoon shaped ; scarcely widened towards the tip. gl. Tail feathers narrow, rather pointed ; no crest.

h1 . Tail not pointed, its middle feathers not unusually long in male; speculum green, violet or white. ANAS. 15

A2. Tail pointed; its middle feathers much lengthened in the male; female with tail much shorter; speculum violet.

DAFILA. 17 g2. Tail feathers broad, rounded at tip; male with a high crest.

Aix. 18 f2. Bill spoon shaped, narrow at base, very broad towards tip.

SPATULA. 16 e2. Hind toe with a broad lobe or flap.

t1. Tail feathers with bases scarcely concealed by short coverts; tail feathers narrow and stiff.

jl. Outer toe longer than middle toe ; nail of bill small, bent backward beneath the tip of upper mandible.

ERISMATURA. 24 j2. Outer toe shorter than middle toe; mail of bill normal.

NOMONYX.

i2. Tail feathers with their bases well hidden by their coverts. k1. Feathering on lores or forehead not reaqhing beyond pos- terior border of nostril.

11. Graduation of tail less than length of bill from nostril.

AYTHYA. 19

12. Graduation of tail more than length of bill from nostril. m1. Bill ordinary, not swollen; having no appendage

on edge at base of upper mandible. w1. Wing less than seven inches long; eyes brown.

• CHARITONETTA. 21

n2. Wing over seven inches long.

01. Nostril in middle of bill, or nearer tip than base ; eyes yellow. GLAUCIONETTA. 20

02. Nostril nearer the base than tip of bill; male with long tail. CLANGULA. 22

m2. Bill not ordinary, swollen or else appendaged at base, or on sides.

pl. Bill swollen at base. OIDEMIA. 23

p2. Bill not swollen at base, but appendaged. q1. Bill appendaged with a lobe on each side near base; speculum violet.

HISTRIONICUS.

q2. Bill with a leathery expansion on sides of upper mandible ; cheeks bristly ; speculum white. CAMPTOLAIMUS.

k2. Feathering on forehead or lores extending to or beyond nostril; bill swollen at base. SOMATERIA.

590 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

6J. Tarsus marked with a network of lines over its whole surface ; meshes slightly larger in front; its length not less than that of middle toe without claw ; sexes alike.

/ •'. Cutting edge of upper mandible nearly straight ; its serrations scarcely visible from side, except near angle of mouth; head, bill and feet mostly black.

BRANTA. 27

>•-. Cutting edge of upper mandible concave or sinuate; its serrations plainly visible from side for nearly its whole length; bill and feet pale.

s1. Bill very stout; its depth at base more than half the length of upper mandible ; color largely white. CHEN. 25

s2. Bill smaller, more depressed; its depth at base not half the length of upper mandible; color not white.

ANSER. 26 a2. Neck as long as or longer than body; lores partly naked.

Subfamily CYGNIN^E SAVANS. tl. Color white; bill and feet black, in adult ; grayish, head and neck brown- ish ; bill and feet light, in young.

' OLOR. 28

SUBFAMILY MERGING. MERGANSERS. 13. GENUS MERGANSER, BRISSON.

a1. Nostril nearer middle of bill than base. M. americanus (Cass.). 25

a-. Nostril near base of bill. M. serrator (Linn.). 26

25. (129.) Merganser americanus (CASS.).

American Merganser. Synonyms, FISH DUCK, GOOSANDER.

Nostrils situated near the middle of the upper mandible; frontal feathers extending farther forward than those on lateral base of bill. Adult Male. — Head and most of neck, greenish-black; head slightly crested; chest and other lower parts, creamy white or pale salmon-color. Adult Female. — Head and neck, reddish .(chin and throat white), the occiput with a full crest of lengthened feathers; above, chiefly bluish- gray.

Male; length, about 27.00; wing, 10.50-11.25; bill, 1.90-2.20; tarsus, 1.90-2.00. Female smaller.

RANGE. — North America generally. Breeds from latitude of Min- nesota and Michigan northward; winters from Kansas, Indiana and Maine southward.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 591

Nest, in holes in trees and cliffs. Eggs, 6-10; creamy buff; 2.65 by 1.75.

Common migrant and winter resident. They vary in numbers with the winters. The more open the winter the greater the number. Even in the coldest winters they may be found where the water is not frozen. On Lake Michigan it is one of the commonest ducks during the winter months. At Miller's, Ind., they were common Dec. 17, 1895. Jan. 14, 1897, four were seen (J. G. Parker, Jr.). la 1891, Feb. 14 and 15, there were a few flocks and pairs seen at English Lake, Ind. On Feb. 12 some 200 were seen, and five were shot. They were about more or less all winter. February 27 and 28, 1892, there were many flocks on the river (Kankakee). Several were shot. They were observed during the winter whenever they could find open water. (Euthven Deane.)

The winter of 1889-90 they remained on the Whitewater all winter and were noticed commonly from Feb. 11 on. The winter of 1896-7 they were found at Brookville, Dec. 6, and, from reports, were seen off and on all winter.

In the early spring this is the most common duck upon the creeks and smaller streams. They increase in numbers noticeably in Feb- ruary or March, and, as the weather becomes warmer, begin to pass on north, usually the middle of March. Most have gone by the middle or last of April. Mr. Jesse Earlle notes one at Greencastle, May 7, 1892, an unusually late date for southern Indiana, Occasionally some may spend the summer among our northern lakes, but I do not know that they breed with us. They breed, however, in northern Michigan, and from that latitude northward throughout Manitoba and adjacent parts of Canada. It is rare on Alaskan coasts. In Manitoba, Mr. E. E. Thompson says they frequent only running water. This duck feeds almost, if not altogether, on fish; therefore its flesh is fishy and unpala- table. In the fall they return to us in October and November, but are not nearly so common or so noticeable as in the spring.

26. (130.) Merganser serrator (LINN.).

Bed-breasted Merganser.

Nostrils situated near the base of the maxilla; feathers on lateral base of bill extending farther forward than those on the forehead. Adult Male. — Head, dull greenish-black, the occiput with a long, pointed crest of narrow feathers; neck and sides of the chest, dull buff, or light cinnamon, streaked with black; other lower parts mainly white. Adult Female. — Very similar in color to last species.

592

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, about 20.00-25.00; wing, 8.60-9.00; culmen, 2.50; tarsus, 1.80-1.90.

RANGE. — Northern portions of northern hemisphere; in America, it breeds from northern Illinois, Michigan and that latitude north- ward. It winters from its southern breeding limit southward.

Nest, on ground, beneath projecting rock or other object, of moss or leaves, lined with down. Eggs, 6-12; yellowish or reddish-drab; 2.57 by 1.73.

Migrant and winter resident throughout the State. Generally rare, but occasionally, on the larger bodies of water, rather common. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., notes that it is an occasional winter visitor on Lake Michigan. Mr. Ruthven Deane says they remain at English Lake,

Head of a Red- breasted Merganser, with outline of bill from above. Natural size.

Ind., as long as there is open water. On the 22d of November, 1891, he found them abundant there. Over the southern part of the State they are found in winter, as is the last species, except that they are much fewer in number. They go northward as the rivers are freed from ice in early spring. The records generally show them moving in March. During that month they may be found on the streams of southern and middle Indiana; and in March and April they frequent the marshes of the northern part of the State. They go northward earlier than the last mentioned species, or at least they do not seem to linger as does that form. They are by far the rarest of the fish ducks with us. Returning from their breed- ing places, they are found about the marshes in the northern part of the State, sometimes quite abundantly, but generally they are rare. In October or November, usually, they occur in small numbers, one or two to four or five together, but sometimes quite large flocks are met with. Mr. Parker informs me that April 10, 1897, a beautiful male Red-breasted Merganser was killed on the Kan-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 593

kakee River, near Kouts, Ind. This he found hanging on the side of a hunter's cabin on April 15. That day another hunter brought to him a female, which he thought was the mate of the one previously killed.

It has not been found breeding in Indiana. Mr. E. W. Nelson (Birds of N. E. Illinois, p. 144) notes it as a rare summer resident, and says it frequents small, reedy lakes, and nests upon old muskrat houses. Mr. C. L. Cass informs me that he found nests of this Mer- ganser near Cross Village, Mich, (where it breeds commonly), in the summers of 1896 and 1897, and adds that Mr. Ed. Van Winkle, -of Van's Harbor, has also found this duck breeding. Mr. S. L. White reports having found a nest on Round Island, near Mackinac Island. It was located under a low cedar near the water's edge, and contained nine eggs (Cook, Birds of Michigan, p. 38).

Prof. Macoun says, in Manitoba, where this duck commonly breeds, both it and the Hooded Merganser feed largely on vegetable food, and are quite edible (E. E. Thompson, Birds of Manitoba, p. 474).

15. GENUS LOPHODYTES REICHKNBACH. a1. Speculum white, with two dark bars. L. cucullatus (Linn.). 27

*27. (131.) Lophodytes cucullatus (LINN.).

Hooded Merganser.

Nostrils near the base of the maxilla; frontal feathers, reaching be- yond those on sides of bill; a compact, erect semi-circular, laterally compressed crest in the male. Smaller and less rounded in the female. Male. — Black, including two crescents in front of wing, and bar across speculum; under parts, center of crest, speculum, and stripes on ter- tials, white; sides, chestnut, black-barred. Female. — Smaller; head and neck, brown; chin whitish; back and sides, dark-brown, the feathers with paler edges; white on the wing less; bill, reddish at base below.

Length, 17.50-19.00; wing, 7.50-7.90; culmen, 1.50; tarsus, 1.25- 1.30,

RANGE. — North America, generally, south to Mexico and Cuba, breeding nearly throughout its range.

Nest, in hollow trees or stumps, made of leaves or grasses, lined with down. Eggs, 6-18; pearly-white; 2.15 by 1.72.

Very abundant migrant, less common winter resident, and locally resident in some numbers. Throughout the State the Hooded Mer- ganser may be found in winter, the more numerous the more open the 38— GEOL.

594 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

winters, and always attracted to the open water, so that in the most severe winters they are .most to be observed on the rapid streams of southern Indiana, where ripples and rapids are about the only places they can find at which to congregate. Perhaps they are most nu- merous on Lake Michigan at this season, but at English Lake, Ind., and other large lakes they remain until the water freezes over. In the latter part of February in some years, and always by early March, their numbers begin to increase, and the spring migration has begun. They pass northward rapidly, and most of them are gone by the latter part of March. But few records are made for April, except in breeding localities; occasionally, however, there are belated migrants noted as late as May. Through April they pair and seek a home.

They breed in suitable localities throughout the State. Owing to the scarcity of such localities in southern Indiana but few have been reported from that section. Mr. Eobert Ridgway found them more numerous than the Wood Duck, and breeding in hollow trees, in Mon- teur's Pond, Knox County, in the spring of 1881 (Bull. Xutt. Orn. Club., Vol. VII, Jan. 1, 1882, p. 22). I feel quite confident that it formerty bred in a swamp in wThich there was much timber, on the west fork of Whitewater River, about four miles from Brookville. Prof. B. W. Evermann, in 1888, informed me of its breeding in Vigo County, and the same authority notes its breeding in Carroll County, where he saw young in July (The Auk, October, 1888, p. 346). Mr. F. E. Bell informs me of its breeding in Wabash County. Mr. C. E. Aiken says it breeds commonly on the Kankakee River, and Mr. J. G. Parker. Jr., has recently written me that quite a few breed on that river in the vicinity of Kouts, Ind.

The migrants return in October and November, and linger as long as the waters are open and food is abundant. The first "freeze up" starts them southward.

SUBFAMILY ANATIN^E RIVER DUCKS. 15. GENUS ANAS LINN.KUS.

a1. Culmen longer than middle toe without claw.

/>'. Wing over 8, speculum violet, bordered with black. Subgenus Anas.

<-] . With white on the outer surface of wing; sexes unlike; colors of male varied and brilliant; female plainer. A. boschas Linn. 28

c- . No white «on outer surface of wing, but linings of wing white; sexes alike ; colors plain. A. obscura Gmel. 29

h- . Wing less than 8, speculum green. Subgenus Querfjuedula Stephens. <7'. Wing coverts sky -blue.

r>. Wing 7. or more. A. discors Linn. 34

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 595

</-. Wing with no blue; hill very narrow. Submenus Nettimi Kaup. / '. White crescent on side of body in front of wing.

A. carolinensis Ginel. 33 «-. Culm en shorter than middle toe without claw.

'/'. Hill not shorter than head. Submenus ('hniilfluAmux Konaparte.

It1. Speculum white. A. strepera Linn. 30

//-'. Hill shorter than head : crown and belly white.

Subgenus Mareca Stephens.

71. Head and neck plain rufous. A. penelope Linn. 31

?"-. Head and neck grayish; sides of head with broad patch of

green. A. americana Gmel. 32

*28. (132.) Anas boschas LINN.

Mallard.

Adult Male. — Four middle tail feathers strongly recurved; head and neck brilliant velvety-green; chest, rich chestnut, with a white collar between it and the green of the neck; speculum, rich metallic violet, bounded anteriorly by a black bar, this preceded by a white one, and posteriorly by a black subterminal and white terminal band. Adult Female and Male in Breeding Season. — Wings as in the above; else- where variegated with dusky and ochraceous, the former on the centers of the feathers, and predominating on the upper parts; the latter on the borders, and prevailing beneath.

Length^ about 20.00-21.50; wing, 10.25-11.50; culmen, 2.00-2.35; tarsus, 1.50-1.80.

RANGE. — Northern hemisphere; in North America, generally dis- tributed; in the interior breeding from Indiana, Iowa, and, on the coast, from Labrador, northward. Winters from Indiana, Iowa, and Delaware southward to Panama and Cuba.

Nest, generally on ground. Eggs, 6-12; pale, dull green, or greenish white; 2.25 by 1.60.

Abundant migrant; winter resident in varying numbers, and locally, particularly in the northern part of the State, resident in some numbers.

Some winters, when the weather is severe and the waters are mostly frozen over, the Mallard is scarce in Indiana. Occasionally two or more such winters succeed each other, and then for more than one winter these ducks are rare. Often, however, they remain, and, upon the larger streams, may be found in some numbers through the entire severe season. Open water and food are the only requirements to make them winter residents.

Their spring movements vary with conditions. If the season opens early, they begin to migrate early in February. On the contrary, some

596 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

seasons, when the winter holds late, there is no apparent movement until the middle of March. The migrants do not remain long. Out- side of breeding localities, they are not often reported after early April. A few, however, seem to linger well through the month. ' Sometimes, in the midst of the migration, the unexpected happens. A cold snap comes down suddenly upon the waters alive with wild fowl, and they are forced to change their habits. From swimmers they become skaters. Mr. Ruthven Deane informs me that March 13, 1892, a rough, cold day, when boatmen were compelled to break ice over a mile to get their boat through, boat, paddles, and men were coated with ice, and English Lake marshes were mostly ice bound, there were thousands of ducks and geese sitting around in droves on the ice. The same gentleman has kindly furnished me with the following data from the records of some of the shooting clubs at that lake. In 1881, first Mallard shot, February 10; in 1886, first shot, March 14; in 1887, first shot, March 6; 1892, January 1. The last Mallard shot each of the following years is also given: 1881, December 7; 1886, December 11; 1886, November 25; 1889, December 24.

They pair early. Even in February they are often noticed mated, and by the middle of March some years, seem mostly paired. Soon after pairing they seek a nesting place. The nest is usually placed on the ground, or in the grass, drift, or accumulated vegetation, though in- stances are reported where they have been found in hollow trees. Late in April the nests may begin to be found, with a complement of fresh eggs. Through May and into early June nests of eggs are to be seen, but the later ones are well incubated, and most of the birds have young by June 15. Mr. Deane informs me of one nest containing eleven eggs at English Lake, the week ending May 4, 1890, which was placed on a tussock of grass in an open meadow,, and of another found the same week placed on the top of a large haycock. They were very numerous at English Lake, August 8, 1897. Evidently had bred in that vicinity. (Deane.) Mr. H. K. Coale informs me of having seen a brood of twelve at Davis' Station, Starke County, June 1, 1884. He caught several young the same day, ranging from one day to several days old. They have been reported as breeding in the following counties: Lake County (L. T. Meyer, J. G. Parker, Jr., C. E. Aiken); Starke (Ruthven Deane, Charles Dury, H. K. Coale); Knox (Robert Ridgway); Dekalb (H. W. McBride); Steuben (C. L. Cass); Laporte (C. L. Barber); Wabash (Ulrey and "Wallace).

After breeding, the Mallards gather into small flocks, which unite as the numbers increase from the daily additions of old and young from the meadows and swamps. Then they keep in the marshes and more

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 597

quiet waterways until the young know how to fly. By the middle of July or first of August these flocks sometimes number 200 ducks. About the middle of August most of the ducks that breed with us disappear. Mr. Deane says some gunners are satisfied that they move north, and then return with others of their species a month later. I myself can not believe they go south so early, and we know that they leave our grounds.

The fall migrations begin soon after the middle of September. By the 25th, usually, many small flocks are observed. Frequently good Mallard shooting may be had in September, but the main flight is during October. Large numbers, however, remain until severe weather begins, and then suddenly leave.

Mr. Parker informs me that thousands are shot every year about the lakes in Lake County. Their numbers are rapidly diminishing as swamps are drained, marshes reclaimed, and lakes reduced in size. Cities are built upon the shores of their choicest resting places, and the city people seek their favorite breeding grounds for pleasure or for rest. The dry summers which have prevailed during the past six or eight years have in many ways had an effect upon both plant and animal life. The effect upon birds has been noticeable in many ways. The lack of rain in the summer and fall of 1891 was very unusual. Small water courses, swamps, ponds, and much of the area of some of our lakes became dry. Writing under date of November 9, 1891, Mr. Euthven Deane says, at English Lake, the greater part of the Lake is an exposed mud flat. I have seen Pintails and Mallards alight in the soft mud and wallow around like so many gulls.

The Mallard is the ancestor of the common domestic duck. Some- times there are found hybrids between the Mallard and the Pintail. Mr. Deane writes me of a fine specimen of this kind taken several years ago at English Lake. He says he has seen many of these hybrids, and as a rule the plumage is quite evenly divided.

29. (133.) Anas obscura GMEL.

Black Duck. Synonym, DUSKY DUCK.

Male. — Prevailing color dusky, the feathers bordered with dull ochraceous; head and neck, dull buff, everywhere streaked with dusky; no black at base of the bill; speculum usually deep violet, resembling female Mallard, but distinguished from it by the absence of white on wing. Female. — Smaller; similar.

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, about 20.00-21.50; wing, 10.25-11.50; culmen. 2.0U-2.35; tarsus, 1.50-1.80.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, west to Mississippi Valley, north to Labrador, breeding southward to the northern parts of the United States, northern Illinois and Iowa. Winters south to Greater Antilles.

Nest, usually on ground. Eggs, 6-12; buff or greenish buff: 2.30 by 1.70.

Not common migrant; occasional winter and rare summer resident.

This is an eastern species which reaches in Indiana, almost the western limit of its range. It has been noted by Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., at Kouts, Ind., December 10, 1896. Mr. Ruthven Deane reported it from English Lake, February 14 and 15, 1891. The greatest num- bers are reported in March, while migrating. It is rare in Franklin County, and has been reported in the following counties: Carroll (Prof. B. W. Evermann); Lake (Meyer, Parker, Aiken); Starke (Dury, Deane); Laporte (J. W. Byrkit): Allen (C. A. Stockbridge); Dekalb (Mrs. J. D. Hine); Putnam (J. F. Clearwaters); Decatur (Prof. W. P. Shannon); Kouts (J. G. Parker, Jr.); Wabash (Ulrey and Wallace).

Mr. Parker has found them at Kouts on the Kankakee River, appa- rently paired, April 15, 1892, and Mr. Deane noted a pair in the marsh at English Lake as late as May 10, 1891. They are usually paired by the latter part of March. While I have no account of its breeding in Indiana, I have no doubt it will be found to do so. Mr. E. W. Nelson found one or two pairs nesting on the Calumet marshes (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. 159). Mr. L. T. Meyer says it prob- ably breeds in Lake County, and Mrs. Jane L. Hine reports it a sum- mer resident in Dekalb County.

30. (135.) Anas strepera LINN.

Gad wall.

Adult Male. — Head and neck pale brownish or whitish, thickly speckled with black; top of head sometimes plain light brown; crop varied with crescentic bars of white and black, the latter predominat- ing; sides, back, and scapulars finely undulated with slate color and white; middle wing coverts, chestnut; greater coverts, black; speculum, white; crissum and upper tail coverts, velvety black.

Adult Male in Breeding Season. — Similar to the winter male, but colors duller; crown dusky; rump and breast tinged with rusty, and under parts more spotted with dusky. Adult Feraa/e.— Colors chiefly brownish dusky and brownish white, in longitudinal Breaks on head

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 599

and neck, and in irregular transverse spots, and bars on other portions, the dusky predominating above, the white below.

Length, 19.25-21.75; wing, 10.25-11.00; culmen, 1.60-1.75; tarsus, 1.75-1.80. Female smaller.

RANGE. — Nearly cosmopolitan. In North America, breeds chiefly within the United States. Winters from southern Illinois and Virginia south to Gulf of Mexico.

Nest, on ground. Eggs. 8-12, pale buff; 2.09 by 1.57.

Rare migrant. There are but few records of its occurrence in In- diana. Dr. Rufus Raymond and Mr. E. R. Quick note it from Frank- lin County, and May 4, 1890, Mr. Ruthven Deane informed me that several pairs were seen at English Lake. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., in- forms me that several years ago he collected one in a "pond hole" on the east side of Calumet Lake, Cook County, Illinois, in September.

Dr. F. Stein identified it in the Lower Wabash Valley. It sometimes remains in Illinois in mild winters (Cook, Bird Migration in Missis- sippi Valley). The Gadwall breeds throughout its range.

Subgenus MARECA Stephens.

31. (136) Anas penelope LINN.

Widgeon. Synonym, EUROPEAN WIDGEON.

Adult Male. — Forehead white; posterior half of middle wing covert region white, forming a large patch of this color; abdomen immaculate white; speculum velvety black, with or without green; head and neck plain rufous; ground color of dorsal region, sides and flanks whitish. Adult Female. — Head and neck pale rusty, speckled and barred with dusky, especially on crown; upper parts dusky brown, the feathers edged and more or less barred with pale brown and whitish; white patch on wing coverts, merely indicated by white tips to feathers; spec- ulum grayish brown and dull rufous, or fulvous; rest of lower parts white, the lower tail coverts barred with brown.

Length, 18.00-20.00; wing, 10.00-11.00; culmen, 1.35-1.45; tarsus, 1.45-1.65.

RANGE. — Northern part of the old world, frequent in Alaska. In North America, breeds in the Aleutian Islands, and occurs frequently in the eastern United States, west to Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and occasionally in California.

Eggs, 5-8; pale buff; 2.23 by 1.53.

Accidental visitor.

600 REPOHT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The European Widgeon has been taken in a number of places in North America. Two records of its occurrence in Illinois are given by Mr. E. W. Nelson, and the late Dr. P. R. Hoy reported one in- stance in Wisconsin. To Mr. Ruthven Deane belongs the credit of obtaining four records of its capture in Indiana. All were taken at English Lake. The first specmen in order of time known to have been taken in the State is in the collection of Dr. Nicholas Rowe, of "The American Field," Chicago, 111. It was killed at English Lake in 1881 or 1882. (The Auk, XII, 1895, p. 292.) April 13, 1893, Mr. Landon Hoyt, of Chicago, 111., took a specimen on the Kankakee River at English Lake, which is now in his possession. It was in company with a flock of Baldpates (Anas americana.) The Auk, XII, 1895, p. 179.) April 7, 1895, Mr. J. F. Barrell shot a young male from a flock of Baldpates in the same vicinity. It is now in Mr. Deane's collection. (The Auk, XII, 1895, p. 292.) The fourth specimen, a fine adult male, was killed at English Lake by Mr. John E. Earle, of Hinsdale, 111., March 23, 1896. It was flying with a small flock of Baldpates when shot. The specimen is in Mr. Earle's collection. This is the eighth record for the interior of North America. (The Auk, XIII, 1896, pt 255.) The above records are all for the spring, and, so far as noted, they were in company with their American rela- tive, the Baldpate.

*32. (137.) Anas americana GMEL.

Baldpate. Synonym, AMERICAN WIDGEON.

Adult Male. — Forehead white; head and neck whitish, speckled with black, and with a dark metallic green space on the side of the occiput (sometimes continued down the nape); posterior half of the middle wing covert .region white, forming a large patch of this color; abdomen immaculate white; speculum velvety-black, with or without green; ground color of the dorsal region, sides, and flanks vinaceous or pink- ish cinnamon. Adult Female. — Head and neck dull whitish, streaked with dusky; crop, sides and flanks dull vinaceous; upper parts dusky grayish-brown, irregularly and coarsely barred with dull white or buffy; smaller wing coverts, dull dark grayish, tipped and edged with white.

Length, 18.00-22.00; wing, 10.25-11.00; bill, 1.30-1.50; tarsus, 1.45-1.65.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 601

KANGE. — North America, from the Arctic Ocean south, in winter, to Guatemala and Cuba. Breeds chiefly north of the United States; occasionally breeding from Indiana and Minnesota north, and rarely as far south as Texas.

Nest, on ground in marshes. Eggs, 8-13; pale buff; 2.06 by 1.48.

Common migrant, and rare summer resident in the northern part of the State.

In the southern part of the State they pass rapidly through during the migrations. • Sometimes the advance guard is seen as early as the latter part of February, but generally they are not seen until the early part to the middle of March. I have never observed it at Brookville later than March 21 (1888). Prof. B. W. Evermann has noted it in Vigo County as late as March 26 (1888). About the middle of March they appear upon the rivers, lakes, and marshes of the northern part of the State. Occasionally they are seen earlier. Mr. H. W. McBride noted two in Dekalb Count)', February 26, 1890. Mr. Kuthven Deane informs me that the first Baldpate was shot at English Lake, March 15, 1886, and March 12, 1887. Generally they are seen in small flocks of four to a dozen the latter part of March and until late in April, when the greater number leave for the north. Mr. Deane noted a number at English Lake May 4, 1890, and saw a male at the same place May 10, 1891. It breeds in the northern part of the State. Mr. H. W. McBride saw a female Widgeon with thirteen young just hatched at Hogback Lake, Steuben County, in May 1889. When he pursued her in a boat all the young ones got on her back, and she swam away with them. Mr. Euthven Deane writes me that a female Widgeon, accompanied by thirteen young, was seen at English Lake the summer of 1897. He thinks it was probably crippled, and unable to go farther north. Most of them, however, breed farther northward, and return in October, though quite a number were seen at English Lake, Septem- ber 25, 1889 (Deane). Through October they are quite common, passing southward at the end of the month or early in November. The Baldpate is a good table duck, and is usually in good condition. Therefore, it is esteemed by the sportsman. It is not a diver, like the Canvasback. So it is said in water where wild celery abounds the Baldpate awaits its rising with the choice root in its mouth, when it rushes forward and seizes the celery for itself. Mr. E. E. Thompson notes its breeding at Selkirk Settlements, Lake Manitoba, and Qu' Appelle (Birds of Manitoba, p. 476). In Alaska it is not common, but breeds in the marshy flats bordering Bering Sea (Nelson, Nat. His. Coll. in Alaska, p. 68).

602 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Subgenus NETTION Kaup.

33. (139) Anas carolinensis GMKL.

Green-winged Teal.

Adult Male. — Head and upper neck chestnut, with a broad, glossy green band on each side, uniting and blackening on the nape; under parts white or whitish, the fore-breast with circular black spots; upper parts and flanks closely waved with blackish and white; a white cres- cent in front of the wing; crissum black, varied with white or creamy; speculum rich green, bordered in front with buffy tips of the greater coverts, behind with light tips of secondaries; no blue on the wing; bill, black; feet, gray. Female. — Differs in the head markings.

Length, 12.50-15.00; wing, 6.25-7.40; bill, 1.40-1.60; tarsus, 1.25.

RANGE. — In North America it breeds from Michigan and Minnesota north. Winters from Kansas, Indiana and that latitude south to Cuba and Honduras.

Nest, on ground in grass. Eggs, 6-12 (16-1.8, Ball.); buff or green- ish; 1.75 by 1.30.

Common migrant; also, winter resident; may be locally a rare sum- mer resident in northern part of the State.

Some winters the Green-winged Teal remains on Lake Michigan and the larger streams. With the first bird wave, usually in February, they may be noted returning from the south. In 1887 they were reported from Terre Haute, January 30, 'and next, February 5 (Evermann). From Vincennes in 1888, March 5; in 1889, February 20. They pass northward as the ice melts, but sometimes they reach the northern part of the State while the streams and lakes are still locked in ice. Mr. Ruthven Deane informs me the first were shot at English Lake March 18, 1886. Six were shot there March 17, 1889. A small flock seen February 27 and 28, 1892. Noted March 11, 1894. They do not linger long in the southern part of the State, and most of them must have left our northern marshes before April 1. I have taken it at Brookville April 3 (1883). It has been taken in Carroll County April 8 (1885, Evermann), and at Kouts April 12, 1895 (Parker).

It is not known to breed in the State. It formerly did to a limited extent in Illinois (Nelson's Birds N. E. 111., p. 140), and is reported as breeding at St. Clair Flats and St. Joseph, Mich. (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 39). Although Kennicott found it to be very rare on the Yukon, its breeding range extends far north. Turner found it common in Alaska and among the Aleutian Islands, where it is resident (Contr. to Nat. Hist, of Alaska, p. 132). Breeds com-

BIEDS OF INDIANA. 603

monly in the vicinity of Hudson's Bay and in Greenland. It nests on the ground, often at some distance from the water. Toward the latter part of September they begin to return from the north. They were abundant on the marshes at English Lake September 25, 1889. Mr. C. L. Cass noted them at Hillsdale, Mich., September 19, 1894. They are usually much less numerous in fall than they are in spring. The fall of 1892 they were unusually abundant. They remain among the marshes and lakes until November, and often until the water is closed by ice. They are often seen when all other marsh ducks have left.

In winter it is common in the lower Mississippi Valley, and in the Gulf States. In the winter of 1879-80, I found it to be very abundant on the lakes of the Valley of Mexico.

Subgenus QURRQURDCLA Stephens.

*34. (140). Anas discors LINN.

Blue-wing Teal.

Adult Male.— Head and neck blackish; darkest on the crown, usu- ally with purjj^sh iridescence; a white crescent in front of the eye; under parts thickly dark spotted; wing coverts sky blue, the greater white tipped; speculum green, white tipped; axillars and most under wing coverts white; scapulars striped with tawny and blue, or dark green; fore-back barred; rump and tail dark, plain; crissum black; bill black; feet, dusky yellow. Adult Female. — With head and neck alto- gether different; under parts much paler and obscurely spotted, but known by the wing marks.

Length, 14.50-16.00; wing, 7.00-7.50; bill, 1.40-1.65; tarsus, 1.20- 1.30

RANGE. — North America chiefly, east of the Rocky Mountains. It breeds in southern Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. Winters in southern Illinois and Virginia, southward to Ecuador.

Nest, on ground in grass. Eggs. 6-14; white or buffy; size, variable, average, 1.90 by 1.30.

Common migrant, and locally summer resident. In many respects the habits of this duck are directly the opposite of the last mentioned species. It is most abundant in spring; this one is not common at that season. It arrives in spring exceedingly early; this one very late. In fall it remains late; this species arrives early, and the bulk does not remain. It breeds far northward, and rarely within the Tnited States. This species does not go so far north-

604 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

ward to breed, and it nests in some numbers as far southward as northern Indiana. Both it and the Green- wing Teal often nest at quite a distance from the water. The nest of both Teals is made upon the ground of grass and reeds, lined with down and feathers. It is said that the female covers the eggs with down when she leaves the nest.

Usually the Blue- wing Teal is not seen in spring until after the first of April. Ridgway notes it as being found in Illinois all the year. Prof. Cooke says it winters in southern Illinois. The earliest date at which I have seen it at Brookville is April 9 (1887). Occasionally, however, they appear earlier. The spring of 1892 seems to have been such a season. Some were shot on English Lake March 24 (Deane). Mr. Jerome Trombley reported two that year at Petersburg, Mich., March 20. Several others were noted in southern Michigan within the succeeding ten days. This date is earlier than any I have in Indiana.

Through the latter part of April they may be seen in suitable places in some numbers. Then they go north, where most of them breed. I have seen them at Brookville May 1 (1884).

Mr. Deane says they were abundant on English Lake May 4, 1890, and Prof. Evermann notes them as common on Lake Maxinkuckee May 11, 1885 (B. K 0. C., Oct., 1888, p. 346). After May 1 they may usually be noted in pairs, and toward the latter part of the month, and in June, nests with eggs may be found. A good many of these <Jucks remain through the summer on the Kankakee River, and I have no doubt that it breeds there much more commonly than we know, yet the numbers are growing less and less each year. In 1890, Mr. Deane tells me, a good many remained at English Lake and bred. Several nests were found. They were quite numerous at the same place August 8,1897. Evidently they were birds bred in that vicinity (Deane). Mr. J. G.Parker, Jr., says a few pairs breed every year at Kouts, Porter County, and Liverpool, Lake County. It is reported as breeding in Lake County by Mr. C. E. Aiken. Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me of its breeding in Knox County and Gibson County. Mr. E. W. Nelson notes a nest of this species, found in Cook County, 111., containing fourteen eggs (Birds of N. E. 111., p. 140). In July they begin to collect into flocks of twenty to thirty individuals. During the early part of Sep- tember they begin to return from the north. The numbers increase as the month wears awa}', until they become very numerous. They then afford good shooting, as many as 75 to 100 being killed by a party in a day.. Late in September and early in October they leave the region of the Kankakee for the south. In 1886 the last of this species was killed at English Lake, on October 20. We expect them

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 605

in the Whitewater Valley about the first to the middle of the latter month, when they may be seen in flocks of 20 to 40. I have never observed them in Franklin County earlier than October 4, 1884. They fly with the flock bunched close together, and the rapidity of their flight and their rapid manoeuvers, when the whole flock turns or whirls, as one bird, reminds me of the Wild Pigeon. When they alight they sit or swim very close to each other. For this reason the shooter, when they are very numerous., is enabled to make large bags of game. They are usually at that season in fine condition, and make excellent eating.

16. GKNUS SPATULA BOIE. a1. Speculum green, bordered by black and white. S. clypeata Linn. 35

*35. (142.) Spatula clypeata LINN.

Shoveller. Synonym, SPOONBILL.

Adult Male. — Bill much longer than head or foot, widening rapidly to the end, where it is twice as wide as at the base, with very numerous and prominent laminae; head and neck green; fore-breast white; belly purplish-chestnut; wing coverts blue; speculum green, bordered with black and white; some scapulars blue, others green, all white striped; bill blackish; feet red. Adult Female. — Known by bill and wings.

Length, 17.00-21.00; wing, 9.00-10.00; bill, 2.60-2.90; width of bill at end, 1.10-1.20; at base, .60; tarsus, 1.40-1.50.

RANGE.— Northern hemisphere. In North America, breeding from Alaska to Texas; not abundant on the Atlantic coast north of the Carolinas. Winters from southern Illinois to Guatemala and. West Indies.

Nest, on ground. Eggs. 6-10; greenish-gray, 2.12 by 1.48.

Migrant; not uncommon; rare summer resident; possibly winter resident; some winters southward.

Prof. W. W. Cooke says this duck winters from southern Illinois southward. It may be found at that season, mild winters, in southern Indiana.

In 1887, Prof. B. W. Evermann found a single specimen at Terre Haute, February 26. That is the earliest record reported from the State. Usually they appear upon the Ohio and the rivers of southern Indiana by the first week in March. Decatur County, March 3, 1888 (E. L. Guthrie). About the middle of March they may be looked for

606

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

in the northern part of the State. The first shot at English Lake in 1886 was March 16. March 17, 1889, a number were seen. They were unusually fat for spring birds (Deane). Five or six were seen at Petersburg, Mich., March 12, 1893, and it was again noted March 14 (Jerome Trombley). They begin to pair about the 55th of March. The flocks dissolve, and the number of pairs increase throughout the

Shoveller.

early part of April. At that time they pass on to the northward in some numbers. Some remain until late April and even early May be- fore leaving, and others remain to breed. Mr. Deane says, in 1889, Shovellers remained at English Lake until the first week in June.

They have been reported as breeding in Lake County (C. E. Aiken), and Starke County (Ruthven Deane). Mr. Deane tells me that May 4, 1890, Pearl Taylor found a nest of this duck at English Lake in a clump of willows, low down near the edge of a meadow. The nest con- tained nine fresh eggs, which are now in Mr. Deane's collection.

They have several times been reported late in May and through June. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that it will be found breeding more commonly than we suppose. Three or four were seen

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 60?

by Prof. W. S. Blatchley near Harrodsburg, May 8, 1896, an unusually late date for southern Indiana. The ope.ning of the shooting season, September 1, 1889, several Shovellers were killed at Water Valley. The}' came to the deco}rs, and their weight attracted so much attention that several were weighed and found as heavy as two pounds each. Those who have handled spoonbills in the spring will appreciate the weight given, as they are then usually merely a bunch of feathers. They return from the north through September and, more numerously, in October. In the latter month most of them pass on southward. Rarely may one remain till the middle of November.

17. GKNUS DAFILA STKPHKNS. •a1. Speculum violet, with black, white, and buffy. D. acuta Linn. 36

36. (143.) Dafila acuta LINN.

Pintail. Synonym, SPRIGTAIL.

Adult Male. — Tail cuneate, when fully developed the central feath- €rs projecting and nearly equaling the wing; bill, black and blue; feet, grayish-blue; head and upper neck, dark brown, with green and pur- ple gloss; sides of neck, with a long white stripe; lower neck and under parts, white; dorsal line of neck, black, passing into the gray of the back, which like the sides, is vermiculated with black; speculum, greenish-purple anteriorly bordered by buff tips of the greater coverts, elsewhere by black and white; tertials and scapulars, black and silvery. Adult Female. — Tail much shorter and not so nar- row; the whole head and neck speckled or finely streaked with dark brown and grayish or yellowish-brown; below, dusky freckled; above, blackish; all the feathers pale-edged; only a trace of the specu- lum between the white or whitish tips of the greater coverts and sec- ondaries.

Length, about 26.00-30.00; wing, 10.25-11.20; middle tail feathers, 7.25-9.50; bill, 1.85-2.15; tarsus, 1.55-1.85. Female smaller.

RANGE. — Northern Hemisphere. In North America it breeds from north Illinois and Wisconsin northward to Arctic regions, but mostly far north. Winters from southern Illinois south to Cuba and Panama.

Nest, on the ground or in tuft of grass. Eggs, 6-12; buff or grayish- green; 2.21 by 1.47.

Abundant migrant in spring; not common migrant in fall. Per- haps occasionally winters. The winter of 1884-5 a few ducks of this species spent most of that season at Shawneetown, 111. This is but a

608 KEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

short distance below the mouth of the Wabash River. The only report of their wintering farther north than Shawneetown was from Mr. W. B. Hull, Milwaukee, Wis. Mr. Hull says: "For about a week the whole bay was frozen over with ice from two to fourteen inches thick. During this time the pot-hunter butchered numbers of Pintail Ducks. The ducks were half starved, and would allow a man to approach within 20 feet of them. Icemen were cutting ice close to the shore, and ducks came right among them to get to the open water. A friend who was on the ship Oneida during her 25 days in the ice, said that the ducks (Pintails mostly, but a few "northern" ducks he did not rec- ognize) were "frozen in/' When walking on the ice near the boat, he

Head of Female Pintail.

saw hundreds of ducks in a solid casing of ice. In the winter of 1873-74 they were killed in the same way. (Cooke, Bird Migration in Mississippi Valley, pp. 68, 69.)

These are, with the Mallards and Ring-necks, the earliest river ducks to move northward. They begin to migrate the first open weather. This ma}7 occur any time from the middle of February to the middle of March. The following dates will give the records of the first reports for the State for the years mentioned :

1885. Mar. 13.— Brookville.

1886. Feb. 26. — Bloomington (Everrnann). 1889 i ^e^' 15 — Frankfort (Ghere).

I Feb 20.— Vincennes (Balmer). Dncks by thousands — first bird wave. 1891. Feb. 14.— English Lake (Deane). 1892 (Feb- 6.— Liverpool (Parker). ' \ Feb. 27.— English Lake (Deane).

1894. Mar. 11.— English Lake (Deane).

1895. Mar. 15.— Liverpool (Parker'. 1896 fFeb. 6. -Liverpool (Parker).

'\Mar. 4.— Brookville.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 609

In the spring they are very numerous in March for a few days, or possibly for two or three weeks, depending upon the weather. Then they pass north. When they are present in any numbers in the spring they are found by thousands. 1 have a few records of March 20-25, when they were abundant. The latest records when they were found in numbers is from English Lake, March 26, 1892. Seldom are indi- viduals noted after that. May 4, 1890, Mr. Euthven Deane noted sev- eral Pintails, mostly in pairs, at English Lake. May 10, 1891, he caught a crippled male, whose broken wing had healed, at the same place. In 1889 they remained until the first week in May. These are unusually late dates for this species.

They begin to return in September. In 1889 Mr. Deane reported quite a nunlber at English Lake, September 21. Their numbers in fall are but a small fraction of those which go north in the spring. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., gives as the result of his observations for a number of years, that there is not one Pintail in the fall where there are ten in the spring. They remain, however, until the ice covers the water and drives them further south. November 22, 1891, Mr. Deane reported most ducks had left English Lake, but a few Pintails still remained. The year 1891 was one of several very dry years. In the fall the marshes were dry and the bulk of English Lake an exposed mud bank. The ducks, among which the Pin-tails were conspicuous, seemed greatly to enjoy taking a mud bath in the oozy mud.

They have been reported nesting in Illinois and Wisconsin and northward through Manitoba and the Northwest Territory. Accord- ing to Mr. Robert Kennicott, the breeding range of the Pintail extends into the Arctic regions, farther than any of the fresh-water ducks, comparatively few breeding south of Great Slave Lake. Both Mr. E. W. Nelson and Mr. L. M. Turner, report it very abundant along the Yukon and the Alaskan coast. It is one of the first water fowl to begin nesting. The nest is made upon the dry ground or in a tuft of grass. Mr. Nelson notes that in summer the Pintail has a low, mellow whistle, which is used to call its mate, in addition to a loud "quack," much like, but less sonorous, than that of the Mallard. (Nat. Hist. Coll. in Alaska, p. 70.)

39— GEOL.

610 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

18. GRNUS AIX BOIR. a1. Speculum green. A. sponsa (Linn.). 37

*37. (144). Aix sponsa (LINN.).

Wood Duck. Synonyms, TREE DUCK, SUMMER DUCK.

Adult Male. — Head crested, metallic green and purple; line above and behind the eye, white; above, coppery black, with a gloss of green and purple; beneath, white; upper part of the breast, chestnut; sides, buffy, very finely variegated with black; the shoulder bordered also

Wood Duck.

V

with black; covert and quills, with more or fewer tips and shades of white and purple. Adult Female. — Chestnut of the neck detached and dull; sides, not striped; head and neck, dull; bill, reddish; edges dusky; legs and feet, }rellowish inside.

Length, about 19.00-20.50; wing, 9.00-9.50; bill. 1.40.

RANGE. — Temperate North America, breeding throughout its range. Cuba. Accidental in Europe. Winters from southern Indiana and Illinois southward.

Nest, of grass and leaves in a hole in tree. Eggs, 8-14; pale buff; 2.00 by 1.50.

Migrant and summer resident in some numbers. Some winters it may be found in. southern part of the State. Breeds in suitable localities throughout the State. It is known also as Tree Duck and Summer Duck. They begin their northward journey with the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 611

first bird wave in the spring. In 1888 Prof. B. W. Evermann re- ported a female, from Terre Haute, February 29. In 1890 Mr. S. A. Warner noted two, the first of the season, at St. Clair Flats, Mich., March 11, and in 1897 Mr. Jerome Trombley noted two at Petersburg, Mich., March 3. It is not often, however, that the move- ment is so early.

Usually they are observed going north after March 15 in this State, and correspondingly later, northward.

Mr. John S. Elliott informs me it is a permanent resident in Posey Count}r, in the extreme southern part of the State.

Often they are paired when migrating, and through April most of them are mated, and begin looking for nesting sites. The nests are generally placed in a cavity or hollow tree near water. The earliest young are ready to leave the 'nest the latter part of May. May 25 is the earliest I have ever known them to be out.

Under date of July 29, 1889, Mr. Kuthven Deane writes the follow- ing concerning the Wood Duck at English Lake: "I saw perhaps seventy-five Wood Ducks during the day— some single ones, many pairs and some flocks of ten to fifteen. During the hot days they like to stay in shady nooks, under brush piles on the edge .of the river. Yet many content themselves by basking in the sun, sitting on some dead log on the river, and in most cases, just at a bend, where they can keep an eye open for intruders who may be coming up or down. The young are now well grown, and while many do not get off the water with the agility of adults, yet they are strong on the wing when they get a little headway/' Mr. Deane informs m« they were un- usually numerous for the time of year at English Lake August 8, 1897.

I am informed that they are reported to have been found breeding in trees, on the scrub oak ridges, as much as a mile and a half or two miles back from the Kankakee Kiver and away from all bodies of water. The young, soon after being hatched, are said to be carried to the river by the parent birds. Audubon and Wilson both speak of the parents carrying the young to water, but I do not know that anyone heretofore has reported an instance of their breeding at such a distance from water, requiring such a journey to convey the young to it.

As the broods hatch they are led to the more retired waters and taught all that is necessary to know about feeding, diving and flying, together with all the necessary finer accomplishments. When they are deemed ready to care for themselves, they all come out upon the more open stream. In some favored localities, quite a num- ber could formerly be seen by September 1. They afford the principal early duck shooting. They have been noted in recent years

612 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

as summer residents and breeding in the following counties: Posey, Knox, Gibson, Vigo, Monroe,, Carroll, Wabash, Tippecanoe, Starke, Newton, Lake, Laporte, Dekalb, Steuben, and Lagrange. In none of them are they found in such numbers as the}^ were fifteen or twenty years ago, and in some of them in which they wTere the most common duck, they are not now seen in summer. I do not know that a Wood Duck has bred in Franklin County in fifteen years. Before that time there were places where the}r were known to rear their young each season. Mr. C. E. Aiken says it was formerly one of the most abundant summer residents, but now only seen occasionally. During several trips to Water Valley (on the Kankakee River), in 1886, '87 and '88, in April and May, he saw only two or three pairs. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., says they breed in the woods bordering our rivers and lakes. Until late years the Kankakee .River region afforded excellent Wood Duck shooting. The Burr Oak bottoms along that river have been favorite nesting places. In 1888 B. W. Evermami, writing of the ducks of Carroll County, says: "Formerly a common summer resident, but now one of the rarest ducks of this region." (The Auk, October. 1888, p. 346.)

The common note of the drake is /y^'/-/vW, but the alarm note is not unlike the first attempts of a young cock to crow. It may be expressed by the syllables "oe-eek"

19. GENUS C AIR IN A FLEMING.

38. (— ) Cairina moschata (LINN.).

Muscovy Duck.

Adult Male. — Head, neck and lower parts uniform glossy brownish- black; upper parts brilliant metallic blackish-green, glossed with pur- ple anteriorly and on rump; wing coverts and above and below entirely pure white; caruncles along sides of forehead, etc., bright pinkish-red or rose red in life; bill varied with blackish and pinkish white or light rose-color. Adult Female. — Entirely brownish-black, except some of the upper greater wing coverts, which are white; upper parts glossed with metallic green and purple.

Length of male, nearly 36.00; wing, about 16.00; tail, 9.00; tarsus, 2.00 or more. Female smaller.

RANGE. — Tropical America, from Paraguay and southern Brazil to Mexico and Louisiana.

A specimen of this beautiful duck was shot near the mouth of Big Miami River, in Indiana, in January, 1890, and is now in the posses- sion of Mr. J. M. Bauer, of Lawrenceburg, Ind. Mr. Robert Ridgway

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 613

thinks this may be an escaped hybrid between a Muscovy and a tame duck. Such hybrids are known, and it is not definitely known that any authentic examples of this tropical duck have been taken in the United States, though it is known to occur in Mexico.

SUBFAMILY FULIGULIN^E. 20. GENUS AYTHYA BOIK.

a1. Culaien longer than inner toe with claw; bill not wider toward end than at

base; male with head and neck reddish.

ft1. Bill much shorter than middle toe without claw ; nail decidedly hooked.

Subgenus Aythya.

<-] . Bill 2.00 or under, its color dull blue, with blackish band at end ; head and upper neck rich rufous in male. A. americana (Eyt.). 39

/>-'. Bill as long as middle toe without claw, flattened at tip; the nail very slightly hooked. Subgenus Aristonetta Ba'ird.

dl. Bill over 2.00, blackish in color, no band at end ; head and neck red- dish brown ; top of head blackish in male. A. vallisneria (Wils.). 40 a-. ( ulinen as long as outer toe with claw; bill wider toward end than at base; male with head and neck black. Subgenus Fidiytd-a Stephens. e1. Speculum white, tipped with black. fl. Flanks white, unspotted.

gl. Length 18.00 or over. A. marila nearctica (Stejn.). 41

/'-. Flanks white, zigzagged with blackish.

hl. Length under 17.00. A. affinis (Eyt,). 42

e- . Speculum bluish-gray.

i1. Wing 8.00 or under. A. collaris (Donov.). 43

39. (146.) Aythya americana (EYT.).

Bedhead.

Adult Male. — Head and upper half of neck rich chestnut red, glossed with reddish-purple; lower neck, chest, upper back, rump and tail coverts (above and below) black; back, scapulars, sides, and flanks waved or vermiculated with white and black in nearly equal propor- tion; belly immaculate white. Adult Female. — Head and neck gray- ish-brown; darker above; the fore part of the former light; almost white on chin and upper throat; back, scapulars, chest, sides and flanks dull grayish-brown, the feathers tipped with paler or fulvous.

Length, 17.00-21.00; wing, 8.50-9.25; bill, 2.05-2.25; greatest width of bill, .75-.S5.

BANGE. — North America, breeding from California, southern Mich- igan and Maine northward to Fur Countries. Winters, from Virginia to Cuba and Central America.

Nest, on ground, often on drift like a Coof s. Eggs, 7-14; creamy white; 2.42 by 1.73.

614 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Common migrant in suitable localities. It may occasionally remain through the summer and breed. A male was taken June 28. 1879, near Sandusky, 0. (Langdon, Summer Birds of N. 0.7 Marsh, p. 228.) Mr. W. H. Collins found it breeding at St. Clair Flats, Mich. (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, pp. 61, 62.)

The Red-head spends the winter south of us, being very common along the gulf coast. They vary in the time of their northward migra- tion with the weather. Usually it does not appear in Indiana until some time in March, but Mr. Stephen A. "VYarnie reported 9O seen at St. Clair Flats, Mich., February 13, 1890. Xo more were observed until March 8. Mr. Warnie reports a few breeding then. In 1886 the first was killed at English Lake, Ind., March 17: 1887 the first was killed, March 4. A few were seen March 6, 1892. (Deane.) In 1888 Prof. B. W. Evermann reported the first noted in the State at Terre Haute, March 9.

Some years many of them pass north early in April; other years they remain well through the month. At English Lake, May 3, 1891, a number were seen. But on the 10th a single one was noted with Scaup Ducks. (Deane.)

The Redhead breeds from the northern United States northward through Manitoba, Assiniboia, Alberta, and the Xorthwest Territory, but apparently does not reach the Arctic Ocean.

The following account of a nest obtained b}r Mr. Collins, above re- ferred to, is of interest: "The past season I had the good fortune to find two nests of the Redhead Duck (Ay thy a americana), containing respectively, seven and eight eggs. The first was placed on some drifted rushes on a sunken log, and was composed of flags and rushes, evidently taken from the pile of drift upon the log, as they were short pieces, so short, in fact, that the nest, when lifted with the hands, fell in pieces. The nest was about four inches deep and lined with down from the female. This nest contained seven fresh eggs of a creamy color, and varied in measurements from 2.30 by 1.75 to 2.22 by 1.66 inches, and were of a uniform oval shape, very little smaller at one end. The other nest was built similar to a Coot's nest: that is, of flags and grass interwoven at the base of a bunch of flags growing in water three or four feet deep. It was built in such a way that the nest would rise and fall with the water. This nest also contained down and eight fresh eggs, uniform in size, shape and color with the others. The birds, male and female, were flying around, and often came close to me. The cry of the female resembles the cry of the Mallard so nearly that had I heard and not seen it I should have sup- posed it to have been the Mallard."

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 615

The greater number of persons, perhaps, cannot distinguish between the Bedhead and the much-esteemed Canvas-back. While their habits are quite similar in certain respects, they like the same food, have sub- stantially the- same range and in some ways resemble each other, it requires but little instruction to teach one to discriminate. The long, flat bill with slightly hooked nail of the Canvas-back will distinguish it in any plumage from the shorter, less flattened bill, with decidedly hooked nail of the Redhead.

Both of these .ducks are found in wild celery, and being great divers, are enabled to secure its roots for themselves. When feeding upon this favorite food, the famed Canvas-back is said to be no better than the Redhead. In fact, some persons who claim to have a right, by reason of their experience in gastronomy, to speak with authority, say the latter is the superior bird. It is further said, in some hotels, where the price of the two ducks is quite far apart, they are both served from the same vessel, which, had one noted carefully what went into it, would have been found to be filled with Redheads.

In fall these ducks return in September, usually toward the latter part. Often they leave very soon. At other times they remain past the middle of October, and occasionally a few may remain later. In 1881 the last Redhead was killed at English Lake, September 21. In 1889 these ducks were seen in small flocks September 25, and in 1895 they were noted at Liverpool, Ind., October 18.

40. (147 ) Aythya vallisneria (Wn.s )

Canvas-back.

Adult Male. — Head and neck reddish-brown, the former blackish on top; chest, upper back, lower rump and upper and under tail coverts black; rest of plumage (except quills, etc.) white, the upper parts, sides and flanks and ventral region finely waved or vormiculated with dusky. Adult Female.— EQ^, neck, chest, and upper back raw- umber brown; the fore part of the head and foreneck whitish; scapu- lars, sides and flanks similar, but tips of the feathers vermiculated with whitish.

Length, about 20.00-23.50; wing, 8.75-9.25; bill, 2.10-2.50; greatest depth of bill, .75-.80.

RAXGE. — Xorth America, breeding in interior from Minnesota north to Alaska. Winters from Southern States southward to Guate- mala.

Nest, on ground, of grass and weeds, lined with feathers. Eggs, 6-10: grayish-drab or greenish-buff; 2.48 by 1.76.

616 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Regular migrant; some years not common, even in the lake district. Throughout the greater part of the State quite rare.

It winters south of us. Owing to the fact that our lakes do not afford "wild celery," or "water celery," as it is sometimes called (Vallisneria spiralis), we do not furnish a very attractive field for the Canvas- back. Although it is much scarcer in the interior than along the At- lantic Coast, it is found in some numbers where its favorite food grows. It is quite abundant at Fox Lake, fifty miles north of Chicago, and at La"ke Koshkonong, in Southern Wisconsin, at both of which places Vallisneria grows.

This is the famed Canvas-back, the game bird, which, with the equally well-known Diamond-back, the much-sought terrapin of the tide-water marshes, has made the Chesapeake region famous. There is much in a name. To some people apparel looks well if it costs much; likewise, the cost of a meal determines its flavor. The Canvas-back is good, splendid eating, but there are half a dozen other ducks which sell for much less money that are equally as good.

The Canvas-back has been known to winter in southern Illinois. (Cooke, Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 70.) Its movements correspond with those of the last mentioned species, which is much more common than this.

In 1896 a large flock was observed by Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., at Liver- pool, February 28. This is the earliest record for the State. In 1886 the first was shot at English Lake March 21. At that place it is not abundant, and but very few are killed each year. (Deane.) It departs for the north early in April. Mrs. Hine reports it from Sedan, Dekalb County, April 12, 1894. In the fall I observe but few notes of its oc- currence. It remains into November, however, as Mrs. Hine reports it from Dekalb County November 5, 1894. It was observed in Frank- lin County by Dr. R. Haymond, and some years ago I saw a fine male, killed by Mr. S. S. Harrell near Brookville.

The Canvas-back breeds in the interior very far to the northward, a few breed in Minnesota and Manitoba, and it has been reported breeding commonly, but at one place — Ft. Yukon — by Mr. Dall.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 617

Subgenus FULIGULA Stephens.

41. (148). Aythya marila nearctica (STBJN.).

American Scaup Duck. Synonyms, Bio BLACK-HEAD, BLUE-BILL, BROAD-BILL, KAFT-DUCK.

Adult Male. — Head, neck and chest uniform black, the first with greenish gloss; back and scapulars grayish- white, zigzagged with black and yellow; speculum white, tipped with black; bill dull blue with black nail; legs plumbeous. Female. — Space about base of bill, white; rest of head and anterior parts brown; and other black parts of the male rather brownish; speculum and belly white.

Length, 18.00-20.00; wing, 8.25-9.00 (8.63); bill, 1.85-2.20 (2.03); greatest width of bill, .85-1.05 (.97); least width, .70-.90 (.79).

EANGE. — North America. Breeds in Minnesota and Manitoba and northward through Alaska. Winters from southern Illinois and Long Island to Central America and West Indies.

Nest, on ground in grassy or marshy places about open lakes. Eggs, 6-10; buffy, olive-gray; 2.54 by 1.71.

Bare migrant; most often noted in the Wabash Valley. Quite rare in fall.

Some years they begin the spring migration by March 1 and occa- sionally remain until April 10. It has been noted in Knox County by Angus Gaines. Vigo County, about March 1, 1886, (Prof. 0. P. Jen- kins.) March 26, 1887, several seen; a male killed. (Prof. B. W. Ever- mann.) Also, by Dr. J. T. Scovell. Monroe County, March 4, 1886, one (B. W. Evermann). Dekalb County, by Mr. H. W. McBride, and by Mr. J. T. Feagler April 5 and 10, 1896. Allen County, by Mr. C. A. Stock- bridge. Lake County, by Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., and April 9, 1887, by Mr. Graham Davis. In Franklin County Dr. Eufus Haymond noted it, and I recorded it March 4, 1896. I have no fall record. It is not noted in the interior as commonly in fall as in spring.

While Mr. W. H. Collins has observed it breeding at St. Clair Flats, Mich. (B. N. 0. C. V., p. 61), and its nesting has been noted in Minne- sota, it usually breeds from Manitoba northward to the Alaskan Coast and Greenland. In one's mind birds, especially ducks, are recalled by association. I think of this species being noticeably so much rarer than its miniature and relative, the Lesser Scaup Duck, and recall that the Canvas-back is likewise rarer than that for which it is sometimes taken, the Bedhead, and the Black Duck is proportionately rarer than its near relative, the Mallard.

618 REPOHT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

*42. (149). Aythya affinis (EvT.).

Lesser Scaup Duck. Synonyms, LITTLE BLACK-HEAD, LITTLE BLUE-BILL.

Similar to last species (A. marila nearclica), but smaller and flanks waved or zigzagged with blackish.

Adult Male. — With head glossed with purplish instead of green.

Length, 15.00-16.50; wing, 7.50-8.25 (7.81): bill, 1.58-1.90 (1.75); greatest width of bill, .80-.95 (.89); least width, .60-:?' 8 (.69).

RAISTGE. — Xorth America, breeding chiefly north of United States, rarely south of central Michigan, Towa and Indiana. Winters from Virginia and Gnlf coast south to Guatemala and West Indies.

yest, on ground in swampy places, similar to last. Eggs, 6-10; color same as last; 2.25 by 1.58.

Very abundant migrant and rare summer resident.

This is the most common of all our ducks. In April, October and Xovember the open lakes of northern Indiana are literally covered with them. On Wolf Lake, Indiana, and Calumet Lake, Illinois, and other small lakes of that vicinity at those seasons of the year, and sometimes as early as March 20 (1886), in spring, they congregate by thousands. They form the principal duck shooting in the vicinity of Chicago.

These ducks form a part of the second early migrants. They are noiTso early as the Mallards and some other kinds, but follow promptly after them. Some years they are noted the first week in March and others the middle of that month. They remain through April, some years into May. occasionally are seen in June. The following dates will give some idea of its occurrence: At English Lake, fir.-t one killed, 1886, March 14; 1887, March 9: 1889, March 14: 181)2, March 6, first noted. (Deane.)

In 1886, March 20, there were thousands at Wolf Lake. In 1896, March 20, three were observed at Kouts. (Parker.)

I have observed them at Brookville May 6 (1883). and Professors Kvennann and Blatchlev noted it at Gosport. May 8, 1886.

Mr. Buthven Deane informs me upon good authority that a pair of Lesser Scaup Ducks, followed by a brood of young, were seen at English Lake in June, 1886. One or both of them were supposed to be "cripples." Mr. W. H. Collins found a nest of this species at St. Clair Flats, Mich. (B. N. 0. C.; V., p. 61.)

They seem to pair late. Early in May they begin to be observed in pairs, and by the middle of the month most of those that are found

I>!ui>s oi-- INDIANA. 619

with us arc paired. Some. however, remain in ilncks, and it is notice- able that those are principally males and become very tame. permitting one to approach at times within sixty yards. The following dates from Mr. Deane will show how late they are found at Kndish Lake:

is vs. May 6.- Flocks of •_>()<); May 20, a flock of 20; June ">, Hock of 13.

1890. May 4.— Saw many; May 11, many still remain.

1891. May 10. — Abundant; flock of -00 on the Lake, on river mostly paired;

May 31, flock of 25.

1892. June t>. — Saw one "cripple."

This duck returns from its summer home late in September or early in October. Mr. Deane notes the first at English Lake September 22, 1889, and in 1886 the last of the season was shot October 20. Usually between these dates, it would appear, the bulk are noted. Often, how- ever, its stay is lengthened into November; in fact, some years its disappearance depends upon the closing of the streams by ice. In 1890 Ulrey and Wallace noted a specimen taken at Long Lake Novem- ber 15, and in 1891 Mr. Deane reported the Kankakee River at Eng- lish Lake all open, December 21, and four Lesser Scaup Ducks shot, and added, several flocks of these Scaup Ducks were observed Decem- ber 19. From this it will not be unexpected to have them winter in this State mild winters. This was formerly the most abundant duck on our western rivers, and wintered along the lower Mississippi. There it occurred in such flocks that Audubon said it was known as the "Flocking Fowl."

43. (150). Aythya collaris (DONOV ).

Ring-necked Duck. Synonym, RING-BILL.

Adult Male. — Head, neck, chest, undertail coverts and upper parts black, the head with a violet-purple gloss and middle of neck with a more or less distinct collar of chestnut; chin with a triangular white spot; bill transversely banded with black; grayish-white and plumbe- ous. Adult Female. — Top of head and back of neck, dark brown; rest of head and neck paler, becoming nearly or quite white anteriorly and on ihi'oat: chest, sides and flanks deep fulvous brown; the speculum bluish-gray, as in the male. Female much resembles female Redhead, but is smaller.

Length, i:>.:>0-18.00; bill, 1.75-2.00; tarsus, 1.30-1.45; wing, 7.50.

RANGE. — North America, breeding from Iowa, southern Wisconsin and Maine northward. Winters from southern Illinois southward to Guatemala and West Indies.

620 KEPOKT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, on ground among reeds and grass about marshy lakes and ponds. Eggs, 6-12; color similar to foregoing species; 2.27 by 1.63.

Tolerably common migrant; in the northern part of the State it is common in the spring and fall. Mr. Robert Kidgway notes that it often passes the winter in the southern portion of Illinois. (Birds of Illinois, Vol. II, p. 165.) The habits of these ducks are substantially those of the last species. This and both the Scaup Ducks are known as "Black-heads."

March 8, 1879, a Ring-bill was killed by Mr. W. M. McCleery at Brookville. In 1888 I noted it March 10, and the same year Mr. E. R. Quick reported a male and female March 31.

The earliest spring record of this species also comes from English Lake, where it was taken February 27, 1892. In 1892 it was abundant March 6. That year a cold wave came on in March, and on the 13th the lakes were frozen over, and Ring-necks, Mallards and Pintails sat in droves on the ice. (Deane.)

At the same station the first was shot March 14, 1886, and March 6, 1887. In 1889 it was first noted there March 14, and was abundant March 17.

Thus it would appear they may be expected when the waters are open, which may be late in February some years and the middle o'f March others.

They leave the latter part of April. The latest I know them to have remained was May 11 (1890). This duck has been noted breed- ing in the vicinity of Minneapolis, Minn., and its breeding range is from that locality and Iowa northward, in the interior. It is rare in Alaska. In the fall they sometimes reappear early in September. Other years they are not common the latter part of that month. They remain into November, sometimes quite late. Mr. Deane informs me that a few were still at English Lake November 22, 1891, and Mr. Charles L. Cass says they remained at Hillsdale, Mich., until Novem- ber 26, 1894.

SIEDS OF INDIANA. 621

20. GRNUS GLAUCIONETTA STE.IKKGRR.

a1. Wing with uninterrupted white patch; head puffy, it and throat glossy green in male ; head and upper neck grayish brown, head scarcely puffy in female.

G. clangula americana (Bonap.). 44

a2. Wing with white patch crossed with blackish band; head somewhat crested; it and neck steel blue in male; in female, head not crested, it and upper neck snuff brown. G. islandica (Gmel.). *45

44. (151). Glaucionetta clangula americana (BONAP.).

American Golden-eye. Synonyms, WHISTLER, WHISTLE-WING.

Adult Male. — With the head and tipper neck glossy green and a white oval or rounded loral spot, not touching the base of the bill throughout; lower neck all round, lower parts, including sides, most of the scapulars, wing coverts and secondaries, white; the white of outer surface of wings continuous; lining of wings and axillars dark; most of upper parts black; no waving on the back or sides; bill black, with pale or yellow end, nostrils in anterior half; feet orange; webs dusky; eyes yellow; head uniformly puffy. Female. — "With head snuff brown, no white patch in front of eye and white of wings not always continuous.

Length, about 18.00; wing, 8.00-9.00 (8.52); bill from tip to extrem- ity of frontal angle, 1.65-1.80 (1.73); depth of bill at base, .95-1.05 (.99); width, .70-.75 (.74); width of nail, .18-.20; tarsus, 1.30-1.55 (1.43). Female smaller.

EANGE. — North America, breeding from Maine and British Prov- inces northward. In winter from Great Lakes southward to Cuba and Mexico.

Nest, in hollow tree, of grass, leaves, moss, etc., lined with down. Eggs, 6-10; ashy-green; 2.40 by 1.75.

Common migrant and winter resident. On southern Lake Michi- gan this is the common winter duck, staying all winter. On Lake Erie it is also found at that season. They may be observed throughout the State in winter wherever there is open water.

They begin to go north with the first thaws, and those from the South continue passing until near the middle of April, in which month they are sometimes very common. The latest date for the State is April 17 (1885), when I found it at Brookville. Severe winters they are .fewer in numbers and less generally distributed. Over much of the more level part of the State, when the quiet waters are frozen, they are not found. Mr. Deane informs me they remained on the Kankakee Eiver all winter, 1890.

622 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

In 1892, February 21, they were more abundant than any other species, generally in flocks of 15 or 20. The first was shot in 1886, March 14, and the first noted about March 8, ,1894. It breeds from the northern limits of the United States northward to Hudson Bay and Alaska, and Mr. Xelson reports, upon Mr. DalFs authority, that it is a winter resident in the Aleutian Islands. They arrive in the fall, generally in Xovember.

They are usually quite shy and difficult to approach. Often the hunter will try to approach a bunch of ducks, and suddenhr, a few Golden-eyes will arise from the flock, their whistling wings giving the alarm to the rest of the company and telling the enemy of the game that has flown. The whistling note made by their wings is characteris- tic, and has given them the name "Whistler* and "Whistle-wing." They are expert divers, and often, even after they are wounded, escape by diving.

45. (152). Glaucionetta islandica (GMEL.).

Barrow's Golden-eye.

Adult Male. — Very similar to the preceding, differing chiefly in be- ing larger in size; gloss of the head, purple and violet; loral spot larger; wrhite on the wing, divided by a dark bar; feathers on the hind- head lengthened into a crest; bill blotched with red. Female. — Can probably not be distinguished from that of the preceding.

Length, 21.00-23.00; wing, 9.00-9.40 (9.17); bill from tip to frontal angle, 1.65-1.80 (1.75); depth at base, .95-110 (1.03); width, .75-.S5 (.81); width of nail, .35; tarsus, 1.50-1.60 (1.57). Female smaller.

RANGE. — N^orth America; breeds from Gulf of St. Lawrence to Greenland and Alaska, and south in Rocky Mountains. Colorado. South in Winter to southern Indiana, Illinois, and that latitude.

Nest and Eggs, similar to the last species.

Rare visitor from the north in winter and spring. It has twice, at least, been taken in this State. Dr. F. Stein took it on the lower Wabash River in Gibson County in 1874. (Bull. Nuttall. Orn. Club, July, 1876, p. 41.) Prof. B. W. Evermann shot a female on. Deer Creek, near Camden, Carroll County, March 19, 1885. (The Auk, Oc- tober, 1888, p. 347.) Dr. Brayton says it is a "winter resident on Lake Michigan." Mr. F. M. Woodruff informs me that he shot two speci- mens off Lincoln Park, Chicago, on Lake Michigan, December 11. 1896, and Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., has a specimen taken at Fox Lake, Illinois, January 2, 1889. We are about at the southeastern limit of its range.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 623

Mr. Eobert Ridgway calls attention to the fact that while the males of this species and the last may readily be distinguished, according to the characters specified, it is diiiioult to give constant characters by which the females of the?e two species can be infallibly determined. He says: "The examples, which are known to represent Gr. islandica differ from the positively determined females of 0. clangula americana in the following respects: (1) The color of the head and upper half of the neck is considerably darker, being a rich sepia or snuff-brown, rather than a grayish brown; (2) the greater wing coverts are distinctly tipped with black, forming a conspicuous dusky stripe between the two larger w7hite areas of the wing, which in G. clangula americana are (usually at least) merged into one continuous space.

"Further than this we find no distinction, while indeed some exam- ples are decidedly intermediate in both respects, as to render it quite uncertain to which species they belong of the two characters named. However, the color of the head seems for the most constant, and may, perhaps, be found quite distinctive." (Birds of Illinois, Vol. II, pp. 169, 170.)

21. URNUS CHARITONETTA STK.INRGKF.

a1. Nostril nearer base than tip of bill; more or less white behind the eye, none in front; head of male very pufly. C. albeola jLinn. ). 46

46. (153). Charitonetta albeola (LINN.).

Buffle-head. Synonyms, BUTTER DUCK, BUTTER BALL, SPIRIT DUCK.

Adult Male. — Head and upper neck glossy green, bronze and purple; a band of white extending from eye to eye across the back of head; lower neck, lower parts, speculum, wing, coverts, and outer scapulars pure white; rest of upper parts black. Adult Female. — Head, neck and upper parts generally, dusky grayish-brown; a spot behind each eye, speculum and lower parts, white.

Length, 14.25-15.25; wing, 6.75-6.90; bill, 1.10-1.15; female, smaller.

EAXGE. — jSTorth America, breeding in Iowa and Maine and that lati- tude, through the fur countries, and northward to Alaska. Winters from Michigan to Cuba and Mexico.

Nest, in hollow tree. Eggs, 6-14; dull light buff; 1.98 by 1.46.

Common migrant and winter resident. Some winters they are pres- ent, throughout the entire State: others when the northern streams and lakes are ice bound they are only found along the southern border.

624 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Throughout the southern part of the State this little duck is better known than the Golden-eye. Although it is found in some numbers on Lake Michigan, it prefers the smaller lakes and streams, often asso- ciating with the Lesser Scaup Duck in bunches of three or four. It arrives and departs with the latter duck.

In 1888 Prof. Evermann took a female at Terre Haute, February 29. In 1889, Mr. J. A. Balmer reported small numbers at Vincennes, Feb- ruary 21, while they were not observed at English Lake until March

Buffle-Head.

17. In 1892, Mr. Deane reported a few pairs seen at English Lake, February 27. In 1886 the first was killed at English Lake, March 19, and in 1892 they were first observed there, March 6.

Usually the migration is principally in March, the birds remaining, in the north of the State, from the first to the middle of April. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., reports several at Kouts, Ind., April 15, 1892, and Mr. Deane saw a few at English Lake May 4, 1890. That same year they remained at St. Clair Flats, Mich., until May 9. (Warnie.)

They have been observed at St. Clair Flats, however, in summer, and it is said to breed there (Mcll wraith, Birds of Ontario, p. 84). Dr. F. W. Langdon reports it also in summer from near Sandusky, 0. (Summer Birds of K Ohio, Marsh, J. C. S. N". H., Vol. Ill, 1880, p. 229).

BIRDS or INDIANA. 625

It breeds from Iowa northward throughout Manitoba to the Alaskan coast.

This duck is well known to sportsmen as a diver. Often it escapes by diving rather than by flying.

22. GENUS CLANGULA LKACH.

a1. Feathers at base of bill reaching farthest forward on the forehead.

C. hy emails (Linn.). 47

47. (154). Clangula hyemalis (LINN.).

Old Squaw. Synonyms, OLD WIFE, SOUTH SOUTHERLY, LONG-TAILED DUCK.

Adult Male in Winter. — Sides of head light smoke gray; the eyelids and rest of head and neck, upper part of chest and upper back, white; a dusky patch on each side of neck; breast and most of upper parts black; the scapulars pale pearl-gray or grayish-white; lower parts white, the sides tinged with pearl-gray. Adult Male in Summer. — Fore part of head pale grayish; eyelids and space behind eye white; rest of head and neck, with upper parts generally, sooty blackish, or dark sooty brown; the upper back varied with fulvous and scapulars edged with same; breast and upper belly dark sooty-grayish; remaining lower parts white, shaded on sides with pale pearl-gray. Adult Female in Winter. — Head, neck, and lower parts chiefly wrhite; top of head dusky; chest grayish; upper parts dusky brown, the scapulars bordered with light brownish, sometimes tipped with grayish. Adult Female in Summer. — Head and neck, dark grayish-brown, with a whitish space surrounding the eye, and another on each side of neck; otherwise much as in the winter plumage, but scapulars chiefly light brown or fulvous, with dusky centers.

Length (of male), 20.75-23.00; wing, 8.50-9.00; middle tail feathers, 8.00-8.50; bill, 1.10; the female smaller (about 15.00-16.00 long), with middle tail feathers not conspicuously lengthened.

KANGE. — Northern Hemisphere. In North America, south to the Potomac and the Ohio (more rarely to Florida and Texas) and Cali- fornia; breeds far northward.

Nest, on margins of lakes or ponds, among grass or bushes. Eggs, 6-12; drab, shaded with green; 2.05 by 1.49.

Very common winter resident on Lake Michigan. Away from that lake it is an exceedingly rare winter visitor, although it has been re- ported from a number of localities throughout the State. 40— GEOL.

626 EEPOHT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Dr. F. Stein observed it on the lower Wabash River (Bull. Xuttall ( ) ni. Club, July, 1876, p. 44). A specimen was taken by Mr. T. J. Baum near the mouth of the Great Miami River (Dearborn County, Indiana) February 24, 1880. (Journal Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. December, 1881. p. 341).

Mr. Charles Dury informs me there is a male in the collection of the Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, 0., that was taken on the Whitewater River in March. There is a male in my collection taken by Mr. R. Williams at Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, about 1882. Mr. J. E. Beas- ley reports having mounted a specimen killed near Thorntown in 1889. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge reports one specimen from Allen County, and Dr. Vernon Gould reported it from Rochester, March 7, 1892.

They come from the north very late. The earliest date given for their arrival is that given by Mr. J. W. Byrkit, who reported it very abundant on Lake Michigan, off Michigan City, December 12, 1887.

They are great divers. The depth to which they dive may be known by the fact that they are often caught in that vicinity in abundance in gill nets in twenty to thirty fathoms of water.

Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr.. and Mr. F. M.. Woodruff both report it very abundant on Lake Michigan the winter of 1894-5, and quite common the winter of 1896-7. The first mentioned winter, Mr. Parker tells me, during January and February, many of these ducks were shot off the government pier at the entrance to Chicago harbor. January 14, 1897, both the gentlemen mentioned reported it from Millers, Ind. February 1 following Mr. Parker reported it very abundant at that same place. He saw several enormous flocks.

They usually pass north in February. The latest record I have is one given by Mr. Stewart E. White, Grand Rapids, Mich., where he observed three April 2, 1891. This duck is a great gabbler. To this fact it owes several of its names, among them "Old Wife," "Old Squaw," and "Scolder." Its notes are different from those of any other duck. Undoubtedly the name by which it is called some places, south-south- erly, comes from the interpretation of these notes into south-south- southerly. Its call consists of five notes, which may be interpreted into several fanciful sayings.

Mr. Nelson speaks of its harmonious notes during the breeding sea- son, when it is very abundant in Alaska, and says the fur traders of Upper Yukon have given it the well merited name Organ Duck. Breeds far north. It is one of the most abundant summer residents on the Alaskan coast.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 627

88. (JgNus OfDEMIA FLEMISH.

<tl. Wing with large white patch; frontal feathers not reaching farther forward than those on sides of culnien. Subgenus MELANITTA Boie.

O. deglandi Bonap. 48

a2. Wing with no white patch; frontal feathers reaching nearly or quite to nostrils, none on sides of culmen. Subgenus PELIONETTA Kaup.

O. perspicillata (Linn.). 49

Subgenus MELANITTA Boie.

48. (165). Oidemia deglandi BONAP.

Velvet Scoter. Synonym, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER.

Adult Male. — Black; speculum and patch under eye, white; feet, orange red, with dusky webs; bill, black, broadly tipped with orange. Female. — Sooty brown, grayish below; whitish about head; speculum, white.

Length, about 21.00; wing, 10.65-11.40; bill, 1.40-1.70; depth of upper mandible at base, 1.10-1.30; tarsus, 1.80-2.10.

EANGE. — Northern North America. Breeds from Labrador and Manitoba to Alaska and Arctic coasts; south in winter to Chesapeake Bay, southern Indiana and southern Illinois.

Nestj on ground, near fresh water; of twigs, mosses, etc. Eggs, usually 6; pale buff, varying to green; 2.68 by 1.83.

Eare winter visitor. More numerous on Lake Michigan.

Dr. Haymond records -it from Franklin County "as numerous in winter" (Ind. Geol. Kept., 1869, p. 223). Mr. Ruthven Deane in- forms me that a bird of this species was taken at English Lake the latter part of October or early part of November, 1889. Two more were killed there early in November, 1890, after a heavy blow off Lake Michigan. Mr. J. Gr. Parker, Jr., sa}^s it is found on Lake Michigan during the winter months, but is rare. This duck has been taken on the Illinois River (Nelson); at St. Louis, Mo. (Allen); on the Scioto River, near Columbus, 0.; at Licking Reservoir; in the vicinity of Cleveland and Sandusky Bay. Dr. J. M. Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, p. 538.)

Subgenus PELIONBTTA Kaup.

49. (166). Oidemia perspicillata (LINN.).

Surf Scoter. Synonym, SURF DUCK..

Adult Male. — Black, with patch of white on the forehead and an- other on the nape; none on the wing; bill, orange red, whitish on the sides, with a large circular black base. Female. — Smaller; sooty brown;

628 KEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

below, silvery gray; whitish patches on each side of the head; bill, black; feet, dark, tinged with reddish; webs, black.

Length, about 20.00-22.00: wing, 9.25-9.75; bill, 1.30-1.60; tarsus, 1.55-1.85.

EANGE. — North America. Breeds northward from Labrador through British America and Alaska; south in winter in interior to southern Indiana; on coasts to Florida and Jamaica, and Lower Cali- fornia.

Nest, on ground in grass, near water. Eggs, 5; pale buff, or pale creamy buff; 2.47 by 1.70.

Eare winter resident on Lake Michigan; of occasional occurrence elsewhere.

An immature specimen was taken by Dr. F. Stein on the lower Wa- bash River, near Mt. Carmel, 111., in October, 1875. That same fall Mr. E. W. Nelson says quite a number of specimens were taken on the Calumet marshes, and many others seen. (Birds of N. E. 111., p. 143.) That is the only year for which I have been able to obtain records. It is, however, given by Mr. H. Nehrling as not uncommon on Lake Michigan. Mr. 1ST. A. Eddy says one specimen was taken at the mouth of the Saginaw Eiver in 1884. It is often quite common in fall mi- grations. It is frequently taken by the duck hunter, who calls it the '^booby-duck." They regard it as unfit to eat, but when taken in fresh water it is excellent eating. (Cook, Birds of Michigan, p. 45.)

On August 23, 1878, 1 visited Stewart Island, about ten miles to the seaward of St. Michaels. As I neared the island in my kyak, I found the water literally black with the males of this species, which were united in an enormous flock, forming a continuous band around the outer end of the island for a distance of about ten miles in length, and from one-half to three-fourths of a mile in width. As the boat ap- proached them, those nearest began to rise heavily by aid of wings and feet from the glassy surface of the gently undulating, but calm, water. The first to rise communicated the alarm to those beyond, until as far as could be seen the water was covered with flapping wings, and the air filled with a roar like that of a cataract. The rapid vibrations produced in the air by tens of thousands of wings could be plainly felt. In all my northern experience among the water fowl which flock there in summer, I never §aw any approach to the number of large birds gath- ered here in one flock, nor shall I soon forget the grand effect pro- duced by this enormous body of birds as they took wing and swept to sea in a great black cloud, and settled again a mile or so away. (Nel- son's Eept. N. H. Coll. in Alaska, p. 81.)

HINDS OF INDIANA. 629

24. GENUS ERISMATURA BONAPARTE.

a1. Male, side of head below eyes white; female, side of head and neck grayish- white, with darker stripe from corner of mouth to ear coverts.

E. rubida (Wils.). 50

50. (167). Erismatura rubida (WILS .).

Buddy Duck. Synonyms, BLACK JACK, BRISTLE-TAIL, FOOL DUCK.

Male in Full Plumage. — Bill, slaty blue; the nail black; neck, all around, and the upper parts, bright chestnut; the lower parts, silky white, watered with dusky; chin and sides of the head, white; the crown and nape, black. Female. — Brown above, finely dotted and waved with dusky; paler and duller below, with sometimes a slight tawny tinge, which also occurs on the sides of the head.

Length, about 13.50-16.00; wing, 5.75-6.00; bill, about 1.50-1.60.

EANGE. — North America, in general south to West Indies and Co- lombia; breeds throughout its range, from Granada and Guatemala north, at least to Great Slave Lake. No American duck has so ex- tensive a breeding range.

Nest, built to float like a Grebe's or else along the edge of reedy stream or lake, or on drift. Eggs, 5-11; white or pale buffy; 2A2 by 1.75. Migrant, usually not common.

Throughout the southern part of the State it appears to be rare. I have one specimen taken near Brookville. Dr. F. Stein reports it from the lower Wabash Valley. Prof. B. W. Evermarm notes it as rare in Monroe and Carroll counties. Mr. C. E. Aiken tells me he has seen them abundant on the Calumet River in Indiana.

Mr. Chas. Dury tells me they are known to the hunters at English Lake as "Black-Jacks."

With us they are usually found singly or in small groups by them- selves or with the Coots.

This is quite in contrast with their habits in the Southern States, where they congregate in great flocks. They frequent the smaller lakes and more sluggish water courses.

They return from the south late in the spring, usually arriving the latter part of March, and remain through the month.

Mr. H. K. Coale noted two males and a female at Tolleston, Ind., May 9, 1877, and Mr. Euthven Deane found two males and a female in the red spring plumage at English Lake May 11, 1890.

The latter records indicate that they mate in threes. Is this a case of polyandry? The Euddy Duck may be found to breed among our marshes.

630 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Mr. Xelson found it breeding in Illinois (Birds Northeast Illinois, pp. 143, 144) and Prof. Cook says the late Mr. W. H. Collins reported taking its eggs (presumably at St. Clair Flats, Mich.) (Birds of Michi- gan, p. 45.) The stupidity of this duck is well known. Persons are at times permitted to row up to it, when it seems apparently dazed or sleeping.

In the fall they appear about the first of October and depart later in that month or in November. Dr. Wheaton says at this season they are found in flocks of fifteen or twenty.

SUBFAMILY ANSERIN.E. GEESE. 25. GENUS ('HEN BOIK.

a1. Plumage chiefly grayish-brown ; the rump, usually, and wing coverts bluish- gray. C. caerulescens (Linn.). 53 a2. Plumage, in adult, white; primaries black, their coverts gray; in young,

grayish and grayish-white.

ft1. Wing 17.00 or under. C. hyperborea (Pall.). 51

62. Wing over 17.00. C. hyperborea nivalis (Forst.). 52

51. (169). Chen hyperborea (PALL.).

Lesser Snow Goose. Synonyms, ALASKA GOOSE, WHITE BRANT.

Adult. — Uniform pure white, the head often stained with rusty; primaries black; their bases and coverts dark-gray. Young. — -Head, neck and upper parts pale grayish, the feathers of the latter with whitish edges and (especially wing coverts and tertials) striped med- ially with darker; rump, upper tail coverts, tail and lower parts plain white.

Length, about 23.00-28.00; wing, 14.50-17.00 (16.36); bill, 1.95- 2.30 (2.15); tarsus, 2.80-3.25 (3.01); middle toe, 2.00-2.50 (2.34).

EANGE. — Pacific Coast to the Mississippi Valley, breeding in Alaska; south in winter from southern Illinois and southern Indiana to gulf coast; southern California. Casually to New England. North- eastern Asia.

Nest, by side of water on ground, of grass and feathers. Eggs, 5-8; yellowish-white; 3.13 by 2.12.

Rare migrant throughout the State; much more often seen in spring.

Mr. Nelson thought that this species and the next were found in Illinois in about equal numbers.

In this State and the vicinity of Chicago what reports I have re- ceived relate principally to this form. The two birds are similar in appearance, except in size. They are at times found in flocks together

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 631

or with other geese; again each kind will be found by itself. I have had them reported in flocks with Blue Geese, Canada Geese and Amer- ican White-fronted Geese. Reported from Dekalb County (R. W. McBride), Lake County (Meyer), Starke County (Deane). October 18, 1881, a single Lesser Snow Goose was seen near Brookville with a flock of tame geese, and was shot. It was preserved by Mr. E. R. Quick. In spring they rarely appear late in February, usually not until the early part of March, and scatter along through that month, a few re- maining in the northern part of the State occasionally into early April.

The earliest spring record I have is from Mr. H. W. McBride, at Waterloo — six geese, February 23, 1890. Prof. W. P. Shannon reports a flock of twenty in the vicinity of Greensburg, March 14, 1895, from which eight were killed. All were immature. The next day a flock of thirty was seen. The latest record I have of it is reported by Mr. C. L. Barber, Laporte, March 30, 1896, and the same year Mr. Eliot Black- welder saw the last in Cook County, Illinois, April 4.

They are always conspicuous objects when the pure white adult plumage contrasts with the dense black primaries. Whether with a flock of their fellows or notable examples in a flock of darker colored geese, they are certain to be observed.

These, together with their larger relatives and the Blue Goose, are known by many as Alaska Geese. A gentleman one day showed me an Alaskan bone arrow or spear point, which he said had been found in northern Indiana, and stated that for some time he had been puz- zled to account for its occurrence there. Then he showed me the sternum of an Alaska Goose, possibly this species, which had been shot in northern Indiana, through which a similar arrow head had pierced and remained firmly imbedded. He had carefully cleaned the sternum and left the head of the projectile as it was found. Thus. was solved the problem of the way in which this implement was transported from the borders of the Arctic Sea to the rich fields of northwestern In- diana.

52. (l»-9aV Chen hyperborea nivalis (FORST ).

Greater Snow Goose. Synonyms, ALASKA GOOSE, WHITE BRANT.

Same colors as last.

Length, 20.00-26.00; wing, 13.75-15.50; culmen, 1.50-1.70; tarsus, 2.30-3.00.

RANGE. — North America, breeding far north (east of Mackenzie Basin), and migrating south in winter, chiefly along the Atlantic coast to Gulf coast and Cuba.

632 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Eggs, unknown.

Rare migrant. This species and the preceding are not usually dis- tinguished. Where it has be*eii noted it would seem to be found less often than the smaller form.

Mr. E. J. Chansler has several times seen Snow Geese in Knox County, which he referred to this species. About 1867 he saw a flock of eighteen. October 25, 1896, he saw a single specimen, and Decem- ber 12, 1896, he saw another Snow Goose flying over in a flock of Hutchins' Geese. Mr. Chas. Dury has reported this goose from Chal- mers. In the spring of 1897, while calling upon Mr. Mortimer Lever- ing, at his country home near Lafayette, my attention was drawn to three geese, one of which was a Snow Goose, which had been shot from a flock near Morocco in 1892. It was only winged, and came into the possession of Mr. Levering, where it had become quite tame.

Sir John Richardson, in his "Fauna Boreali Americana," speaks of the abundance of these birds in the far north, where they breed. The young fly in August, and by the middle of September all have departed southward.

"The Snow Goose feeds on rushes, insects, and in autumn on ber- ries, particularly those of the Empetrum nigrum. When well fed it is a very excellent bird, far superior to the- Canada Goose in juiciness and flavor. It is said that the young do not attain their full plumage be- fore the fourth year, and until that period they appear to keep in separate flocks. They are numerous at Albany Fort, in the southern part of Hudson Bay, where the old birds are rarely seen, and on the other hand, the old birds in their migrations visit York Factory in great abundance, but are seldom accompanied by the young."

Both of 'the Snow Geese are known as "White Brant."

53. (169). Chen caeruleseens (LINN).

Blue Goose. Synonyms, ALASKA GOOSE, BLUE- WINGED GOOSE, BLUE BRANT.

Head and upper neck and sometimes rump and back part of belly, white; back of neck often with more or less distinct black stripe lengthwise; greater wing coverts and secondaries (including ter- tails) edged with white; rest of plumage mostly grayish-brown, the rump (usually) and wing coverts, bluish-gray.

Young. — Similar to adult, but head and neck uniform deep grayish- brown, only the chin being white.

Length, 26.50-30.00; wing, 15.00-17.00; culmen, 2.10-2.30; tarsus, 3.00-3.30.

BIKDS or INDIANA. 633

KANGE. — Interior of North America, east of Rocky Mountains, breeding on the eastern shores of Hudson Bay; migrating south in winter through the Mississippi Valley to'the Gulf coast; occasional on Atlantic Coast.

Nest and Eggs, unknown.

Rare migrant. Dr. Rufus Haymond first identified this goose in Indiana. (Ind. Geol. Kept., 1869, p. 231.) Prof. B. W. Evermann found three specimens in the Terre Haute market April 2, 1887, which were killed about eighteen miles south of that city, in Sullivan County. A few days later he saw another of these geese in the city market.

Mr. Chas. Dury reports it from Chalmers and English Lake. Mr. J. 0. Dunn informs me that there is a mounted specimen in the Hyde Park (Chicago) High School, labeled Wolf Lake, Indiana. December 18, 1884, he also reports seeing twelve specimens in South Water Street market, Chicago, March 29, and others again April 7, 1894, all of which had been killed in Illinois. Mrs. Jane L. Hine states that a taxidermist at Hudson, Steuben County, has a Blue Goose that he says was shot early in the spring of 1891 in a swamp not far from Stony Lake, Dekalb County. Mr. Mortimer Levering, of Lafayette, has two of these geese, which were shot and crippled from a flock near Morocco, Newton County, in 1892. He has kept them, and one Snow Goose taken at the same time, for five years, and they have become quite tame.

Dr. McChesney, in his account of the birds of northern Dakota, says they are found there, in the fall, mixed with flocks of Snow Geese, but he never observed them in the spring. As the above references will show, most of those noted in Indiana and the vicinity of Chicago have been seen in the spring.

26. GKNUS AX-'ER B-ISSON.

a1. Fore part of head and feathers at base of bill white, or fore part of head dusky anH nail of bill, black. A. albifrons gambeli (Hartl.) 54

54. (171a). Anser albifrons gambeli (HARTL).

American White-fronted Goose. Synonyms, LAUGHING GOOSF, GRAY BKAHT.

Adult. — Fore part of head and forehead, white, bordered behind with blackish; upper tail coverts, sides of rump and crissum, white; under parts whitish blotched with black; rest of head and neck grayish- brown, shading lighter as it joins the breast; back dark gray, the feath- ers tipped with brown; greater coverts and secondaries bordered with

634 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

whitish; primaries and coverts edged and tipped with white; bill pink, pale lake or carmine; nails, white; feet, yellow; claws, white.

Length, S7.00-30.00; wing', 14.25-17.50; bill, 1.80-2.35; depth of upper mandible at base, .90-1.20; width, .85-1.05; tarsus, 2.60-3.20.

RANGE. — North America (rare on the Atlantic Coast), breeding far northward; in winter south to Cape St. Lucas, Mexico and Cuba.

Nest, a depression in the sand beside fresh water. Eggs, 6-7; green- ish-yellow; 3.10 by 2.07.

This goose is a rare migrant in Indiana.

There is a male in the collection of the Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, 0., that was killed in the spring at English Lake. Mr. Ruthven Deane has seen it at the same place. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge has a specimen in his collection, taken at Davis, Ind., in 1874. A goose of this species was killed at Peru, April 17, 1891. It was mounted by Mr. J. E. Beasley for Jos. Andre, of that city. Mr. Chas. L. Barber saw two in the market at Laporte April 4, 1894. They were killed on the Kan- kakee River, near that place. Mr. J. 0. Dunn saw some in the Chicago market, from Illinois, April 7, 1894.

Dr. Langdon notes its occurrence in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and it has been noted a few other times in Ohio. (Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, pp. 517, 518.) It is rare in Michigan. (Cook, Birds of Michigan, p. 46.) In 1876 Mr. Nelson gave it as a very abundant migrant, occur- ring in large flocks in Illinois. (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, pp. 136, 137.) Mr. Ridgway says nothing of its being even common in 1895, but notes that it frequents open prairies or wheat fields, where it nibbles the young and tender blades, and cornfields, where it feeds upon the scattered grains.

"The mating season is quickly ended, and on May 27, 1879. I found their eggs at the Yukon mouth. From this date on until the middle of June fresh eggs may be found, but very soon after that date the downy young begin to appear. The geese choose for a nesting site the grassy border of a small lakelet, a knoll grown over with moss and gras$, or even a flat, sparingly covered with grass. Along the Yukon, Dall found them breeding gregariously, depositing their eggs in a .hollow scooped out in the sand. At the Yukon mouth and St. Michaels they were found breeding, scattered in paii-s over the flat country. Every one of the nests examined by me in these places had a slight lining of grass or moss, gathered by the parent, and upon this the first eggs were laid. As the complement of eggs is approached the female always plucks down and feathers from her breast until the eggs .rest in a warm, soft bed, when incubation commences. The eggs vary- considerably in shape and size. Some are decidedly elongated; others

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 635

are decidedly oval. In color they are a dull white, but ordinarily pre- sent a dirty brown appearance from being stained in the nest.

The young are pretty little objects, and are guarded with the great- est care by the parents, the male and female joining in conducting their young from place to place and defending them from danger/' (Nelson, Eeport Nat. Hist. Coll. in Alaska.)

27. GENUS BRAXTA SCOPOU.

a1. Head black; cheeks and throat white.

bl. Larger; length 35.00 or over. B. canadensia (LinnA 55

//-. Smaller; length under 85.00.

B. canadensis hutchinsii (Sw. & Rich.). 56

a2. Throat black, or brownish black; white streaks or spots on each side of neck.

B. bernicla (Linn. ). 57

55. (H2). Branta canadensis (LINN).

Canada Goose. Synonym, COMMON WILD G< OSE.

Adult Male. — Head and neck black, with a broad white patch on throat, extending up into each cheek; tail and quills black; upper tail coverts white; upper part- lirmvnisli, the feathers with lighter tips: be- low, light brownish-gray, almost white on crissum, all the feathers with lighter edges; bill and feet, deep black.

Length, about 35.00-43.00; wing, 15.60-21.00; bill, 1.58-2.70; tarsus, 2.45-3.70.

RANGE. — North America; breeds from Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee northward from Mackenzie Valley to Atlantic Coast. Winters from southern limit of breeding range south to Gulf States and into Mexico.

Nest, usually in a hollow in the sand, lined with down, and a few sticks around the edge. Along the upper Missouri it breeds in trees. (Cones, B. X. W.) Eggs, 4-7; pale dull greenish; 3.55 by 2.27.

Common migrant; sometimes winter resident in the northern part of the State; resident in some numbers. They often breed. Formerly these geese were much more abundant than now, but they are still common during the migrations among the lakes and marshes of north- ern Indiana.

This is the common Wild Goose. Almost every mild winter more or less of them remain in one part, if not another, of the lower Wabash Valley. Mr. E. J. Chansler says a few years ago the prairies of Knox County were covered with these geese many days during the winter. They could be seen by thousands. Now they are seldom met with. The winters of 1886-7 and 1892-3 they remained in the valley of the

636

EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Whitewater. The latter winter a small flock remained in the vicinity of Brookville, through zero weather, until the last were killed, some time in January. The winter of 1888-89 they remained in some numbers on the Kankakee all winter.

Often they begin moving with the January thaw, and by February, some years, if the waters are open, are to be found throughout the State.

Canada Goose.

Their forwardness sometimes brings them to grief. Occasionally cold weather follows their movements, and they are compelled to pass a season of severity while in the midst of their migrations. March 9, 1889, and February 14, 1891, the marshes at English Lake were cov- ered with ice, and the geese wrere sitting on the ice. February 22, 1894, the Tolleston marshes were covered with ice, and geese sat on the ice. (Deane.)

These geese are among the first birds to move. They do not follow the course of streams, but go over wood and meadow, river and town, attracting the watcher by the flight, in single file or two lines, meeting in a point, and calling the attention of the inattentive by the melo- dious liorik-lionk of the old gander who leads the van. Thus, theirs

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 637

becomes the most notable of the earty bird movements, and they are harbingers of spring. Their coming and going is the wonder of all who behold them, and the impression they make upon the yonng mind is lasting.

They continue the spring migration through March, and usually have passed the southern part of the State by the middle of that month, though Mr. E. J. Chansler has noted them as late as April 2 (1897). In the vicinity of Lake Michigan they often continue abund- ant up to that date. They are so reported April 2, 1893, at Kouts, Ind., and common April 2, 1885. (Parker.) About this time, how- ever, the migrants leave, and only those who remain to breed are found. In years gone by many more bred with us than do now.

Thirty years ago it was not uncommon to find upon the upland meadows of Franklin and other southern counties, where great flocks of these geese had stopped during the March migrations, numbers of <•"•;:> that had been dropped by them.

They still breed in some numbers in the Kankakee region and less frequently in other favorable localities, notably Dekalb County (J. 0. Snyder), Steuben County, at Twin Lakes of the Wood (Mrs. J. L. Hine), Laporte County (C. L. Barber). They evidently begin nesting between April 15 and May 1, as nests with the full comple- ment of eggs are usually found from the first to third week in May.

These geese are often domesticated. In our State the farmers in some localities where they breed, get the eggs and hatch them under a hen. Mr. L. T. Meyer informs me of one farmer in Lake County who found a nest containing six eggs, built upon a muskrat horr=e. He took the eggs, and the hen under which he set them hatched four goslings. These he kept for a number of years, and they bred every year. In this connection I desire to refer to an account of domesticated Canada Geese by Mr. Wm. Dutcher, in the Auk, January, 1885, p. 111. The notes are given from the experience of Capt. Lane, of Shinnecock Bay, Long Island, and from these I quote the following concerning their breeding habits: "They make their nests of dried grass, raising them about twelve inches from the ground. They feather them when they be- gin to lay, which is about May 1. None lay until three years old. The first season four eggs are laid, five the second, and when older, six or seven. A goose never has more than one mate, but while the goose is sitting the gander never leaves her, though he never sits on the nest. The time of incubation is four weeks. The young when hatched are strong enough to take care of themselves; that is, they eat grass and walk and swim as soon as they get dry. They will eat meal on the

638 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

second day. They are in the down four weeks and are fully grown in six weeks. When swimming., the gander goes ahead,, the young next and the goose follows invariably."

The following records taken from English Lake, are given: The first was killed in 1881, February 16; 1886, March 17; 1887, March 13; 1889, common March 9, had been present several days; 1891, first seen February 14; 1892, February 27; 1894, February 22 -at (Tolleston, Lake County); 1896, February 2.

They arrive on our marshes in September, but in the southern part of the State are seldom seen until after the middle of October. They remain until the first cold snap, then the great body pushes on towards the Gulf of Mexico.

*56. (172a). Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Sw. & RICH.).

Hutchin's G-oose. Synonyms, LESSER CANADA GOOSE, LITTLE WILD (TOOSE.

Similar to last species; much smaller and tail feathers usually 14 or 16.

Length, about 25.00-34.00; wing, 14.75-17.75; bill, 1.20-1.90; tar- sus, 2.25-3.20.

KANGE. — North America; breeds in Arctic regions and Alaska, where center of abundance is along lower Yukon, and thence south to the Kuskoquin. (kelson.) Winters in southern United States.

Nest, similar to last. Eggs, 4-6; white; 3.18 by 2.10.

Migrant and occasional winter resident; formery common; now rarely seen. These' geese are commonly called by hunters "Brant."''

In 1879 Dr. A. W. Brayton noted it as common. (Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 178.) Mr. E. J. Chansler informs me that they were formerly common in Knox County, especially in the fall. In 1891 he saw a large flock of them in Gibson County. They were quite common the winter of 1893-4 and the fall of 1896. Mr. Chansler says even when they are not near enough to be distinguished by their smaller size, they can be recognizd by their voices, which are finer and more resembles that of the domestic goose. He says he has often seen them flying with Canada Geese and with Mallard Ducks. They appear in the northern part of the State in September, and reach the lower Wabash Valley from October 25 to 27, and the length of their stay depends upon the weather.

In spring they go north in March. The last record I have is from Knox County, March 18, 1897.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 639

57. (173). Branta bernicla (LINN.).

Brant.

Head entirely black; middle of neck with a patch of white streaks on each side; upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers narrowly tipped with grayish-white; lower parts pale» grayish, in conspicuous contrast with black of chest, and gradually fading into the white of anal region and crissum.

Length, 23.50-30.50; wing, 12.30-13.60; bill, 1.20-1.50; tarsus, 2.10- 2.40.

EANGE. — Northern parts of Northern Hemisphere; in North Amer- ica chiefly on the Atlantic coast; rare in the interior or away from salt water. Breeds only in Arctic Circle.

Nestt a hollow in the sand, lined with feathers and down. Eggs, 4-6; grayish or dirty white; 2.92 by 2.02.

Accidental visitor.

This goose prefers the sea, and does not wander far from tide water. It is, however, occasionally found in the interior, where it has been reported from Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Dr. Kufus Raymond reported it from the Whitewater Valley. (Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1856, p. 296, and Ind. Geol. Kept., 1869, p. 232.) Mr. 0. B. Warren informs me that a specimen was taken at Albion, Mich., by E. M. Griffin in the winter of 1884, and is now in the collec- tion of the college there. There are also other Michigan records. (Cook, Birds of Michigan, p. 47.) Prof. Cooke says during the winter of 1883-4 this species was represented from Illinois southward by a few rare visitants.- (Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 78.)

SUBFAMILY CYGNIN.E. SWANS. 28. GRNUS OLOR WAGLKR.

a1. Bill black with a yellow spot; the distance from the eye to the nostril much

greater than from the latter point to the tip of bill.

O. columbianus (Ord.). 58 a2. Bill black, no yellow; the distance from the eye to the nostril not greater

than from the latter point to tip of bill. O. buccinator (Rich. ). 59

58. (180) Olor columbianus (ORD.).

Whistling Swan.

Pure white; head often stained with rusty; bill und lores, black, usually the latter with small yellow spot; iris, dark brown; feet, black.

Length about 54.00; extent, 84.00; wing, 21.00-22.00; bill, 3.80- 4.20; tarsus, 4.00-4.32.

640 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

RANGE. — The whole of North America, breeding far north; Com- mander Islands, Kamtehatka. Accidental in Scotland. Winters in In- diana and Illinois and south to Gulf of Mexico.

Nest} in a tussock of grass near the water, often surrounded by it so closely that the bird while sitting on the eggs has her feet sub- merged. Eggs, 2-5; white, often stained with brown; 4.19 by 2.72.

Not common migrant and rare winter resident.

They spend the summer far to the north of the United States, breeding at least south to a line from Hudson Bay to Alaska, and not in the United States.

They migrate late in the fall; November seems to be their month, and I find no earlier records at hand for the Ohio Valley or the lower lake region. Nov. 15, 1894, one was taken at Long Lake, Wabash County. (Ulrey and Wallace, Proc. I. A. S., 1895, p. 150.)

November 19, 1896, Prof. E. L. Mosely reports it from Sandusky, 0., and adds: "It is said to have been seen earlier/7

One killed at Mason, Mich., November 28, 1878. It has also been taken in Michigan in winter. Prof. A. J. Cook informs us that E. A. Lockwood took two in the month of December at South Haven. (Birds of Michigan, pp. 47, 48.) My friend, Mr. B. T. Gault, informs me he saw nine swans, species unknown, near Thayer, Newton County, Indiana, January 18, 1892. Seven swans were seen on Swan Pond, Daviess County, in the spring of 1897. (Chansler.)

The return journey to their breeding grounds is made in March and early April. They are more often seen in spring than fall, some- times being not uncommon at that time in the northern part of the State. Mr. Nelson notes that they were unusually numerous in the spring of 1876 in the vicinity of Chicago. (Birds N. E. Illinois, p. 136.)

The earliest spring record is that of a specimen in my collection, shot by Stephen McKeown, in Franklin County, March 7, 1888.

Mr. L. T. Meyer reports it from Lake County March 8, 1888; Mr. Ruthven Deane saw nine at English Lake March 11, 1894, but did not identify them.

Mr. R. B. Trouslot informs me that there is a specimen in the High School at Valparaiso that was taken in Porter County March 22, 1887.

Prof. Evermann says that it is more often seen in Carroll County in spring. There is a specimen in the collection of Cuvier Club, Cin- cinnati, from Indiana (Dury); also, one in the State Geologist's office at Indianapolis from Decatur County. Mr. Parker saw five swans flying over Calumet Lake, Illinois, and about fifty on the Kankakee River at Kouts, Incl.. March 31, 1894, but did not determine the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 641

species. The latest record for the State is the sceond specimen noted in Dekalb County, April 1, 1890. (H. W. McBride.)

Formerly, when these birds were more abundant, they migrated in flocks of twenty or thirty, and sometimes as many as fifty, high in air in two converging lines, like a flock of Canada Geese. It is said there is not the noticeable movement of the wings as with geese, yet when traveling at their ordinary gait, with the wind in their favor, it is esti- mated they travel at least a hundred miles an hour. Like Wild Geese, they move regardless of the trend of water courses. In winter they are said to be very common some years on the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Mr. Ball notes that they reach the Yukon about May 1, and says they descend that stream instead of going up it, as most of the geese do at this season. Mr. E. W. Nelson notes his experience in finding a nest of this swan. "On June 14, 1880, a swan was seen flying from the side of a small pond on the marsh near St. Michaels, and a close search finally revealed the nest. The eggs were completely hidden in loose moss, which covered the ground about the spot and in which the bird had made a depression by plucking up the moss and arranging it for the purpose. The site was so artfully chosen and prepared that I passed the spot in my search, and one of my native hunters coming close behind, called me back, and thrusting his stick in the moss, exposed the eggs." (Nat. Hist. Coll. in Alaska, p. 92.)

-59. (181). Olor buccinator (RICH.).

Trumpeter Swan.

Pure white; head, sometimes neck and lower parts, stained with rusty; feet, bill and lores, black, latter without yellow spot.

Length, 60.00-66.00; extent, 96.00-near 120.00; wing, 21.00-27.50; bill, 4.30-4.70; tarsus, 4.54-4.95.

RANGE. — Chiefly the interior of North America, from the Gulf coast to the fur countries, breeding from Iowa and the JDakotas (formerly Indiana) northward; west to the Pacific Coast; rare or casual on the Atlantic.

Nest, on high dry ground near water, of grass and feathers. Eggs, 2-6; white; 4.46 by 2.9.2,

Rare migrant and probably winter resident; not seen as often as last species. Formerly summer resident and bred.

Its breeding range extends farther south than ijie last mentioned

swan, reaching into the United States as far as Iowa and Minnesota,

and extending from northwestern Hudson Bay (Hearne) to the

Pacific Coast and northward to Alaska and beyond the Arctic Circle

41— GEOL

642 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

(Richardson.) Mr. T. H. Ball informs me that formerly swans bred in the'Kankakee marshes in Lake County.

They migrate almost wholly through the Mississippi Valley. In the fall it appears sooner than the other species. Although not identified, the swans observed by Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., at Calumet Lake, 111., in September, 1887, were probably this species. It, too, is less frequently observed in fall, and may be a winter resident. Dr. F. W. Langdon notes one specimen of this species seen on the Ohio River near Cincin- nati, in December, 1876, which was taken, and is preserved in the col- lection of Max Wocher, in that city. (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., I, 1879, p. 185.) The swans observed by Mr. Gault in January and noted under the last species may belong to this. Prof. Cooke notes that it sometimes winters north to Illinois. The larger part, however, pass farther south, where it is abundant in winter along the Gulf coast.

The earliest migratory record in the spring is February 22, 1890. On that day Mr. H. W. McBride identified a flock of eight at Waterloo, Dekalb County.

The same date, February 22 , in 1894, a gentleman at Valparaiso shot one out of a flock of seven as they were "coming in" to alight in a spring hole. The day was very cold and much snow was on the ground. The bird weighed 24J pounds. The following are the meas- urements: Length, 50.00; extent, 83.00; width, 21.00; tail, 8.00; tail of 24 feathers. This specimen is now in the collection of Mr. Ruthven Deane, Chicago. Dr. Vernon Gould informs me that six or eight were shot near Rochester in March, 1890. He dissected one, and is positive of the identification. In the spring of 1882 a flock of eight alighted on Cedar Lake, Lake County, and three were shot with a rifle. (L. T. Meyer.) Three were noted at Laporte March 24, 1896. (Chas. Bar- ber.) Mr. J. P. Feagler saw two at Waterloo March 18, 1897, and saw others March 22. Prof. Evermann notes that it has been taken in Carroll County. (The Auk, October, 1888, p. 346.)

It is a grand bird, weighing often as much as thirty, pounds and sometimes nearly forty, with a spread of wings of eight to nearly ten feet — much greater than any other American bird, excepting only the Condor and the California Vulture, both of which are considerably inferior in weight. Its eggs, averaging about -4.46 by nearly 3.00 inches in size, are so large that one of them is said to be a sufficient meal for a moderate man. Although so large, it is swift of wing, and Hearne states that, in his opinion it is more difficult to shoot when flying than any other bird.

"The name Trumpeter is derived from its ringing note, much more sonorous than that of the common species (0. columbianus), and said

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 643

to resemble a blast from a French horn." (Ridgway, Birds of Illinois, p. 107.)

The extreme length of the trachea (windpipe) and its peculiar fold- ings attract the attention of those who attempt the dissection of one of these swans.

E. ORDER HERODIONES. HERONS, STORKS, IBISES, ETC.

SUBORDER IBIDES. SPOONBILLS AND IBISES. XI. FAMILY PLATALEID^E. SPOONBILLS.

Characters same as family. A.JAJA. 29

29. GENUS AJAJA REICH. a1. Plumage chiefly white; back and wings rose pink. A. ajaja (Linn.). -60

60. (183). Ajaja ajaja (LINN.).

Roseate Spoonbill.

Adult. — Head and throat bare; neck, back and breast, white; tail, orange-buff, the shafts deep pink; rest of plumage, pale rose pink; lesser wing coverts, upper and undertail coverts, carmine. Immature. — Similar, but without carmine on wing and tail coverts, and tail pink- ish. Young. — Similar; head and throat feathered; tail and cannine- colored parts pink.

Length, about 28.00-35.00; wing, 14.10-15.30; bill, 6.20-7.15; great- est width of bill, 2.00-2.20; tarsus, 3.75-4.65.

RANGE. — America, from Patagonia to Illinois and Indiana; most numerous in the tropics. Breeds in Louisiana and Florida, and south.

Nest, on trees or in marshes, in tropics, of sticks. Eggs, 3-4, rarely 7; white or bufTy white; 2,57 by 1.73.

Accidental visitor.

Mr. E. J. Chansler writes me that he is informed by Mr. H. M. Smith that in the spring of 1856 Mr. H. Sones shot two of these b.eautiful birds in a swampy place a few miles east of Vincennes on the line of the B. & 0. S.-W. E. R. Mr. Sones was collecting for some eastern or foreign institution, and was living with Mr. Smith when he obtained these specimens. If they are in existence it would be in- teresting to know where they are. Prof. B. W. Evermann, from inves- tigations he has made, is satisfied that some of these birds were seen and one killed near Terre Haute several years ago. A Roseate Spoon-

644 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

bill was killed near Portland, Jay County, July 14, 1889. Soon after it was taken its capture was reported to me by Mr. R. E. Kirkman, of Richmond, Ind., who investigated the record. He informed me that the specimen was preserved and was in possession of a gentleman at Bryant, Ind. It is possible that in the early days of our history these birds may have been regular summer visitors, or possibly summer resi- dents. Mr. Ridgway reports them from southern Illinois.

XII. FAMILY IBIDID^E. IBISES.

a1. Head of adult wholly naked anteriorly; no crest; claws curved. GUARA. 30

a2. Head of adult feathered except space between the eye and bill; crown with a

short crest; claws nearly straight. PLEGADIS.

30. GENUS GUARA RKICHENBACH. a1. Plumage white. Gr. alba (Linn.). 61

61. (184). Guara alba (LINN).

White Ibis.

Adult. — Pure white (sometimes tinged with pink in the breeding season or in freshly killed specimens); the tips of longer primaries glossy greenish -black; bill bare, skin of head, legs and feet, bright carmine in the breeding season, at other times paler or orange-red; iris, fine pearly blue; end of the bill, sometimes blackish. Young. — Gray- ish-brown, the rump, tail coverts, base of tail, and under parts, white.

Length, 21.50; wing, 10.30-11.75; bill, 4.15-6.30; tarsus, 3.10-4.00.

RANGE. — America from Brazil and West Indies to North Caro- lina, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, Great Salt Lake, Lower Cali- fornia. Casually to Long Island, Connecticut and South Dakota. Breeds from South Atlantic and Gulf States south.

Nest, among reeds in marshes, of sticks and reeds compactly woven together. Eggs, 2-3; ashy-blue, irregularly stained, spotted or blotched with yellowish, reddish and brown; 2.24 by 1.48.

Rare summer visitor.

All that have ever been reported in Indiana have been observed in Knox County. Mr. E. J. Chansler says an uncle of his killed one of these birds over fifty years ago in that county, and he also notes that Dr. Smith, of Bicknell, killed one in 1864. The third known account of their occurrence in the State is by Mr. Robert Ridgway. He informs me that he and Mr. William Brewster saw a considerable flock on the Wabash River, near Mt. Carmel, 111., about the 8th of May, 1878. They flew up on the Indiana side, and down along the Illinois side of the river. At that time they should have been not far

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 645

from their breeding grounds. It is possible they may have been, and possibly still are, rare summer residents of the cypress swamps of that region. (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. Ill, 1878, p. 166.)

Mr. F. M. Noe informs me that among the collection of the late Dr. G. M. Levette there were a number of bird skulls, including some of the Ibis. He has kindly sent me two, which he says were marked "Indiana, 1874." These, he thought, might be the Scarlet Ibis. I have submitted them to Mr. Robert Ridgway, who says they are skulls of the White Ibis.

The White Ibis and the Scarlet Ibis are so nearly alike, except in color, that from other characters they could not be distinguished.

SUBORDER CICONLE. STORKS, ETC.

XIII. FAMILY CICONIID^E. STOKKS AND WOOD IBISES.

SUBFAMILY TANTALISE. WOOD IBISES.

a1. Head naked, neck partially so ; bill heavy, curved downward at end, tip blunt.

TANTALUS. 31

31. GBNUS TANTALUS LINN.EUS.

a1. Plumage white ; wings and tail mostly glossy black.

T. loculator (Linn.). 62

62. (188) Tantalus loculator (LINN.).

Wood Ibis.

Adult. — Head and neck bare; plumage white, except primaries, sec- ondaries and tail, which are black, with purple, green and bronze re- flections. Young. — Head feathered, except in front; it and neck cov- ered with grayish-brown downy feathers; plumage like adult, some- times grayish; the black parts less metallic.

Length, 35.00-45.00; wing, 17.60-19.50; bill, 6.10-7.30; tarsus, 7.00- 8.50.

RANGE . — America, from Argentine Republic and Equador north to southern United States, South Carolina, southern Indiana, Colorado, Utah and southern California, casually to New York and Wisconsin. Breeds from Gulf States south.

Nest, in trees, of sticks. Eggs, 2-3; chalk white, sometimes spotted with brown; 2.74 by 1.80.

Summer visitor or summer resident, more or less irregular, in the lower Wabash Valley; throughout the remainder of the southern two- thirds of the State, rare summer visitor. All the records which have

646 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

dates accompanying them are for July, August, September and Octo- ber, the earliest being July 30 (1887) and the latest October 30 of the same year. Dr. Wheaton mentions one being taken in spring ten miles west of Cleveland. (Birds of Ohio, p. 497.) The first account of the oc- currence of these birds in the State is given by Dr. Haymond (Proc. Fhila. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1856, p. 295), in which he says: "The first day of August, 1855, a large flock of these birds made their appearance in this neighborhood. They remained along the river and the White- water Canal for about a month or six weeks. A son of one of my neighbors broke the wing of one of them and caught it. After keeping it three or four weeks, feeding it upon fish, he gave it to me. I kept it until the first of November, when, it fell a victim, as many another bi- ped has done, to its appetite. Some mackerel had been placed to soak upon a table in the back yard, one of which he stole and ate, and upon the evening of the next day, died in convulsions." Dr. Haymond also refers to this in Indiana Geological Eeport, 1869, p. 229.

I was very much surprised in the winter of 1889-90, to have brought to me by my friend, Mr. Edw. Hughes, the skull of a Wood Ibis, the name of which he desired to know. He said it was the skull of a bird which had been killed about three miles south of Brookville, and was preserved as a curiosity in the family of Mrs. St. John. At my request he inquired the date and facts of its capture. He was informed that it was one of a number which were seen along the river in the summer of 1855 or 1856. This was perhaps one of the same flock of which I have before spoken. Dr. F. Stein informs me that he saw a pair of Wood Ibises at "Little Chain," about ten miles west of Mt. Yernon, about 1874 or 1875. Cnewas shot by a Mr. Harmon at "Maple Swamp," in Carroll County, July 30, 1887. Mr. C. E..Newlin informs me that the specimen is in the possession of Dr. 0. A. J. Morrison, of Middle Fork, Ind. Mr. Ridgway has seen it in Knox and Gibson counties sev- eral times, and, concerning its occurrence there, remarks: "The Wood Ibis occurs numerously every summer along the Wabash, and while it may not breed, I think that it does." In a letter to Prof. Evermann, he says: "I remember, years ago, seeing these birds occasionally, soar- ing in circles, high in air, above the Wabash River, at Mt. Carmel, the season, I think, being midsummer. Again, either in summer or early fall, I started a large flock which had been perching on the branches of a large dead sycamore tree overhanging the bank of White River Pond, just below the mouth of the White River, but did not get any specimens. The species, to my certain knowledge, occurs more or less plentifully, at times, at the ^Cypress Pond, in the southwestern corner of Knox County (Indiana), but, owing to the circumstances that I

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 647

am so little in that part of the country, I am unable to state whether they occur there regularly or not. I believe that the species formerly bred in small numbers in that portion of the Wabash Valley, though I have no distinct evidence upon which to base this supposition. Most of the birds now seen there, however, occur late in summer (August and September), a considerable portion of them, perhaps a majority, being young birds of the year."

Mr. Eidgway further says that he saw at "Mt. Carmel the dried head of one that was killed by a hunter at the Cypress Pond in Knox County," and that he has been reliably informed of others having been killed there.

Prof. B. W. Eyermann says: "Last September (1888) I saw a mounted specimen in a store window at Mt. Vernon, Ind., and, upon inquiry, learned that it was shot by a fisherman, Dexter Short, about October 30, 1887, at Hovey's Lake, Posey County, Indiana. There were about thirty-five or forty in the flock, 'the first ever noticed in the county/' according to the fisherman. They remained in the vicinity for four or five weeks, and then disappeared. Several of them were killed, but I could learn of but one that was preserved. It is now in the possession of Mr. John C. Leffel, of Mt. Vernon. On September 11, 1888, while engaged for the United States Fish Commission in ex- ploring the Wabash River, I had the good fortune to come upon a flock of nine Wood Ibises at Mackey's Ferry, ten miles west of Mt. Vernon. They were sitting in the tops of two dead trees, just across the river on the Illinois side, and remained there during the entire time of our stay at the Ferry — from about 8 to 11 A. :vi. In addition to these, I find the following general references to its occurrence in In- diana: An old hunter of this city (Terre Haute), in whom I have con- fidence, tells me that his father shot a Wood Ibis several years ago from a flock of several at the old reservoir south of Terre Haute. From the description given by the hunter, I am quite certain that he was not mistaken. I may add that inquiry among people in Posey, Gibson, and Knox counties seems to show that it is a very rare bird there — one that is not often seen, except by those fellows who are wont to prowl around secluded ponds, and wade cypress swamps, looking for the unusual among animate things."

Mr. Fletcher M. Noe informs me that in the collection of the late Dr. G. M. Levette, which came into his possession, were some skulls of Wood Ibises labeled "Indiana," 1872. Mr. Noe has very kindly placed in my collection a skull from the same source, which he assures me was labeled "Indiana, 1874." Mr. E. J. Chansler informs me that Dr. Smith, of Bicknell, spoke to him of a "Bald Ibis," which may have

648 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

been this bird. He also writes that Mr. Balmer, a florist and taxider- mist at Vincennes, had sent to him, in 1892, a live Wood Ibis, which had been caught in a trap on Little Swan Pond, Knox County. After a day or two it escaped.

"The Wood Ibis is a remarkable and interesting bird. In its gen- eral size, shape and color, it might be likened to a crane, being about four feet long, and standing still higher when erect; white in color, with black-tipped wings and back tail. The head is peculiar, being entirely bald in the adult bird, and having an enormously thick, heavy bill, tapering and a little decurved at the end. In Florida it is sometimes called the 'Gannet/ On the Colorado it is known as the Water Turkey. The carriage of the Wood Ibis is firm and sedate, almost stately; each leg is slowly lifted and planted with deliberate precision before the other is moved, when the birds walk unsuspicious of danger. I never saw one run rapidly, since on all the occasions, when I have been the cause of alarm, the bird took wing directly. It springs powerfully from the ground, bending low to gather strength, and for a little distance flaps hurriedly with dangling legs, as if it was much exertion to lift so heavy a body. But fairly on wing, clean of all obstacles, the flight is firm, strong and direct, performed with con- tinuous, moderately rapid beats of the wing,. except when the birds are sailing in circles, as above noted. When proceeding in a straight line the feet are stretched horizontally backward, but the head is not drawn closely in upon the breast, as is the case with Herons, so that the bird presents what may be called a top-heavy appearance, increased by the thick, large bill.

"The eggs of the Wood Ibis are like Herons', in being nearly ellip- soidal, but differ from them, as well as those of the Bay Ibis, in color, which is uniform dull white, without markings. The shell is rather rough to the touch, with a coating of softish, flaky, calcareous sub- stance. A specimen that I measured was exactly 2f inches in length by If in breadth. Two or three are said to be a nest complement/' (Dr. Coues, Birds N. W., p. 513.)

SUBORDER HERODIL HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS, ETC. XIV. FAMILY ARDEIDJE. HERONS, BITTERNS, ETC.

a1. Tail feathers, 10, very short; outer toe shorter than inner.

bl. Wing over 10. BOTAURUS. 32

b2. Wing under 10. ARDETTA. 33

a2. Tail feathers, 12, rather long; outer toe not shorter than inner.

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

649

c1. Bill long and slender, at least five times as long as its depth at base.

ARDEA. 34 c-. Bill rather short and thick, four times as long as depth at base or less.

NYCTICORAX. 35

SUBFAMILY BOTAURINJE. BITTERNS.

32. GENUS BOTAURUS HERRMANN. a1. Size, large; sexes alike; young similar.

bl. ^Ving over 9.50 ; body variegated with various shades of brown.

B. lentiginosus (Montag.). 63

*63. (190). Botaurus lentiginosus (MONTAG.).

American Bittern.

American Bittern.

Plumage of upper parts, singularly freckled with brown of various shades, blackish, tawny, and whitish; neck and under parts, ochery or tawny- white, each feather marked with a brown, dark-edged stripe; the throat line, white, with brown streaks; a velvety-black patch on each side of the neck above; crown, dull brown, witrr buff superciliary stripe; tail, brown; quills, greenish-black, with a glaucous shade, brown tipped; bill, black and yellowish; legs, greenish; soles, yellow.

Length, 24.00-34.00; wing, 9.80-12.00; bill, 2.50-3.20; tarsus, 3.10- 3.85.

EANGE. — Temperate North America north to Hudson Bay. Breeds chiefly north of the latitude of the mouth of the Ohio River to about 60°. Winters from south Indiana and Illinois to Gautemala and West Indies.

Nest, in swampy places on the ground. Eggs, 3-5; brownish-drab; about 2.00 by 1.50.

650 BEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Begular migrant; tolerably common; summer resident in suitable localities, especially in the northern part of the State, where, in some places, it breeds commonly. In mild winters it sometimes remains among the ponds and swamps of the lower Wabash Valley.

There the last late migrants find their way in November, and Mr. E. J. Chansler has reported them in Knox County through December (1883), and in January.

Head of American Bittern. Natural size.

The Bittern is much more common during migrations some years than others. To the unobserving, even in the vicinity 'of its favorite haunts, it seems to be of unusual occurrence, while throughout the hilly and rolling land of southern Indiana, and the better drained middle portion of the State, where it only occurs during migrations, the occasional one seen tells to most persons no story of the unseen multitude that has passed over to or from their reedy summer homes. To them it is a rare and curious bird.

Some years the migrations begin in March. The year 1893 was the earliest for Bittern movements in twenty years observation. Prof. W. S. Blatchley found it at Terre Haute March. 22, and the first arrived at Greensburg March 23 (Shannon).

In 1885 the first was seen at Brookville April 3, and in 1888 at Vin- cennes April 3 (Balmer). While it occasionally reaches the vicinity of Chicago by April 10 (Parker), its record at Petersburg, Mich., April 7, 1886 (Trombley) is the earliest within the district noted at that lati- tude. Usually, however, it is found throughout southern Indiana be- tween April 5 and 25, though sometimes one is to be seen early in May, and in the northern part of the State April 15 to May 10.

They nest on the ground in marshes, the nests being sometimes sur- rounded by or floating in water. It does not associate with other Herons, and never breeds in colonies.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 651

JDr. Morris Gibbt- tc-lls UP it utter,- three kiiuU <>!' note-. rr\vo of these are loud sounding, and one, a low, guttural utterance, seldom heard, unless one is near the bird when it is given. He says: "The love song is singular in the extreme, and when once heard is never to be forgotten. It is performed and uttered, for the movements in ut- tering the noise are as singular as the notes, invariably when the bird is standing in the marsh. The sounds so nearly resemble the words plum pudden that the bird has received this name. These syllables are repeated from four to eight times, generally six or seven times. The accent is on the pud, the final syllable, den, being less distinct than the other. The sounds coming from the marsh are mysterious, and seem almost unearthly. Not like the notes of any other birds of Michigan, they are easily learned, and once heard are never to be forgotten. The other name of Stake Driver is also earned by its peculiar, well-defined notes, lea, whack, lea, whack, uttered like the others, in a most method- ical and apparently strained manner.

The bird, I believe only the male, when uttering either of its pe- culiar song's, has a most remarkable series of movements to go through, which are ludicrous in the extreme to the observer, though seriously, and I doubt not pompously, performed by Botaurus in his efforts at propitiating his loved one, or later in acknowledging his success as a benedictine boss of the marsh." (0. & 0., Vol. XIV, 1889, p. 120.)

In the most common illusions to the spring song of the Bittern it is called "booming."' Others think its vocal performance at times re- sembles the noise made by an old wooden stock pump.

The nesting begins soon after arrival and continues through May and June. Mr. Ruthven Deane tells me of finding «, nest containing four quite fresh eggs at English Lake, June 10, 1888. The nest was a loose, structure of broken cane, floating on the water, built about one foot high. A large snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) was on the side of the nest, evidently with the intention of capturing the eggs or sitting bird, who was sitting unconcerned. Mr. C. E. Aiken found it breeding abundantly along the Calumet Eiver in May, 1871. It has also been reported as breeding in the following counties: Lake (Meyer, Toppan, Parker), Knox and Gibson (Eidgway), Porter (Byrkit), Vigo (Evermann), Boone (Beasley), Laporte (Barber), Dekalb (Feagler, H. W. McBride), Wabash (Bell), Steuben and Lagrange (H. W. Mc- Bride).

They live upon fish, frogs, lizards, crawfish, insects, meadow mice and such other food as is found in the marshes and wet meadows.

The southward migration begins in August. They were very com- mon at English Lake August 8, 1897. (Deane.) I have taken it in

652 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Franklin County August 18, 1896. They keep stringing along through September, October, and some years, the greater part of November. Mr. Beasley noted five in Boone County November 8, 1894, and Prof. W. P. Shannon saw one at Greensburg November 21, 1896.

33. GENUS ARDETTA GRAY.

a1. Size very small; sexes unlike; young unlike adult.

61. Wing under 9.50; color above, male glossy black, female brown; under parts buflfy. A. exilis (Gmel.). 64

*64. (191). Ardetta exilis (GMEL.).

Least Bittern.

Male. — With the slightest crested crown; back and tail, glossy green- ish-black; neck behind, most of the wing coverts and outer edges of inner quills, rich chestnut; other wing coverts, brownish-yellow varied with white along the throat line, the sides of the breast with a black- ish-brown patch; bill and lores, mostly pale yellow, the bill black- ish; eyes and soles, yellow; legs, greenish-yellow. Female. — With the black of the back entirely, that of the crown mostly or wholly, replaced by rich purplish-chestnut, the edges of the scapulars forming a brown- ish-white stripe on either side.

Length, 12.00-14.25; wing, 4.30-5.25; bill, 1.60-1.90; tarsus, 1.50- 1.75.

EANGE. — America, north to British Provinces. York Factory, Mani- toba, Ontario. Winters from southern Florida southward. Breeds throughout its range.

Nest, among reeds and swamp vegetation, of rushes. Eggs, 3-5; white, often greenish; 1.20 by .93.

Regular migrant; generally rare, but locally somewhat common; summer resident in suitable localities; some places common.

In the southern half of the State, outside of the immediate valley of the Wabash, it does not breed and is very rare. Two specimens were taken at Brookville years ago (Dr. Haymond). Besides these the only records for that part of the State are a specimen taken by Mr. E. L. Guthrie at Adams, Decatur County, in May, 1884, and one re- ported by Edw. Hughes, from the same place, May 15, 1890.

As migrants they are noted the latter part of April, in May and in September and October. The earliest record for the State is from Wabash County, where it was taken April 19, 1894. (Ulrey and Wal- lace, P. I. A. S., 1895, p. 150.)

Perhaps they begin their return migration in August, but I have no dates before early September. They were found at Hyde Lake

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 653

September 10, 1892 (Parker); at Sandusky, 0., September 28, 1896 (Mosely), and Mr. Chas. Dury informs me of their occurrence at Eng- lish Lake in October. There are specimens of this bird in the State Museum taken in Boone County. Mr. Euthven Deane found a number at English Lake August 8, 1897.

"Breeds abundantly abo-ut Hyde Lake and Calumet, 111., and at Wolf Lake, at Kouts and Liverpool, Ind., laying three or four green- ish-white eggs in a nest just above the water" (Parker). Has also been reported breeding in Lake County by Mr. George L. Toppan, Mr. H. K. Coale and Mr. L. T. Meyer. Mr. C. E. Aiken, Starke County, English Lake, "saw several and found nest built of loose, dry cane, attached to the reeds three feet above water," June 10, 1888 (Deane); same locality (Dury); Dekalb County (McBride, Mrs. Jane L. Hine, Feagler); Vigo County, "a number breeding May 31, 1890" (Evennann); Boone County (Beasley); Laporte (Barber).

The account of his observations concerning their habits at breed- ing time has been very kindly furnished me by Prof. Evermann. He says: "I first discovered the nests of this bird May 31, 1890, while gathering water lilies in the pond (Goose Pond, nine miles south of Terre Haute). The water does not, in spring at least, reach a greater depth than three feet in its deeper parts. The center of the pond is filled with water lilies (Nuphar and NympTioea), which were then in bloom, while in the more shallow water are rank growths of cat-tails, rushes (Equisetum limosum), sedges (Sagittaria), pickerel weed (Pel- tandra undulata), etc. We found on this day twelve nests, containing altogether forty-three eggs of the Least Bittern. A week later, June 6, I found two more nests, containing four and five eggs, respectively. I usually found the nest from a few inches to a foot above the water, placed upon a few stems or leaves of the cat-tail, which the bird had evidently bent down and arranged into a very shallow, insecure nest. In a few cases the nests were made of the leaves of Sagittaria or Pel- tandra, pressed down as were those of the cat-tail. I did not see the bird on the nest in a single case, so watchful and shy are they. In most cases, however, the bird would rise from the cat-tails and fly away, and I was usually able to find a nest not far from where it arose. I did not find more than five eggs in any set (1-5, 1-5, 1-4, 1-4, 1-4, 1-4, 1-4, 1-1, 1-1, 1-3 and 1-3 May 31, and 1-4, 1-5 June 6), while most sets contained but four. All the eggs taken May 31 were fresh, and no doubt many of these sets. containing but four eggs were not complete." Mr. Blatchley also obtained some eggs from the same pond.

It also nests on the ground, and is said sometimes to build in a bush. (Cook, B. of Mich., p. 50.) We are also assured in the same pub-

654 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

cation that they build false nests and that the male assists in incubat- ing. They rear two broods a year, Dr. Langdon thinks, as he found incomplete sets early in July near Sandusky, 0. (J. C. S. N. H., Ill, 1880, p. 227.)

Cory's Bittern, Botaurus neoxena Cory, has been taken in Ontario and Michigan, and should be sought in Indiana. Its habits are similar to those of this species and it frequents similar places. The following is its description:

Top of the head, back and tail, dark greenish-black, showing a green gloss when held to the light; sides of the head and throat rufous- chestnut; the feathers on the back of the neck showing greenish-black tips; breast and under parts, nearly uniform rufous-chestnut, shading into dull black on the side; wing coverts, dark rufous-chestnut; under- wing coverts, paler chestnut; all the remiges entirely slaty, plumbeous; under tail coverts, uniform dull black. Total length, 10.80; wing, 4.30; tarsus, 1.40; bill, 1.80.

RANGE. — Florida, Okeechobee region. In Florida it is called "Black Bittern" to .distinguish it from the "Least Bittern," which is called "Brown Bittern."

SUBFAMILY ARDEINvE. HERONS AND EGRETS. 34. GENUS ARDEA LINNJEUS.

a1. Bill shorter than tarsus.

bl. Tarsus less than twice the length of middle toe without claw. c1. Wing over 14.00.

dl. Color chiefly bluish; wing over 17.00. Subgenus ARDEA. e1. Top of head (sometimes entire head) white.

A. wuerdemanni Baird. 65 «2. Top of head, including occipital plumes, black.

A. herodias Linn. 66

d2. Color white ; wing less than 17.00. Subgenus HERODIAS Boie. c2. Wing under 11.00. A. egretta Gmel. 67

f1. Color entirely white ; plumes of breeding season very long, curved backward, with loose webs. . Subgenus GARZETTA Kaup.

A. candidissima Gmel. 68

/2. Tips of primaries bluish; sometimes most of plumage bluish; plumes of breeding season slender, with compact webs. Subgenus FLORIDA Baird. A. cserulea Linn. 70

a*. Bill not shorter than tarsus.

g1. Wing more than 8.00. Subgenus HYDRANASSA Baird.

A. tricolor ruficollis (Gosse) . 69 <jf2. Wing not more than 8.00. Subgenus BUTOROIDES Blyth.

A. virescens Linn. 71

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 655

Subgenus ARDEA.

65. ( — )• Ardea wuerdemanni BAIRD.

Wurdemann's Heron.

Adult. — Head, entirely white, forehead, streaked with blackish; nearly uniform bluish-gray above; lower parts, white, narrowly striped or streaked with black; thighs and edge of wing, cinnamon-rufous. Young. — Forehead and crown, dull slate color, narrowly streaked with white; feathers of occiput, white, with dusky tips; wing coverts, spotted with rusty, the lower and more posterior with large wedge-shaped white spots. (Eidgway.)

Length, 48.00-50.00; wing, 20.00-21.00; bill, 5.95-6.50; tarsus, 7.95- 8.25.

EANGE. — Florida; accidental in southern Illinois and Indiana.

Nest, of sticks in trees. Eggs, about 2.60 by 1.84.

Accidental visitor. Mr. Ridgway reports positively identifying this species in Knox and Gibson counties in 1876. I know of no other account of its occurrence in the State. This is doubtless the same specimen to which he refers as having been seen on several occasions from September 4 to 22, inclusive, at Grand Rapids, in the Wabash River near Mt. Carmel, 111. (Birds of Illinois, II, p. 121.)

This species is now included in the "hypothetical list" by the Amer- ican Ornithologists' Union. Its relationship is not definitely known, but it is believed to be either the colored phase of A. occidentalis Aud. or an abnormal specimen of A. wardi Ridgw. (A. 0. U. check list 1895, p. 328.) Until its status is determined it should retain its posi- tion in our list.

*66. (194). Ardea herodias LINN.

Great Blue Heron. Synonym, BLUE CRANED

Sexes similar. Female much smaller than male. Adult of both sexes grayish-blue above, the neck pale purplish-brown, with a white throat line; the head black, with a white frontal patch; the under- parts mostly black, streaked with white; tibia, edge of wing and some of the lower neck feathers, orange-brown; bill and eyes, yellow; bill, dusky; lores and legs, greenish. The young differ considerably, but are never white, and can not be confounded with any of the succeeding species.

656

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, about 42.00-50.00; wing, 17.90-19.85; bill, 4.30-6.25; tarsus, 6.00-8.00.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia Valley and Venezuela north to Hudson Bay and Sitka. Breeds locally throughout its range. Winters from southern Indiana and southern Illinois south.

Great Blue Heron.

Nest, of sticks, in trees. Eggs, 3-6; greenish-blue; 2.50 by 1.50.

Common migrant and summer resident; rare winter resident south- ward. Breeding abundantly in suitable localities in the northern half of the State and in Knox and Gibson counties. (Ridgway, Chansler.) It may breed at other points in the Wabash Valley. I cannot learn of its breeding along the Whitewater, but it has been re-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 657

ported as breeding on the "Great Miami." (Langdon, revised list, Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., January, 1879, p. 183.) They usually breed in communities of greater or less size, known as "heronries," but are occasionally found erecting solitary nests. Mr. C. E. Aiken, well known for his observations on the birds of Colorado, as well as of this State and Illinois, has very kindly written me his experience at a heronry known as "Crane Heaven/' occupying thirty or forty acres along the Kankakee Eiver some twenty miles above Water Valley. He was there in May, 1886. "The locality is a timbered belt, the ground being submerged with twelve to eighteen inches of water at the time. At our approach, upon the discharge of a gun, the birds arose with a noise like thunder and hovered in hundreds above the tree tops. They were of three species — the Great Blue Herons (A. herodias) and the Black-crowned Night Herons (N. nycticorax ncevius) comprising the majority; but the beautiful white plumage of the American Egret (A. egretta) was conspicuous through the feathered cloud, and these birds were quite numerous.

"Nearly all the trees throughout the area were loaded with nests, those of the two species first named being found upon the same tree, but the latter birds appeared to build in little groups by themselves. We did not climb to examine the nests, but most of them appeared to contain young birds. Many of the trees were dead, apparently from the effects of the birds building and roosting upon them."

Mr. T. H. Ball informs me of two heronries in Lake County, one, called "Cranetown," in the southeastern corner of the county, and another in sections 5 and 6, north of the Brown Ditch — township 32, range 7, west.

Mr. Euthven Deane has given me some observations on a heronry called "Crane Heaven" near English Lake, which, March 18, 1894, was occupied almost exclusively by Great Blue Herons, though quite a number of Black-crowned Night Herons always breed there.

Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me of a large colony on the Kankakee Eiver nine miles south of Kouts, Ind. On April 14, 1894, he reports the heronry filled with birds nesting.

Mr. E. B. Trouslot, April 25, 1887, wrote me of a visit recently made by him from Valparaiso to "Cranetown," in Jasper County. There were, he said, thousands of Great Blue Herons nesting, and he saw one American Egret.

Mr. Chas. Dury also speaks of their building at English Lake.

Mr. L. T. Meyer, in 1886, wrote me of their building in the Kanka- kee Marsh in great numbers, nesting in communities.

42— GEOL.

658 REFOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

It is reported breeding in Steuben County by Mr. J. 0. Snyder, and at Golden Lake, that county, by Mr. J. P. Feagler and Mr. H. W. Mc- Bride. Mr. McBride says that this heronry is known as "Crane- town." The place is an almost inaccessible bayou, covered for the most part by very large elm trees. In these trees every year breed great numbers of Great Blue Herons.

Prof. B. W. Evermann records two large heronries and one small one in Carroll County. He found as many as thirteen nests on one tree, and many other trees contained from three to ten nests each. (The Auk, October, 1888, p. 347.)

Mr. E. R. Quick says there was a heronry about ten miles south of Frankfort, in Clinton County.

They have alscrbeen reported to have bred in the following counties: Vigo (Evermann), Allen (Stockridge), Dekalb (McBride, Mrs. Hine), Clinton (Ghere), Tippecanoe, at mouth of Tippecanoe River (Dr. E. Test). Almost all of these friends have testified to the effects of many destructive influences resulting from man's efforts to reclaim the land for tillage or from wantonness in times when he gave himself to sport or recreation. Swamps have been drained, trees felled, fire ravaged the heronries, the birds have been shot or driven away and the eggs permit- ted to spoil or the young perish. A number of colonies have been exter- minated. All are year by year growing less. The people who live near the remaining heronies should protect the birds that are left. They do them no ill, but only good.

After the birds are reared they, to a greater or less extent, wan- der about the State. They arrive so early and nest so soon after arrival that when they appear many think they are late migrants or possibly summer residents. In the southern part of the State they occasionally pass the winter. The earliest migrant was noted by Prof. Evermann in Carroll County, February 14, 1885; Dekalb County, February 22, 1890 (H. W. McBride); March 11, 1894, Mr. Deane found one in "Crane Heaven," English Lake. This is the earliest date at a heronry. They usually appear at the heronries in March, the bulk arriving before April 15. Throughout the State they are found straggling along through April and occasionally until late in May; Richmond May 21, 1897 (Hadley). These stragglers must. breed much later than the others, if at all. Mr. R. B. Trouslot reports taking two sets of eggs before April 25, 1887, and Mr. Deane reports young in some of the nests at English Lake, May 4, 1890.

They begin their fall migrations in August and continue passing through September and October, a few remaining sometimes late into November. I observed them at Brookville August 30 (1887). Mr.

BIRDS or INDIANA. G59

Deane reported two at English Lake November 16, 1892. Mr. E. J. Chans] er found it in Knox County December 9, 1896. They feed largely on fish and frogs.

SUBGKNUS HEROD I AS HOIK.

-67, (1^6). Ardea egretta GMEL.

American Egret. Synonyms, GREAT WHITE HERON, WHITE CRANE.

Plumage entirely white, in breeding season, with long plumes pro- jecting from the back and drooping beyond the tail; bill, lores and eyes, yellow; legs and feet, black.

Length, 37.00-41.00; wing, 14.10-16.80; bill, 4.20-4.90; tarsus, 5.50- 6.80.

EANGE. — Temperate and tropical America, from New Jersey, Min- nesota and Oregon south to Patagonia; casually on the Atlantic Coast to Nova Scotia. Breeds northward to northern Indiana.

Nest, in trees or bushes over water, of sticks. Eggs, 3-5; dull blue; 2.28 by 1.60. Usually breeds in colonies.

Eegular migrant and summer resident, formerly tolerably common, becoming rare. Breeds in some numbers locally in the northern part of the State and in the lower Wabash Valley in situations similar to those occupied by the last mentioned species, and generally associated in the same colony with them. For many years they have been known to breed in Knox and Gibson counties, and the fact that throughout the summer they were found over the State seemed to in- dicate that they must certainly have a breeding ground somewhere farther north than any yet reported. Their occurrence has been ex- plained upon the theory that some birds, particularly herons, were given to wandering northward after the breeding season, and most of the vagrants were young birds. Further, this heron was practically unknown within the State in early spring before the herons nesting time. Now we know that it still breeds in some, and did very recently in all, of at least six or eight of the counties in northern Indiana; also, that it is very rarely, indeed, observed in its northward migrations be- fore breeding time. This indicates these herons migrate at night. They are usually seen at the breeding grounds, nesting or preparing to, before they are reported by the observers throughout the State. Ap- parently they proceed directly to the heronries, and the few seen later are stragglers, who would arrive too late to take part in the important work of nesting at the northern colonies.

660 BEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Mr. E. J. Chansler has informed me of their breeding at Swan and Grassy Ponds, Daviess County. The summer of 1897 he visited these ponds and learned that Egrets had been very scarce that year. On Swan Pond, where formerly a thousand could be seen in one flock, none were found. Daviess County adjoins Knox and Gibson, where Mr. Bidg- way has reported them nesting. Mrs. Jane L. Hine and Mr. H. W. McBride have reported them nesting in Dekalb County. Mr. Mc- Bride says at the heronry .at Golden Lake, Steuben County, for several years, he often saw a pair of these birds among the many Great Blue Herons, and while satisfied they nested, he could not determine which nest was theirs. A hunter well known to Mr. McBride informed him of shooting a "White Crane," which he described, from its nest at Wolf Lake, Noble County. This must have been the present species.

Mr.E.B.Trouslot,on the occasion of his visit to "Cranetown," Jasper County, in April, 1887, among the thousands of Great Blue Herons breeding, found a few American Egrets, but did not identify their nests. As is noted under the last species, Mr. C. E. Aiken found them breeding quite numerously with that species at "Crane Heaven," on the Kankakee Elver some twenty miles above Water Valley. Mr. F. M. Woodruff and Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., both of Chi- cago, have kindly furnished me with separate accounts of the breed- ing of the American Egret in Porter County at different dates, but whether the locality referred to is the same, I do not know. Mr. Woodruff says Mr. Chas. Eldridge found this bird breeding at Kouts, Ind., in May, 1885, ajid took a large number of their eggs. He found their nests in the same trees with those of the Great Blue Heron. He adds: "I visited the heronries last June (1896), and did not see a single specimen of the White Egret. In the fall of 1895 a terrible fire swept through the timber along the Kankakee Eiver, which probably accounts for the depopulated state of the heronries."

Mr. Parker informs me that Mr. George Wilcox found quite a num- ber breeding in a heronry with the last species near Kouts, Ind., dur- ing May, 1895. Mr. Parker himself visited the place in the spring of 1896, and found only a few A. herodias occupying the heronry. He thinks the small number of those found was due to the fact that a heavy fire swept through the timber in the fall of 1895. The same gentleman observed a flock of about twenty-five at Liverpool August 27, 1887. By this time most of them have gone through. There are a few references to its rare occurrence later. Prof. Evermann has noted it in Carroll County in early September. Mr. Deane has seen it at English Lake in September, and Dr. Langdon notes it, upon the authority of Mr. Porter, near Sandusky,0.,in that month. In Florida,

BIRDS or INDIANA. 661

where these birds were found a quarter of a century ago in an in- numerable company, arrayed in dazzling white where lagoons were bordered by their snowy forms, and the bushy breeding grounds cov- ering a wide area, glistened in the sun, they have, at fashion's bidding, been offered upon the altar, and countless as their numbers seemed to be, they have in a very few short years been al- most exterminated for the adornment of the women of our own and other lands. An excellent article on this subject is given by W. E. D. Scott in the Auk, 1887, p. 135.

They pass the winter farther south than the Great Blue Heron and are a little later in beginning their migrations in the spring. Yet I feel satisfied that they migrate much earlier than we have been accus- tomed to think. Mr. Nelson mentions its occurrence at Evanston 111., March 31, 1895. (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. 131.) The earliest record for Indiana is that given by Prof. Evermann from Bloomington, April 10, 1887. I have records for that month from Putnam and De- catur counties, outside of the region where they breed. A few straggle along through, May.

One was found as far away from the, swamps where they breed as Decatur County, June 23, 1894. The latter part of July they begin to wander about the country in numbers, sometimes singly, but often in small flocks of two to a dozen, and occasion- ally in larger bodies of twenty-five to thirty individuals, gradually making their way southward. A summer when there has been ample rainfall and the leaves of the fringing trees along the rivers are dense and dark green, the sight of a large flock of these snow-white birds flying through them or alighted among their foliage is one that ever clings to me as a memory of such an August. I have never seen them at Brookville earlier than July 27 (1887) or later than August 11 (1886). There is no record of their occurrence in the Whitewater Valley in spring. Mr. F. M. Woodruff, in speaking of a trip into Lake County, August 18, 1885, says: "As we passed through the long stretch of swamp woods lying between Whiting and Clark stations we observed large flocks of the American Egret on almost all of the ponds of any size along the line of the road. They did not appear to be frightened by the train, and only those within forty or fifty yards of the train would fly. At Liverpool we found the birds on the Little Calumet Eiver in small flocks of two to six or eight."

662 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

SIHGKNUS GARZETTA KAUP.

*68. (197). Ardea candidissima (GMEL.).

Snowy Heron.

Adult. — In breeding season "with a long occipital crest of decom- posed feathers and similar dorsal plumes, latter recurved when per- fect; similar, but not recurved plumes on the lower neck, which is bare behind; lores, eyes and toes, yellow; bill and legs, black, former yellow at base, latter yellow at lower part behind; plumage always en- tirely white." (Mcllwraith, Birds of Ontario.) Smaller than the last. Adult, after breeding season, and immature without dorsal plumes.

Length, 24.00; wing, 11.00-12.00; bill, 3.00; tarsus, 3.50-4.00.

RANGE. — Temperate and tropical America, from Long Island and Oregon south to Argentine Eepublic and Chili; casually to Nova Scotia and southern British Columbia. Minnesota. Breeds north to southern Indiana.

Nest, in trees and bushes, of sticks. Eggs, 3-5; pale, dull blue; 1.82 by 1.22.

Migrant and summer resident in southern part of the State; not common; breeding locally in the lower Wabash Valley. Mr. Bldgway informs me of its breeding in Knox and Gibson counties. Mr. E. J. Chansler tells me of its occurrence at Swan and Grassy ponds, Daviess County, where he thinks it breeds. Prof. J. A. Balmer says though they varied in numbers from year to year, they were quite constant summer residents in Knox County in 1890. They were common about Swan Pond. This, so far as known, is its most northern breeding ground. After breeding they roam over the country, some extending their journeys, as may be gathered from reported occurrences, into Michigan, Ontario and Manitoba. They are smaller birds than the last species, but are exceedingly graceful. Their range is not so ex- tensive and their numbers are less with us. They have been noted in Lake County (L. T. Meyer), Allen County (C. A. Stockbridge), Frank- lin County (E. R. Quick), Jefferson County (Hubbard), and lower Wabash Valley (Stein). Some of these records may refer to the larger species last mentioned.

Like the American Egret, the Snowy Heron is guilty of wearing through the breeding season beautiful plumes. These are the orna- ments technically called "aigrettes" by the millinery trade. To secure them the death of the bird is necessary. This necessity has led to the destruction of the larger part of the great numbers of these beautiful, graceful birds, which were so characteristic an aspect of the southern landscape a few years ago. These birds were not injurious; they were

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 663

the friend of man. They were sacrificed for the necessity of fashion. "Necessity knows no law." To ornament the devotees of fashion for a brief season it was necessary to destroy one of the most graceful and characteristic ornaments of this beautiful land of ours.

SUBGENUS HYDRANASSA BAIRD.

69. (199). Ardea tricolor ruficollis (GOSSE).

Louisiana Heron.

Adult. — Head, neck and upper parts bluish plumbeous; plumes of occiput and nape, rich maroon purplish and plumbeous-blue; chin and upper part of throat, pure white, continued in streaks, mixed with rufdus and plumbeous down the foreneck; scapular plumes, light drab; lower parts, plain white. Immature. — Head and neck, chiefly light rusty; the malar region, chin and throat, pure white; foreneck streaked white and rusty; lower parts, rump and upper tail coverts, pure white; upper parts (except rump, etc.), plumbeous, the back tinged and the wing coverts spotted with rusty; legs, yellowish behind, blackish be- fore; lower mandible and lores, orange; upper mandible, black.

Length, 23.00-28.00; wing, 8.35-10.80; bill, 3.30-4.15; tarsus, 3.20- 4.15.

EANGE. — Gulf States, Mexico (both coasts), Central America and West Indies; casually northward to New Jersey and Indiana.

Nest, similar to that of Snowy Heron. Eggs, 2-4, sometimes 5; bluish-green; 1.75-1.80 by 1.30-1.40.

Bare summer visitor. Mr. F. T. Jencks identified ft near Hannah, Starke County, in June, 1876. (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, April, 1877, p. 51.) Mr. E, J. Chansler reports having seen it in Knox County the summer of 1894.

This is a bird of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. No other records are reported of its occurrence so far inland.

SUBGKNUS FLORIDA BAIRD.

*70, (200). Ardea caerulea LINN.

Little Blue Heron.

Adult. — Usually uniform dark slate blue, with maroon-colored head and neck, but not infreq.uently "pied," with white, or even almost wholly white, with bluish tips to longer quills. Young. — Usually pure white, with longer quills tipped with, slate blue; legs, feet and lores, greenish-yellow.

664 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 20.00-29.50; wing, 9.00-10.60; bill, 2.70-3.30; tarsus, 3.15- 4.00.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia and Guiana north to New Jersey, Indiana and Kansas; casually on Atlantic Coast to Maine. Breeds north to southern Indiana.

Nest, in trees or bushes. Eggs, 2-4; bluish-green; 1.60-1.82 by 1.25- 1.35.

Summer resident in the lower Wabash Valley. There it was first noted by Dr. F. Stein, perhaps in 1874. Mr. Robert Ridgway then noted it in Knox and Gibson counties, where it breeds. He informed me about eight years ago it was found abundantly along that part of the Wabash River every summer. Mr. E. J. Chansler has more re- cently informed me of its breeding. In 1896 he noted it as early as April 18, arid the latest fall record I have is September 24, 1895.

SUPGENUS BUTORIDES BLYTH.

•*71. (201). Ardea virescens LINN.

Green Heron.

Adult* — In breeding season, with the crown, long, soft occipital crest and lengthened narrow feathers of the back, lustrous dark green, sometimes with a bronzy iridescence, and on the back often with a glaucous cast; wing coverts, green, with conspicuous tawny edgings; neck, purplish-chestnut, the throat line variegated with dusky or whitish; under parts, mostly dark brownish-ash; belly, variegated with white; quills and tail, greenish-dusky, with a glaucous shade; edge of the wing, white, some of the quills usually white tipped; bill, greenish- black, much of the under mandible yellow; lores and iris, yellow; legs, greenish-yellow; lower neck, with lengthened feathers in front, a bare space behind. Young. — "With the head less crested, the back without long plumes, but glossy-greenish; neck, merely reddish-brown and whole under parts white, variegated with tawny and dark brown.

Length, 15.50-22.50; wing, 6.30-8.00; bill, 2.00-2.55; tarsus, 1.75- 2.15.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia, Venezuela and West Indies north to Ontario, Manitoba and Oregon. Breeds north to limit of its range. Winters from Florida southward.

Nest, of sticks, in small tree or bush, sometimes in orchard. Eggs, 3-6; pale greenish-blue; 1.50 by 1.14.

Summer resident throughout the State. This small heron is found wherever there is water, about streams, ponds and lakes. It usually

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 665

makes its nest not far from water, often in orchards. These birds are commonly known as "Schytepoke," "Poke" and "Fly-up-the-creek."

It usually appears in the southern part of the State between April 10 and May 1, and in the northern part from April 18 to May 5. I have noted it at Brookville as early as April 12 (1881), and Prof. Blatchley reported it from Terre Haute April 13 (1888). The follow- ing dates of its first appearance at Brookville for a number of years, excepting the one above noted, will give an idea of its variations year after year: 1882, April 18; 1883, April 13; 1884, April 15; 1885, April 18; 1887, April 21; 1889, April 19; 1892, April 25; 1896, May 1.

They begin nesting immediately upon arriving, usually, selecting a thicket or second growth near the water. They often breed in orchards, frequently at some distance from water. They usually nest singly, but sometimes in colonies. (Ridgway.)

The nests are sometimes placed from eight to twenty feet above the ground. Prof. Evermann found full sets of eggs in Carroll County by May 15, and Mrs. Hine reports the bird sitting in Dekalb County May 15, 1897. Mr. H. 1ST. McCoy caught young ready to fly near Rich- mond, May 19, 1886. After leaving the nest the family keeps together for some time; then they may be found along the streams and about the ponds and sloughs. Sometimes they are standing upon the shore; at others upon a drift pile; again upon a log or pole above the water, but more frequently, perhaps, upon a tree or bush, from which the ap- proach of the intruder will frighten them to an awkward flight, which is usually preceded or accompanied by a startled squawk. In some localities they are becoming less common than formerly, but still it is the most common and best known heron in the State. In the northern part of the State they are leaving late in August, and by early Septem- ber seem to have left. Steuben County, Aug. 15, 1894 (Cass); Tippe- canoe County, September 4, 1896; Warren County, September 22, 1897 (Barnett). In the southern portion of the State they remain later some years, but not often far into October. Brookville, October 11, 1886; October 1, 1889. Greensburg, October 17, 1894 (Shannon), is the latest fall record.

666 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

35. GENUS XYCTICORAX STKPHENS.

a1. Bill about as long as tarsus; gonys nearly straight. Subgenus NYCTICORAX.

N. nycticorax naevius (Bodd.). 72 a2. Bill much shorter than tarsus; gonys convex.

Subgenus NYCTINASSA Stejneger. N. violaceus (Linn.). 73

Subgenus NYCTICORAX.

*72. (202). Nycticorax nycticorax nsevius (BODD.).

Black-crowned Night Heron. Synonyms, QUAWK, SQUAWK, QUA-BIRD.

Adult. — Crown, scapulars and interscapulars, very dark glossy- green; general plumage, bluish-gray, more or less tinged with lilac; forehead, throat line and most under parts, whitish; two or three oc- cipital plumes about 8.00 long, white; bill, black; lores, greenish; eyes, red; feet, yellow. Young. — Very different, lacking the plumes; grayish-brown; paler below, extensively speckled with white; quills, chocolate-brown,- white-tipped.

Length, about 23.00-26.00; wing, 11.00-12.80; bill, 2.80-3.10; tarsus. 3.10-3.40.

KANGE. — America, Falkland Islands and Chili north to Manitoba and Ontario. Breeds north to limit of its range. Winters from Gulf States south.

• Nest, of sticks, usually in trees; sometimes in colonies. Eggs, 4-6; pale greenish-blue; 2.01 by 1.47.

Eegular migrant and summer resident. Breeds locally in north- ern part of the State in some numbers, in colonies, by themselves or with other herons.

They arrive in the spring about the time of the last species. The earliest date I have comes from its breeding ground, Liverpool, Ind., April 10, 1897 (Parker). This indicates that some, at least, pro- ceed straight to their heronries and others follow along more leisurely. The following dates give the time of its first appearance in Indiana for a number of years: Carroll County, April 30, 1878 (Evermann); Brookville, April 28, 1883; Marion County, April 18, 1884 (Noe); Brookville, May 6, 1885; English Lake, May 6, 1888 (Deane); Dekalb County, April 29, 1893 (Mrs. Hine); Greensburg, April 14, 1894 (Shannon).

The migration is over early in May, and by the latter part of that month nests can be found, although some of them continue building well into June. There is a heronry where they breed at English Lake. (Deane.) Two nests were found there May 25 and 26, 1889, and June

BLRDS OF INDIANA. 667

10, 1888, there were large numbers in the heronry. Many were flying over, carrying sticks and building.

The heronry "Crane Heaven" mentioned under Great Blue Heron, upon authority of Mr. C. E. Aiken, some twenty miles above Water Valley on the Kankakee, contained, in 1886, great numbers of this species. They were nesting upon the same trees with A. herodias. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me that a large colony breeds every year in Sandy Hook Marsh, on the Kankakee Elver, two miles south of Kouts. The young, fully fledged, are taken through June and July. Ordinarily they depart in September and early October. Occasionally, however, a few are found well into November. These late birds gener- ally are young. Prof. B. W. Evermann took a young female in Carroll County November 24, 1884. This is the latest record I have. Mr. A. W. Hamilton took a young bird at Zanesville, Wells County, November 12, 1896. Mr. Kuthven Deane reports two specimens at English Lake November 16, 1892.

They are usually nocturnal in their habits, but sometimes, espe- cially after the young are hatched, they may be seen hunting food by day, as well as by night. The common name given to it by those who live near its colonies, on account of its note, is "Quawk."

SUBGKXUS NYCTINASSA STKJNEGER.

*73. (203). Nycticorax violaceus (LINN )

Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Synonym, WHITE-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.

Adult. — Top of head and elongated patch on side of head, white, the first often stained with rusty brown, and in freshly killed or living specimens deeply tinted with delicate primrose-yellow; rest of head, black; plumage in general, bluish-plumbeous, plain beneath, but on upper parts striped with black. Immature. — Top of head, black; above, sooty grayish-brown, streaked with dull white or pale buff, the streaks more wedge-shaped on wing coverts; lower parts, soiled whitish, striped with brownish-grajr.

Length, 22.00-28.00; wing, 10.50-12.65; bill, 2.50-3.00, tarsus, 3.10- 4.20.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil north to South Carolina, southern Indiana, lower California, casually to Massachusetts and Colorado. Breeds from southern Indiana southward.

Nest, of sticks, in trees. Eggs, 4-5; pale, bluish-green; 1.96 by 1.42.

Common summer resident in some localities in the lower Wabash Valley. Breeds in colonies.

668 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Mr. Eobert Ridgway says: "At Monteur's Pond, about eight miles east of Vincennes, Ind., it is the most numerous species of Heron, far outnumbering all other kinds together, during several visits there in different years." (Birds of 111., Vol. II, p. 136.) In an account of a visit to the locality above mentioned in the spring of 1881, the same writer noted "a colony of perhaps a hundred pairs having their nests among the tall ash and sweet-gum trees, in a creek bottom, near the edge of the pond." The nests are mostly at a considerable height, and few of them are readily accessible. They were just beginning to lay, and were frightened away from the locality during a Vet spelP by squirrel hunters. A female was shot from her nest April 27, and a perfect egg cut from her oviduct. Several fine specimens of the bird were secured, and it was noticed that the delicate, almost luminous, yellow buff on the forehead soon faded." (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Jan., 1882, p. 22.)

"In an .adult female shot from her nest at Wheatland, Ind., April 27, 1881, the bill and naked lores were wholly slate-black, the eyelids similar, but tinged with green anteriorly; iris, mars-orange; legs, pale olive-buff; the large scutellag of tarsus, and toes deep brownish." In the adult male in spring, according to Audubon, the unf eathered parts are colored as follows: "Bill, black; iris, reddish-orange; margins of eyelids and bare space in front of the eye, dull yellowish-green; tibia, upper part of the tarsus, its hind part, and the soles, bright yellow; the scutellae and scales, the fore part of the tarsus, the toes, and the claws, black." (Ridgway, Birds of 111., Vol. II, p. 136.)

This species is perhaps a little later migrating than that last men- tioned. The colony noted is the most northern known of this Heron. It, too, goes by the same name in some localities as the other Night Heron, "Squawk." They are said usually to build in pairs, and to be less nocturnal than the other species.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 669

F. ORDER PALUDICOL^E. CRANES, RAILS, ETC.

SUBORDER GRCJES. CRANES. XV. FAMILY GRUID^E. CRANES.

Characters same as family. GBUS. 36

36. GENUS GRUS PALLAS.

a1. Tarsus 11.00 or over. G. americana (Linn.). 74

a*. Tarsus 10.00 or less. G. mexicana (Mull.). 75

74. (204). Grus americana. (LINN.).

Whooping Crane.

Adult. — Plumage, white; the primaries, black; upper part of head and cheeks, and sides of throat, naked, red. Immature. — Plumage, white, more or less washed with light cinnamon; head, feathered.

Length, 50.00-54.00; extent, 92.00; wing, 22.00-25.00; bill, 5.35- 5.80; depth of bill at base, 1.40; tarsus, 11.00-12.00.

RANGE. — Interior of North America, Florida and Central Mexico, north to fur countries, and from Ohio to California; formerly on At- lantic coast, north to Massachusetts. Breeds from Illinois north; also on Gulf coast (Mcllhenny). Winters in Gulf States.

Nest, in marshes, of grasses, figgs, 2; oUve or olive-buff y, marked with brown and grayish; 4.04 by 2.50.

Eare migrant; formerly more common. It has been known to breed in Central Illinois (Nelson), and Clear Lake, Iowa (Cooke), and doubt- less did so in Indiana. Mr. L. T. Meyer says, in Lake County, it is exceedingly rare. It was a summer resident, but the draining of the Kankakee marshes has driven it away. Mr. Timothy H. Ball writes me of their former occurrence in Lake County, also. He says they were common, but not as abundant as the Sand Hill Crane. He thinks they nested in the big Kankakee marsh. They were beautiful objects as they stood out upon the prairie, the black on their wings contrast- ing so plainly with their white plumage. They did not come into the cornfields as the Sandhills did, but standing in the water they seemed from a distance like them, only they were white. Mr. Charles Dury, of Cincinnati, 0., informs me of its occurrence in "North Indiana;" also that there is a specimen in the Cuvier Club in that city that was taken near Bloomington, Ind. Dr. A. W. Bray ton notes that it was formerly abundant.

670 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

*75. (206). Grus mexicana (MULL).

Sandhill Crane.

Adult. — With, the bare part of head forking behind to receive a pointed extensi6n of the occipital feathers, not reaching on the sides below the eyes, and sparsely hairy; bill, moderately stout, with nearly straight and scarcely ascending gonys, that part of the under mandible not so deep as the upper at the same place; adult plumage, plumbeous gray, never whitening; primaries, and their coverts, blackish. Immature. — With head feathered and plumage varied with rusty brown; rather smaller than the last.

Length, 40.00-48.00; wing, 21.00-22.50 (21.83); bill, 5.15-6.00 (5.47); depth of bill at base, .95-1.10 (1.01); tarsus, 9.90-10.65 (10.25); middle toe, 3.40-3.60 (3.50); bare part of tarsus, 4.60-5.00 (4.78).

EANGE. — North America, north to Ontario, Michigan and Mani- toba. Most abundant from Mississippi Valley to Pacific coast. Casu- ally to Hudson Bay. Rare on Atlantic coast north of Georgia. Breeds locally throughout its range. Winters in Gulf States and Mexico.

Nest, on ground in grassy ponds and marshes, of grass, reeds, etc. Eggs, 2; olive-brown or drab, spotted with brown and gray; 3.98 by 2.44.

Regular migrant; sometimes common. Occasional summer visitor. Occasional summer resident in northwestern Indiana. Formerly breed- ing abundantly in the large marshes of the State (Brayton). It is most commonly found in the Wabash Valley and northward; elsewhere very- rare. It has been noted but once in the Whitewater Valley — Dr. Rufus Raymond saw three specimens.

Many people confound this bird with the Great Blue Heron, which is popularly known by the erroneous rjame "Blue Crane/''

The Herons are distinctly fishers and frequent the waterways, while the Sandhill Crane frequents pastures, fields, dryer marshes, and prairies, and subsists upon field mice, grasshoppers, and other insects, and vegetable food, notably potatoes and sweet potatoes, of which they are very fond.

They pass north in the spring, in March and early April. The ear- liest arrival I have is March 7, 1894, when Mr. Deane noted a flock at English Lake. The earliest spring record for the southern part of the State is Bicknell, Knox County, March 21, 1895 (Chansler). Mr. S. T. Sterling reported it from Camden, Carroll County, April 13, 1888.

Mr. Ruthven Deane tells me that at English Lake March 25, 1892, he could hear them all day uttering their hoarse, guttural rattle, while soaring so high one could not see them, as the atmosphere was a little

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 671

hazy. At their breeding ground the first intimation of their presence is their "loud trumpeting or croaking, which seems to shake the air for miles" (Thompson). In the Wabash Valley old settlers recall the earlier days, when the birds were abundant, and tell with pleasure of the sight of them soaring grandly hundreds of yards above the earth.

They have been reported in recent years to breed in the following counties: Carroll (Sterling); Fulton (Dr. V. Gould); Lake (Ball); and Starke (Deane, Gault); and as migrants from Knox (Chansler), and Newton (Pfrimmer).

Soon after arrival they begin mating. Their actions at that season are admirably described by Colonel Goss. He says: "During court- ship and the early -breeding season their actions and antics at times are ludicrous in the extreme, bowing and leaping high in the air, hop- ping, skipping, and circling about, with drooping wings, and croak- ing whoop, an almost indescribable dance and din, in which the female (an exception to the rule) joins, all working themselves into a fever of excitement, only equaled by an Indian war dance, and, like the same, it only stops when the last one is exhausted."

Mr. B. T. Gault wrote me in 1892 that he was informed a pair or two still nested each season at Beaver Lake, Starke County, their nest- ing site being a marshy island in the lake. They were also said to per- form their dances or "cotillions" in that region every spring. Mr. R. W. Stafford saw two eggs taken from a nest at North Judson, Starke County, May 5, 1890 (Deana). Mr. Joseph E. Gould, in a letter to Mr. Ruthven Deane, tells of finding young cranes east of Runnymede, in the same county, June 11, 1891. He says: "On emerging from the opposite side of a hummock of small poplars, I saw two Cranes feeding near a large oak that stood alone on a small elevation. Both birds flew, one going out of sight, while the other circled around and alighted a short distance off. I walked over to the tree and looked about in the grass, hoping to find their nest, but could see no sign of it. I then climbed up into the tree and sat perfectly still, and soon the old bird began to call and walk toward me. When within about one hundred yards of me she began to retrace her steps, and then I saw a little downy Crane following her. I jumped out of the tree and ran over, but the little fellow was too quick, and dodged me. I repeated the operation three times, but without success. I should say the young Crane was two or three weeks old. I was informed a farmer had cap- tured a small Crane in that locality, which, I think, accounts for my only seeing one. I feel certain from the number of birds I saw that there are several pairs breeding on the north marsh."

Dr. H. M. Smith, of Knox County, once had a pet Sandhill Crane,

672 EEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

•**

which he had wounded and captured. It became quite domesticated, and was much attached to him. When he would return from a ride in the practice of his profession, it would show its joy by standing .on one leg, picking up chips with its bill and throwing them into the air, and many other antics (Chansler).

Mr. T. H. Ball, of Crown Point, speaking of a period of from fifty to sixty years ago, says: "Sandhill Cranes were found here in abun- dance. They came in early spring, and went south late in the fall. They nested in the Kankakee marsh region. In the fall they would come from the marshes into our cornfields, forty or fifty, perhaps a hundred, at a time, and tear the corn almost as bad as a drove of hogs. Then I shot them. They were fat, and considered, when properly cooked, superior to wild geese." He describes their dances as given upon a knoll on the prairies. Mr. Ball says a few remain, and still (1897) make nests south of Eidge Island, and south of the Brown ditch in Lake County.

They begin their movements southward in September, and continue them through November. Mr. Deane saw many at English Lake Sep- tember 21, 1889. October 10, 1892, he says, they were quite abundant at the same place. Mr. Chansler notes them in Knox County October 27, 1894.

SUBORDER RALLI. RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS, ETC. XVI. FAMILY RALLID^E. RAILS, GALLINULES, ETC.

a1. Forehead feathered. No frontal shield.

61. Bill slender, longer than head, curved downward. RAI.LUS. 37

62. Bill stout, not longer than head, straight. PORZANA. 38 a2. Forehead covered by a broad, bare, horny shield.

c1. Sides of toes with broad, lobed membranes. FULICA. 41

c2. Sides of toes with narrow membranes or none.

dl. Nostrils small, oval ; middle toe (without claw), shorter than tarsus.

IONORNIS. 39

d2. Nostrils slit-like; middle toe (without claw), longer than tarsus.

GALLINULA. 40 SUBFAMILY RALLIN.E. RAILS.

37. GENUS RALLUS LINN.EUS.

a1. Wing over 5.00. R. elegans Aad. 76

a2. Wing under 5.00. B. virg-inianus Linn. 77

*76. (208). Rallus elegans AUD.

King Bail. Synonyms, RED-BREASTED RAIL, MARSH HEN.

Above, brownish-black, variegated with olive-brown, becoming rich chestnut on the wing coverts; under parts, rich rufous or cinnamon-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 673

brown, usually paler on the middle of the belly, and whitening on the throat; flanks and axillars, blackish, white-barred.

Length, 17.00-19.00; wings, 5.90-6.80 (6.43); bill, 2.12-2.50 (2.35); least depth of bill, .27-.3S (.30); depth at base, .50-.55 (.52); tarsus, 2.10-2.40 (2.28).

RANGE. — Fresh-water marshes of the eastern United States, north to the middle States, southern Michigan, northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Kansas; casually to Massachusetts, Maine, and Ontario. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Virginia southward.

Nest, of reeds and grass, in a marsh. Eggs, 6-15; buff or cream, speckled and blotched with reddish-brown.

Migrant; summer resident locally in the Wabash Valley and north- ward; rare some places, but common among the lakes and marshes in the northern part of the State, where they breed in some numbers. In the southern half of the State they are rare.

They arrive in the spring late in April and early in May, and those that do not remain to breed pass northward without much delay.

My earliest date is from Brookville, where one was taken on April 20, 1881. Sometimes in spring they are found in some numbers, as though traveling in small flocks. They go south from late August to the middle of October. They begin the duties of home building promptly upon arrival. Nests have been found with fresh eggs in June. Mr. Deane found a nest containing ten eggs quite fresh June 3, 1888. It was built on a small tussock at the base of a small bush in an overflowed meadow.

Mr.H. K. Coale says, the parents have been noted with downy, black young following, June 8 and 16, 1878; June 1, 1884. Mr. Eidgway tells me it breeds in Knox and Gibson counties. It evidently bred in Putnam County in 1894. Mr. Jesse Earlle found it at "Mill Pond," near Greencastle July 24, 25, 26, and 27, 1894. A young King Rail, not grown and not in full plumage, was brought to Mr. Alexander Black for identification. Mr. Deane says of a nest found by Mr. Stein- man May 11, 1890: "It was built in an overflowed meadow, and con- sisted of broken, dried cane thrown up. The nest proper was very small, and contained twelve eggs piled upon top of each other." It is reported as breeding in the following counties: Lake (Aiken); Laporte (Barber), Dekalb (Feagler), and Mr. J. E. Beasley thinks it may breed in Boone County. This is the largest Rail in this State.

43— GEOL.

674 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

*77. (212). Rallus virginianus (LINN.).

Virginia Bail.

Coloration, exactly as in elegans, of which it is a perfect miniature.

Length, 8.12-10.50; wing, 3.90-4.25; bill, 1.45-1.60; tarsus, 1.30- 1.40.

EANGE. — North America, from Guatemala and Cuba, north to Brit- ish Columbia and Hudson Bay. Breeds from Pennsylvania and Indi- ana (Florida, Davie), northward. Winters from southern Illinois southward.

Nest, on ground, in marsh near water, of reeds and rushes. Eggs, 6-12; buff or cream; 1.24 by .94.

Eather common migrant, most numerous in spring; summer resi- dent in some numbers locally, principally northward.

They begin to arrive from the south from April 20 to May 10, de- pending upon the lateness or earliness of the season, and there is but little difference between the time of their arrival near the Ohio Eiver and at Lake Michigan. They migrate, as all Eails do, by night, and do not linger long by the way. The earliest spring records are: April 20, 1888, at Brookville, and April 20, 1897, Lake County (Parker). In Lake County they are not nearly so common as the Sora, but still are not rare about the lakes (Parker). In the same county Mr. C. E. Aiken noted it breeding, but not abundantly. In Dekalb County, Mr. J. 0. Snyder says it breeds; while both are common, Sora is most common. In Steuben County it is abundant. Mr. C. L. Barber says it breeds in Laporte County. Mr. H. W. McBride found it breeding in Elkhart County, May 19, 1890.

At English Lake, Mr. Deane tells me, they are not common and are not found with the Soras. This habit of choosing a locality not fre- quented by the Soras is often noted. Mr. William S. Perry found them as common as the Sora in April, 1885, in the Kankakee marsh. (See Yellow Bail).

In the fall they go as they came — by night. While many start ahead, the bulk of them go at one time. One day the marshes are full of their noisy notes. A heavy frost comes and the reeds are deserted. The noticeable scarcity of Virginia Eails in the fall impresses all who have observed them. Their fall records are exceedingly few. They seem to all leave the first half of September. Mr. Deane, writing con- cerning English Lake, says: "We never get the Virginia Eail in the fall. I have examined a good many bags of small Eail in August and September, and have killed as many as eighty in a morning, and no Virginias taken." They frequent overflowed meadows and marshes.,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 675

and generally are not found where the water is deep. "The call of this species is rendered crick-cuk-rik-k-k-k" (E. E. Thompson). It was taken at Eock Lake, Fulton County, September 1, 1894 (Ulrey and Wallace); Hyde Park, 111., September 19, 1893 (Parker); Borden," Ind., September 11, 1894 (E. S. Hallett); Greencastle, Ind., August 1, 1894 (A. Black, J. Earlle).

38. GENUS PORZANA VIEILLOT.

a1. Secondaries without white.

bl. Wing over 4.00; olive brown above, striped with black.

Subgenus PORZANA. P. Carolina (Linn.). 78 ft2. Wing under 3.50; dusky, usually speckled with white.

Subgenus CRECISCUS Cabanis. P. jamaicensis (Gmel.). 80 a2. Secondaries white. Subgenus COTURNICOPS Bonaparte.

P. noveboracensis (Gmel.). 79

Subgenus PORZANA.

*78. (214). Porzana Carolina (LINN.).

Sora.

Adult. — With the face and central line of the throat, black; the rest of the throat, line over eye, and especially the breast, more or less in- tensely, slate-gray; the sides of the breast usually with some obsolete whitish barring and speckling. Immature. — Without the black, the throat whitish, the breast brown.

Sora.

Length, 7.85-9.75; wing, 4.15-4.30; bill, .75-.90; tarsus, 1.25-1.35.

RANGE. — Northern South America and West Indies, north to Man- itoba, Hudson Bay, and casually to Greenland. Breeds from Louis- iana (Mcllhenny) northward. Winters from southern Illinois and South Carolina southward,

Nest, of grass and rushes, on ground in marshs. Eggs, 8-20; brown- ish buff, spotted with brown; 1.26 by .90.

Common migrant throughout the State; summer resident in the northern part, where it breeds commonly.

676 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

They appear as soon in the northern part of the State as they do in the southern. They usually arrive between April 15 and May 5, but Mr. Hadley noted them at Kichmond April 11, 1897. The migration, however, continues past the middle of May. I have taken them at Brookville May 16, 1888. They are not paired when they reach their breeding grounds, and their numbers and habits vary to meet the con- ditions found. In 1890 the season was favorable. They arrived at English Lake in some numbers by May 4, and were there found in the open meadows, where hunters were shooting snipe. They were never known to be as abundant as they were May 11. The majority had ap- parently just arrived, and were scattered through the marshes. They did not seem to be paired. In 1891 but a few were found by May 10. Owing to the low stage of the water, they seemed to be located in cer- tain parts of the marsh, and not so generally distributed as they usually are when they first arrive. In May they frequent the meadows back from the marshes, where they probably breed (Deane).

Dr. F. Stein informs me they are not rare in Gibson and Knox coun- ties. Possibly some remain and breed through the summer. It is said 14 to 20 eggs are sometimes found in one nest, arranged at least two deep, and that the bird begins sitting before the set is complete, so the young hatch at different times. As the summer wears away they begin to wander southward, frequenting not only marshes, but mead- ows, clover fields, and wheat stubble. One was killed with a whip in a meadow near Brookville, July 15, 1886, by M. A. Remy. August 13, 1897, my son, Will, brought me a Sora which was found near the tele- phone line. Perhaps it was killed by flying against the wires. Throughout the latter part of August and most of September they are passing. Meanwhile the great numbers of old and young are collect- ing in northern Indiana and other States until the marshes fairly swarm with them. This is the season for Rail shooting. They are very sensitive to cold. A sudden heavy frost comes, and the myriad voices of the marsh one day are silenced and their owners flown when the sun of the morrow rises. Generally all are gone before the end of September. I have, however, taken them at Brookville October 2, 1887, and October 14, 1890. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me that some remain through October in the vicinity of Chicago.

Rail shooting on the tide-water marshes of the Atlantic coast is a popular sport, and many there are who avail themselves of it. This is only true to a very limited extent in this State. Most people do not look upon the Rail as a game bird. In fact, it is known to but very few of our people at all. Its short, rounded wings and inadequate powers of flight would lead one to question whether it could cover the

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 677

distance between its breeding grounds and winter home. They are hard to flush, and after a short flight drop among the reeds or grass and are not seen again. Prof. W. W. Cooke says "it can be found throughout the year in southern Illinois." (Bird Migration in Miss. Valley, p. 87.)

Submenus COTURNICOPS Bonaparte.

79. (215). Porzana noveboracensis (GMBL.).

Yellow Bail. Synonym, LITTLE YELLOW RAIL.

Above, varied with blackish and ochrey-brown, and thickly marked with narrow white semicircles and transverse bars; below, pale, ochrey-brown, middle belly white, deepest on the breast, where many of the feathers are tipped with dark brown; flanks, rufous, with many white bars; secondaries and lining of the wing, white; a brownish- yellow streak over the eye.

Length, 6.00-7.75; wing, 3.00-3.60; bill, .50-.60; tarsus, .95-1.00.

RANGE. — North America; most common east of Rocky Mountains. Breeds from Indiana north to- Nova Scotia and Hudson Bay. Winters from Illinois south to Cuba and Bermuda.

Nest, of grass, on ground in marsh. Eggs, 6 or more; creamy buff; densely sprinkled and speckled on larger end with rusty brown; 1.12 by .83 (Ridgw. Manual).

Rare migrant; summer resident, very local; probably breeds.

The small size of this Rail fenders it undesirable from the point of view of the sportsman. This, coupled with its retiring ways and slow- ness to take wing, render it so inconspicuous that while it is often seen yet but few who see it recognize it. My first acquaintance with it was near Brookville in the fall of 1879. A farmer was plowing in a field in September through which ran a slight depression, which was usu- ally damp, and there grew some sedges and rank grass. One round a Yellow Rail ran out of the growth ahead of the horses. He stopped the team and ran after it. The bird did not attempt to fly, and was easily caught. He also caught at least one other and saw still more. He brought the bird to me and I visited the place a day or two after, on September 18. All the ground was plowed except a narrow strip of the wet land. From that, after some effort, I succeeded in flushing two of the birds, which I secured.

Those who have met with the Yellow Rail agree that it is the dryer marshes or wet prairies or meadows that it prefers; the more decidedly marshy ground is frequented by the larger Rails.

678 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Prof. J. A. Balmer, of Pullman, Wash., and a former resident of Vincennes, writes: "The Little Yellow Rail interests me very much. While in Knox County, snipe hunting, each spring, especially in April, I used to find (on particular swamps only) an abundance of this tiny Rail. My old Gordon setter would point by a tussock, and as I walked up to flush, he would nose into the grass and bring out a Yellow Rail, always quite unharmed. I have seen him repeat this act as many as a half dozen times in a single day.

"They were always abundant in spring in this particular part of Males Prairie. I have found them in the fall while quail hunting, but this rarely." He thinks that it breeds there, as he has found it in the breeding season.

Except the eggs found May 17 at Winnebago, 111., by J. W. Tol- man, which are in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, I know of none that are claimed to be of this bird. Dr. Coues says of this set of six: "They are the only ones I have seen, and differ from those of P. Carolina in the color of the ground, which is a rich, warm buffy-brown, marked at the greater end with a cluster of reddish-choc- olate dots and spots. Size, 1.15 by .85 to 1.05 by .80." (Birds of N. W., p. 539.)

Prof. Evermann met with it near Bloomington in August, 1885, where one specimen was taken alive in a marsh. It was noted at Worth, 111., September 22, 1891 (Parker). Thus, in August and through September they are migrating to their winter homes. Some of them do not go very far; others reach the Gulf of Mexico. As it is said to winter in central Illinois (Cooke), it may remain some winters in southern Indiana. It generally migrates early in April, reaching our northern swamps some years as early as April 2. Sometimes, however, it is found migrating in May. The latest spring record I have is three specimens taken by Mr. G. G. Williamson, at Muncie, May 12, 1890. It has been reported from but few localities. Mr. Chas. Dury informs me that in his own collection and that of the Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, 0., there are specimens from Vincennes, Chalmers and English Lake. It has been taken in Clinton County (Newlin). and Mr. Forest West reports one taken at Adams, Decatur County, in the spring of 1889. Mr. C. E. Aiken says while it is seldom seen, it occurs in considerable numbers in Lake County. He took it at Water Valley in 1889.

Compared with the larger Rails, it is apparently a rare bird in In- diana. Mr. Wm. S. Perry, of Worcester, Mass., has in two different years found them in some part of the Kankakee Marsh. The exact locality I have been unable to determine. He first visited .the place on

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 679

April 18, 1876, when he found two, and to know more of this species, he vas led to return in the spring of 1885. He gave an account of his •experience, which will illustrate their comparative abundance, to Mr. Euthven Deane, who very kindly supplied me with it. Speaking of the Yellow Rail, he says: "I consider them quite rare. I hunted every •day for six weeks, especially for Rails, and probably started 1,500 Vir- ginia, 1,500 Sora, 200 King and 5 Yellow. I think that is about the proportion they occur, although with the experience I had, I could probably find more if I should try again. I found the Yellow Rail in a very small part of the marsh, say 50 acres in extent, rather high ground that is not so boggy and wet as where the other species of Rail were plenty. They come very late in April and possibly late in March. The five I have I got between April 2 and 13."

Subgenus CRKCISCUS Cabanis.

*80. (216). Porzana jamaicensis (GMEL.).

Black Bail. Synonym, LITTLE BLACK KAIL.

Upper parts, blackish-brown, finely speckled and barred with white; the hind neck, dark chestnut; head and under parts, dark slate color, paler or whitening on the throat and blackish on the crown; the lower belly, flanks and under wing and tail coverts, blackish, barred with white; some of quills and tail feathers, with white spots; size, very small.

Length, 5.00-6.50; wing, 2.50-3.20; bill, .50-.60; depth of bill through base, .20-.25; tarsus, .85-1.00.

RANGE. — America, from Chili and West Indies, north to Massachu- setts, Ontario, Michigan, north Illinois and Oregon. Limits of breed- ing range unknown; probably breeds throughout United States range. Winters from Gulf coast south.

For nest and eggs, see below.

Rare summer resident locally.

This is one of the rarer American birds, by far the rarest of its family. It is only known from two localities in Indiana, in both of which it undoubtedly breeds. April 22, 1888, Mr. Ruthven Deane identified it at English Lake, and that remained the only Indiana record for over six years. July 27, 1894, Jesse Earlle and Alexander Black identified the Black Rail among the "saw grass" about the "Mill Pond'7 near Greencastle, Ind. The bird ran, but they could not compel it to fly. Finally they lost it. July 28 they again saw the bird, but could not get it to fly. They searched for it after this,

680 KEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

but could not find it until July 31. On that day they secured a dog, by the aid of which it was flushed, but it was at too close range to shoot. August 1 they again took with them a dog, which caught in its mouth a young Black Kail, too small to fly. The search was continued, and finally an adult male of the same species was found and secured.

The following are the measurements of the male Black Eail, fresh killed, before skinning:

Length, 6.50; wing, 3.00; bill, .60; tarsus, 1.00; tibia, 1.50; tail, 1.40; extent, 10.00.

Young, 4.40; tarsus, 1.00; bill, .50; tibia, 1.50. No tail yet.

The birds were very kindly placed in my collection. Prof. J. A. Balmer shot one while quail shooting one fall on Allison Prairie, Law- rence County, Illinois, across the Wabash Eiver from Vincennes, Ind.

There are only two records from Ohio. Mr. Chas. Dury mentions two birds seen and one taken near Eoss Lake, near Carthage, 0., May 17, 1890. (Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIII, No. 2, 1890, pp. 97, 98.)

Between May 16 and 30, 1891, six males and a female were taken at the same lake. From the female, which was obtained May 30, an egg nearly fully developed was taken. (Dury and Kellogg, Ibid., Vol. XIV, No. 1, p. 44.)

Considering the lateness of the date and the development of the egg, it is very probable these birds would have bred there. Mr. Dury notes when the bird was flushed it would fly but a short distance and alight, and it was almost impossible to flush it a second time.

The only account of its nest and eggs is that given by Mr. E. W. Nelson. In Birds of Northeastern Illinois, pp. 134, 135, he notes it breeding near Chicago. The nest was found June 19, 1875, and con- tained ten fresh eggs. "The nest was placed in a deep cup-shaped depression in a perfectly open situation on the border of a marshy spot, and its only concealment was such as a few straggling carices afforded. It is composed of soft grass blades, loosely interwoven in a circular manner. The nest, in shape and construction, looks much like that of a Meadow Lark. The following are its dimensions in inches: Inside depth, 2.50; inside diameter, 3.25; outside depth, 3.50; outside diam- eter, 4.50. The eggs are a creamy white, instead of clear white, as I stated in a recent article (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, Vol. I, p. 43), and average 1.00 by .81 inches. They are nearly perfectly oval and are thinly sprinkled with fine reddish-brown dots, which become larger and more numerous at one end. Minute shell markings in the form of dots are also visible. Owing to the small diameter of the nest, the eggs were in two layers."

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 681

*

Dr. Coues gives the size of some eggs in the Smithsonian Institution

as 1.05 by .80. The eggs are much larger in proportion to the size of the bird than are those of the Yellow Rail, and they differ from the eggs of that species and of the Sora, which have, respectively, buffy- brown and drab ground color.

SUBFAMILY GALLINULIN^E. GALLINULKS. 39. GENUS IONORNIS REICHENBACH.

81. (218). lonornis martinica (LINN.).

Purple Gallinule.

Head, neck and under parts, beautiful purplish-blue, blackening on the belly, the crissum white; above, olivaceous green, the cervix and wing coverts tinted with blue; frontal shield, blue; bill, red, tipped with yellow; legs, yellowish. Immature. — With the head, neck and lower back, brownish; the under parts, mostly white, mixed with ochrey.

Length, 12.50-14.00; wing, 7.00-7.50; bill (including frontal shield), 1.85-1.95; tarsus, 2.25-2.50.

RANGE. — America, from. Brazil north to South Atlantic and Gulf States, casually to Ontario, Maine, northern Ohio, northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. Breeds northward to southern Illinois and South Carolina. Winters from Florida south.

Nest, built among rushes over the water; the taller rushes are bent down and woven together as a support; or on ground in marshes. Eggs, 8-9; cream color, finely dotted with chestnut-brown and umber; size, 1.55 by 1.13.

Rare visitor in spring and perhaps summer resident.

This bird has been taken in southern Indiana but a few times, and has never been reported north of the latitude of Indianapolis, though both in Ohio and Illinois it reaches their northern boundary. So far as I have information, the occurrences have all been in the spring, and are either wanderers beyond their customary breeding range or rare summer residents in suitable situations. They could hardly be mi- grants going much farther north, as northern Indiana is nearly, if not quite, the limit of their breeding range. There is no record of its occurrence in Michigan. The first record for Indiana was taken near Brookville in the spring of 1880. Mr. E. L. Guthrie took a specimen in Decatur County in 'May, 1883. Mr. W. C. DeWitt notes two specimens taken in Wayne County. Mr. E. W. Nelson tells that Mr. C. N. Holden, Jr., took a male near Chicago in May, 1866, and speaks, upon Dr. Hoy's authority, of a specimen taken near Racine, Wis.

682 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

>•

Dr. Langdon says: "Dr. Hunt informs me of the capture of this spe- cies near the mouth of the Big Miami Eiver on March 31, 1877,"" (Cat, Birds Vic. Cin., 1877, p. 16). The mouth of the river men- tioned is in Indiana, but I do not know the location of the site where the specimen was taken. Three other specimens are noted from the vicinity of Cincinnati that same spring. It was taken near Circleville May 10, 1877. (Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, p. 514.) Prof. E. L. Moseley informs me of the capture of a Purple Gallinule near Sandusky, 0., April 28, 1896 (The Auk, Vol. XIV, No. 2, April, 1897, p. 200). Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith notes the capture of a speci- men at Pickering, Ontario, in April, 1892 (Birds of Ontario, 1894, p.^ 123). The nest is made in the tall grass along the edges of water courses, bending the grass down and weaving it together. In South Carolina the nest is said to be built in rushes over the water. Besides its true nest, the bird makes several "shams," often as many as five or six (Davie). The bird may be readily recognized by its bright purplish-blue colors.

40. GENUS GALLINULA BBISSON.

*82. (219). Gallinula galeata (LIGHT.).

Florida Gallinule.

Head, neck and underparts, grayish-black, darkest on the head, paler or whitening on the belly; back, brownish-olive; wings and tail,, dusky; crissum, edge of wing and stripes on the flank, white; bill, fron- tal plate and ring around tibiae, red, the former tipped with yellow; tarsi and toes, greenish. Downy Young. — Glossy black, throat and' cheeks, with silvery-white hairs.

Length, 12.00-14.50; wing, 6.85-7.25; bill (to end of frontal shield),. 1.70-1.85; tarsus, 2.10-2.30.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil and Chili north to Maine, Ontario and Minnesota. Breeds from that limit south. Winters from Gulf States south.

Nest, of reeds and rushes on foundation of similar growth, near water level in marshes, sloughs or reedy places in lakes. Eggs, 8-13; brownish-buff, thickly spotted with reddish-brown; 1.74 by 1.19.

Regular migrant. Summer resident among the more extensive swamps and marshes. Locally common; some places abundant. Breeds.

It is resident throughout the Southern States, and our summer birds return south and many winter in the same region. They come north' in spring, through April and early May. The earliest record I have is

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 683

Greencastle, April 6, 1894 (Earlle), and the earliest for the White- water Valley is from Brookville, April 28, 1883. In 1885, 1890, 1892 and 1896 the first record from Indiana was on the same date each year, though in 1892 Mr. Parker had reported.it from Cook County, Illinois, May 2. During the migration they are often caught in barnyards, chicken yards, fenced town lots and other places where the fences are rather tightly built. Whether this is due to the fact that they are attracted there or during their nocturnal flight they are generally dis- tributed, and the others pass on, leaving those only which cannot get away, it is impossible to tell.

Judging from their numbers in some swamps, I should think them much more common migrants in southern Indiana than we generally suppose. During the breeding season their numbers vary in different localities. Some places they are by no means common and in others they breed abundantly. Mr. Nelson says of it in Cook County, Illinois: "Abundant summer resident everywhere in the marshes and the larger prairie sloughs; generally has a full set of eggs, numbering from seven tp twelve, the first week of June," (Birds of Northwestern Illinois, p. 135). In Lake County both Mr. Toppan and Mr. Parker note it as common, and the last-named gentleman says of it about George and Wolf lakes: "The boys collect hundreds of their eggs every year." It is found in the rank slough grass bordering the lakes, and rarely takes to wing when approached.

Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me in May, 1871, in Lake County, he found it breeding very abundantly, but it appearedjrare at Whitewater in 1886, 1887 and 1889.

In Starke County, at English Lake, it breeds in limited numbers (Deane, Dury). Also, at Davis Station (Coale). In one locality in that county Mr. Joseph E. Gould found the nests of the Pied-billed "Grebe, Coot and Florida Gallinule, full sets of which were taken July 1, 1891. One nest of the Gallinule contained thirteen eggs. It has also been observed breeding in Dekalb County (Mrs. Hine, E. W. McBride); Vigo County (Evermann). The summer of 1897 it was not found at English Lake in the numbers usually observed (Deane). I take the liberty of giving Dr. Langdon's excellent account of its breed- ing habits as observed the week ending July 4, 1890, in Ottawa 'County, Ohio, where it breeds abundantly: "The nests are situated amongst the 'saw grass' and constructed of dried blades. Their height varies, some almost resting on the water, while others are placed afloat •or more above it, and have an incline eight or ten inches in width, made of dried grass, extending from the nest to the water's edge, which makes them a conspicuous object when the surrounding vegetation is

684 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

not too dense. The dozen or so sets of eggs taken were in various stages of incubation, and a few young were observed following their parents. The young when a day or two old are about the size of a newly hatched domestic chicken, and, when found in the open water, are easily captured. They present a curious sight, paddling for dear life, with their bright, red and orange bills standing out in strong con- trast with their sooty-black, down-covered bodies." (Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. Ill, No. 3, October, 1880, p. 228.)

No doubt, the same story prevails everywhere — that these birds are not so numerous or so unsuspicious as they once were, but, on the con- trary, are rapidly diminishing in numbers and becoming much more shy.

In addition to the places mentioned, it has been noted in the fol- lowing counties during the spring migrations: Marion (Noe), Putnam (Clearwaters), Steuben (H. W. McBride), Delaware (Bain), Eush (Voorhees), Boone (Beasley). I have no account of it in the State in the fall later than August 2, 1896, when Mr. Parker reported it com- mon at Hammond. What becomes of it in the fall? In all of the many records I have examined from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois and in the reports gathered by Prof. Cooke from the Missis- sippi Valley, I fail to find a single record of it in the fall. Mr. Parker says it departs early in September.

SUBFAMILY FULICINJ^. 41. GENUS FULICA LINN.EUS.

*83. (221). Fulica americana GMEL.

American Coot.

Adult. — Dark slate, paler or greenish below, blackening on the head and neck, tinged with olive on the back; crissum, whole edge of wing and top of secondaries, white; bill, white or flesh-colored, marked with reddish-black near the end; feet, dull olivaceous. Immature. — Similar, paler and duller; frontal shield rudimentary. Downy Young. — Black- ish, white, below; head and neck, with orange hairlike feathers, which are also found less numerously and paler on the upper parts; bill, orange-red, black tipped.

Length, 13.00-16.00; wing, 7.25-7.60; bill (to commencement of frontal shield), 1.25-1.60; tarsus, 2.00-2.20.

EANGE. — America, from Central America and West Indies north to Alaska and casually to Greenland. Breeds throughout its range. Win- ters in Southern States and southward.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 685

Nest, of marsh vegetation, attached to reeds, afloat in water like a Grebe's or on ground. Eggs, 6-15; dull buff, with fine dots of dark brown or black; 1.74 by 1.19.

Common migrant. Northward summer resident. Locally very com- mon. It may sometimes, favorable winters, winter southward.

Usually their period of migration begins in March, but some years they do not reach the northern part of the State until after the first of April. The following dates give the time of first appearance at Brookville for a series of years: 1881, April 25; 1882, April 18; 1883, April 3; 1884, March 12; 1886, April 3; 1887, March 31; 1888, March

Frontal Plate of a Coot.

26; 1889, March 28; 1896, April 4. The latest date noted, same local- ity, was May 16, 1884. The variation in northern Indiana is as marked. The first one seen at Waterloo in 1896 was April 5; in 1897, March 20 (Feagler). The first seen at Laporte in 1893 was April 1; in 1894, March 16 (Barber). Usually, however, the early birds are a very few of the advance guards, and the majority cannot be de- pended upon to arrive for from one to three weeks later. It was com- mon at Waterloo April 6, 1896, and not until April 9, 1897. It was common at Laporte in 1893 April 10, and April 1, 1894. As with some other species of retiring, marsh-loving birds, it^s often reported from its favorite localities northward before it has been seen farther south. In 1891 a single bird was seen at English Lake, February 14 and 15. In 1892 a pair were seen there March 6, and they were numerous March 20. In 1894 about a dozen were noted March 7 and

686 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

quite a number March 18 (Deane). It was observed in Cook County, Illinois, March 20, 1885 (Parker). Further south it was first noted in Carroll County April 8, 1885 (Evermann). The first one was noted at Greencastle in 1892 April 8 (Earlle), and in 1894 at Delphi March 8. They are usually not common until April 1. The first arrivals come singly or a few together, but towards April 1 to 10 they appear in flocks of twenty or thirty, or sometimes more. They are usually abundant throughout the month of April and sometimes to May 11. At times they are seen upon the smaller lakes by thou- sands, but are rarely found on Lake Michigan (Parker). Some years the migrants remain in numbers after the summer residents begin to breed. The latter pair through April. By the first week in May they are mostly paired, and May 11, 1890, Mr. Deane found a nest at Eng- lish Lake, made of broken dried cane, with a very small depression, containing eight eggs. Mr. Joseph E. Gould took full sets of fresh eggs from the same locality July 1, 1891. Those that remain to breed are generally a very small portion of the Coots found with us in April. In 1891 Mr. Aiken reported it still an abundant summer resident in Lake County, but less plentiful than twenty years ago. They are said to breed in the following counties besides those noted: Dekalb (Feagler), Laporte (Barber), Boone (Beasley), Lake (Meyer, Aiken, Parker).

Coots and Gallinules are generally known as "Mud Hens." The former may, however, be readily distinguished by the white bill, which is conspicuous for quite a distance. While Coots often associate with ducks, and swim, and sometimes act, something like them, they do not rise and fly away as ducks do. They either swim to, or by a short flight find, concealment among the reedy or grassy edges of the place they frequent.

In fall they again become very abundant on' our lakes, and remain so until freezing weather. With October 1 they commence passing south- ward, and may- be noticed over the southern part of our State from that time until cold weather. Most of them, however, are seen there through October, and we see very little of the great number that re- main upon the northern waters, to be driven south in a body by the November cold. The first fall migrant noted at Brookville was Octo- ber 1, 1889, and the latest October 21, 1886. Mr. Parker reports them from 'Cook County, Illinois, November 14, 1892, and November 11, 1893.

The latest record I have for Indiana is from Carroll County, where Prof. Evermann observed it November 21, 1884. It has been noted in our State every month in the year except December and January.

BIRDS or INDIANA. 687

G. ORDER LIMICOLJE. SHORE BIRDS. XVII. FAMILY PHALAROPODID^E. PHALAROPES.

a1. Bill broad, somewhat triangular at tip. CIIYMOPHIIATS. 42

a2. Bill slender, tapering to a point. PHALAROPUS. 43

42. GENUS CRYMOPHILUS VIEILLOT.

84. (222). Crymophilus fulicarius (LINN.).

Bed Phalarope.

Adult in Summer. — Under parts, with sides of neck and upper tail coverts, dark purplish or wine-red, with glaucous bloom; top of head and around bill, sooty; sides of head, white, this color meeting on the nape; rump, white; back, black, all the feathers edged with tawny or rusty brown; quills, brownish-black, with wlhite shafts, and much white at bases of webs, the coverts dark ash; the ends and interior web& of the greater row, white; some of the secondaries entirely white; bill,, yellowish, with dusky tip; feet, yellowish. Adult in Winter. — Head all around and entire under parts, white, with a dusky circumocular area, and nuchal crescent, and a wash of ashy along sides of body; above, nearly uniform ash; wings, ashy-blackish, the white cross-bar very conspicuous; bill, mostly dark.

Length, 7.50-8.75; wing, 5.25-5.50; culmen, .80-.95; tarsus, .80-.85.

EANGE. — Northern parts of Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the Arctic regions and migrating south in winter. In the United States south to the Middle States, Ohio Valley and Cape St. Lucas. Chiefly maritime.

Nest, a shallow depression in ground, rarely lined. Eggs, 3-4; drab- olive, olive-buff or pale brown, heavily spotted with dark brown; 1.24 by .86.

Rare straggler during migrations.

Phalaropes are queer little birds. They look like Sandpipers, but their- lobate feet, resembling those of Coots and Gallinules, at once distinguish them. They seem to be Sandpipers when along the shore, but upon the water, swim as well as Coots. This species is more often found along the sea coast than in the interior, where it is indeed very rare.

Mr. R. R. Moffitt informs me he killed one of these Phalaropes in Jasper County April 10, 1885, and Prof. B. W. Evermann says one was procured by Dr. J. T. Scoville, near Terre Haute, October 23, 1889.

688 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The following notes are taken from the interesting account of this bird in its summer home along the Arctic seas by Mr. E. W. Nelson:

"This handsome Phalarope arrives at the Yukon mouth and adjacent parts of the Bering Sea coast during the last few days of May or first of June, according to the season. It is a common summer resident at Point Barrow, where it arrives early in June and remains till the sea closes, in October. .For a week or two after its arrival fifty or more flock together. In the morning, after the birds were paired, they could be found scattered here and there by twos over the slightly flooded grassy flats. At times these pairs would rise and fly a short distance, the female in advance, and uttering now and then a low and musical 'clink, clink/ sounding very much like the noise made by lightly tapping together two small bars of steel. A little later in the day, their hunger being satisfied, they begin to unite into parties, until fifteen or twenty birds would rise and pursue an erratic course over the flat. As they passed swiftly along, others would join them, until the number would be increased to two hundred or four hundred, perhaps. During all their motions the entire flock moves with such unison that the alternate flashing of the under side of the wings and the dark color of the back, like the play of light and shade, makes a beautiful spectacle. Very early in June the females have each paid their court and won a shy and gentle mate to share their coming cares. The eggs are laid in a slight depression, generally on the damp flats, where the birds are found. There is rarely any lining to the nest. To- ward the end of June most of the young are hatched, and by the mid- dle of July are on the wing. Soon after the young take wing these birds, gathering in flocks, frequent the sea, They breed all along the Arctic shores of Alaska and Siberia, wherever suitable flats occur, and even reach those isolated islands forever encircled by ice, which lie beyond" (Natural History Coll. in Alaska, pp. 97, 98).

43. GENUS PHALAROPUS BRISSOX.

a1. Membranes of toes scalloped ; wing under 4.50. Subgenus PHA^LAROPUS.

P. lobatus (Linn.). 85

a2. Membranes of toes not scalloped; wing over 4.50. Subgenus STEGAXOPUS Vieillot. P. tricolor (VieilL). 86

Foot of Northern Phalarope.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 689

Subgenus PHALAROPUS.

85. (223). Phalaropus lobatus (LINN.).

Northern Phalarope.

Adult in Summer. — Above, sooty-gray, with lateral stripes of ochra- ceous or tawny; neck, rich, rust-red, nearly or quite all around; under parts otherwise, white, the sides marked with the color of back; upper tail coverts like back, some lateral ones white; wings, blackish, the ends of the greater coverts broadly white, forming a conspicuous cross- bar, continued on some of the inner secondaries; bill and feet, black. Varies much in plumage with age and season, but easily recognized by the small size and generic characters. Immature. — Lacks chestnut.

Length, 7.00-8.00; wing, 4.00-4.45; culmen, .80-.90; tarsus, .75-.80.

EANGE. — Northern portions of Northern Hemisphere, breeding in Arctic latitudes. South in winter to Guatemala and Bermuda.

Nest and Eggs, similar to those of Eed Phalarope, but eggs smaller; 1.20 by .82.

Eare migrant. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge informs me he has observed it at Ft. Wayne. Two were taken in Boone County June 7, 1889. They were all that were seen, and appeared to be mated. (J. E. Beas- ley.) This is very late for them to be found here. These two birds are now in the State Museum at Indianapolis.

The following extracts are taken from Mr. Nelson's account of this bird's habits: "As summer approaches, on the Arctic shores and coast of Bering Sea, the ducks and geese fill the air with their loud, resounding cries, and the rapid wing strokes of arriving and departing flocks add a heavy bass to the chorus which greets the opening of another glad season in the wilds of the cheerless north.

"Amid this loud-tongued multitude suddenly appears the graceful, fairylike form of the Northern Phalarope. The first arrivals reach Saint Michaels, in full plumage, from May 14 to 15, and their num- ber is steadily augmented until the last few days of May and first of June, when they are on hand in full force and ready to set about the season's cares. Every pool now has from one to several pairs of these birds gliding in restless zigzag motion around its border. They may be watched with pleasure for hours, and present a picture of ex- quisite gentleness, which renders them an unfailing source of interest. The female of this bird, as is the case with the two allied species, is much more richly colored than the male, and possesses all the 'rights' demanded by the most radical reformers.

"As the season comes on when the flames of love mount high, the dull colored male moves about the pool, apparently heedless of the 44 — GEOL.

690 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

surrounding fair ones. Such stoical indifference appears too much for the feelings of some of the fair ones to bear. A female coyly glides close to him and bows her head in pretty submissiveness, but he turns away, pecks at a bit of food, and moves off. She follows, and he quickens his speed, but in vain; he is her choice, and she proudly arches her neck, and in mazy circles, passes and repasses before the harassed bachelor. He turns his breast first to one side and then to the other, as though to escape, but there is his gentle wooer ever pressing her suit before him. Frequently he takes flight to another part of the pool, all to no purpose. If with affected indifference he tries to feed, she swims along side by side, almost touching him, and at intervals rises on wing above him, and, poised a foot or two over his back, makes a half dozen sharp wing strokes, producing a series of sharp, whistling noises, in rapid succession.

"In the course of time, it is said, that water will wear the hardest rock, and it is certain that time and importunity have their full effect upon the male of this Phalarope, and soon all are comfortably mar- ried, while mater familias no longer needs to use her seductive ways and charming blandishments to draw his notice. About the first of June the dry, rounded side of a little knoll, near some -small pond, has four dark, heavily marked eggs laid in a slight hollow, upon whatever lining the spot affords, or more rarely upon a few dry strawrs and grass blades brought and loosely laid together by the birds.

"Here the captive male is introduced to new duties, and spends half his time on the eggs, while the female keeps about the pool close by. In due time the young are hatched, and come forth beautiful little balls of buff and brown.

"By the middle to the 20th of July the young are fledged and on the wing. Soon after the old and young begin to gather in parties of from five to a hundred or more and seek the edges of large ponds and flats of the muddy parts of the coast and borders of the tide creeks. They are last seen about the last of September or first of October" (Xat. Hist. Coll. in Alaska, pp. 99, 100).

SUBGKWUS STEGANOPUS. VIEILLOT.

*86. (224). Phalaropus tricolor (VIEILL ).

Wilson's Phalarope.

Adult Female in Summer. — Forehead, crown and middle back, pearl-gray, the former with blackish line on each side; stripe on each side of head, and down the neck, deep black, changing to rich dark chestnut, and continuing along sides of back and on scapulars; neck

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 691

and breast, buffy-cinnamon; other lower parts., upper tail coverts, nape, stripe above eyes, cheeks, chin and throat, white. Adult Mulr in Summer. — Smaller and much darker in color. Winter Plumage. — Upper parts, pale gray; lower parts, white; chest and sides of breast, tinged with ashy. Immature. — Brow, back and scapulars, blackish- dusky; feathers margined with huffy; neck tinged with buffy. The upper tail coverts, superciliary stripe, and most of lower parts being white in all these plumages will greatly aid in identification.

Length, female, 9.40-10.00; wing, 5.20-5.30; bill, 1.30-1.35; tarsus, 1.30-1.35; adult male, length, 8.25-9.00; wing, 4.75-4.80; bill, 1.25; tarsus, 1.20-1.25.

RANGE. — America; Patagonia and Brazil, north to Oregon, Sas- katchewan and Nova Scotia; chiefly inland. Breeds from northwest- ern Indiana and Utah north. Winters south of United States.

Head of Wilson's Phalarope. Natural size.

Nest, of grass, in slight depression, in ground, in marsh or damp meadows. Eggs, 3-4; grayish-buff, varying to brownish-buff, thickly speckled or spotted with dark brown or brownish-black.

Eare migrant. Summer resident northward. Common in extreme northwestern part of the State. Breeds.

They migrate in spring in late April and May. The earliest record from this State is from Kouts. A specimen taken there April 30, 1890, by Mr. J. W. Gano is in the collection of the Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, 0. (Dury.) Mr. Eliot Blackwelder found a pair in Cook County, Illinois, April 21, 1895. Mr. C. E. Newlin informs me that one was killed near Frankfort about May 11, 1883, and another one about the same date in 1877. Five or six were seen and a pair taken near Lebanon, in Boone County, May 9, 1889. They were received by Mr. J. E. Beasley, who prepared them for the State Museum at Indianapolis.

Mr. Euthven Deaue shot one from a small flock at English Lake May 10, 1890. Mr. C. E. Aiken has observed it at different points in Lake County, notably at Water Valley. Mr. G. L. Toppan says in that county it occasionally is a common summer resident, and breeds.

692 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me of its breeding in Lake County. He says they are common about July 4, and usually leave for the south very early, generally by the last of July or first of August. Oc- casionally they may be found well into September. I have shot these birds in Cook County, Illinois, near the Indiana line, late in May.

They are not found numerously east of the vicinity of the lower end of Lake Michigan. Mr. A. L. Kumlein calls our attention to the fact that the female is not only more brilliant in plumage, but also larger than the male. The female pursues the male during the pairing sea- son. The male attends to the duties of incubation almost entirely alone. (Field and Forest, July, 1876.)

T.o Mr. E. W. Nelson, who is authority on all matters relating to these graceful yet queer Phalaropes, we are indebted for our knowl- edge of its. habits. He studied .it in Cook County, Illinois, and he may occasionally have crossed into Indiana, At any rate, since birds do not know political boundaries, we shall .assume that they be- have in the same manner in Illinois that they do in our own State, and I shall give a portion of his account of his observations. He found their nests from May 25 to June 25. (B. N. 0. C., II, 1877, pp. 40-43.)

In northern Illinois, where the following observations were made, Wilson's Phalarope is the most common summer resident, occurring about grassy marshes and low prairies, and is not exceeded in num- bers by even the ever-present Spotted Sandpiper. As is the case with several other species of birds, Lake Michigan appears to form a limit to its common occurrence in the eastern portion of its range.

On the west it extends to the Eocky Mountains, and between these limits it has been recorded during the breeding season from the Saskatchewan to Arkansas (Coues), and to the City of Mexico (Nut- tall.) It is more closely confined to its favorite haunts than most water birds, and this may in a measure account for the little hitherto known regarding its habits. During the first two weeks of May, the exact date varying with the season, this beautiful bird first makes its appearance in northeastern Illinois. Its arrival is heralded by a few females, which arrive first, and are found singly about the marshes. At this time the females have a peculiar harsh note, which I have heard but a few times, and only from solitary individuals, before the arrival of the main body.

A few days later small flocks, embracing both sexes, may be found along the borders of grassy pools or lying at midday on the sunny side of some warm knoll in the marsh. As the breeding season ap- proaches they become more restless, flying from place to place, and

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 693

finally separate into small parties of two or three pairs. About the middle of May their love-making commences, and is at first indicated by the increasing solicitude they show for each other's welfare. The appearance of a person in their vicinity at this time is the signal for all the birds near to come circling about, though not within easy gun- shot. By a careful approach one may now and then find a small party swimming about in some secluded pool.

The charming grace of movement exhibited at such times, com- bined with their tasteful elegance of attire, form one of the most pleasing sights one could witness as they swim buoyantly from side to side of the pool, gracefully nodding their heads, now pausing an instant to arrange a feather or to daintily gather some fragment of food, and now floating idly about, wafted by the slight breeze, which at intervals ripples the surface of the water. A more common, but scarcely less pleasing sight, is presented when, unconscious of obser- vation, they walk sedately along the border of the water, never de- parting from their usual grace of movement. Their food is generally found in such places, where the receding water furnishes a bountiful supply. The only demonstrations I have observed during the pairing time consist of a kind of solemn bowing of the head and body; but sometimes, with the head lowered and thrust forward, they will run back and forth in front of the object of their regard, or again, a pair may often be seen to salute each other by alternately bowing or lower- ing their heads; but their courtship is characterized by a lack of the rivalry and vehemence exhibited by birds.

The nesting is usually in some thin tuft of grass on a level spot, but often in an open place concealed only by a few straggling blades of small carices. The male scratches a shallow depression in the soft earth, which is usually lined with a thin layer of fragments of old grass blades, upon which the eggs, numbering from three to four, are deposited about the last of May or first of June. Owing to the low situations in which the nests are placed, the first set of eggs is often destroyed by a heavy fall of rain, causing the water to rise so as to submerge the nest. In this case, the second set, numbering two or three, are often deposited in a depression, scratched in the ground, as at first, but with no sign of any lining. Accidents of this kind cause the second set of eggs to be deposited sometimes as late as the last of June.

The young usually appear about the third week of June, and are able to fly in about three weeks. Generally a number of pairs nest upon the same marsh. In some instances as many as fifty may be counted within the radius of a mile; but notwithstanding this, their

694 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

nests are extremely difficult to discover — the material and the color of the eggs correspond so closely to the appearance of the surrounding surface. If they are disturbed while building, the nest is usually abandoned. Incubation is attended to by the male alone. The female, however, keeps near, and is quick to give the alarm upon the ap- proach of danger. The females are frequently found at this time in small parties of six to eight, and should their breeding ground be approached, exhibit great anxiety, coming from every part of the marsh to meet the intruder, and, hovering over his head, utter a weak, nasal note, which can be heard only a short distance. This note, which is possessed by both sexes, is nearly always made while the birds are in the air, and its production requires, evidently, considerable effort, the head and neck being inclined downward, and then sud- denly raised as the note is uttered, the flight being at the same time momentarily checked. The movements of the birds usually render it an easy matter to decide whether or not they have msts in the im- mediate vicinity. After the first alarm, those having nests at a dis- tance disperse, while others take their course in the form of an ellipse, sometimes several hundred yards in length, with the object of their suspicion in the center, and with long strokes of theii wings, much like the flight of a Killdeer, they move back and forth. As their nests are approached the length of their flight is gradually lessened, until at last they are joined by the males, when the whole party hover low over the intruder's head, uttering their peculiar note of alarm. At this time they have an ingenious mode of misleading the novice by flying, off to a short distance and hovering anxiously over a particular spot in the marsh, as though there were concealed the object of their solicitation. Should they be followed, however, and a search be made there, the maneuver is repeated in another place and still farther from the real location of the nest. But should this ruse prove unavailing, they return and seem to become fairly desperate, flying about one's head, almost within reach, manifesting great distress.

If possible, still greater agitation is shown when they have un- fledged young, they even betraying their charge into the hands of the enemy by their too obvious solicitude, they then hovering directly over the young and uttering their notes of distress. The young have a fine, wiry peep, inaudible beyond a few feet. They are very pretty little creatures, covered with yellowish-buff colored down, with black spots on the upper surface of the body. Even when first hatched, they are quite lively and difficult to capture.

About the middle of July the females suddenly disappear, and a little later the males and young also leave, with the exception of a few

BIRDS OP INDIANA. 695

stragglers, which occasionally remain until the last of August. The main portion rarely remain as late as the 10th> and are usually gone by the 5th. The males commence their fall moult before they leave; but I have never taken a specimen in. which the winter plumage was very evident.

XVIII. FAMILY RECURVIROSTRID.E. AVOCETS AND STILTS.

a1. Toes 4 ; bill curved upward, flattened. RECUR VIROSTRA. 44

a2. Toes 3 ; bill nearly straight, not flattened. HIMANTOPUS.

44. GKNUS RECURVIROSTRA LTNN.EUS.

87. (225). Recurvirostra americana GMEL.

American Avocet.

Adult in Summer. — White; primaries and scapulars, black; head, neck and breast, mostly light cinnamon. Adult in Winter and Im- mature.— Similar; head, neck and breast more or less tinged with bluish-gray.

Length, 15.50-18.75; wing, 8.90-9.00; bill, 3.40-3.65; tarsus, 3.70- 3.80.

RANGE. — ^orth America; Guatemala and West Indies, north to Saskatchewan and Great Slave Lake. Rare on Atlantic coast. Breeds locally from Illinois north. Winters from Gulf coast south.

Nest, depression in ground in marsh. Eggs, 3-4^ brownish-drab, spotted with chocolate; 1.93 by 1.35.

Rare migrant. I only know of one record for Indiana, Mr. Chas. Dury informs me of a specimen in the collection of the Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, 0., which was taken at "Calumet" Lake, Indiana. It is equally rare in Ohio and Michigan, but perhaps is more often found in Illinois, where Nelson gives it as a rare migrant, in small parties, the last of April and first of May and during September and the first half of October.

t XIX. FAMILY SCOLOPACIDJE. SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

a1. Tarsus with long1 transverse scales in front .only ; bill very long, curved down- ward. NUMENIUS. 58 a-. Tarsus with long, transverse scales both in front and behind.

fe1. Eyes far back, directly above ears; bill long; tip of upper mandible thick- ened ; plumage unchanging. Subfamily SCOLOPACIN^E. c1. Thigh entirely feathered ; three outer primaries attenuate.

PHILOHELA. 45

696 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

c2. Thigh naked below; three outer primaries not very narrow.

GALMXAGO. 46

62. Eyes not far back, considerably before the ears ; tip of upper mandible thin ; summer and winter plumage different. Subfamily TRING-IXJE. d1 . Toes 3. • CALIDRIS. 51

d2. Toes 4.

el. Toes not webbed.

fl. Bill not shorter than middle toe with claw; inner webs of quills not mottled. TRINGA. 49

f2. Bill shorter than middle toe with claw; inner webs of quills mot- tled. TRYNGITES. 56 e2. Toes more or less webbed at base.

gl. Tail more than half the length of the wing. BARTRAMIA. 55 g2. Tail not more than half the length of the wing. hl. Tail longer than bill from frontal feathers.

11. Wing less than 4 inches long. EREUNETES. 50

12. Wing not less than 4 inches long.

jl. Bill narrower at tip; upper surface hard and smooth. k1. Exposed culmen less than one-fifth as long as wing.

PAVONCEI/LA. k2. Exposed culmen more than one-fifth as long as wing.

11. Wing less than 4.50 inches long. ACTITIS. 57

12. Wing over 4.50 inches long.

m1. Bill slender; legs dusky or yellow. TOTAXTS. 53

m2. Bill stout; legs bluish. SYMPHEMIA. 54

j2. Bill slightly widened at tip; upper surface slightly

wrinkled or pitted. MICROPALAMA. 48

h2. Tail shorter than bill.

n1. Tip of both mandibles with a groove in middle and also pitted and wrinkled.

MACRORHAMPHUS. 47 n2. Tip of both mandibles not grooved, smooth.

LIMOSA. 52

45. GENUS PH1LOHELA GRAY.

88. (228). Philohela minor (GMEL.).

American Woodcock.

Occiput, with thin, transverse bands of black alternating with thin, narrower ones of yellowish; rusty above, variegated and harmoniously blended black, brown, gray and russet; three outer primaries very nar- row and stiff; below, pale warm brown of variable shade.

Length, 10.50-11.75; wing, 4.80-5.70; bill, 2.50 to nearly 3.00; tar- sus, 1.25.

KANGE. — Eastern provinces of North America, north to Labrador, Manitoba and York Factory; west to Nebraska and Dakota. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Indiana and Virginia southward.

Nest, on ground in woods or thicket, of leaves. Eggs, 4; huffy, spotted with rusty brown and purplish-gray; 1.51 by 1.14.

BIKDS OF INDIANA.

697

Summer resident. Common in suitable localities. Some years, at least, resident in the southwestern part of the State, especially the Wabash Valley, and perhaps about moist places that do not freeze throughout the State.

It has been reported from Grand Bapids, Mich., January 1, 1888. (Cook, Birds of Michigan). Prof. E. L. Moseley reports one that had been wounded, shot near Sandusky, 0., in midwinter. The winter of 1888-9 they wintered in the lower Wabash Valley. Prof. J. A. Balmer says they were frequently seen that winter along the open creeks on the prairies near Vincennes. Mr. E. J. Chansler reports them win- tering in the same region the winter of 1896-7.

American Woodcock, showing attenuate primaries. Natural size.

They migrate very early in spring, sometimes in February. Mr. H. W. McBride reported them from Dekalb County February 14,

1890. Usually, however, the greater number migrate in March and early April. The following records for the first arrival in spring for several years in Indiana and Michigan are given: Brookville, 1884, March 21; Petersburg, Mich., 1887, March 2; 1888, March 15; 1889, March 23; Petersburg, Mich., 1897, March 20 (J. Trombley); Elkhart,

1891, March 29; Greencastle, 1892, March 10 (Black); 1893, March 10 (Earlle); Laporte, 1894, April 2; Indianapolis, 1895, March 8 (Noe); Edwards, Vigo County, 1896, March 11. It will be observed that the earliest dates are usually from northern Indiana and Michigan. In other words, they were noted at an earlier date from those localities than from places much farther south. In fact, they were found in the northern part of our State from two to four weeks before they were supposed to appear in the valleys of the White and Whitewater, in the southern half of the State. This indicates that they proceed at once, at the earliest possible date, to their favorite breeding grounds, and those who know where they are, or who acci- dentally happen upon them, find them.

698 BEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Farther south, where they breed in very limited numbers, and where the conditions they desire are not often found, it is only rarely they are seen, and then during the later migrations or the mating season. In the vicinity of Brookville I have generally found them between April 1 and 15. Upon their arrival they are found in thickets along the shores of lakes, rivers and small streams, where the ground is wet and soft, so it can be easily probed with the long, sensitive bills, for their favorite food, earthworms. Sometimes, however, they are found far from such situations during the spring migrations. April 1, 1897, I found two in rather open woods, on the top of a dry ridge, over three hundred feet above the river valley, near Brookville. They are nocturnal not only in their migrations, but generally in all their movements. The early migrants begin mating soon after arrival; the later ones frequently come paired. One of the notable characteristics of the mating time is the series of aerial evolutions and the nocturnal song of the male.

Mr. Jesse Earlle and Mr. Alexander Black observed these repeated several times on two successive evenings, at Greencastle, March 10 and 11, 1892. The first evening they could not determine the' bird, but the next night they secured the performer, which proved to be a male Woodcock. Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell, in the Auk, Vol. II, July, 1885, pp. 261, 262, gives an excellent account of this feature of the mating habits, which he observed April 19, 1884: "The birds would start up from amid the shrubbery, with a tremulous, whirring sound of the wings, rising with spiral course into the air. The spiral varied con- siderable in pitch, sometimes expanding to sweep far out over the neighboring fields, where a single evolution would carry the bird up- ward almost to the extremity of its flight, which was sometimes di- rectly over the point of departure. The rapid trilling sound with which it started off, as Woodcocks do, continued without interruption during the ascent, but gradually became more rapid, and as the bird neared its greatest height, passed into pulsations of quavering sound. Each pulsation was shorter and faster than the last, and took the tremolo to a higher pitch, sounding like a throbbing whirr of fine machinery or suggesting in movement the accelerating, rhythmic sound of a railway car gradually gaining full speed after a stop. At last, when it seemed as if greater rapidity of utterance was not possible, the vertex of the flight would be reached, and descending with in- creasing swiftness, the bird would break forth into an irregular chip- pering, almost a warble, the notes sounding louder and more liquid as it neared the earth. Suddenly there would be silence, and a small, dark object would dart past through the dusk, down amid the shrub-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 699

bery. Then, at silent intervals, a single strange and rather startling note, a loud, sharp and somewhat nasal speat or spneat, which sounded as if delivered with a spiteful directness at some offensive object."

Audubon says they ascend in these spiral girations fifty or more yards in height, and he thought the sounds made after reaching the ground were calls to the female, who, hearing them, flies to the male. After pairing comes nesting. The nests are generally but depressions in some higher, dry spot in a swamp or wet woods or underbrush. I have, however, found the nest among the bushes on a sandy knoll over a hundred yards from water or swampy ground. There is much that is generally known regarding its habits in summer and fall, but few comparatively are they who have seen its eggs or observed its breeding habits or heard its song. I have found its nest and eggs March 24 (1884) and as late as April 16 (1881). Mr. G. G-. William- son found them at Muncie March 29, 1889, and I have records from other localities, different years, as early ae March 28 and 23.

Mr. V. H. Barnett, Spearsville, observed an old Woodcock, "with four young, as large as chickens, just hatched, April 13, 1894," and Mr. Oliver Davie records young seen near Cleveland, 0., as early as April 9. It is a fact, attested by careful observers, that the Wood- cock will carry its young away from danger between its feet. By July 1 the young are quite well grown; in most cases are as strong of wing as the parents. Then shooting begins. They still frequent the same choice cover until the dry, late summer hardens the ground and absorbs the water and they are driven by necessity from much of their feeding ground to seek more desirable places. The summer of 1894 was very dry. Through August of that year, the late Mr. C. F. Good win, of Brookville, observed a Woodcock in his yard night after night for at least two weeks. His home was on the principal street of the town; the ground was heavily sprinkled and was soft and the grass green and well trimmed. The bird came close to his window and was quite tame. The yard was lighted by an electric street light, so its actions could easily be noted with a glass. The bird would busy itself by the hour prodding the ground with its bill, and every little while would pull out a worm. They have the power of moving the tip of the upper mandible, so they can use the bill as a forceps to withdraw their food. In the American Field, Vol. XLIV, December 28, 1895, my friend, Mr. L. H. Raymond (a son of the pioneer in Indiana ornithology), has contributed an excellent article on this bird from the standpoint of a sportsman. Its habits are so changeable, and so frequently it is the unexpected that happens, that this writer says he is almost com- pelled to deduce the maxim "never to be surprised at anything a

700 EEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Woodcock does." He shows that they change their localities through summer, as food is easy or hard to obtain; that to one who has studied their favorite grounds they are to be found there through all the late summer and fall; that they feed by day as well as by night, at times, at least. In fall they are sometimes to be found in cornfields and damp meadows. Conditions make demands upon them, and they seem always to be equal to the emergency. In the fall they may pos- sibly occasionally begin their migrations in October. They are re- ported then, but whether the ones observed are summer residents or migrants is not known. I have observed them at Brookville until November 10, and from reports obtained, they sometimes stay until the end of that month. Their leaving depends upon the weather. A hard freeze, sufficiently severe to prevent them boring, will cause them " to go south.

Dr. B. H. Warren, State Ornithologist of Pennsylvania, recording the result of his investigations of the food of Woodcocks as ascer- tained by dissection, found the young examined contained "small fragments of worms." The food of others was earthworms, beetles, larvae, and one had eaten a spider. One specimen, taken November 8, had fed exclusively on small seeds (Birds of Pennsylvania, p. 80).

46. GKNUS GALLINAGO LEACH.

*89. (230). Gallinago delicata (ORD.).

Wilson's Snipe.

Crown, black, with a pale middle stripe; back, varied with black, bright bay and tawny, the latter forming two lengthwise stripes on the scapulars; neck and breast, speckled with brown and dusky; lining of wings, barred with black and white; tail, usually of sixteen feathers, barred with black, white and chestnut; sides, waved with dusky; belly, dull white; quills, blackish, the outer white-edged.

Length, about 10.50-11.50; wing, 5.00-5.60; tail, 2.60; bill, 2.50- 2.70.

EANGE. — America; Columbia and West Indies, north to Labrador, Hudson Bay and Alaska. Breeds from northern Indiana and Con- necticut north. Winters in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and South Caro- lina south.

Nest, a depression in a grassy meadow, tiggs, 3-4; pale olive, olive- grayish or pale olive-brown, heavily spotted, especially on larger end, with deep brown and purplish-gray; 1.55 by 1.09.

Abundant migrant. Summer resident northward; some winters a few remain in suitable localities. It was taken by Mr. W. 0. Wallace

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 701

in Wabash County January 1, 1892, and within a week before that date two others were killed in that county. Mr. E. J. Chansler thinks some may winter in Knox County. Prof. E. L. Moseley reports one killed at Grand Rapids, Mich., December 24, 1896, and several others a few days before. The same authority tells me they have been taken a number of times in midwinter several miles west of Sandusky, Ohio, where there are springs and running water that do not freeze in severe weather. The migrants begin to move early in March. The follow- ing dates give that of the first appearance for each of several years, at the places named: Brookville, 1881, March 29; 1882, March 29; 1883,

Wilson's Snipe.

April 7; 1886, March 18; 1896, March 7; Cook County, 111., 1884, March 22; 1885, March 29 (Parker). English Lake, 1887, March 7 (Deane). Macsauber Club, Kankakee River, 1890, March 23 (Deane). Frankfort, 1893, March 16; 1895, March 8 (Ghere). Greencastle, March 5 (Earlle). Edwards, Vigo County, 1897, March 11 (Kendrick). The first migrants generally appear in March, but it is usually the last of the month or early in April before they become common. Usu- ally after the warm rains have softened the earth and brought into activity the insects, beneath the surface, they appear. March, 28, 1896, was a day when the snow melted in the sun, yet was to be seen upon the frozen ground, in the shade. I saw a snipe by the side of the road as I drove along. It seemed quite tame, and flew ahead of me a short distance and alighted again and again in the ditch. At last it arose and attempted to alight on a frozen snow-bank, evidently thinking it was water. It seemed very much surprised when it came down upon something hard, for it descended with some force, and as soon as it could recover, arose and flew away. Usually in the White- water Valley, they are gone by the 20th to 25th of April; but in 1881,

702 KEPOET OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

they remained with us as late as May 6. Mr. Ruthven Deane says more or less of Wilson's Snipe breed at English Lake, every year. Mr. G. Frean Morcom has a set of eggs taken at the Macsauber Club, 25 miles farther up the Kankakee Kiver. It has also been reported as breeding in the following other counties: Lake (Meyer and Parker); Miami (Cunningham). They have been observed in midsummer in Wabash County (Wallace). They vary much in numbers and time of appearance in spring. The same thing is noticeable in fall. They are very peculiar in their movements and in the selection of a feeding ground. Some days they lie close, and others rise almost out of range of the gun. They utter, as-they arise and fly against the wind, a note commonly called "scape," from its resemblance to that sound, and move away rapidly in a zigzag flight, that is very perplexing to the in- experienced sportsman.

In the fall, they usually begin to arrive in northern Indiana from the north, early in September, but are not common until later in the month. They remain about the marshes through October and often till late in November. The fall of 1889 was notable for the unusually early appearance of these birds in numbers on their favorite grounds. This was noted by all collectors and sportsmen.

Mr. Parker observed it in Lake County and Mr. Ruthven Deane wrote me as follows concerning them: "On September 1st they were so numerous a good shot could have killed forty or fifty birds in many localities in Indiana and Illinois. Of course a number breed every year but something has driven them by thousands from the north, some claiming it is due to very dry weather north of us." The earliest record I have for southeastern Indiana is Sept. 23, 1884. From that time they are passing through October and November. The latest record at Brookville is November 17, 1894, but elsewhere it has been reported later, and in some localities as stated, winters. "Morning1 and evening and throughout cloudy days in the early part of the breed- ing season the male has a curious habit of mounting high overhead, then descending obliquely for some distance, and as it turns upward, strike? rapidly with its wings, producing a loud whistling sound with each stroke. This maneuver is repeated again and again, and appears to be performed for the same purpose as is the 'booming' of the night-hawk. Besides this sound Wilson's Snipe has a peculiar sharp cry during this season, which is uttered when the bird is disturbed. I first became acquainted with this note in May, 1876, when, while walking along a marshy strip of land, I was surprised to hear a loud ka-ka-ka-ka-ka, uttered with great force and in a rather loud, harsh tone. Turning quickly I was still more astonished to find the author

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 703

to be one of these birds. It was flying restlessly from post to post along a fence and showed the greatest uneasiness at my presence, the notes being repeated at short intervals. Although the nest was prob- ably near I could not discover it" (Nelson's Birds of N. E. 111.). Ac- cording to Audubon, "the food of our common Snipe consists princi- pally of ground- worms, insects, and juicy, slender roots, of different vegetables, all of which tend to give its flesh that richness of flavor and juicy tenderness for which it is so deservedly renowned, it being equal to that of the woodcock. Many epicures eat up both snipe and wood- cock with all their viscera, worms, insects to boot, the intestines, in fact, being considered the most savory parts. On opening some newly killed snipe, I have more than once found fine, large and well-fed ground-worms, and at times a leech, which I must acknowledge, I never conceived suitable articles of food for man, and for this reason I have always taken good care to have both snipe and wood-cocks well cleaned, as all game ought to be."

Dr. B. H. Warren examined 25 snipe and found articles of food were beetles, water beetles, and earthworms, together with weed seeds, grass blades and the roots of plants. (Birds of Pa., 1890, p. 82.)

47. GENUS MACRORHAMPHUS LEACH.

a1. Length 11.00, or less. M. griseus (GrneL). 90

a2. Length over 11.00. M. scolopaceus (Say). 91

90. (231). Macrorhamphus griseus (GMEL.).

Dowitcher. Synonyms, GRAY SNIPE, GRAY BACK.

Tail and its coverts, at all seasons, conspicuously barred with black and white (or tawny); lining of wings, and axillars, the same; quills, dusky; shaft of first primary, and tips of the secondaries, except long inner ones, white; bill and feet, greenish-black. In summer, brown- ish-black above, variegated with bay; below, brownish-red, variegated with dusky; a tawny superciliary stripe and a dark one from bill to the eye. In winter, plain gray above and on the breast, with few or no traces of black; the belly, line over eye and under eyelid, white.

Length, about 10.00-11.00; wing, 5.25-5.90 (average, 5.65); bill, 2.00-2.55 (2.30); tarsus, 1.20-1.55 (1.35).

EANGE. — America, from Brazil and West Indies north to Arctic Ocean. Breeds within Arctic Circle. Winters from Gulf coast south.

Nest, a hollow in ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 3-4, resemble those of Wilson's Snipe; 1.65 by 1.13.

704 EEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Rare migrant, more often seen in July, August and September after breeding season. These are usually young birds, they are generally found in flocks of three to ten. They accompany the Yellow-legs, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper. Mr. F. M. "Woodruff, of Chicago, informs me he has a bird of this species in his collection that was taken September 9, 1892. He has notes of it in Cook County, 111., near the Indiana line, May 6, 1893; September 23, 1893; and Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., has taken it three times in July; July 4, 1887; July 19 and 21, 1893.

I do not know the relative numbers of the two forms of this bird found within the State, but think that this will prove to be much the rarer.

91, (232). Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (SAY).

Long-billed Dowitcher. Synonyms, GREATER GRAY-BACK, RED-BELLIED SNIPE.

Adult in Summer. — Similar to M. griseus but averaging larger; abdomen, pale cinnamon, like rest of lower parts. Bill larger. Win- ter plumage and Immature known from last species by larger size.

Length, 11.00-12.50; wing, 5.40-6.00 (average 5.74); bill, 2.10-3.00 (2.72); tarsus, 1.35-1.75 (1.58).

RANGE. — South America, north to Alaska, principally migratory through Mississippi Valley and Western States. Not common on At- lantic coast. Breeds in Alaska. Winters from Gulf coast south.

Nest and Eggs, indistinguishable from those of M. griseus.

Rare migrant. Of all the references to Dowitcher only one refers to the short-billed form. That I have mentioned under the last mentioned species. All others are referrd to here, but as most of them are claimed to represent this form it is probably by far the most com- mon with us. In the spring it is noted in March, April and May, and later it probably appears in July, and remains through August like the last mentioned bird. The earliest record I have for the State is March 11, 1889. On that date one specimen was taken and another seen at English Lake '(Deane). Mr. Jesse Earlle took a specimen at Greencastle May 14, 1890, and the next day Mr. Alex. Black took an- other which has been very kindly placed in my collection. On May 28 or 29, 1891, another one was taken by Mr. Black. Mr. Dury re- ports this species in spring and fall, from English Lake. He also notes it from English Lake, and one from Kouts, Ind., April 30, 1890. These localities are represented by specimens in the Cuvier Club col-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 705

lection, Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me that he has observed it occasionally in Lake County in flocks.

Mr. E. W. Nelson found this one of the most common waders on the shore of Norton's Sound, in summer, and it is also present in smaller numbers all along the Yukon, where there are suitable locali- ties. He found it at the Yukon mouth, May 12, and toward the end of that month they were plentiful, and their curious tiabits and loud notes make them among the most conspicuous denizens of the marshes. There they mate and nest. The following is a description of a set of four eggs taken there June 16: "The eggs, four in number, rested in a shallow depression formed by the bird's body in the soft moss and without a trace of lining. These eggs measures respectively 1.80 'by 1.21; 1.70 by 1.20; 1.69 by 1.20; 1.72 by 1.23."

48. GENUS MICROPALAMA BATED.

92. (233). Micropalama himantopus (BONAP.).

Stilt Sandpiper.

Adult in Summer. — Above, blackish, each feather edged and tipped with white and tawny or bay, which on the scapulars becomes scal- loped; auriculars, chestnut; a dusky line from bill to eye, and a light reddish superciliary line; upper tail coverts, white, with dusky bars; primaries, dusky, with blackish tips; tail feathers, ashy-gray, their edge and a central field, white; under parts, mixed, reddish, black and whitish, in streaks on the jugulum, elsewhere in bars; bill and feet, greenish-black.

Immature and Adult, in Winter. — Ashy-gray above, with or with- out traces of black and bay, the leathers usually with white edging; line over the eye, and under parts, white; the jugulum and sides, suffused with the color of the back, and streaked with dusky; legs, usually, pale.

Length, 7.50-9.25; wing, 5.00-5.30; bill, 1.55-1.75; tarsus, 1.55-1.70.

EANGE. — America, from Brazil, Peru and West Indies, northeast of Eocky Mountains to Arctic regions. Breeds within the Arctic Circle. Winters in Louisiana and southward.

Nest, depression in ground, lined with grass and leaves. Eggs, 3-4, light-drab, or grayish-white, with bold spots and marknigs of chest- nut-brown; 1.42 by 1.00.

Eare migrant. Pound in this latitude in April, July and August, September and October. I have no spring records. The only Indiana record is of a specimen taken by L. A. and C. D. Test, at Hed- ley's Lake, October 10, 1892. This is in my collection, for which the

45— GEOL

706 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

collectors have my thanks. Mr. E. W. Nelson reports two occurrences near Chicago, one August 8, 1873, the other, September 10, 1873. (Birds N. E. 111., p. 126.) Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., collected a bright female, from a flock of four at Mud Lake, July 25, 1893, and a young bird August 7, 1893. Mr. F. M. Woodruff reports it from Cook County, 111., near the Indiana line, April, 1890; July 25, 1893, and September 23, 1893 (The Auk, April, 1896, p. 180), and Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., adds from the same vicinity the record of a young bird August 7, 1893. In Ontario, Mr. Mcllwraith has noted it June 25, July 28, and September 23 and 26. Since it breeds far to the north- ward, there seem to be individuals wandering about, every month from June to October, some of which, perhaps, do not go to the breeding grounds.

49. GENUS TRINGA LINN^US.

a1. Wing 6.00, or more ; middle pair of tail feathers not longer than the rest. Sub- genus TRINGA. T. canutus Linn. 93 a2. Wing under 6.00; middle pair of tail feathers longer and more pointed than

the rest. ft1. Tarsus about equal in length to bill.

c1. Wing more than 4 00. Subgenus ACTODROMAS Kaup.

d1. Wing 5.00, or more ; rump and middle upper tail coverts plain black or dusky. T. maculata Vieill. 94

d2. Wing less than 5.00; middle upper tail coverts plain dusky.

T. bairdii (Cones). 95

c2. Wing under 4.00; size very small. T. minutilla Vieill. 96

b2. Bill very long, nearly as long as tarsus and middle toe; decidedly curved downward at the end. Submenus PELIDXA Cuvier.

P. alpina pacifica (Coues). 97

• Subgenus TRIXGA.

93. (234). Tringa canutus LINN.

Knot.

Adult in Summer. — Above, brownish-black, each feather tipped with ashy-white, and tinged with reddish on scapulars; below, uni- form brownish-red, much as in the robin, fading into white on the flanks and crissum; upper tail coverts, white with dusky bars, tail feathers and secondaries, grayish-ash with white edges; quills, black- ish; gray on the inner webs and with white shafts; bill and feet, blackish.

Immature. — Above, clear ash, with numerous black and white semi- circles; below, white, more or less tinged with reddish, dusky speckled on breast, wavy barred on sides.

Length, 10.00-11.00; wing, 6.50; tail, 2.50; tail, nearly square.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 707

EANGE. — Sea coasts, throughout the Northern Hemisphere; south in winter to Brazil, New Zealand, Damara Land, Africa and Australia. Breeds in the Arctic Circle. Resident on Gulf coast (Mcllhenny). In migrations, visits the larger inland waters.

Nest} a depression in the sand. Eggs, light pea-green, closely spotted in brown with small specks about the size of a pin head; 1.10 by 1.00.

Rare migrant. It seems, in the interior, to be almost exclusively found along the great lakes. Mr. Mcllwraith notes it in May and June, in Ontario; Dr. Wheaton noted it in Ohio, and* Mr. E. W. Nel- son in Cook County, 111., in May, September, and October.

Mr. F. M. Woodruff shot a Knot — a beautiful specimen, in the light gray juvenile plumage, with scale-like markings of pure white on the back, — on the shore of Lake Michigan, at Miller's, Ind., August 24, 1896. It was in company with a miscellaneous flock of Sandpipers, August 21, 1897, Mr. Woodruff took three young of the year, two males and one female, at the same place.

In an article in "The Auk," for January, 1893, p. 25, Mr. Geo. H. Mackay, in speaking of the Knot on the New England coast, says: "It formerly sojourned there in great abundance, but now appears in greatly reduced numbers." He explains this diminution in numbers is owing to their destruction by the practice of "firelighting," which formerly prevailed, but which is now prohibited by law.

"The mode of procedure was for two men to start out after dark at half-tide, one of them to carry a lighted lantern the other to reach and seize the birds, twist their necks, and put them in a" bag slung over the shoulder. When near a flock, they would approach them on their hands and knees, the birds being almost invariably taken on the flats." They are said to have been shipped by the barrel to Boston, as many as six barrels having been observed in one shipment. Mr. MacKay says: "It is not my intention to convey the impression that the Knots are nearly exterminated, but they are much reduced in numbers, and are in great danger of extinction, and comparatively few can be seen in Massachusetts, where formerly there were twenty to twenty-five thousand a year, which I consider a reasonable estimate of its former abundance."

The extensive range of the Knot is a matter of general information, yet as is often the case, we know much more about many birds with comparatively restricted habitat. During our winter it reaches Aus- tralia, New Zealand, Damara Land, Africa, but in America it has not been reported south of Brazil. Very little is known of its breeding grounds. It has been reported building from such far north points

708 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

as Melville Peninsula, shores of Smith Sound, north Georgian Islands, and Grinnell Land, but its eggs remained absolutely unknown, until Lieut. A. W. Greely took it on the Lady Franklin Bay expedition, in the vicinity of Fort Conger, latitude 81° 44' 1ST. (The Auk, II, p. 313).

SUBGENUS ACTODROMAS KAUP.

94. (239). Tringa maculata (VIBILL.).

Pectoral Sandpiper.

Middle tail feathers pointed, projecting a quarter of an inch beyond the rest, wedge-shaped at the end, dusky, edged with lighter; outer tail feathers, pale brownish-gray, edged with white; rump and upper tail coverts, black, the under feathers of latter, whitish, marked with dusky; above, feathers black, each one bordered with light clay color, brighter on crown, back, scapulars and tertials, throat and rest of un- der parts, white; below, neck and breast, light grayish-buff, streaked with black. This species resembles T. bairdii but is larger, has black instead of dusky upper tail coverts, and middle tail feathers longer and more pointed.

Length, 8.00-9.50; wing, about 5.00-5.50; bill, 1.10-1.20; tarsus, 1.00-1.10.

EANGE. — America, from Brazil and Chili north to Arctic Ocean.

Breeds in north Alaska and other Arctic regions. Winters from West Indies to South America. Accidental in Europe.

Nest, in grass. Eggs, 4, pale grayish-buff, ranging to pale olive- greenish, boldly and heavily blotched with rich vandyke brown; 1.44 by 1.02.

Common, sometimes abundant, migrant, generally in flocks. A few may be summer residents.

Usually found from the latter part of March to May 1, and through September and October. The earliest record I have is from Vigo County, March 17, 1897 (Kendrick). I have also the following early spring records: Brookville, March 29, 1881; Greencastle, March 28, 1894; March 22, 1895 (Earlle); Greensburg, March 27, 1894; March 26, 1896 (Shannon); Liverpool, March 29, 1885; Cook County, 111., March 20, 1886 (Parker). Some years the first reported appearance is much later, as is shown by the following: Brookville, April 9, 1887; Greencastle, April 8, 1890 (Earlle). The following are dates when last observed in spring migrations: Brookville, May 6, 1881; Knox County, April 24, 1894 (Chansler); English Lake, May 10, 1891; May 6, 1888 (Deane); Laporte, May 6, 1896 (Barber). Sometimes they are seen singly or in small flocks of five to twelve, but often in

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 709

large droves of forty or fifty to several* hundred. They frequent swampy ground, but throughout the southern part of the State I have usually found them most abundant upon the poorly drained and wet meadows, through the month of April.

In the Whitewater Valley they were the most abundant I ever saV them the spring of 1881. Their unusual abundance throughout the Wabash Valley was noted in the spring of 1894.

They go into the Arctic regions to breed. Mr. Nelson found them breeding in Alaska at the mouth of the Yukon River, and Mr. Mur- dock at Point Barrow. The former gives a bit of his experience with these birds on an island in the Yukon delta the last of May, 1879. On the night of May 24th as he lay wrapped in his blanket with the tent flap raised, he says: "As my eyelids began to droop and the scene to become indistinct, suddenly a low, hollow, booming note struck my ear, and sent my thoughts back to a spring morning in northern Illinois, and to the loud vibrating tones of the prairie chickens. Again the sound came nearer and more distinct, and with an effort I brought myself back to the reality of my position, and resting upon one elbow listened; a few seconds passed and again arose the note; a moment later, and, gun in hand, I stood outside the tent. The open flat extended away on all sides, with apparently not a living creature near. Once again the note was repeated close by, and a glance re- vealed its author. Standing on one leg in the thin grasses ten or fif- teen yards from me, with its throat inflated until it was as large as the rest of the bird, was a male A. maculata. The note is deep, hollow, and resonant, but at the same time liquid and musical, and may be represented by a repetition of the syllables too-u, too-u, . too-u, too-u, too-u, too-u, too-u, too-u. Before the bird utters these notes it fills its oesophagus with air to such an extent that the breast .and throat are inflated to twice or more its natural size, and the great air sack thus formed gives the peculiar resonant quality to the note. At times the male rises to twenty or thirty yards in the air and inflating its throat glides down to the ground with its sack hanging below. Again he crones back and forth in front of the female, puffing his breast out and bowing from side to side, running here and there as if intoxicated with passion. Whenever he pursues his love-making, his rather low but pervading note swells and dies in musical cadences, which form a striking part in the great bird chorus heard at this season of the year, in the north. The Eskimo name indicates that its notes are like those of the Walrus, hence the term "Walrus-talker." (N. H. Coll. in Alaska, pp. 108, 109).

710 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

> As soon as the breeding season is over they begin to return to us.

About the lower end of Lake Michigan they are seen some years the latter part of July. In Cook County, 111., Mr. Parker found them very abundant July 17, 1893, and Mr. J. 0. Dunn found them con- tinuing abundant through the remainder of July and well into Au- gust. That, however, is an unusual occurrence, the like of which has not been noted in twenty years' observations. In 1889 they were noted August 10th (Parker).

They become common in September, and remain so into October. Lafayette, September 14 to October 5, 1895 (Test). Mr. E. W. Nel- son says it sometimes remains in northeastern Illinois until November 1. Messrs. Ulrey and Wallace note that in September they are found in great abundance along the Wabash River (Proc. I. A. S., 1895, p. 150).

95. (241). Tringa bairdii Gouts.

Baird's Sandpiper.

Adult in Summer. — Middle tail feathers not projecting to any de- gree beyond the rest and not noticeably pointed; middle upper tail coverts, dusky, bordered with dull clay-color, the lateral ones, white; middle tail feathers, nearly black, others light brownish-gray, all nar- rowly edged with whitish. Below, chest, pale buff, streaked and spotted with dusky grayish-brown; throat, sides and belly, white. Crown, pale grayish-buff, broadly streaked with brownish-black; scap- ulars and interscapulars, irregularly spotted with brownish-black and pale grayish-buff, the former largely predominating.

Adult in Winter. — Above, nearly uniform grayish-brown tinged with clay color; jugulum and sides deeply suffused with clay- color or dirty buff, the former very indistinctly streaked. Imma- ture.— Above, light buffy-brown, streaked with dusky, the featfc- ers of the back and the scapulars, blackish, conspicuously bordered terminally with dull white; wing coverts, dark grayish, also bordered terminally with white or light buff. Jugulum suffused with buff and indistinctly streaked.

Length. 7.00-7.60; wing, 4.60-4.85; bill, .90-1.00; tarsus, 1.00.

RANGE. — America, from Patagonia and Chili, northward chiefly through interior of North America to Arctic regions; rare on Atlantic coast. Not reported from Pacific coast of North America. Breeds in Alaska and the Barren Grounds, and winters south to limit of its range.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 711

Nest, a slight depression in the ground, lined with grass. Eggs, -3-4, light creamy buff, sometimes tinged with rusty, thickly speckled, -or spotted with deep reddish-brown or chestnut; 1.30 by .93.

Eare migrant. Up to this time it has been taken in Indiana but twice, both times in August. In fact the single instance given by Dr. Wheat on (Birds of Ohio, p. 176) in March, is, except the general ref- erence given by Nelson (Birds of N. E. 111., p. 127) the only one of its occurrence in the Ohio Valley, or the upper lake basin at that -season, that has come to my notice.

It seems to be common in Kansas and Nebraska in spring (Cooke Bird Mig. in Miss. Valley, p. 93) and may pass north through this western route.

Mr. W. 0. Wallace took a single specimen August 26, 1893,- at Wa- bash, and Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., has a male taken at Miller's, Ind., Au- gust 24. 1896. He was in company with Mr. F. M. Woodruff, who in- iorms me that they saw several, probably five, of these birds. Mr. Parker also has a female taken at Mud Lake, Cook County, 111., Au- gust 22, 1893. It has been taken in Michigan, August 15, 1893 (Co- vert), August 20, 1895 (Milliken).

In Ohio it has been reported by Dr. Wheaton in September and •October. The latest date being one noted by Dury and Freeman, October 27, 1878, at Cincinnati.

This bird is much more numerous farther west, where, in some parts, Dr. Coues says it is the most abundant small sandpiper during migrations.

96, (242). Tringa minutilla VIBILL.

Least Sandpiper.

Upper parts in summer, with each feather blackish centrally, edged with light bay and tipped with ashy or white; in winter, and in the immature, simply ashy; tail feathers, gray, with whitish edges, the central, blackish, usually with reddish edges; crown not conspicuously different from hind neck; chestnut edgings of scapulars usually scal- loped; below, white, the jugulum with dusky streaks .and an ashy or brownish suffusion; bill, black; legs, dusky greenish. Smallest of the Sandpipers.

Length, 5.00-6.75; wing, 3.50-3.75; bill, .7S-.92; tarsus, ,75.

"RAXGE. — The whole of America, breeding almost if not entirely north of United States; winters from Gulf coast south. Accidental in Europe.

712 REPOKT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, a depression in ground, lined with, grass. Eggs, 3-4; pale grayish-bufiy, varying to pale brownish, thickly spotted, speckled or sprinkled with deep chestnut and dull purplish-gray; 1.15 by .83.

Migrant; in spring not common. They pass northward through May, when they are found in small flocks and return, some years, about July 20; leave the last of August or early in September. In- the fall they are much more numerous, and in the vicinity of Lake Michi- gan, are often common, being frequently found in company with Semi- palmated Sandpipers. Mr. Nelson found it nesting in Cook County, HI. (Birds K E. 111., p. 127).

The earliest date at which it has been noted in this State is May 2, 1890, at Waterloo (Snyder). It was noted at Greencastle in 1891, May 4 (Hughes); in 1892, May 14, and last seen May 26; in 1895, May 11 (Earlle). Mr. H. K. Coale tells me one was shot on the shore of Lake Michigan, in Lake County, Ind., by Mr. Geo. F. Clingman, June 1, 1879. Mud Lake, Cook County, 111., is a favorite feeding ground of these birds, as in fact of all the Sandpipers and other small shore birds. It may be used as a calendar for recording their arrival and departure. Mr. J. 0. Dunn obtained three, there, from a flock of about twenty, July 3, 1893, and he found them afterwards through July and August at the same place.

There Mr. Parker found the Least Sandpiper July 19, 1893, and from that time until August 8th, they were noted. He found them common August 15, 1887, and observed two at Cheltenham, September 6, 1889. It was found at Wolf Lake May 23 and 30, 1896 (Tallman). Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test obtained it at Hedley's Lake, near La- fayette, September 6, 1894. One specimen was taken from a flock of Solitary Sandpipers in Wabash County August 29, 1893 (Ulrey and Wallace P. I. A. S., 1895, p. 150). I found one at Brookville August 28, 1897.

These little Sandpipers and their companions are commonly called in many localities, "Peeps." Nuttall says that "for the discovery of their food their flexible and sensitive awl-like bills, are probed into the mire, marshy soil or wet sand, in the manner of the snipe and woodcock, and in this way they discover and rout from their hidden re- treats, the larvae and the soft worms, which form a principal part of their fare. At other times they also give chase to insects and pursue their calling with amusing alacrity."

"Fogs hang low and heavy over rock-girdled Labrador. Angry waves pallid with rage exhaust themselves to encroach upon the stern shores, and baffled, sink back howling into the depths. Winds shriek as they course from crag to crag in mad career, till the humble mosses

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 713

that clothe the rocks crouch lower still in fear. Overhead the Sea Gulls scream as they winnow, and the Murres, all silent, ply eager oars to escape the blast. What is here to entice the steps of the delicate birds? Yet they have come, urged by resistless impulse, and have made a nest on the ground in some half-sheltered nook. The material was ready at hand, in the mossy covering of the earth, and little care or thought was needed to fashion a little bunch into a little home. Four eggs laid (they are buffy-yellow, thickly spotted over with brown and drab), with the points together, that they may take up less room and be more warmly covered; there is need of this, such large eggs belonging to so small a bird. As we draw near, the mother sees us and nestles closer still over her treasures, quite hiding them in the covering of her breast, and watches us with timid eyes, all anxiety for the safety of what is dearer to her than her own life. Her mate stands motionless, but not unmoved, hard by, not venturing even to chirp the note of encouragement and sympathy she loves to hear.

"Alas! hope fades and dies out, leaving only fear; there is no further concealment — we are almost upon the nest — almost trodden upon, she springs up with a piteous cry and flies a little distance, realighting, al- most beside herself with grief, for she knows only too well what is to be feared at such a time. If there were hope for her that her nest were undiscovered, she might dissimulate and try to entice us away by those touching deceits that maternal love inspires. But we are actually bending over her treasures, and deceptions would be in vain; her grief is too great to be witnessed, unmoved, still less portrayed; nor can we, deaf to her beseeching, change it into despair. WeTiave seen and ad- mired the home — there is no excuse for making it desolate; we have not so much as touched one of the precious eggs, and will leave them to her renewed and patient care." (Coues, Birds of N". W., p. 483).

Subgenus PKLIDNA Cuvier.

97, (243a). Tringa alpina pacifica (COUES).

Red-backed Sandpiper. Synonyms, AMERICAN DUNLIN, BLACK BREAST.

Adult in Summer. — Above, chestnut, each feather with a central black field, and most of them whitish-tipped; rump and upper tail coverts, blackish; tail feathers and wing coverts, ashy-gray; quills, dusky with pale shafts; secondaries, mostly white, and inner primaries, edged with the same; under parts, white; belly, with a broad, jet black area; breast and jugulum, thickly streaked with dusky; bill and feet,

714 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

black. Adult in Winter,, and Immature. — Above, plain ashy-gray,, with dark shaft-lines, with or without red or black traces; below,. white; little or no trace of black on the belly; jugulum, with a few dusky streaks and an ashy suffusion.

Length, 7.60-8.75; wing, 4.60-4.95; bill, 1.40-1.75; tarsus, 1.00-1.15.

RAXGE. — North America in general; breeds in Alaska and Arctic regions and eastern Asia. Winters from Gulf coast south; except about Great Lakes, rare in the interior.

Nest, a depression in ground lined with grass or leaves. Eggs. 3-4; brownish-grayish or olive buff, blotched, spotted and stained writh chestnut-brown; 1.43 by 1.01.

Migrant the latter part of May, early in June and October. Some- times abundant about the lower end of Lake Michigan and the small lakes near there, in full breeding plumage, in May; elsewhere rare.

Mr. Geo. F. Clingman obtained a specimen of this bird from the shore of Lake Michigan, in Lake County, June 1, 1879 (Coale). Mr. C. A. Tallman informs me, he has taken it at Wolf Lake, in Indiana.

The earliest record I have is from Mr. E. Blackwelder, who took it in Cook County May 18, 1895. Mr. Tallman took it in the same county May 23 and 30, 1896. May 25, 1887, in company with Mr. H. K. Coale, I found it very abundant, in full plumage, between Grand Crossing, 111., and the Indiana line, and took several specimens.

Mr. F. L. Washburn obtained it at Ann Arbor, Mich., May 14. 1888. Mr. Nelson notes its occurrence as late as June 5, and in the fall says it returns in winter dress during September, and remains well into October (Birds of Northeastern Illinois,, pp. 127, 128). It does not seem to be as plentiful in fall. Mr. Tallman informs me of taking- two specimens at Calumet Lake in October and one at Mud Lake October 12. 1893.

In Alaska it breeds abundantly at the mouth of the Yukon, on the shores of Norton's Sound and at Point Barrow, where they arrive from the 10th to the end of May. They nest from the first of June to the first of July. The young are mostly on the wing toward the end of the latter month, and the birds begin to gather into flocks along the muddy edges of the brackish pools and banks of tide creeks. They leave in October (Nelson, N. H. Coll. in Alaska, pp. 110, 111).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 715

•'<>. UKNUS KKKINKTKS II.I.IOKR.

98. (24tl). Ereunetes pusillus (Li.vN.).

Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Adult in Summer. — Above, variegated with black, bay and ashy •or white, each feather with a black field, reddish edge and whitish tip; rump and upper tail coverts, except the lateral ones, blackish; tail feathers, ashy-gray, the central darker; primaries, dusky, the shaft of the first, white; a dusky line from the bill to the eye, and a white superciliary line; below, pure white, usually rufescent on the breast, and with more or less dusky speckling on the throat, breast and sides; in young birds, usually wanting; in winter the upper parts mostly plain ashy-gray; but in any plumage or under any variation the spe- •cies is known by its small size and semipalmated feet.

Length, 5.25-6.75; wing, 3.65-3.90 (in male); wing, 3.85-4.00 (in female); bill, .6S-.75 (.72) in male; biU, .80-.92 (.84) in female.

RAXGE. — America, from Brazil, north to Arctic coast. Breeds from Labrador and Hudson Bay northward. Winters from Gulf coast southward.

Nest, slight hollow in ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 3-4; pale, dull, grayish-buff, speckled or spotted with dark brown and purplish- gray; 1.21 by .85.

Migrant; generally uncommon, but often common and perhaps sum- mer resident in vicinity of Lake Michigan, and more numerous in spring than the Least Sandpiper, with which it is often found. In spring- they have been noted from the latter parlTof April into the beginning of June. It is most numerous in May. Prof. Evermann noted it in Carroll County, April 24, 1884, and April 21, 1885. Mr. J. 0. Dunn found it common in Cook County, Illinois, June 9, 1894, and obtained six specimens. Mr. Nelson notes that "many remain .through summer. From repeated dissections, I am confident that these are barren birds, and probably, as Mr. Maynard suggests, young of the preceding year" (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, pp. 126, 127). Mr. Dunn has also taken it there July 27, 1893, still in summer plum- age. And Mr. Parker reports it July 17 and July 26, 1893.

This is another instance of the unusually early migration of such species that year, Usually they do not appear until after the middle of August and remain into September, occasionally to October. Mr. Parker noted it August 19, 1896, in Cook County, Illinois, and August 24, 1896, at Miller's, Ind.

Mr. V. H. Barnett took a specimen in Vermillion County, Indiana, .August 30 and 31, 1897. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found it near

716 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Lafayette, at Hedley's Lake, September 6, 1894, and Mr. J. 0. Dunn shot one from a flock of five small Sandpipers at Peru October 2, 1893. It had lost one foot and the wound had healed. It has also been reported from Lake County (Woodruff, Aiken); Chalmers and English Lake (Dury); Steuben County (H. W. McBride); Putnam County (Clearwaters). I have never seen it in the Whitewater Valley. The extremely early apearance of a number of the Limicolae, including the Pectoral and Least Sandpipers and this species on the shore of Lake Michigan about the middle of July, will be noted.

51. GENUS CALIDRIS CUVIER.

99. (248). Calidris arenaria (LINN.).

Sanderling.

Adult in Summer. — Above, feathers with black centers edged with rufous or grayish and often tipped with whitish; head, neck, throat and jugulum, pale cinnamon-rufous, speckled below and streaked above with blackish; lower parts, white; greater wing coverts, broadly tipped with white, and outer webs of inner primaries white at their base. Adult in Winter. — Above, pale gray, spotted with black and whitish, the latter at tips of feathers; jugulum, white, unspotted, faintly tinged with dull buff.

Length, 7.00-8.75; wing, 4.70-5.00; bill, .95-1.00; tarsus, .90-1.05.

RANGE. — Nearly cosmopolitan, but breeding only in Arctic and subarctic districts; abundant in America, from Hudson Bay north to Arctic coast, migrating south to Patagonia and Chili. Chiefly littoral, but frequenting also the larger inland waters.

Nest, a hollow in ground, lined with grass and leaves. Eggs, 3-4; light olive brown, finely spotted with darker, the markings larger and more blended on larger end; 1.41 by .91.

Migrant; most places rare, but very common in late summer and fall on the shore of Lake Michigan and perhaps along the Ohio River.

Mr. Nelson notes it from about the 20th of May to the 10th of June, but in all the observations that have come to my notice I have never found it reported at that season. They appear usually in flocks of five to fifty birds by themselves, but are occasionally associated with other Sandpipers, particularly the Semipalmated and Pectoral, through August. Of those first arriving about one-third are adults, with the reddish, spotted throat of the breeding plumage. They were common at Miller's, Ind., August 1, 1897. There was found a large flock of Sandpipers, many of which were Sanderlings. Two weeks

BIEDS OF INDIANA. 717

later, on August 14, at the same place, this species was scarce (Wood- ruff).

Mr. Parl.er reports them from same section August 24, 1896, when he found them common, and collected both adults, in rich breeding plumage, and young. In 1886 he noted it in Cook County, Illinois, August 28. He thinks they are not so common in late years. Mr. H. K. Coale found them common on September 11, 1881. He saw them on the shore of Lake Michigan, in Lake County, Indiana. He saw them there again September 2, 1883, and had seen them Septem- ber 25, 1875. He informed me they were very abundant, and that the feathers were "full of parasite?." This is the latest record I have, but Mr. Nelson has them recorded from Cook County, Illinois; as late as October 20. Mr. George L. Toppan has also observed it in Lake Coun- ty, Indiana. Mr. Dury thinks he ha,d a specimen from English Lake, but has not been able to find it. In Ohio it is common on Lake Erie near Cleveland. Dr. Langdon notes it on the Ohio River near Cincin- nati, where it was also taken by Dury and Freeman September 15, 1878. Dr.Wheaton took it near Columbus in October, 1874(Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, p. 479).

52. (TKNUS LIMOSA BRISSON.

a1. Tail distinctly barred; win^r over 8.50. L. fedoa (Linn.). 100

a2. Tail black, white at base and tip; wing under 8.50.

L. haemastica (Linn.). 101

100. (249) Limosa fedoa (LINN.).

Marbled Godwit.

Tail, barred throughout with black and rufous; rump and upper tail coverts like the back; no pure white anywhere; general plumage, rufous or cinnamon-brown; below, breast, sides and flanks, barred with dusky; above, variegated with black and brown or gray; quills, rufous and black; bill, flesh-color, largely tipped with black; feet, dark; large. Immature. — Breast, sides and flanks, immaculate.

Length, 16.50-20.50; wing, 8.95-9.00; bill, 3.50-5.06; tarsus, 2.75- 3.00.

EANGE. — North America, from Central America and Cuba north- ward to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Breeding chiefly in the inte- rior from Iowa and Nebraska northward. Winters from Gulf coast southward.

Nest, on prairie, usually near water. Eggs, 3-4; olive-drab to buffy, irregularly blotched and spotted with dark brown and purplish gray; 2.27 by 1.60.

718 . EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST

Bare migrant. In former years it was common, ar.d possibly bred. It is reported -as breeding in Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa (Davie). Mr. Chas. Dury tells me it was abundant at Chalmers. Ind., L> years past. In Carroll County Prof. Evermann found it in April, 188 '. This is the only recent record I can find. Though in 1876 Mr. Nelson con- sidered it a rather common migrant, April 15 to May 15, and Septem- ber 10 to October 20.

This bird is much more abundant west of the Mississippi River, where it was found breeding abundantly in Traverse Lake region, in western Minnesota, by Messrs. Roberts and Benner (B. N. 0. C., Vol. A". 1880, pp. 13, 18). It also breeds in Manitoba.

101. (251). Limosa haemastica (LisN.).

Hudsonian Godwit.

Adult. — Smaller than last species; above, blackish-brown, irregu- larly spotted and barred with pale ochraceous; rump, blackish; upper tail coverts, white; tail, black, white at base and (narrowly) at tip; primaries, brownish-black, their shafts white; below, chestnut-rufous, barred with black and sometimes tipped with whitish; lining of wings and axillars, black. Adult in Winter and Immature. — Above, plain brownish-gray; below, white; breast, shaded with brownish-gray or buffy.

Length, 14.00-16.75; wing, 8.10-8.60; culmen, 2.85-3.45; tarsus, 2.25-2.50.

RANGE. — Eastern North America and the whole of middle and South America. Breeds only in the high north, notably on the Barren Grounds of the Arctic Ocean. Winters south beyond the United States.

Nest, a depression in ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 4; deep olive with light and dark brown spots; 2.20 by 1.42.

Rare migrant. I know of no recent instance of its capture. In 1879 Dr. Brayton said it was not very rare about Lake Michigan. This was substantially as Mr. Nelson found it in 1876, when he noted it as occurring from April 15 to May 10, and September to the first of October (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, p. 128). Now I consider it of very rare occurrence. I failed to get any records from my corre- spondents either in Illinois or Indiana within the last fifteen years. Mr. Ridgway gives it as an abundant migrant.

It has been seen by Mr. Mcllwraith at St. Glair Flats, and Dr. Wheaton notes it from Ohio. It prefers to migrate along the Atlantic- coast.

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

719

53. GKSUS TOT ANUS BECH&TEIN.

a1. Middle toe not more than half as long as tarsus; legs yellow.

Subgenus GLOTTIS Koch.

bl. Wing over 7.00. T. melanoleucus (Gmel.). 102

b2. Wing under 7.00. T. flavipes (Gmel.). 103

a2. Middle toe nearly or quite as long as tarsus; legs not yellow.

Subgenus HELODROMAS Kaup. T. solitarius (Wils.). 104

Subgenue GLOTTIS Koch.

102. (254). Tetanus melanoleucus (GMEL.).

Greater Yellow-legs.

Head and foot of Greater Yellow-legs. Natural size.

Bill, straight or slightly bent upwards, very slender, grooved half its length or less, black; legs, long and slender, yellow; in summer, ashy-brown; above, varied with black and speckled with whitish; be- low, white; jugulum, streaked; breast, sides and crissum, speckled or barred with blackish, these latter marks fewer or wanting in winter and in young; upper tail coverts, white, with dark bars; tail feathers, marbled or barred with ashy or white; quills, blackish; large.

Length, about 14.00; wing, 7.50-7.75; bill, 2.20-2.30; tarsus, 2.50- 2.75.

EANGE. — America 'in general, breeding from Iowa and possibly northern Illinois northward, south to Patagonia. Winters from Gulf coast southward.

Nest, a depression in ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 3-4; brown- ish-buffy, irregularly spotted with rich vandyke or marbled brown; 1.43 by 1.20.

Migrant, tolerably common in suitable places, northward, but rare in the southern half of the State. They arrive about March 20 to

720 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

April 15; are most numerous in April; some are seen in May and oc- casionally in June. Perhaps a rare summer resident in the northern part of the State. It was first observed in Vigo County, where it has been taken earliest in spring — March 19, 1887 (Evermann); March 27, 1888 (Blatchley), and March 20, 1896 (Kendrick). At Brookville its earliest spring record is March 26, 1887, while in 1883 it was not noted until April 7. Mr. J. G. Parker has observed it at Liverpool, Ind., March 30, 1895, though he reports it as early as March 20 from Cook County, Illinois. In 1883 it was last noted at Brookville May 6, but in 1884 it was seen May 16. In 1896 it was last seen at Laporte May 6 (Barber), and in 1888 they were reported from English Lake June 3 (Deane).

In the southern half of the State it is more often reported in spring, when it frequents the edges of ponds and water courses, marshes and wet meadows, but in the northern portion, among the lakes and marshes, it is more common in late summer and early fall. Mr. Parker has observed it to be most common northward during August. It was observed by Mr. C. L. Cass at Clear Lake, Steuben County, August 23, 1894. Generally, however, they appear in September, passing southward late in that month and in November.

Mr. W. 0. Wallace observed a number, and shot two, in Wabash County, along the Wabash Eiver, September 24, 1893. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test noted it at Lafayette last, October 21, 1895. In Illi- nois, in June, 1875, Mr. E. W. Nelson found several of these birds about the Calumet marshes, where, from their actions, he was certain they were breeding, but did not find their nests. The 10th of June, 1876, Mr. Rice observed a pair about a prairie slough near Evanston; a few days later a set of eggs was brought to him, which from the description of the bird, which was driven from the nest, both he and Mr. Nelson decided must belong to this bird. "The nest was situated in a slight depression at the base of a small hillock at the border of a prairie slough, and was composed of grass and blades. The eggs measure, respectively 1.70 by 1.30, 1.72 by 1.31, 1.74 by 1.32, 1.80 by 1.38 inches. The ground color is a deep grayish- white, marked on three eggs with spots of dark brown and on the other egg with spots and well-defined blotches of a considerably lighter shade of the same. In addition there are shell markings and obscure spots o"f lilac. The markings are disposed quite abundantly over the surface of the egg, but are more numerous about the larger end" (Birds of Northeastern Illinois, pp. 128, 129). Both Mr. Meyer and Mr. Tallman have been unable to determine its nesting at the present time, either in Cook County, Illinois, or Lake County, Indiana.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 721

*103. (255). Totanus flavipes (GMEL.).

Yellow-legs.

A miniature of the last; colors, precisely the same; legs, compara- tively longer; bill, grooved rather farther. May always be distin- guished by its smaller size.

Length, 10.50-11.00; wing, 5.50-6.50; bill, 1.30-1.55; tarsus, 2.00.

EANGE. — America, from Patagonia to the Arctic Ocean. Breeds principally in the interior from northern Illinois and Minnesota northward. Winters from Gulf coast southward.

Nest, a hollow in ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 3-4; color, varia- ble, usually buffy, spotted or blotched with dark madder or vandyke brown and purplish-gray; 1.69 by 1.15.

Common migrant; much more numerous in the northern part of the State, where some are summer residents and breed. More common in the fall, when they are often found associated with other kinds of Sandpipers on mud flats and shores. In the spring they sometimes begin to arrive by April 1, and the latter part of the month, they have left the greater part of the State, though in the northern part they sometimes are found well towards the middle of May.

The earliest arrivals in spring were in 1895. That year Mr. Parker took one at Liverpool, Ind., March 30, and Mr. Earlle, one, April 1, at Greencastle. The last report from southern Indiana that spring was from Bloomington, where it was noted April 26 (Juday). In the White- water Valley its earliest arrival at Brookville is April 7 (1883) and the latest first arrival April 17 (1884 and 1896). In 1896 it was last seen at Laporte May 8 (Barber). In 1890 flocks were seen at English Lake May 4 and 11, and in 1891, on May 10, several large flocks were noted. There was quite a flight all day (Deane). Mr. L. T. Meyer tells me he found its nest and obtained a set of four eggs in the Calu- met marsh, Lake County, in 1885.

In 1893 they appeared there on the return migration, the earliest I have ever known them. That year was very dry, and the continued drouth had almost exhausted the water in Mud Lake, 111., and left its soft bottom an exposed mud flat. This, which had been a favorite feeding ground in fall, was unusually attractive to them that year. Perhaps the dry weather extended far enough north to influence the shore birds in their early movement. Mr. J. 0. Dunn found them July 3, 1893, at Mud Lake in a flock, and shot two. One that he shot from a flock of Least Sandpipers had one foot off. He notes that a good portion of the Sandpipers shot had legs and toes missing. On August 2, while wading on the flat, a Yellow-legs alighted and began 46— GEOL

722 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

to feed within twenty feet of him. It was shot and found to be in very poor condition and in winter plumage. Mr. Parker also found them very abundant at Mud Lake July 25, 1893.

These birds and the last species usually are quite watchful. They associate with other smaller waders, and when their sharp eyes discern danger, their loud cries warn the company, which seek safety in flight. For this habit they have been called by shooters, "Tattlers" and "Telltales," by which names they are generally known. In 1894 Mr. Dunn found them common at Bass Lake, Starke County, Indiana, from July 28 to August 6, and in 1896 Mr. C. A. Tallman saw two in Cook County, Illinois, July 24.

Mr. C. Grave found them on the Kankakee Kiver August 8, 1892. August 1 to 15, 1889, they were very common in all the marshes about Chicago (Parker).

Throughout August they continue arriving at these attractive grounds in northern Indiana. September 1, 1889, they were very- abundant at Water Valley. Very large flocks were seen all day (Deane). In September they are observed farther south. By the 10th of that month most of them have left the northern part of the State, while some linger on their journey southward well towards the end of the month. Hillsdale, Mich., September 29, 1894 (Cass); Brook- ville, Ind., September 21, 1885.

Submenus HKLODROMAS (Kaup).

*104. (256). Totanus solitarius (WILS ).

Solitary Sandpiper.

Bill, perfectly straight, very slender, grooved little beyond its mid- dle; dark lustrous olive-brown tinged with greenish, streaked on the head and neck; elsewhere finely speckled with whitish; jugulum, and sides of neck, with brownish suffusion and dusky streaks; rump and upper tail coverts, like the back; tail, axillars and lining of wings, beautifully barred with black and white; quills, entirely blackish; bill and feet, very dark olive-green.

Length, 7.50-8.60; wing, 5.00-5.40; bill, 1.15-1.30; tarsus, 1.25-1.90.

EANGE. — America, from Brazil north to Alaska. Breeds from In- diana, Ohio and Vermont northward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, see notes on nest and eggs below.

Common migrant; summer resident in some numbers northward. Breeds. This bird is solitary in its habits. It is usually found alone,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 723

by some creek or ditch or secluded river bar, or on the edge of a pond, or woodland pool. At times they, also, are. found in small flocks.

This is one of the most unsatisfactory birds upon which to work. Both as regards its migrations and its breeding, much information is desired. At Brookville I have never found it earlier than April 21, yet I have reports of its occurrence as early as March 17 and of its being common by March 30. Probably these are incorrect identifications.

In the vicinity of Lake Michigan they have been first noted April 2-2 (1896) to May 10 (1894). They pass northward through May. Last seen: At Brookville, 1890, May 17; 1889, May 8; 1886, May 6; English Lake, 1890, May 11; 1891, May 10; very abundant every- where, mostly in pairs (Deane).

Throughout the northern part of the State some are summer resi- dents, and breed. Possibly a few do southward, also. Information regarding the breeding of this bird is greatly desired, and among the special desiderata are its eggs. Many times eggs purporting to belong to this species have been found, but satisfactory evidence of their identity has been lacking.

The late Dr. J. M. Wheaton describes an egg taken by Mr. Oliver Davie in an open field bordering the Scioto Eiver near Columbus, 0. The nest was on the ground in an exposed locality, and contained two eggs well advanced in incubation, only one of which was pre- served, and it was deposited with the Smithsonian Institution. He says that this egg, "though without any positive claims, possesses characters which entitle it to consideration as possibly that of this species. It is of a pointed, oval shape, and not nearly so pyriform as are the eggs of most of this family, and measures 1.25 by .88, so that it is smaller than the eggs of the Spotted Sandpiper. The ground color is clay-color with a reddish tinge, thickly marked with reddish and blackish brown" (Birds of Ohio, p. 486). Dr. Brewer (in Bull. Nutta.ll Orn. Club, Vol III, 1878, p. 197) gave an account of an egg taken by Mr. Jenness Kichardson at Lake Bomaseen, Vt., May 28, 1878, which was taken with the bird, which was on her nest, a small depression in the ground, when found. This egg was a light drab, with rounded, brown markings, some quite small and dark, nowhere confluent; at larger end a few faint purplish shell marks; 1.37 by .95.

Mr. Ridgway, in Birds of Illinois, II, p. 63, says "its eggs have never yet, so far as is known to the writer, "been taken." It is not improb- able that this species, like its European relative, the Green Sandpiper (T. ochropus), deposits its eggs in deserted nests of other birds, such as the Wood Thrush and other species which nest in moist wood-

724: REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

lands. It seems probable, from the fact that adults have been found accompanied by two young, that the number of eggs is two.

Mrs. Jane L. Hine, Sedan, Dekalb County, informs me it breeds in that county, and she has seen young birds July 15. Mr. W. 0. Wal- lace writes me he caught two young which were unable to fly, on the border of a small pond in Wabash County, in the summer of 1892. Mr. H. W. McBride says it nests in Elkhart, and Mr. A. H. Kendrick, in Vigo County. They begin to move southward in August, and pass slowly through that month and all of September. I noted them at Brookville August 13, 1881. Mr. Parker observed it at Mud Lake, Illinois, September 19, 1894. Mr. V. H. Barnett found it in Brown County October 5, 1897; Brookville, September 25, 1884. These are the latest records I have for Indiana. The following interesting notes by Dr. Elliot Coues are from Birds of Northwest, p. 500:

"These Tattlers indulge on all occasions a propensity for nodding, like Lord Burleigh or the Chinese mandarins in front of tea shops; and when they see something they cannot quite make out, seem to reason with themselves, and finally come to a conclusion in this way — impressing themselves heavily with a sense of their own logic. They go through the bowing exercise with a gravity that may quite upset that of a disinterested spectator, and yet through the performance, so ludicrous in itself, contrive to preserve something of the passive sedateness that marks all their movements.

"This bobbing of the head and fore parts is the correspondent and counterpart of the still more curious actions of the Spotted Tattlers, or 'Tip-ups/ as they are aptly called from this circumstance; a queer balancing of the body upon the legs constituting an amusement of which these last-named birds are extremely fond. As often as the 'Tip-up' or 'Teeter-tail/ as it is also called, stops in its pursuit of in- sects, the fore part of the body is lowered a little, the head drawn in, the legs slightly bent, whilst the hinder parts and the tail are alter- nately hoisted with a peculiar jerk, and drawn down again, with the regularity of clock-work. The movement is more conspicuous in the upward than in the downward part of the performance; as if the tail were spring hinged, in constant danger of flying up, and needing con- stant presence of mind to keep it down. It is amusing to see an old male in the breeding season busy with this operation. Upon some rock jutting out of the water he stands, swelling with amorous pride and self-sufficiency, puffing out his plumage until he looks twice as big as natural, facing about on his narrow pedestal, and bowing with his hinder parts to all points of the compass. A sensitive and fastid- ious person might see something derisive, if not actually in-

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 725

suiting, in this, and feel as Crusoe may be presumed to have felt when the savages who attacked his ship in canoes showed the signs of con- tumaceous scorn that De Foe records. But it would not be worth while to feel offended, since this is only the entirely original and pe- culiar way the Tip-up has of conducting his courtships. Ornitholo- gists are not agreed upon the useful purpose subserved in this way, and have yet failed to account for the extraordinary performance. The Solitary Tattlers, that we have lost sight of for a moment, are fond of standing motionless in the water, when they have satisfied their hun- ger, or of wading about, up to their bellies, with slow, measured steps. If startled at such times, they rise easily and lightly on wing, fly rather slowly a little distance, with dangling legs and outstretched neck, to soon realight and look about with a dazed expression. Just as their feet touch the ground, the long, pointed wings are lifted till their tips nearly meet above, and are then deliberately folded."

The Eskimo Curlews and some other birds have the same habit.

The Tattlers are unusually silent birds, but when suddenly alarmed they utter a low and rather pleasing whistle as they fly off, or even withoiit moving.

54. GENUS SYMPHEMIA RAFINBSQUK.

a1. Wing 8.00. S. semipalmata (Gmel.). 105

a2. Wing 8.50. S. semipalmata inornata Brewst. 106

105. (258). Symphemia semipalmata (GMEL.).

Willett. Synonym, SEMIPAL.MATED TATTLER.

Adult in Summer. — Bill, straight, comparatively stout, groved little, if any, more than half its length; brownish-olive above, with numerous black marks; white, below; the jugulum, streaked; the breast, sides and crissum, barred or with arrow-shaped marks of dusky; middle tail feathers, ashy, barred with blackish, side ones, whitish, variegated with grayish. Winter. — Above, plain ashy-gray; beneath, dull white, unspotted; foreneck shaded with grayish; tail not barred; upper tail coverts, most of the secondaries and basal half of primaries, white; spread wing, with conspicuous white patch; ends of primaries, their coverts, lining of wings and axillars, black; bill, bluish or dark; toes, with two conspicuous basal webs. Immature. — Above, brownish-gray, feathers margined and sides tinged with ochraceous.

Length, 15.00; wing, 8.00; tarsus, 2.30; bill, 2.20.

726 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil northward to Canada and Maine. Breeds from Louisiana (where it is resident) northward. Winters on Gulf coast and southward.

Nest, slight hollow in ground, of grass. Eggs, 3-4; variable, clay- color to olive-brown, with spots of dark brown and purple; 2.13 by 1.53.

• Rare migrant; possibly rare summer resident. I have been unable to determine the standing of this form in the State.

That the eastern form is found, seems probable and since the rec- ords of the past have reported this form, there is no way of separating them. It is of irregular and rare occurrence in April, May, August aad September. It has been reported from the following counties: Franklin; Decatur (Guthrie); Allen (Stockbridge); Dekalb (Mrs. Hine); Putnam (Clearwaters); Lake, (Aiken). Their call is well known to those who visit places it frequents, and may be represented by the words pil-willet,-it-pil-willet. The following measurements were given by Mr. Brewster in "The Auk," 1887, p. 146. Average, wing, 7.36; tail, 2.91; tarsus, 2.29; culmen, from feathers, 2.19. Extremes, wing, 7.06-7.75; tail, 2.71-3.30; tarsus, 2.08-2.42; culmen, from feathers, 2.02-2.31.

106. (258a). Symphemia semipalmata inornata BRBWST.

Western Willet.

Similar to last, but slightly larger, the upper parts are paler, gray- ish-drab, and not so conspicuously marked with black; breast, more buffy, less streaked and no blackish bars on middle tail feathers. In winter only to be distinguished by the difference in size, which is not always satisfactory.

Wing, 8.50; tarsus, 2.60; bill, 2.45.

RANGE. — Western North America, east to Mississippi Valley and Gulf States; in winter, south to Mexico, and, during migrations, spar- ingly along coast of southern Atlantic States. Breeds from coast of Texas to Manitoba.

Nest, a depression on ground or on tussock of grass, of grass and weeds. Eggs, 3-4; not appreciably different from those of last.

Rare migrant; possibly rare summer resident. Owing to lack of material it is impossible to say to what extent it is found in Indiana. Mr. F. M. Woodruff obtained five from a flock of thirteen at Miller's, Ind., August 14, 1897. I have a specimen in my collection that was shot by Mr. Geo. M. Shirk from the top of a barn in Franklin County the fall of 1878. This would indicate that it is to be found throughout

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 727

the State. The following measurements are given by Mr. Brewster from "The Auk/' 1887, p. 146. Average: wing, 8.11; tail, 3.29; tarsus, 2.66; culmen, from feathers, 2.46. Extremes: wing, 7.88-8.26; tail, 3.10-3.50; tarsus, 2.45-2.95; culmen, from feathers, 2.28-2.70.

55. GENUS BARTHAMIA LESSON.

107. (261). Bartramia longicauda (BECHST.).

Bartramian Sandpiper.

Synonyms, BARTRAM'S TATTLER, PRAIRIE PLOVER, FIELD PLOVER, UPLAND PLOVER, PRAIRIE SNIPE.

Above, blackish, with a slight greenish reflection, variegated with tawny and whitish; below, pale tawny of varying shade, bleaching on throat and belly; jugulum, with streaks; breast and sides, with arrow-heads and bars of blackish; axillars and lining of wings, pure white, black barred; quills, blackish; inner webb of outer primary barred with white; tail, varied with tawny, black and white, chiefly in bars; bill and legs, pale, former black-tipped.

' Length, 11.00-12.75; wing, 6.50-7.00; bill, 1.10-1.15; tarsus, 1.90- 2.05.

EANGE. — America, from Brazil and Peru northward to Alaska and Xova Scotia. Breeds from southern Indiana and Kansas northward. Winters in Mexico and West Indies southward. Accidental in Europe and Australia.

Nest, on ground, in depression. Eggs, 4; creamy buff or white, marked all over with small spots of umber or reddish brown, most numerous at larger end; 1.79 by 1.30.

Migrant and summer resident. Over the greater part of southern Indiana it is only known as a v-er}r rare migrant. However, throughout the lower Wabash Valley, in some locations, at least, and to the north- ward of that river, when it turns toward the east, it is a summer resi- dent in some numbers, and toward Lake Michigan it is common. It apparently breeds over the original prairie region of the State. Mr. Ridgway reported it breeding in Knox and Gibson counties, and in the former county Mr. Chansler informs me he has found both eggs and young in corn fields, after the corn was planted. Mr. Dury re- ports it breeding in several places in northern Indiana, and Mr. Aiken says it breeds commonly in Lake County, where also Mr. H. K. Coale found young able to run July 4, 1881. Mr. L. T. Meyer took a set of four eggs in the Calumet marsh, in Lake County in May.

728 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

In southeastern Indiana it is exceedingly rare. The only record of its occurrence is that given by Dr. Haymond (Eep. Ind. Geol. Surv., 1869, p. 231).

Generally they arrive about the middle of April, but Mr. A. H. Kendrick reports a flock of twenty, from Vigo County, March 19, 1896. Usually they become common at once. During the migrations they are very shy. After^ a time they become more approachable and during the breeding season seem to have no fear, exposing themselves freely to lead the intruder from the vicinity of their nesting grounds. The nests are often made in meadows and fields bordering a marsh. When in close proximity to the nest the bird has many tricks with which to attract the attention of the unwelcome guest. She is crip- pled so badly that she cannot walk; she cannot fly; she flops along the ground, and sometimes rolls over. One can easily catch her. If it is his first experience, he will try. Each time, as he attempts to seize her, she seems to have a sudden gift of strength by reason of which she eludes his grasp. After a few ineffectual efforts, one is surprised how recovered the bird is, how her strength is restored, and with it sound- ness of limb, for she leaves the wondering pursuer and flies away. He is now quite a distance from where the bird was first seen. That is what was wanted. She has accomplished her purpose. She has led him away from her nest.

In the fall, the prairie farmer, as he goes to breaking for wheat, and the chicken shooter is familiar with these birds along the dead furrows and smaller drains, but they always arise beyond gun range.

They leave late in August or early in September. August 27 to September 15.

56. GBNU-S TRYNGITES CABANIS.

108. (262). Tryngites subruficollis (VIEILL.).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

Quills, largely white on the inner web, and with beautiful black marbling or mottling, best seen from below; tail, unbarred, gray, the central feathers darker, all with subterminal black edging and white tips; crown and upper parts blackish, the feathers; with whitish or tawny edging, especially on the wings; sides of the head, neck all around, and under parts, pale rufous or fawn color, speckled on the neck and breast with dusky; bill, black; feet, greenish-yellow. (Mc- Ilwraith).

Length, 7.00-8.90; wing, 5.10-5.50; bill, .75-.80; tarsus, 1.15-1.30.

BIEDS OF INDIANA. 729

EANGE. — America, from Uruguay north to Arctic coast. Breeds from southern Ontario northward in the interior to Yukon and An- derson Eiver. Winters south of the United States.

Nest, on ground, lined with moss and grass. Eggs, 3-4; buffy gray- ish-white, varying to pale olive buff, boldly spotted, longitud- inally (and somewhat spirally) dark vandyke or madder-brown and purplish-gray.

Rare migrant. Thus far has only been reported from this region in August and September. Usually appears singly or in small flocks, but sometimes in large flocks. Dr. A. K. Fisher shot numbers of them in August, 1874, from a dry prairie at Maywood, Cook County, 111., only ten miles from Chicago, where there were hundreds of them. (Cooke Kept. Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 97).

The only time it has been taken in this State was September 10, 1892, when L. A. and C. D. Test took one from a shallow pond about four miles northwest of Lafayette. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., collected two specimens on the shore of Calumet Lake, Cook County, 111., in September, 1887. There are two records for Michigan in September and one for Ohio (Cleveland), in August.

Mr. Mcllwraith records its breeding in Ontario a few miles from Lake Erie (Birds of Ont., 1894, pp. 156, 157), and Dr. Hatch men- tions it as a summer resident of northern Minnesota. (Birds of Minn., p. 143).

57. GENUS ACTITIS ILLIGER.

*109. (263). Actitis macularia (LINN.).

Spotted Sandpiper. Synonyms, PEET-WEET, SANDPIPER.

Above, olive, with a greenish lustre, finely varied with black; line over eye, and entire under parts, pure white, with numerous sharp cir- cular black spots; entirely wanting in young birds; secondaries, broadly white-tipped, and inner primaries with a white spot, most of the tail feathers like the back, with subtermmal black bar and a white tip; bill, pale yellow, tipped with black; feet, flesh-color. Immature. — Similar; above, more buffy; under parts, white, unspotted; slight gray- ish tinge on breast.

Length, about 7.00-8.00; wing, 4.05-4.60; bill, .90-1.05; tarsus, .90- 1.05.

EANGE. — America, from Brazil northward to Hudson Bay and Yu- kon. Breeds nearly throughout North American range. "Winters on coast of Gulf States.

730 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, a depression in ground lined with grass, leaves and weeds. Eggs, 4; light buff or white, spotted with blackish-brown; 1.34 by .92.

Common summer resident; a well-known frequenter of the banks of streams, ponds and lakes, and of sandbars everywhere throughout the State. This and the Solitary Sandpiper have the habit of bowing the heads and tilting the rear parts as though they were continually try- ing to balance themselves. They are known under many common names, such as "Sandsnipe," "Tip-up," "Sandpiper/7 but the best name I have heard that is applicable to both is an old farmer's appella- tion "Teeter-snipe."

Head of Spotted Sandpiper. Xatural size.

This species is much more noisy than the Solitary Sandpiper, and from its note is often called by what it seems to say: "Peet-weet." On the whole these birds are more numerous and more conspicious than the Solitary. They usually arrive about the middle of April. Some years it is, however, reported in March, although I have never found it that early in the Whitewater Valley.

It has been reported as first seen in the years named as follows: De- kalb County, 1897, March 18 (Feagler); Vigo County, 1897, March 20; 1896, March 21 (Kendrick); Decatur, 1896, March 28 (Shannon); Dekalb County, 1895, April 4 (Mrs. Hine). The following dates give the records of its appearance at Brookville, Ind., for a number of years past: April 19, 1881; April 14, 1883; April 21, 1885; April 22, 1886; April 15, 1887; April 13, 1888; April 21, 1889; April 25, 1892; April 20, 1893; April 22, 1896; April 22, 1897.

I have observed them mating as soon as they arrive, some years by April 15. Have found them building their nests April 27, and the complement of eggs May 12. I also have found young, but recently, out of the nest as late as July 8. The nests are usually made away from the water, on high ground and among the grass. A rail- road or other embankment is a favorite place. The eggs, like those of all the waders, lie with their pointed ends together.

They generally leave the first half of September, occasionally re~- main into October, the last reported: Warren County, September

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 731

26, 1897 (V. H. Barnett); 1892, Liverpool, September 3 (Parker); 1894, Greensburg, September 9 (Shannon); 1895, Cook County, 111., September 7 (Blackwelder); Lafayette, Ind., October 5 (L. A. and C. D. Test).

58. GKNUS Nl'MENIUS BRISSON. a1. Bill over :>.00.

61. Bill under 4.oO. N. hudsonicus Lath. Ill

b2. Bill over 4.50. N. longirostris Wils. 110

a2. Bill under 3.00. N. borealis (Forst.). 112

110. (264). Numenius longirostris (Wils).

Long-billed Curlew.

Synonym, SICKLE BILL,.

Long-billed Curlew.

Bill, of extreme length and curvature, measuring from 5.00-8.00 or 9.00 inches; total length, about 2 feet; wing, 10.00-12.00 inches; tail, 4.00; tarsus, 2.25-3.50 (inches). Plumage, very similar to that of Godwit, prevailing tone rufous, of varying intensity in different parts of the same bird, usually more intense under the wing than elsewhere; below, the jugulum, streaked, and the breast and sides with arrow- heads and bars of dusky; above, variegated with black, especially on the crown, back and wings; tail, barred throughout with black and rufous; no pure white anywhere; secondaries, rufous; primaries, black- ish and rufous; bill, black, the under mandible, flesh colored for some distance; legs, dark.

RANGE. — Guatemala and West Indies northward to New England and Manitoba. Breeds from Gulf coast, where it is resident, north- ward. Winters from the Carolinas southward.

Nest, a hollow in ground, lined with a little grass. Eggs, 3-4; clay color, olive and buffy, spotted or blotched with sepia, umber or choco- late; 2.60 by 1.85.

Rare migrant. Formerly more numerous and perhaps occasionally breeding in the northern part of the State.

732 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

It winters in the Southern States and is occasionally found in win- ter in southern Illinois (Cooke, Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, pp. 97, 98).

The spring migration occurs in April and May, while that in the fall begins in August and continues as late as October 13.

I saw a specimen in the possession of Mr. F. M. Noe, Indianapolis, which he said was killed by Herman Eckert, April 2, 1896, in a swamp near Jasper, Dubois County. Mr. F. M. Woodruff records a specimen in his collection from Liverpool, Ind., (The Auk, April, 1896, p. 181). Mr. C. E. Newlin informs me there is a specimen in the Frankfort High School that was taken in Clinton County. It has been reported from the following counties, also: Franklin (Dr. Haymond, Ind., Geol. 1869, p. 231); Knox and White, specimens in collection, Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dury); Decatur, May, 1883 (Guthrie); Allen (Stock- bridge).

This Curlew is very rare in Michigan (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 63). There are but a few records of its occurrence in Ohio, (Wheaton Birds of Ohio, p. 492), and in Illinois it is now rare, though it was formerly abundant and Nelson reported it nesting in the Calumet marshes in the spring of 1873 (Eidgway Birds of Illinois, II, p. 71).

111. (265). Numenius hudsonicus LATH.

Hudsonian Curlew.

Bill, medium, 3.00 or 4.00 inches long; length, 16.00-18.00; wing, 8.00-10.00; tarsus, 2.25-2.30. Plumage, as in the last species in pat- tern, but general tone much paler; quills, barred; axillars, buff, dis- tinctly barred with dusky; crown, uniform dusky, divided by a buff stripe through the middle.

KANGE. — America, from Patagonia to Alaska and Arctic America. Breeds in Alaska, Anderson Eiver and Barren Lands of the Arctic re- gion. Winters on Gulf coast and southward.

Nest, like that of last species. Eggs, 4; pale olive,. spotted with dull brown; 2.27 by 1.57.

Eare migrant. Occurs with the preceding (Dr. Bray ton). Much rarer than the Long-billed Curlew. Although this species is given as a common migrant in most parts of the Mississippi Valley by Prof. Cooke (Bird Mig. in Miss. Valley, p. 98), I have been unable to as- certain where it has been found commonly during migrations.

Dr. Coues (Birds N. W., p. 510) considers it much less abundant everywhere in the United States than either of the other species. Mr. Mcllwraith says of it in Ontario, it is most frequently observed of the three at Hamilton, Ont. One May he was on the beach when there

BIRDS or INDIANA. 733

appeared to be a migratory movement of the Hudsonian Curlews toward the north. "They flew high in regular order, like geese, and showed no inclination to alight till a boy, with a long shot, brought down one, wing broken, from a passing flock. Knowing their habits he quickly tied it to a stake in a moist meadow, and concealing him- self close by, had good shooting during the afternoon, for the loud outcry made by his prisoner, brought down every passing flock." (Birds of Ont., 1894, p. 159).

They migrate chiefly along the eastern coast and go very far north to breed. But few remain in Alaska in summer. In the interior they have been found plentifully but they nest in the Barren Grounds of the Arctic regions.

112. (266). Numenius borealis (FORST.).

Eskimo Curlew. Synonyms, DOUGHBIRD, DOEBIRD.

Bill, small, under 3 inches long; length, 12.00-15.00 inches; wing, 8.00-8.50; tarsus, 1.70-1.80; tail, 3.00. Plumage, in tone and pattern almost exactly as in last species, but averaging more rufous, especially under the wings, and primaries, not barred; breast, with transverse V-shaped marking.

EANGE. — America, from Patagonia to the Arctic Ocean, chiefly in the interior of the United States, not on Pacific coast. Breeds within the Arctic Circle. Winters from coast of Gulf States southward.

Nest, similar to that of the last two. Eggs, 3-4^.pale olive, green- ish, olive, or olive-brownish, distinctly spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with deep or dark brown; 2.04 by 1.43.

Bare migrant. There are specimens in the collection of Cuvier Club, Cincinnati, Ohio, that were taken at Vincennes and Chalmers (Dury).

This is the smallest of the Curlews and is commonly known as "Doughbird," or "Doebird." It is rare on the Atlantic coast, un- known on the Pacific and migrates chiefly through the Mississippi Valley, where it is the most abundant species from the neighborhood of that river to the Rocky Mountains. In Illinois it is a rather com- mon migrant (Eidgway). In Ohio and Michigan it is not common. They pass north in spring through April and early May, and return in the fall in September and October. It has been taken at Kalama- zoo, Mich., as late as October 28 (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 63). Dr. Coues found them very abundant in Labrador in August. They are often found in company with Golden Plover.

734 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

"The Curlews associate in flocks of every size, from three to as many thousand, but they generally fly in so loose and straggling a manner, that it is rare to kill more than a half a dozen at a shot. When they wheel, however, in any of their many beautiful evolutions, they close together in a more compact body, and offer a more favorable opportunity to the gunner.

"Their flight is firm, direct, very swift, when necessary, much pro- tracted, and is performed with regular, rapid beats. They never sail except when about to alight, when their wings are much incurved, downward, in the manner of most waders. As their feet touch the ground, their long, pointed wings are raised over the back, until the tips almost touch, and then are deliberately folded, much in the manner of the Solitary Sandpiper. (Rhyacophilus solitarius). Their note is an often repeated soft, mellow, though clear, whistle, which may be easily imitated. By this means they can readily be decoyed within shot, if the imitation is good and the gunner, is careful to keep con- cealed. The smaller the flock the more easily are they allured, and a single individual rarely fails to turn his course toward the spot whence the sound proceeds. When in very extensive flocks, they have a note which, when uttered by the whole number, I can compare to nothing but the chattering of a flock of Blackbirds. When wounded and taken in hand, they emit a very loud, harsh scream, like that of a common hen, under similar circumstances, which cry they also utter when pur- sued."

"Their food consists almost entirely of the crowberry (Empeirum nigrum), which grows on all the hillsides in astonishing profusion. It is also called the 'bear berry' and 'curlew berry.' It is a small berry, of a deep purple color, almost black, growing upon a procumbent, running kind of heath, the foilage of which has a peculiar moss-like appearance. This is the principal and favorite food, and the whole in- testine, the vent, the legs, the bill, throat, and even the plumage, are more or less- stained with the deep purple juice. They are also very fond of a small species of snail that adheres to the rock in immense quantities, to procure which they frequent the land-wastes at low tide. Food being so abundant and so easily obtained, they become exces- sively fat. In this condition they are most delicious eating, being ten- der, juicy and finely flavored; but as might be expected, they prove a very difficult job for the taxidermist. This species breeds in great numbers in the Anderson Elver region, usually making up its nest complement by the third week in June." (Coues, Birds N. W., pp. 511,

BIRDS OP INDIANA. 735

XX. FAMILY CHARADFUID^E. PLOVERS.

a1. Plumage above speckled, below black in breeding season. CHARADRIUS. 59

a2. Plumage of upper parts not speckled; neck, with dark rings; toes, always

three. .]•]< ; TALTTIS. 60

59. GKNUS CHARADRIUS LINN^US. 411. Hind toe well developed, without claw.

Subgenus SQUATAROLA Cuvier. C. squatarola (Linn.). 113 •aa. Hind toe absent. Subgenus CHARADRIUS. C. dominicus Mull. 114

Subgenus SQUATAROLA Cuvier.

113. (2TO). Charadrius squatarola (LINN.).

Black-bellied Plover. Synonyms, OX-EYE, BULL-HEAD.

Black-bellied Plover. Natural size.

Adult in Breeding Season. — Karely seen in the United States; face and entire under parts, black; upper parts, variegated with black and white, or ashy; tail, barred with black and white; quills, dusky, with large white patches. Adults at other times and Immature. — :Below, white, more or less shaded with gray; the throat and breast, more or less speckled with dusky; above, blackish, speckled with .white or yel- lowish; the rump, white, with dark bars; legs, dull bluish. Old birds changing show every grade, from a few isolated feathers on the under parts to numerous large black patches. They may be recognized in -any plumage by the small hind toe.

Length, 10.50-12.00; wing, 7.50; culmen, 1.10; tarsus, 1.95.

KA^GE. — Nearly cosmopolitan. Breeds in the Arctic regions, and winters from Louisiana and Florida southward. It has been recently shown that the Black-bellied Plover and a number of other birds, in- cluding the Knot, Hudsonian Curlew, and Turnstone, -which have been credited with spending the breeding season in the Arctic regions,

736 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

are abundant residents of the Louisiana coast, but do not breed. It is probable that only those who are prepared for the reproduction of their race make the whole migration. (See article by Mr. E. A. Mc- Ilhenny. The Auk, XIV, 1897, pp. 285-289.)

Nest, a depression in the ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 3-4; olive- buff, or brownish-drab, thickly and heavily marked with brownish- black or deep black; 2.04 by 1.43.

Rare migrant, more numerous in the northwestern part of the State. In spring it visits us, going north from April 1st to June 1st, and re- turns early in August, remaining through October. The spring mi- gration is prolonged throughout the State, but in the fall they seem to remain about Lake Michigan well into September before proceeding southward. Those seen with us are generally solitary birds. Late in May they are seen in pairs. The birds are generally in full breeding plumage. Mr. Nelson says, in northern Illinois, "a few remain during the summer, and undoubtedly breed." (Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. VIII, 1876, p. 122.)

The earliest arrival in spring was in Knox County, March 30, 1888 (Balmer). The latest record is near Indianapolis, where one was killed May 30, 1894, by Mr. C. W. Lambart (Noe). In the fall it has first been noted on* the shore of Lake Michigan, at Miller's, August 8, 1897, where Mr. F. M. Woodruff took a fine adult male, and the latest record for that vicinity, is November, 1891, when Mr. J. G-. Parker, Jr., observed three at Hyde Lake, 111. Prof. A. J. Cook reports it from Michigan as late as October 20. The following are additional spring records: Lake County, one killed in 1871 (Aiken), Lebanon; one, May 3; another, May 5, 1894 (Beasley). A pair was taken at Davies' Station, Starke County, May 15, 1884 (Coale). August 24, 1896, Mr. F. M. Woodruff took one on the beach at Miller's. Dury and Freeman obtained a male near Cincinnati, September 21, 1879 (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., July, 1880, p. 104).

The Black-bellied Plover prefers to migrate by way of the sea coast. It has usually been supposed it only bred far north in Arctic lands. In America it has been found breeding on the Arctic coast, east of the Anderson River. Dr. P. L. Hatch has given the first account of its breeding in the United States. He says: "In the summer of 1875 a clutch of four eggs were sent me, with the female, which proved to be a Black-bellied Plover. It was obtained in the vicinity of upper Lake Minnetonka, in my own county. Since then several nests have been reported by persons competent to determine them, and I accept the conclusion that this species breeds to a limited extent in some portions of the State." (Birds of Minn., p. 149.)

BIRDS oi INDIANA. 737

CHARADKIU^ I.. nm.- u

114. (272). Charadrius dominicus MULL.

Golden Plover.

American (ioldcn Plover, Winter Plumage.

Adult in Summer. — Black above, speckled with bright yellow; fore- head and a broad line over the eye, white; tail feathers, grayish-brown, with imperfect white or ashy bars; below, black; axillars, gray or ashy. Winter. — Above, blackish, speckled with whitish and yellow; under parts, as in last species. The absence of the small hind toe, in a bird of this size, will determine any doubtful specimen.

Length, about 10.50; wing, 6.80-7.20; culmen, .85-.90; tarsus, 1.50- 1,65.

RANGE. — America, from Patagonia to Arctic Ocean. Breeds on the coast and islands of Arctic America, except the coast of Bering Sea. Winters from Florida and Louisiana southward.

Nest, a hollow in ground, slightly lined with grass. Eggs, 4; varies from pale buffy-brown to dark grayish-buff, spotted and blotched with brownish-black, chiefly at the larger end; 1.90 by 1.30.

Migrant. Formerly very abundant over the original prairie region, but are now seen in greatly reduced numbers, though still common, and to the east and south of that quite rare. They usually migrate in flocks of from 15 to 100. Sometimes there are hundreds and even thousands seen in a flock in spring. They are found upon the mead- ows, pastures and prairies in spring, and in fall, also, upon stubble and plowed fields. With the occupation of the level land, the extension of commercial enterprises, and the continued warfare upon the game birds by the rapidly increasing population of our counties in north- 47— GEOL.

738 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

western Indiana and of the cities across the border, these birds are being fast destroyed. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., says, in 1886, he could go within eight miles of Chicago, in April, and see thousands of them. In 1890 he noted they are now seen chiefly only in small flocks. Mr. Parker saw ten enormous flocks.at Liverpool, Ind., April 30, 1895.

Mr. Blackwelder also notes their decrease. In 1897 he says it is still plentiful, though the number is fast decreasing. In 1887 Mr. C. E. Aiken found them plentiful near Crown Point. In 1888 Prof. Ever- mann reported them common in Vigo County, March 24, having first been seen the day previous. In addition they are reported as common in Clinton County (Ghere), and on the prairies of Carroll County, southwest of Delphi (D. C. Eidgley). On the contrary, Prof. Ever- mann does not give it in his report of the birds of Carroll County. It has not been reported from the following counties, where more or less good ornithological work has been done: Monroe, Brown, Ripley, Johnson, Marion, Howard, Tippecanoe, indicating it is at least not common there and it is rare throughout the Whitewater Valley, and in the following counties: Boone (Beasley), Putnam (Earlle), Deca- tur (Shannon), Delaware (Williamson). In addition to the date of first appearance given by Prof. Evermann from Vigo County in 1888, it was first seen at Muncie, March 30, 1888 (Williamson); in Putnam County, 1894, March 28 (Earlle); and in 1897 in Vigo County, March 23 (Kendrick). The earliest record from the vicinity of Lake Michi- gan is in Cook County, 111., March 22, 1884 (Parker). In 1896 it was first noted at Greensburg, April 11 (Shannon), and in the vicinity of Chicago April 18, and last seen that spring May 9 (Blackwelder). The latest spring record in Boone County is May 10, 1894 (Beasley). It is also recorded from Cook County, 111., May 10, 1884 (Parker), and Starke County, Ind., May 6, 1888 (Deane).

In general it may be said a few early birds begin to arrive shortly after the middle of April; the greater number, however, not until near the middle of that month. After a short stay they pass northward, a few lingering into the early part of May. They are just putting on their breeding plumage when they are with us, and are very beau- tiful in their mottled dress. Their appearance is very irregular. Sometimes they are found in great numbers, and other years few or none are seen. In the Whitewater Valley I have only found a few in April.

They go far north to breed, and there only are found in full breed- ing plumage. Beyond the Arctic Circle, on the Barren Grounds of British America and the coasts and islands of the Arctic Ocean, they roar their young. Nelson says it is one of the commonest breeding

BlKDS OI' INDIANA.

waders, over the grass and moss-grown country, extending along the shore of Bering Sea. They occasionally lay by June 1. Dall found it common along the Yukon. Nelson says its clear, plaintive call-note may be represented by the syllables too-lu-e, and also gives an inter- pretation of its song. (N. H. Coll., in Alaska, p. 124.)

Mr. J. Gr. Parker, Jr., says the young return in August ahead of the older birds. He has observed them in Cook County about August 10, 1889. According to migration reports of 1885, they were noted that year at Fernwood, 111., July 15; next seen, August 3; common, August 20; disappeared, October 12. They vary in abundance through Au- gust, September and early October. Some few, however, remain some years well into November. They were last noted as follows in the years indicated: Cook County, 111., 1883, October 6; 1893, September 19 (Parker); 1895, October 26 (Blackwelder); Boone County, Ind., 1894, September 29 (Beasley); Starke County, English Lake, 1891, a few, November 9; 1892, one, November 15 (Deane). Ordinarily they do not frequent the reedy marshes and swamps, but the long-con- tinued drouth transformed the marshes at English Lake, those years, into "muddy flats," and a few Golden Plover were found on them.

60. GBNUB ^EGUALITIS BOIE.

a1. Tail half the length of wing or more; rump pale brownish; two black bands

on breast. Subgenus OXYECHUS Keichenbach. A. vocifera (LiNN.). 115

a2. Tail less than half as long as wing; rump same color as back; breast with one

band or none. Subgenus ^EGIALITIS.

ft1. All toes distinctly webbed at base. A. semipalmata Bonap. 116

62. No web between the base of inner and middle toe. c1. Black band across breast wholly or partially interrupted in middle.

A. meloda (Ord). 117 c2. Black band continuous across breast.

A. meloda circumcincta Ridgw. 118

Subgenus OXYKCHUS Reichenbach.

*115. (273). ^Igialitis vocifera (LINN.).

Killdeer. Synonym, KILLDEER PLOVER.

Adult. — Quaker-brown, with a greenish tinge, sometimes most of the feathers tipped and edged with orange-brown; rump and upper tail coverts, oohraceous; breast, crossed by two black bands; forehead and entire under parts, except as stated, white; bill, black; feet, pale; eyelids, scarlet. Immature. — Similar to adult, but feathers of upper parts more or less distinctly margined with pale rusty or ochraceous.

740 REI>OKT OF STATE GEOLOGJST.

Length, 10.00-11.25; wing, 6.20-6.75; tail, 3.60-4.10; culincii, .70-.90; tarsus, 1.40-1.55.

RANGE. — America, from Columbia and West Indies north to Mani- toba and Newfoundland. Breeds throughout its North American range. Winters in southern Illinois and southern Indiana and Vir- ginia southward.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, 4; buffy-white, with chocolate markings, principally at the larger end; 1.47 by 1.04.

Common summer resident. Resident in greater or less numbers, some winters, in the southern part of the State. Often, over a good part of the State, they are not absent more than two months. The

Killdeer.

bulk of them spend their winters along the Gulf of Mexico. Every- where it is the earliest and best known of its family to arrive. In the Whitewater Valley, some winters, it remains; others, it leaves for a few weeks in December. The following give the date it was first seen each year at Brookville: 1881, February 15; 1884, March 12; 1886, March 14; 1887, March 6; 1889, February 16; 1890, February 15; 1893, March 3; 1895, March 22. In Knox County Mr. E. J. Chansler says it is resident, some seasons common, others rare. Some years it is found as early as February over almost the entire State. The following dates of first appearance north of the latitude of In- dianapolis are taken from years of early spring migrations: Lafayette, February 26, 1889 (Test); 1894 and 1896 were early years. The for- mer they were noted as follows: Laporte, March 3 (Barber); Sedan, Dekalb County, March 2 (Mrs. Hine); Plymouth, Mich., March 4 (Alexander); Sandusky, 0., March 4 (Moseley); Chicago, 111., March 10 (Dunn). The latter year at the following places: Camden, Feb- nuiry 28 (Sterling); North Manchester (Bell), Waterloo (Mrs. Hine),

BIIIJJS oi<A INDIANA. 741

and Chicago, March 26 (Blackwelder). The earliest record gi\<-n from Chicago is that by Mr. Dunn, March 10, and the latest of first arrival is April 2, 1885 (Parker). The following are other dates of first ar- rival there: March 26, 1884 (Parker); March 27, 1897 (Tollman). It is to be observed that the first arrivals in early years are from about one to four weeks later reaching the vicinity of Chicago than they are in reaching the same latitude in eastern Indiana, Michigan or the shore of Lake Erie, and the difference in the date of becoming com- mon is almost as notable. Years when the migration is later they reach these points at approximately the same dates. Doubtless, some years, the early opening of the rivers running southward into the Ohio afford an opportunity for early migrations, while the conditions around the lower end of Lake Michigan are uncongenial. Therefore, by way of the valleys of the Wabash, Whitewater and Miami Rivers, they find their way to the upper Lake Basin, near Lake Erie. Usually they are commonly found throughout the district mentioned by the latter part of March. Their call, "Killdeer" from which they take their name, is well known to the people of the State. Beside this, it has a lower call, often uttered as the birds run rapidly ahead of one, in the pasture or stubble, or on the river bar. It is represented by te-e-e-e-e-t, uttered with a sort of mechanical emphasis. The eggs are laid in a depression on the ground. Four constitute a set, and the small ends are laid together, forming a cross. They lay in pastures, corn fields, on prairies and gravel bars, above the ordinary summer flood. I have taken the full complement of eggs, April 15, and some- times the young are found in June.

After the young are grown, they and the adults collect into small flocks and the borders of our streams and lakes are enlivened by them. Most of them go south in October, but many remain until November and even December in the northern part of the State.

Subgenus J^QIALITIS Boie.

116. (274). ^Egialitis semipalmata (BONAP.).

Semipalmated Plover. Synonyms, RING PLOVER, KING -NECK.

Adult in Summer. — Above, grayish-brown; forehead, ring around neck, and lower parts, white; fore part of crown, lores, and broad pec- toral collar (continued around back of neck, below the white nuchal collar), black or dusky; bill, yellow or orange, black-tipped. In Win- ter.— The black markings replaced by grayish-brown, like the back, etc. Immature. — Like winter adults, but bill wholly black, and feathers of upper parts margined narrowly with buff. (Eidgway.)

742 KEPOIIT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 6.50-7.50; wing, about 4.65-5.00; culmen, .4S-.55; tarsus, .95-1.05.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil and Peru north to Arctic coast. Breeds from Labrador and Alaska northward. Winters on coast of Gulf States and southward.

Nest, in depression on ground, lined with grass. Eggs, 2-4; white or pale buff, irregularly spotted with chocolate or black; 1.26 by .94.

Migrant, generally rare, not uncommon at times in the vicinity of Lake Michigan. Sometimes found in small flocks, numbering as many as twenty-five. Often seen singly or in pairs in company with Kill- deers. In fall, particularly, they, singly or a few in number, are often found associated with Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers. Their habits are much like the Killdeers, and their note is a soft, mellow whistle.

They are present in the spring migrations late in April and through May. Mr. Deane obtained specimens from a flock of about twenty- five on English Lake, May 6, 1888. Those shot were very fat. Mr. Coale obtained two females in Lake County, May 27, 1877. Mr. C. A. Tallman noted them at Wolf Lake May 23, 1896. Mr. Nelson noted it as early as April 25 in northeastern Illinois. He also found adults and young, recently fledged in the vicinity of Chicago, July 2, 1873, and thought possibly they had bred there. Davie says "both eggs and young have been taken near Chicago, 111., in July." It has been found breeding in Minnesota (Dr. Hatch).

Usually they return in August and remain about suitable places into September. Dry summers the submerged flats and bars and ex- posed shores of the smaller lakes and streams in northern Indiana are attractive places for them, and at such times they are quite common. The shores of Lake Michigan are also frequented by them at that season.

Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., notes it as early as July 15. Mr? J. 0. Dunn obtained one at Bass Lake, Starke County, August 1, 1894, and found it at Peru October 2, 1893. They sometimes remain until the last of October (Nelson). There is a specimen in the collection of the Indi- ana State Museum, at Indianapolis, from Jasper County.

In addition, it has been reported from the following counties: Tip- pecanoe (Dr. E. Test), Putnam (Clearwaters), Allen (Stockbridge), La- porte (Byrkit). It has never been noted in the Whitewater Valley. Dr. Coues found them breeding abundantly in Labrador. They have also been found breeding on the Arctic coast, near the mouth of the Anderson River and at the mouth of the Yukon in Alaska.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 743

117. (277). ^Egialitis meloda (ORD).

Piping Plover.

Adult in Summer. — Above, pale brownish-gray; forehead, lores, nuchal collar, and lower parts, white; a band across fore part of crown, and one on each side of breast, not meeting- in front, black or dusky; bill, yellow or orange, black at tip. In Winter. — These black markings replaced by light brownish-gray, and the bill almost entirely, or wholly, black. Immature. — Like the winter plumage, but feathers of upper surface with distinctly paler terminal margins.

Length, 6.25-7.50; wing, 4.50-4.80; culmen, .45-.50; depth of bill at base, .20-.22-, tarsus, .85-1.00.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from West Indies to Labrador. Breeds from Virginia and southwestern Ontario north. Winters from Carolinas southward.

Eggs, laid on beach, 4; creamy-white, speckled with black and purplish gray; 1.27 by .96.

Bare migrant over most of the State; probably summer resident, with the nest along Lake Michigan. It has been reported by L. A. and C. D. Test, from Lafayette, September 18, 1895, which is the usual time of their departure. Mr. Euthven Deane obtained both forms of the Piping Plover from the same flock at English Lake, May 17, 1891. This bird is not as often seen with us as the next. I doubt not these two forms will be considered one ere long. The differ- ences do not seem to be such that they should remain separated.

118. (277a). .Kgialitis meloda circumcincta RIDOW.

Belted Piping Plover.

Similar to 2E. meloda, but with a continuous black band across the breast. Size of last.

RANGE. —Interior of North America. Breeds from northern Indi- ana, northern Illinois and probably Nebraska north to Lake Winni- peg. Winters along Gulf coast.

Eggs, as in last.

Migrant "over most of the State; summer resident in considerable numbers along Lake Michigan. Breeds.

With us this variety and the species last named are found together, the greater number, however, being this form. Mr. Nelson notes their arrival near Chicago the middle of April. Mr. H. K. Coale took one at Tolleston, Lake County, May 1, 1880, and a pair near Whiting, May

; I 1 KEPOJRT on STATE GEOLOGIST.

#5, 1879. In the southern part of the State, Mr. Robert Ridgway taw a paii1 mi a sand-bar in the White River north of Wheatlanrl late in May, 1885. Mr. Deane noted them at English Lak<>, May 17, 1891. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., took specimens August 13, 1894, at Miller's. It has been noted in Indiana May 1, and found continuously until late in August. They are often paired when they arrive and proceed at once to nesting. They continue coming till June; consequently the nesting season is much prolonged.

Some thirty pairs were breeding along the beach within a space of two miles, April 24, 1876, at Waukegan, 111. They nest on the flat, pebbly beach between the sand-dunes and shore. (Nelson, Birds N". E. 111., p. 123.) August 1, 1897, Mr. F. M. Woodruff found downy young, also three pairs nesting at Miller's, Ind. This gives a period of over three months from the date given by Mr. Nelson for the breeding season. Either there is an unusual extension of the season or more than one brood is reared in a year. Prof. H. Duemling, of Ft. \Y;i yne, has a specimen in his collection taken near that place (Stock- bridge). They are said to remain until the last of September.

XXI. FAMILY APHRIZID^. SURF BIRDS AND TURNSTONES.

a1. Bill pointed, upturned at end; tarsus not longer than bill. AREXARIA. 61

SUBFAMILY AKENABI1NJE. TURNSTONES. 61. GENUS ARENARIA BBISSON.

119. (283). Arenaria interpres (LINN.).

Turnstone.

Adult in Summer. — Pied above., with black, white, brown, and chestnut red, the latter color wanting in winter and in young birds; below, from the breast (which is more or less completely black), throat, most of the secondaries, bases of the primaries, and bases and tips of the tail feathers, white; bill, black; feet, orange. In Winter. — White parts as in summer, most of other parts dusky or brownish. Imma- ture.— Above, brownish-gray, feathers bordered with whitish; upper tail coverts, white; throat, foreneck and breast, white, streaked with dusky; lower parts, white.

Length, 9.00-9.90; wing, 6.00; bill, .80-.90; tarsus, 1.00.

EANGE. — Nearly cosmopolitan. In America, from Patagonia to Greenland and Alaska, Breeds from Hudson Bay to the Arctic coast. Winters from coast of Gulf States southward.

l>l KI)S 01-' IN l>l A N A. 7 I.")

AV.v/, a. hollow in ground, lined with grass. Myys, 2-4; greenish- drab, spotted all over with brown; 1.60 by 1.17.

Hare migrant. Except along Lake Michigan it is almost unknown. There are but two records from the interior of the Stale. |)r. HHY- mond observed it in Franklin County (Ind. Geol. Kept. 1869, p. 228). May 20, 1888, Mr. Ruthven Deane observed it in Starke County. Messrs. Eliot Blackwelder and C. A. Tallman identified two Turn- stones at Wolf Lake, Ind., May 23, 1896; two were also seen there

Bill of Turnstone.

June 9 of that year. August 8, 1897, Mr. P. M. Woodruff took two in breeding plumage at Miller's, and August 21 took a young male at the same place. Nelson has noted them in Cook County, 111., about Sep- tember 20.

They, may be said, therefore, to lie found in the vicinity of Lake Michigan through the lal.ier hall' of May and the first third of June, and from early August nnii! about the middle of September. In the fall, at least, they are generally found with Hocks of small Sandpipers.

They breed far northward along the coast of the Arctic Ocean and in Alaska. ]\lr. (ieo. 15. Sennott found them on I he coast of Texas .luring the Inverting season. (Bull. F. S. (J. & ft. Sur. of Terr.; Vol. V, No. a, 1879, p. 4:51).

Mr. K A. Mcllhemiy says it is an abundant resident, on the coast of Louisiana (The Auk, Vol. XIV, 1S97, p. MS«.I). |)() those only who are to breed make the long journey beyond the Arctic Circle, or do. -s this bird breed sometimes on our southern coast? Mr. Mcllhenny has stated that several other -species previously supposed to spend the summer far north arc summer residents of the Louisiana coast.

74(> KEPOKT OF STATU GEOLOGIST.

H. ORDER GALLING. GALLINACEOUS .Burns.

SUBORDER PH ASIANI. PHEASANTS, GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS.

XXII. FAMILY TETRAONIDJB. GROUSE, PHEASANTS, ETC.

a1. Wing under 6.00; tarsus bare; sides of toes without comb-like projections.

Subfamily PERDICIN^E.

bl. Head not crested. COLTNUS. 62

a2. Wing over 6.00 ; upper half or more of tarsus feathered ; toes in winter with a fringe of horny points. Subfamily TETBAONIN^E.

c1. Tarsus feathered about half way to toes. BON ASA. 63

c2. Tarsus feathered to toes.

d1. Toes feathered; plumage in winter white. LAGOPUS.

d2. Toes not feathered.

el. Neck with tuft of elongated, stiff feathers on each side; tarsus naked behind. TYMPANUCHUS. 64

e2. Neck without peculiar feathers.

fl. Tail rounded. DENDBAGAFUS.

/2. Tail pointed ; middle feather projecting beyond the others.

PEDTOO.KTES.

SUBFAMILY PERDICIN.E. PARTRIDGES. 62. GKNUS COLINUS LISBON.

*120. (289). Colinus virginianus (LINN.).

Bobwhite. Synonyms, QUAIL, PARTRIDGE.

Male. — Coronal feathers, erectile, but not forming a true crest; fore- head, superciliary line and throat, white, bordered with black; crown, neck all round and upper part of breast, brownish-red; other under parts, tawny-whitish, all with more or fewer doubly crescentic black bars; sides, broadly streaked with brownish-red; upper parts, varie- gated with chestnut, black, gray and tawny, the latter edging the inner quills. Female. — Known by having the throat buff instead of white, less black about the fore parts, and general colors less intense; rather smaller than the male.

Length, 9.50-10.75; wing, 4.30-4.70; tail, 2.40-2.90.

EANGE.— Eastern United States and southern Ontario, west to east- ern Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Indian Territory and eastern Texas; south to Georgia, Alabama and other Gulf States.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, 10-18; white; 1.19 by .94.

Resident; generally common. Breeds. The Bobwhite is generally known in Indiana as the "Quail." To some it is the "Partridge."

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

747

At the beginning oJ' (he settlement ui' this State, when virgin forests composed of trees both large and tall, covered most of the present area, there was not much ground suitable for the "Bobwhite." They were doubtless confined to the bushy river bottoms, old Indian clearings, small prairies, and other partially open spaces. With the advent of the pioneer, the day of their extension was at hand. They fol- lowed in the path of his axe, and occupied the neighborhood of clearings. They accompanied him as he planted, where he had over- thrown the ancient growth. As civilization spread, they followed. Their enemies being few, they throve. Their numbers increased, and they grew very tame. The pioneer did not hunt them, as they are hunted now. One was occasionally killed with a rifle, but the trap

Bobwhite, male and female, natural size.

was the principal means of taking them. Nevertheless they became very abundant, and were found throughout our State. But shotguns, first muzzle, then breech-loaders, came to war against them, and the trained dog was brought to assist. Enemies in furry coats — foxes, skunks, minks, weasles, cats — either because of the destruction of other foods or because they were so abundant and so tame, made war upon them.

Enemies in scales — snakes — found their nests upon the ground a convenient source of food supply. The open meadows and clear fields afforded opportunities for swift-moving hawks and prairie owls to live there as they could not in the days of the forest, and Bobwhite suffered, as did the other farm birds. To the pot-hunter more than

OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

;inv other one cause, cxcepi the severe winters, we may charge the destruction of these beautiful birds. In the more thickly settled por- tions of the State, in the neighborhood of large cities., and in the vicinity of Chicago, where boys with firearms and target guns range the country, and at certain seasons of the year men take up the cus- tom, shooting at all sorts of birds, killing many and scaring the others away, Bobwhites and all other game birds can scarcely be seen. Mr. Paiker informs me it is very rare in Cook County, 111., and Mr. L. T. Mever said, in 1886, in Lake County, Ind., they were rapidly becom- ing extinct. In both these counties they were formerly very common. Mr. Meyer speaks of them being so tame, they formerly came about the farm buildings and roosted with the chickens. A succession of hard winters or one of unusual severity sometimes reduces their num- bers very low. The winter of 1878-79 they were almost exterminated by reason of the severe weather and their inability to procure food. In the spring whole covies were found dead where they had huddled together and frozen. Few were found for several years thereafter. They were slow to recover from the effects of that winter. From 1884-5, Prof. Evermann says they were rare in Carroll County, where they were formerly abundant. During the winter of those years he estimates that he did not see 100 quail in the county. (The Auk, Oc- tober, 1888, p. 349.) The years 1890-91 they were more numerous, in southern Indiana, si least, and I doubt not throughout the State, than they had been prior to the winter of 1878-9. The year 1892 and the succeeding- winter, over the northern two-thirds of the State, at least, was very unfavorable to them. The spring and early summer of that year, the more level and little-drained land of northern Indiana was to a uTeaier or less extent submerged, and their nests were washed away and their eggs spoiled by water and, many places, they were prevented from nesting. June 17, 1892, Mr. Ruthven Deane wrote me the Kankakee region had then been practically under water for two months, and that it had been a hard season on quail. He thought the majority of their nests had been destroyed. The winter following this was quite severe, and throughout northern Indiana there was much snow, the ground remaining covered a long time. From wherever I have reports, the destruction of Bob white is noted. Mr. M. W. Salmon, of Kilmore, Clinton County, says "the few quails that sur- vived the deep snow and cold of January (1893) were weak and be- came a prey to Hawks, etc. They were almost annihilated. Of this Ulrey and Wallace have also spoken (Proc. I. A. S., 1895, p. 69).

About the middle of October I have noticed the Bobwhites of south- ern Indiana begin to change their habits. From the cheerful, matter-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 749

oi'4'act bird about the farm, they become erratic. Hunters say they are crazy. They seem possessed with a desire to migrate, coming into towns and cities in some numbers. They, at such times, are lost and bewildered. They are found in trees and among the shrubbery of gar- dens, in outbuildings and among lumber piles. I have seen them in the cellar window-boxes and over the transoms of the front doors of houses. They fly into stores and dash against their glass fronts. Throughout the day their characteristic call is heard, each one calling to its mate who-e-he, who-e-he, which we sometimes interpret as " Where are you?" "Where are you?" I have noticed this as early as Oc- tober 12 (1890). Some years it is much more noticeable than others. On the farms the results of this movement are seen. Farms where a number of covies have been reared will be found to have no Bob whites on them by November 1. Other farms, not far away, will have the number of these birds greatly increased.

Some years they appear to desert the uplands and seek the river valleys. The fall of 1890 hunters spoke of the scarcity of Bob whites when the season opened. The uplands, which are first hunted, were found to contain almost no birds, although a few weeks before they were abundant there. They were, however, abundant in the river valleys, where, among the bottom corn-fields, they were not hunted till later. Most of them apparently attempted to migrate southward.-

The Ohio River bottoms contained immense numbers of Bobwhites, and many crossed the river into Kentucky, others were killed in attempting to cross. I have been told that when they reached Ken- tucky they were exhausted and many of them were killed without the use of a gun, or were trapped without much effort.

By spring the flocks have generally been scattered. However, in protected localities, they frequently remain together quite late, much later than some begin mating. A flock of fourteen was observed dust- ing themselves in the sand, April 27, 1897.

The spring call of this bird is what has given it the present name. "Bob-white, Oh! Bob-white" sounds from many" a stake of the old worm fence, in May and June. No more cheery sound is heard throughout rural America than this call at mating time. It has been fittingly set in a beautiful poem by the master hand of my friend, Lee 0. Harris, one of the best poets of our State. April is the beginning of mating time, and sometimes nesting begins by May 1. Two and sometimes three broods are reared in a year. The nest, of grasses, is built upon the ground. It is often placed in a fence-row; an old rail fence corner is a favorite spot, beside a stump, in a little protected place in a pas- ture or in a thinly vined berry patch. I have found them on the bank

750 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

oi' a little depression through n pasture, where many eattle continually passed, with no protection, and only their faith in the cattle keeping the path a yard away, could have impelled the birds to build there. The usual number of eggs is from 12 to 25. The average being 15 to 18. Sometimes one hears of nests having as many as thirty or forty. Undoubtedly such a number is the result of two or more laying in the same nest. This they occasionally do, and also sometimes they and chickens lay in the same nest. There have, undoubtedly, been great changes in the habits of these birds. The female does the sitting and cares for the family. Occasionally, when she has been killed, the male has been known to assume the task of sitting and fulfilling the duties of the mate.

Mr. John Wright, of Bartholomew County, told me of a nest in a fence-row, near which he often passed. He noted the eggs day after day, as they increased in number, and frequently saw the female. One day he was surprised to see the male sitting upon the nest. Examina- tion showed some feathers of the female near by, marking the site of a tragedy in which she had been the victim. The male had taken up her duties. He watched him, and he stuck to his job. The young were hatched and faithfully they were cared for by the parent. He led them to the neighborhood of the corn field and near there he and they spent the winter. My father also tells of a similar instance. I have found the nest with fresh eggs as late as July 9 (1887). Mr. Robert Ridgway has found a nest containing fresh eggs, October 16, and there is one instance, given from Missouri, by Major Bendire, of a Bob white sitting on her eggs in January.

The Bobwhite is the bird of civilization. It and the farmer each fares best when they recognize they have united interests and one is dependent upon the other. While the birds eat wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat and other crop seeds, they get the most of it from gleaning the fields, and at the same time eat seeds of smart-weed, butter-weed, rag-weed, partridge-berries, nanny-berries, wild grapes and various other wild fruits and weed seeds. They also eat blades of grass and other green foods, and in winter, acorns and beechnuts. Through the breeding season, and, in fact, the entire summer, they eat many insects — beetles, grubs, larvae — enemies of trees, crops, and meadows. Dr. Howard E. Jones examined the crop of one accidentally killed in a potato patch in Ohio and found it contained seventy-five potato-bugs.

Mr. E. J. Chansler, of Bicknell, Knox County, informs me he has seen an old bird, with her brood, devouring chinch bugs. The mother would jump up and strike the cornstalks, knocking down many bugs,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 751

which the young ate as soon as they touched the ground. These are some of the innumerable ways in which Bobwhite attempts to help his friend, the farmer.

How soon will the farmer realize the situation? A dozen covies of these birds upon a farm will do much to reduce the insect foes, and to lessen their damage, and also to destroy the seeds of innumerable noxious weeds.

There have undoubtedly been many changes in the habits of the Bobwhite since it came in contact with our race. Formerly they were very sensitive about having their nests disturbed. Now my friend, Mr. E. E. Quick, assures me they have, by reason of association, become accustomed to man and will permit one to remove their eggs from the nest and handle them. Prof. Cooke is satisfied the habit of "lying to a dog" is acquired. He shows that in the western part of Indian Territory, they no more think of stopping when they see a dog than they would for a coyote; while, in the eastern part of the Terri- tory, where they have become acquainted with dogs, they lie quite well for them (Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 102). Whether or not they have the power to withhold their, scent was a long-disputed question. From the experience of some close observers it would seem that they cer- tainly think they have this power.

Proper regulations should be made by legislation for their protec- tion, and thorough education be given the people as to the value of these birds. Mr. Thos. Mcll wraith informs us that some time ago the government of Ontario passed an act prohibiting, under any circum- stances, for a period of three years, the killing of quail. This law, co- incident with mild winters, had the effect of increasing their numbers. Afterwards they again became less numerous. Doubtless there should be a law in our States protecting them for several years, and, after they have been given a chance to increase, they should be guarded through a close season, as at present. They are too valuable to permit them to become exterminated. I desire to call particular attention to the Hawks and Owls, which are treated later, in order that the reader may become acquainted with the kinds — for there are only certain kinds— that may be said to be destructive to our game birds. The really harmful are: Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Goshawk, and the Duck Hawk.

liKi-ouT OK STATK GEOLOGIST.

SIIU--A. MIIA TKTRAOXIN.K. Gum SK.

ii:',. GENUS BON ASA STEPHENS.

121. (300). Bonasa umbellus (LINN,

Ruffed Grouse.

He;id of Ruffed f« rouse, iiiitiiriil si/.o.

Adult Male. — Variegated reddish or grayish-brown; the back, with numerous oblong, pale, black-edged spots; neck-tufts, glossy-black; below, whitish, barred with brown; tail, varying from gray to rufous, with a broad subterminal black zone, and tipped with gray. Fe- male.— Similar, but neck-tufts very small.

Length, 15.50-19.00; wing, 7.00-7.50; tail, 5.50-7.00.

II'ANGE. — Eastern United Stales west to ({real Plains, From South Carolina and Arkansas to Minnesota, Vermont and Ontario.

Nest, a hollow in ground, lined with leaves or grass. -/iV/<y.v, 8-14; milky-white to pinkish -buff, often with round spots of pale reddish- brown or drab; 1.58 by 1.18.

Resident. Breeds. The Huffed Grouse is found in varying abun- dance throughout the State. It is a bird of the forest. Where there is the most forest, other things being equal, are to be found the most Grouse. Some places, where the woods are permitted to remain, they are common. The rougher, less fertile, and the wet, poorly-drained portions of the State are where the most timber, is to be found, and there they are the most numerous. In the lower Whitewater Valley they are still to be found in some numbers.

The rougher hills covered with dense woods and underbrush are the places where they .live. Mr. L. IT. Raymond thinks they are nowhere to be met with in such numbers as in northern Indiana, northern Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. While they prefer the dense covert, they are occasionally found in buckwheat stubble, in the

r»ii;i)S or' INDIANA. 75.5

open, in ilie fall. They arc then even known to enter towns. I have a specimen that was shot from an apple tree in the yard of a neighbor in Brook vi lie. Throughout 1ho level and more thickly set- tled portions of the Stale they ace becoming scarce.

Mr. Parker says they are rare in Cook County, 111., hut that a few are i<> he found in Lake County, Ind. Mrs. Jane L. lline says they are common in IVkalh County. It has been reported in recent years from the following additional count ies: Monroe, frequent (Martin); Carroll, rare ( Kvcrmann ); Brown, common resident (Kindle); Deca- tur ((iuilirit'V. Howard, rare (Woody); Starke (Deane); Allen (Stock- bridge); Putnam (Clearwaiers); Tippecanoe (Dr. E. Test); Steuben (Mr>. L. M. SnifT): Laporte (Barber); Klkhart .(Juday); Knox, rare (Chansier); Hoono, rare (Bea-ley); Parke, rare (Cliekener); Benton, specimen in the State Museum; Kosciosko (Raymond); Porter (Par- ker); Wabash, becoming rare (Ulrey and Wallace). In the White- water Valley this bird is known as "Pheasant." In some other locali- ties it is called "Partridge." These names but serve to confuse one, as it is neither; it is a ( house. The term "Partridge" is also, quite widely applied to the Bobwhite.

One of the characteristic sounds from the woods, where the Ruffed Grouse dwells, particularly in early spring, is the drumming of the male. I have notes of its drumming in this State as early as March 'v'~i. and Ihrough April and May it is most commonly heard, and one record is June", 1SSS (Deane). If is said, some places, to begin drum- ming in I^ebruary and to have been known to drum, almost every month in the year. 'The sound is most often hoard during the breed- ing season. I take the liberty of giving what Major Bendire tells us is the description of the method of drumming, by Mr. Manly Hardy, of Brewer. Maine, a reliable and careful observer. Ho says: "The cock (rrouso usually selects a mossy log, near some open hedge, clear- ing or wood-road, and, partly screened by bushes, where ho can see and not be seen. When about to drum, he erects his neck feathers, spreads his tail, and, with drooping wings, steps with a jerking motion along the log some distance each way from his drumming place, walk- ing back and forth several times, and looking sharply in every direc- tion; then, standing crosswise, he stretches himself to his fullest height, and delivers the blows with his wings fully upon his sides, his wings being several inches clear from the log. After drumming, he settles quietly down into a sitting posture and remains, silently listen- ing for five or ten minutes, when, if no cause of alarm is discovered, he repeats the process.

48— QBOL

754 REJL'OKT OY STATE GEOLOGJST.

"The drumming place is resorted to by the male from year to year. It may be a log, a rock, an old stump, or, when such are not available, a small hillock may be made to answer the purpose equally as well." (Bendire, L. H. N. A. Birds, I, p. 61).

The nest is generally a slight hollow at the foot of a tree or stump, or under the edge of an old log, in a fallen tree-top or brush pile. In this is put a few straws, a little grass or a few leaves. They gen- erally lay from nine to twelve eggs. There are records where as many as sixteen to twenty-three eggs have been found in one nest. The nests which have come under my observation have contained eggs in May. That is the month when most of them lay. Full sets of eggs have been found as far north as Central New York, as early as April 1 (Bendire). Unfavorable weather at breeding time is disastrous to the Ruffed Grouse. Unlike the Bobwhite, they usually lay but one sitting a season, and, should these be destroyed, or the delicate young in their early days become chilled by cold winds accompanying a season of rain, if they lay again, as they are said sometimes to do, the set is a small one, but usually the year's increase is lost. Mrs. Hine informs me she once found a sitting Ruffed Grouse late in July. Mr. Hay- mond mentioned the year 1889 as the most disastrous year to these birds within his recollection. The previous year, 1888, there was a favorable breeding season, and they were found in great abundance. They are fully grown, or nearly so, by October 1. After this date they rarely take to the trees, though, when old and young are together through the summer, they are commonly to be found in them (L. H. Haymond).

The food of the Ruffed Grouse is quite varied. Grasshoppers and crickets are favorite articles of food. Besides these, caterpillars, ants, beetles, etc., are eaten. They live largely upon insects and fruits, in- cluding all the berries, during the summer.

In the fall they have been noted to eat, abundantly, leaves and blossoms of red clover, acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts, various seeds and partridge berries. In winter they eat seeds, grains, buds of laurel, apple, fern, wintergreen (Gaultheria), partridge berries (Mitchella), sumac berries, dogwood (Cornus), viburnum berries, and wild grapes. The crop of a Ruffed Grouse, taken at Brookville, May 10, 1879, contained the following: Three large beetles (Phyllophaga Jiir- suta), entire, but slightly crushed; numerous green seed-pods of the blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis); and a large mass of leaves of white clover (Trifolium repens), and ground ivy (Nepeta glechoma). The gizzard contained numerous seed stones of the Black Gum tree

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 755

(Nyssa mulli flora), and rt'inams oi' several of the beetles before men- tioned (Jour. Gin. Soc. N. H., July, 1880, pp. 126, 127).

An excellent article upon this species, from the standpoint of a sportsman, by "Monoquet" (Mr. L. H. Haymond, of Warsaw), was published in the American Field, and is referred to in the bibliog- raphy.

64. GBHIJS TYMPANUCHUS GLOGKR.

*122. (305). Tympanuchus americanus (REICH.).

Prairie Hen. Synonyms, PRAIRIE CHICKEN, PINNATED GROUSE.

Adult Male. — Sides of neck with an erectile tuft of ten or more rather stiff, elongated feathers with round ends, the longest of which are 2.50 or more in length; tail feathers, without bars or other mark- ings, except the- narrow whitish tip. Adult Female. — Smaller, with lesser neck tufts.

Length, about 18.00-19.00; wing, 8.60-9.40 (9.04); tail, 4.00-4.30 (4.16).

EANGE. — Prairies of Mississippi Valley; south to Louisiana and Texas; west to northern Indian Territory, middle Kansas, Nebraska, and eastern North and South Dakota; east to Kentucky, Indiana, northwestern Ohio, southeastern Michigan, and southwestern Ontario, Canada; north to southern Manitoba.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, 11-14; pale cream, olive buff or light brown, often finely spotted with reddish-brown; 1.66 by 1.24. Usually one brood.

Eesident; formerly very abundant over the original prairie district, and now approximately confined to that district. In most places be- coming scarce, in some very rare.

Generally known by one of the following names: "Prairie Chicken/' "Chicken," or "Pinnated Grouse."

Within recent years they have been reported from the following counties: Common in Newton, 1894 (Pfrimmer); in Starke, 1892, 1894 (Dunn); rare in Carroll, 1889 (Evermann), 1894 (Ster- ling); Steuben, 1894 (Cass); Boone, 1895 (Beasley); Knox, 1888 (Balmer); Clinton, 1887 (Halleck); Wabash, 1895 (Ulrey and Wal- lace). Its occurrence has also been noted in the following counties: Lake, 1896 (Parker); Laporte, 1892 (Parker), 1894 (Barber); Benton (specimen in State Museum); Allen (Stockbridge); Dekalb, Steuben and Noble (McBride).

756 UKI-OUT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1 1 is known that this species extends its range, sometime, hut I have nothing at hand to show thai, il did in this Slate. In counties like Carroll and Wabash it has confined itself to the prairie district.

Prof. W. W. Cooke has shown that west of the Mississippi River it has, to a. certain extent, developed the habit of migration, which is more apparent some years than others.

They begin mating some years early in March. The following ac- count of the love-making of these birds, by Judge J. D. Caton, a careful and well-known naturalist, is given: "The spring of the year is the season of courtship with them, and it does not last all the year round, as it does with humans, and they do it in rather a loud way, too; and, instead of taking the evening, as many people are inclined to do, they choose the early morning. Early in the morning you may see them assemble in parties, from a dozen to fifty together, on some high, dry knolls, where the grass is short.

"The cock birds have a loose patch of naked, yellow skin on each side of the neck, just below the head, and above these, on either side, just where the head joins the neck, are a few long black feathers, which ordinarily lay backward on the neck, but which, when excited, they can pitch straight forward. Those naked, yellow patches on either side of the neck cover sacs, which they blow up like a bladder when- ever they choose. These are their ornaments, which they display to the best advantage before the gentler sex at these love-feasts. This they do by blowing up these air sacs till they look like two ripe oranges on each side of the neck, projecting their long black ears right for- ward, ruffling up all the feathers of the body till they stand out straight, and dropping their wings to the ground like a Turkey cock. Now they look just lovely, as the cosy, timid maidens seem to say as they cast side glances at them full of admiration and love.

"Then it is that the proud cock, in order to complete his triumph, will rus*h forward at his best speed for two or three rods through the midst of these love-sick damsels, pouring out as he goes a booming noise, almost a hoarse roar, only more subdued, which may be heard for, at least, two miles in the still morning air.

"This heavy booming sound is by no means harsh or unpleasant; on the contrary, it is soft and harmonious. "When standing in the open prairie at early dawn, listening to hundreds of different voices, pitched on different keys, coming from every direction, and from vari- ous distances, the listener is rather soothed than excited. If this sound is heavier than the deep keynotes of a large organ, it is much softer, though vastly more powerful and may be heard at a much greater dis-

757

tanue. One who lias liesird such a concert can never after mistake or forget it.

"Every few minutes this display is repeated, i have seen not only one, but more than twenty cocks going through this funny operation at once, but then they seem careful not to run against each other, for they have not yet got to the fighting point. After a little while the lady birds begin to show an interest in the proceedings by moving about quickly a few yards at a time, and then standing still a short time. When the actions are continued by a large number of birds at a time it presents a funny sight, and you can easily think they are moving to the measure of music.

"The party breaks up when the sun is half an hour high, to be re- peated the next morning and every morning for a week or two before all make satisfactory matches. It is toward the latter part of the love season that the fighting takes place among the cocks;, probably by two who have fallen in love with the same sweetheart, whose mod- esty prevents her from selecting between them."

Their nests are placed on the ground, in prairies, meadows, the edges or dryer parts of marshes and such other places as Bobwhites would be likely to select, and are lined with grass.

The number of eggs is usually from 8 to 13. In fact, there are two extremes of all the records I have from this State; generally they are from 9 to 11. Instances are recorded, from Nebraska, where the num- ber was twenty-one (Kline, Ornithologist and Oologist, August, 1882, p. 150). Their eggs are frequently destroyed by high water, fire, the plow and mower, in addition to the many naturaT'enemies of this bird. The year 1892, which, by reason of the high water in northern Indiana through May and June, was destructive to Bob white nests, was equally so to those of the Prairie Hen. Mr. Deane informed me, June 5, of seven nests found at English Lake, under water. The year before, he wrote me of two nests having been found where the meadows had been turned over. Under date May 4, 1890, Mr. Deane wrote me that that day Mr. E. A. Stafford, who had a dog with him, at Kouts, Ind., ob- served the dog flush a Prairie Chicken, which at that moment or just before had laid an egg upon the bare ground.

Nests are generally found with fresh eggs from late in April to early June. Mr. H. K. Coale found a nest at Tolleston, July 4, 1880, with 13 eggs. Major Bendire notes an instance where fresh eggs were found in August, indicating that occasionally a second brood is brought forth. The female sits and cares for the young. The exact period of incubation is unknown, but it is between three and four weeks. The young and adults at this season feed almost exclusively

758 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

upon insects, grasshoppers forming a prominent part. Cereals, grass, and weed seed are eaten. In the fall, when buckwheat is ripening in September, their favorite feeding ground is a buckwheat patch. The flocks collected at this season remain together, except as they are killed, until mating time next spring. Flocks con- tain from ten to forty birds.

XXIII. FAMILY PHA8IANIDJE. PHEASANTS, ETC.

a1. Head and neck naked; forehead with conspicuous appendage.

MELEAGRIS. 65 SUBFAMILY MELEAGEIN^E. TURKEYS.

65. GENUS MELEAGRIS LIXN^US.

*123. (310). Meleagris gaUopavo LINN.

Wild Turkey.

Breast of male, with a tuft of long, coarse, hair-like black bristles; tail, bright umber, or dull ferruginous-brown, narrowly barred with black, and crossed near the end with a broad subterminal band of black; spurs, moderately developed. Female much smaller and duller- colored than the male; tip of tail and all of the upper tail coverts, dark chestnut; prevailing hue of metallic reflections, coppery.

Length, 48.00-50.00; extent, 60.00; wing, 21.00; tail, 18.50; weight, 16 to 40 Ibs. Female measurements, smaller in proportion; weight, about 12 Ibs. (Eidgway).

RANGE.— Eastern United States, north to southern Canada, for- merly to Maine; south to Florida and middle Texas; west to the edge of the Great Plains. (Bendire.)

Nest, on ground, lined with dead leaves and grass. Eggs, 10-14; creamy-white to creamy-buff, spotted and dotted with different shades of brown; 2.55 by 1.79.

Resident. Breeds. Formerly occurred in numbers throughout the State; now, in most places, extinct. My father tells me of turkey hunts in Franklin and Jefferson counties; of having killed them within the present limits of the present town of Brookville, and of trapping them in rail or log pens, some sixty or seventy years ago. The turkey pens had holes dug in the ground under one side large enough to admit the turkeys. A trail of corn led down into the hole, and inside the pen was plenty of corn. The birds followed the line of shelled corn, and suddenly found themselves inside the pen. They nevermore thought of looking down for the way by which they came,

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 759

jn id were captives until released. For many years I thought the last Wild Turkeys were killed in Franklin County about 1878 or '80. More recently I have been informed by residents of Salt Creek Town- ship that some were killed in that township in 1885 or 1886.

Prof. Evennann says they were common in Carroll County up to 1870. Dr. Brayton, in 1879, said they were occasionally seen in Marion County. They were seen in Crawford County last year (3 89fi- 1897) (W. S. Blatchley).

They were last noted in the following counties, about the time men- tioned: Lake, about 1880 (Meyer); Newton, 1884 (Pfrimmer); Wa- bash, 1880 (Ulrey and Wallace). In 1886 it was reported as occasion- ally seen in Laporte County (Byrkit). In my paper on Indiana Birds, in 1890, I gave it as probably found in the following counties, from which I have no later record of its occurrence: Grant, Monroe, Dekalb, and Jefferson. In Monroe, in 1887, Prof. Blatchley said it was oc- casionally taken, and Mr. H. F. Blair reported the capture of one from a flock of seven near Deputy, Jefferson County. A few years previously they were occasionally taken in Ripley County. The Wild Turkey, however, is still found in Knox County, where a white one was seen a few years ago (Chansler). Mr. Robert Ridgway gave it as common there in 1882 (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, 1882, p. 21). It is also still a survivor in limited numbers in Gibson County (John Mar- tin), and in Pike and Posey counties (J. P. Key). It will only be a few years until our largest game bird will be extinct within this State. They usually go in flocks of from three to twenty, although I have heard recently of one flock, in this State, of about sixty. They are polygamous, one male accompanying several females. Their habits, time of mating, method of nesting, care of young, in fact, all their pe- culiarities, resemble very much those of the domestic turkey, who steals away and hides her nest in the thicket; though the lighter- colored domestic turkey is not a descendant of this species, but of the Mexican form. The number of eggs varies from ten to fourteen, eleven or twelve being the number commonly found.

liKpoirr OK STATK GEOLOGIST.

I. OKDKK COM MH.lv PKJKOXS. XXIV. FAMILY COLUMBID^E. PIGEONS.

a1. Tarsus shorter than lateral toes. Subfamily COLI;MBINM:.

61. Tail very long, wedge shaped, with 12 pointed feathers. ECTOPISTES. 6(i a2. Tarsus longer than lateral toes. Subfamily ZEXAIPIX.K.

c1. Tail long, pointed, of 14 pointed feathers. /KXAIDURA. 67

66. (IKNUS Ef'TOlTSTES SWAIXSON.

':124. (315). Ectopistes migratorius (.LINN.).

Passenger Pig-eon. Synonym, WILD PIGEON.

Passenger Pigeon.

Male. — Slaty-blue above, the wings and scapulars more brownish and spotted with black; the inner webs of the tail feathers have each a rufous and a black spot. The male has the whole head bluish-plumbeous, the foreneck and jugulum, rich cinnamon, passing into vinaceous on the breast, this gradually becoming paler posteriorly; the sides of the neck, richly glossed with metallic solferino-purple Female. — Head, foreneck, and jugulum, brownish-ashy or drab, gradu- ally lightening posteriorly. (Ridgway.)

Length, 15.00-17.25; wing, 8.00-8.50; tail, 8.20-8.75.

RANGE. — Deciduous forest regions of eastern North America; west, casually to Washington and Nevada; Cuba.

Nest, of twigs, in trees. Eggs, 1 or 2; white; 1.47 by 1.02.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 7 ill

i\l i^ranl ; J'nnnci'lv very a!>i!n<lant, Iml now rare; al~<» rare resident. lla\e J'oimd them fro/en in death in severe weather in I lie winter. Formerly hml throughout the State. Perhaps still does, rarely, in northern Indiana 1 think the greater number were migrants, though many were summer residents. These birds were gregarious, and moved about in flocks ranging in numbers from a few individuals to vast droves of incalculable numbers. They generally appeared in southern Indiana as migrants, some years arriving in September. The greater number passed south when severe weather began and returned in force in February and March. The great bulk went north into Michigan and other northern States to breed, nesting in large colonies. But many bred throughout our State, singly; and sometimes colonies of them nested. Their winter residence was determined by the quan- tity of mast, but in general it could be said to be somewhere in the area of the beech woods, at least in the Ohio Valley.

It is difficult for a young person to appreciate the accounts the older inhabitants give of the former abundance of these birds.

I am indebted to my father, now over eighty-seven years of age, and a native of the State, for many facts relating to these, and also other birds. He says, in 1831-2, the pigeon roosts in the vicinity of Vernon, which had become noted as the most extensive in that part of the State, were occupied by great numbers of pigeons. They moved in flocks so large the sky could not be seen in any direction as far as the eye could reach. They also nested in that locality in great abundance. The "roost" in the vicinity of Brookville, in the months of January and February, 1854, while not so large as many others, was so near home that accounts of it made an impression on my mind. One even- ing, when it was cloudy, my father went with a company of friends to it. The birds were much frightened by the shooting about their roost, and, just after sun-down, arose en masse and soared out of sight in the dusk of the winter evening, while from the direction of the cloud of birds came a noise as of a violent windstorm. As the darkness in- creased, the multitude descended and alighted upon the limbs of the forest trees in such numbers as to break many off. After night, the scene is described as one never to be forgotten. The squawking of the pigeons, the breaking of the limbs of giant trees beneath their living weight, the continuous rumble arising from the whirr of countless wings, the rapid firing of guns, produced an effect which no words can convey to one who has not experienced a night at a "pigeon roost." In 1869 Dr. Haymond said: "Still seen in large numbers, t though evidently they have been constantly diminishing in numbers

762 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

for the last forty years, and are probably not half so numerous as they formerly were."

Hon. H. D. Johnson, a native of Franklin County, now a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, informs me that, when a boy, some time be- tween 1820 and 1830, he remembers going with some men to a "pigeon roost," in Springfield or Bath Township. He remembers its site was marked by an extensive windfall. There, upon the bushes, the pigeons nested in countless numbers, and the object of their visit was to catch squabs. He thinks they nested there for several years. Mr. B. S. Miner, of Leota, Ind., writes me of a roost in Scott County which existed from before he can recollect. He remembers it first in 1840. The birds would begin to fly to it in large flocks about one hour before night, and would continue, with intervals, till dark. When at roost they would break down the timber. They occupied the roost for two or three years, and then, after a few years' absence, would return. This continued until about 1855, since which date they have roosted there but one year; that was since the rebellion. They did not nest there. Mr. Angus Gaines says Pigeons once roosted in Knox County in vast numbers. Mr. W. W. Pfrimmer says they formerly nested in great numbers in the timber along the Kankakee River, in Newton County. Mr. Wm. Brewster, in his article "On the Present Status of the Wild Pigeon," says a man told him the largest nesting he ever vis- ited was in 1876 or 1877. It began near Petoskey and extended north- east past Crooked Lake for 28 miles, averaging three or four miles wide. The birds arrived in two separate bodies, one directly from the south by land, the other following the east coast of Wisconsin, and crossing Manitou Island. He saw the latter body come in from the lake at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It was a compact mass of Pigeons, at least five miles long by one mile wide. The birds began building when the snow was twelve inches deep in the woods, although the fields were bare at the time. So rapidly did the colony extend its boundaries that it soon passed literally over and around the place where he was netting, although, when he began, this point was several miles from the nearest nest.

Nestings usually start in deciduous woods, but during their prog- ress the Pigeons do not skip any kind of trees they encounter. The Petoskey nesting extended eight miles through hardwood timber, then crossed a river bottom wooded with arbor-vitse, and thence stretched through white pine woods about twenty miles. For the entire dis- tance of twenty-eight miles every tree of any size had more or less nests, and many trees were filled with them. None were lower than about fifteen feet above the ground. Pigeons are very noisy when

BuiDS OF INDIANA. 703

building. They make a sound resembling the croaking of wood-frogs. Their combined clamor can be heard four or five miles away when the atmospheric conditions are favorable. Two eggs are usually laid, but many nests contain only one. Both birds incubate, the females be- tween 2 o'clock p. m. and 9 or 10 o'clock the next morning; the males from 9 or 10 o'clock a. m. to 2 o'clock p. m. The , males feed twice each day, namely, from daylight to about 8 o'clock a. m., and again late in the afternoon. The females feed only during the forenoon. The change is made with great regularity as to time, .all the males being on the nest by 10 o'clock a, m. * * *

Five weeks are consumed by a single nesting. Then the young are forced out of the nest by the old birds.

I can remember a number of interesting nights in my boyhood. About 1873 they were very abundant for the last time near Brook- ville. Prof. Evermann notes they were very abundant up to that time in Carroll County; but the last were seen in the fall of 1877, when a few hundred represented the countless numbers of half a cen- tury or less ago. That autumn I was at Hanover and shot a number from the extreme end of College Point.

"The nesting area situated near Petoskey covered something like 100,000 arcres of land, and included not less than 150,000 acres within its limits, being in length about forty miles by three to ten in width. The number of dead birds sent by rail was estimated at 12,500 daily, or 1,500,000 for the summer, besides 80,352 live birds; an equal num- ber was sent by water. We have, adding the thousands of dead and wounded ones not secured, and the myriads of squabs left dead in the nest, at the lowest possible estimate, a grand total of 1,000,000,000 Pigeons sacrificed to mammon during the nesting of 1878" (Prof. H. B. Honey, in Chicago Field, Vol. X, pp. 345-347).

Mr. Parker says the last year they were at all abundant in Cook County, 111., was in May and June, 1881.

Mr. William Brewster visited the localities so well known as breed- ing grounds for Pigeons throughout Michigan in the spring of 1888. While the Pigeons had not made the flight they had in former years, still he assures us the flight was a large one. They passed beyond the lower peninsula and doubtless found a breeding ground remote from persecution. Mr. Brewster was of the opinion that there were left enough Pigeons to stock the West, provided they could be protected by adequate laws. (The Auk, October, 1889, p. 285, et. seq.).

They have not been protected, but steadily decreased in numbers . so that some years I have not heard of a single Pigeon. In 1892 Mr. Pfrimmer shot two in Newton County. More were observed in 1894

764 REPORT oi< STATIC GEOLOGIST.

than for two or three years. Mr. Barnctt noted them in Brown County March 7 and April 5. . In Laporte County a flock of 50 or more was seen April 10 (Barber). At Grand Haven, Mich., one was seen May 3 (Davidson). Near Manchester, Mich., observed June 13, Sep- tember 9 and 12 (L. W. Watkins). Mr. E. J. Chansler says he saw a considerable flock in Knox County, September 1. Mr. Harbin saw a flock October 5. These are the first pigeons he has seen for years. In 1895 Mr. Barnett saw a flock of sixty, April 12, in Brown County. Mr. Eatliff reported twenty-five, April 18, at Eichmond.

Prof. "W. P. Shannon saw the wings of a Wild Pigeon that was killed near Greensburg in the winter of 1895-6 or the spring of 1896. It was alone when shot. About the same time Mr. John Wright saw six in Bartholomew County. Mr. E. J. Chansler reports a small flock from Flat Creek Bottom, near Wheatland, in 1896. In September,

1896, it was said several were seen in the eastern part of Franklin County, but I was unable to verify the report. Mr. J. F. Honacker says a small flock was seen near St. Peter's, Franklin County, October 21,

1897. Previous to that the last one noted in that county was a single one, February 28, 1890.

The passing of the Pigeon was a wonderful sight. Well do I re- member, as a young boy, the long, dark lines of moving wings, and the noise of the propelling strokes. Their passing away must fill the soul of every one, into whose life their migrations have come as an experience, with profound regret. I introduce the lines of a careful observer, a faithful interpreter of nature, my friend, Hon. B. S. Parker. His "Hoosier "Bards" are the feathered songsters of our be- loved State, and therein he has preserved his recollections of the Passenger Pigeon:

"And windy tumults shake the ground,

And trees break down with feathered store, And many swiftly-pulsing wings

Are spread at once in sudden fright, Till every fleeting minute brings

The noise of some delirious flight, And all the air is dark with swarms

Of pigeons in their quest for food, While autumn leaves in eddying storms

Are beaten by the feathered flood."

r>ii;ns OK I N in ANA. 7(55

(17. GRHUS /KNAIDURA BOXAPAKTK.

125. (316). Zenaidura macroura (LINN.).

Mourning- Dove. Synonyms, CAROLINA DOVE, TURTLE-DOVE.

Adult Male. — Brownish-olive, glossed. with blue on the crown and nape; below, purplish-red, becoming tawny-white on the vent and crissum; neck, metallic-golden; a velvety-black spot on the auriculars and others on the wing coverts and scapulars; middle tail feathers, like back; the rest, ashy-blue at the base, then crossed by a black bar, then white or ashy-white; bill, very slender, black; feet, carmine. .I*/-//// Female. — Paler, less metallic lustre. Immature. — Similar to female, but feathers with paler edges; no distinct black spot beneath ear.

Length, 11.00-13.00; wing, 5.70-6.10; tail, 5.70-6.50.

RANGE. — North America, from Panama and West Indies north to southern Maine, Canada and British Columbia. Breeds throughout the United States. Winters in Indiana and New York southward.

Nest, of twigs, in bush, tree, or on stump, log or ground. Eggs, 1 or 2; white; 1.10 by .84.

Common summer resident northward; southward, common resident. In the lower Wabash and lower Whitewater valleys they often spend the winter in small flocks, frequenting chosen places. Years when snow stays long on the ground they are to be found_ about corncribs and places where stock is fed. Some winters they are quite common. In the spring of 1883 all the specimens shot at Wheatland, Indiana, had the ends of their toes frozen off, showing that they had braved the almost unprecedented cold of the preceding winter. (Ridgway, Birds of 111., I, p. 499.)

A few pass the winter as far north as Terre Haute (Blatchley), Car- roll County, Monroe County (Evermann), Brown (Kindle), Richmond (McCoy), Wabash (Ulrey and Wallace). Some winters they are found to the northern limits of the State, and even into Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario.

Their migrations in spring depend upon the season; sometimes they appear in middle and northern Indiana in February; usually they are seen by the middle of March, but in the extreme northern part of the State and in the vicinity of Chicago the records show that some years they do not appear until early in April.

In autumn they remain into November. Generally the greater number have left northern Indiana the first week of that month. They

7GG KEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

begin cooing about the middle of March, in Franklin County; 1887, March 7; 1896, March -10. The nest is a frail platform, composed of sticks and roots, sometimes with a few leaves.

They mate early, and their nests, with complement of eggs, are often found early in April — April 5, Carroll County (Evermann); April 4, Franklin County; April 17, Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test). Their usual nesting place is in a tree or bush, from four to fifteen feet from the ground. In the bushes along the river banks their nests are especially numerous. They select as a nesting site Honey Locusts (Gleditschia) or Thorn (Cratcegus) perhaps more often than all other trees. They often nest in orchards, and upon stumps from two to ten feet high. They are sometimes found breeding in company with the Purple Grackle. Mr. L. T. Meyer writes of a tendency of these birds towards breeding close together, possibly in colonies. In a very small patch of pine trees, in Lake County, he found ten nests. Occasionally nests are found built upon the ground, as they are throughout the treeless region of the West, but such is not often the case with us.

Both sexes share in incubation, the period being about two weeks.

They are generally through breeding by July, though the nest, with eggs, occasionally may be found all through the summer and into the early fall. When family cares are over they begin to collect in small flocks. Then they often are seen in the corn fields, which they con- tinue to frequent into the winter. Their food consists of different kinds of grain, weed seeds, beechnuts, small acorns, worms and in- sects.

J. ORDER RAPTORES. BIRDS OF PREY.

SUBORDER SARCORHAMPHI. AMERICAN VULTURES.

XXV. FAMILY CATHARTID^E. AMERICAN VULTURES.

a1. Tail square; wings short, primaries of folded wings not reaching to end of tail; nostrils small and narrow. CATHARISTA. 69

a2. Tail rounded; wings long, primaries of folded wing reaching to or beyond end of tail; nostrils large and broad. CATHARTES. 68

68. GENUS CATHARTES ILLMJKR.

*126. (325). Cathartes aura (LINN.).

Turkey Vulture. Synonym, TURKEY BUZZARD.

Adult. — Head and upper part of neck, naked, the skin bright red, sparsely set with a few bristle-like feathers; bill, white; plumage, lus- trous black, more or less edged with brown; tail, rounded; ends of

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 767

primaries reaching beyond the end of tail. Immature. — Similar, but skin of head and neck black, and more or less covered with whitish down.

Length, 26.00-32.00; extent, about 6 feet; wing, 20.00-23.00 (inches); tail, 11.00-12.00; culmen, 1.00; tarsus, 2.25-2.30.

KANGE. — America, from Patagonia to New Jersey, Ontario, south- ern Michigan, northern Indiana. Casually to Maine, the Saskatche- wan, and British Columbia. Winters from southern Indiana south- ward.

Nest, in hollow trees and logs, and in cavities in rocks, and on ground. Eggs, 2, rarely 1 or 3; white or creamy- white, blotched, smeared or spotted with irregular markings of various shades of brown and lavender; 2.74 by 1.89.

Kesident in southern Indiana, at least as far north as Tincennes and the lower Whitewater Valley. Some years they remain through the winter as far north as Brookville. They generally appear north to the center of the State in February or early March. Brown County, 1893, February 22 (Kindle); 1895, February 23; 1897, February 13 (Barnett); Wayne County, 1895, March 4 (Katliff); 1897, March 22 (Hadley); Carroll County, March 16, 1884; March 12, 1885 (Ever- mann). Just as they gradually fade away in the fall, so they almost imperceptibly reappear in spring. The northern part of the State notes their return within the latter half of March, and they reach the southern shore of Lake Erie by early April — Sandusky, 0., March 29, 1896; April 3, 1897 (Moseley) — and southeastern portion of Michigan, where it is rare, the latter part of April — (Petersburg, April 27, 1897; Trombley).

Mr. E. W. Nelson noted it as irregular and rare in Cook County, 111. (Bull. Essex Inst., p. 120). Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., tells me he has never seen it in that county, but that it is often observed at Kouts, Ind., thirty miles away. Plenty at "Crane Town," Jasper County, in April, 1887 (Trouslot). In southwestern Michigan it is also very rare. The Kankakee Eiver seems to be the limit of its range, in northwest Indiana, and through the Wabash Valley it reaches the northeastern part of the State and adjacent portions of Michigan. It breeds throughout its summer range.

They mate soon after arrival, from the middle of March, in the southern counties. Eggs are found from April 25 through May. Most of them are laid before the middle of May, with us. They lay in a hollow tree or snag, in a prostrate hollow log, on the ground, beside a fallen tree, with no attempt to make a nest. In the Whitewater Valley they nest indiscriminately along the streams, on wooded hillsides

7G8 TiiiPORT OF STATK GKOIXXJIST.

or summits. «r in Hie more level woodland. The following measure meiiH a iv 1'nmi throe sots collected near Brookville by my friend, Mr. E. B. Quick: 2.90 by 1.95; 2.70 by 1.90, deposited on ground beside a log, collected May 14, 1879. 2.95 by 1.95; 3.10 by 1.85, laid in hol- low sycamore snag, six feet above ground and forty feet from the top, and only entrance; collected May 15, 1879. Incubation was jfar ad- vanced in both sets. 2.75 by 1.94; 2.75 by 2.00, taken May 20, 1880; eggs fresh.

Mr. W. 0. Wallace wrote me of a nest containing young found by a friend of his in Wabash County in the summer of 1894. When he first saw the young birds they were about the size of half -grown chickens, and entirely covered with white down. When they were disturbed they hissed loud enough to have drowned the noise of a hive of angry bees. They were at the bottom of a large elm tree stub, on the ground. After some effort, one of the birds was taken out of the hollow trunk. When it was teased it ejected the contents of its stomach, which proved to be a mass of half -digested garter snake.

They feed upon all kinds of carrion and fresh meat. The latter is their preference. There are, at different localities, places, where these birds congregate, known as "Buzzard Boosts." At such spots great numbers of these Vultures gather from a considerable area of country. One such is on the east Fork of the Whitewater IJiver. about, five miles north of Brookville. There, at almost any time in summer, these birds may be seen on the long limbs of the sycamores and elms along the river, resting or drying or preening their feathers after a bath. There is another well known roost at Shades of Death, near Waveland, Parke County. This overlooks the deep and rocky valley of Sugar Creek.

They begin to withdraw from the northern part of their range in October, sometimes early, others remaining until the close, and gradu- ally disappear to the southward." Some years most of the migrants are gone by the last of that month; others remain until late November and even into December. Mr. E. J. Chansler writes me of a pure white Turkey Vulture that was seen in Knox County.

69. GKNUS CATHARISTA VIEILLOT.

-127. (326). Catharista atrata (BARTR.).

Black Vulture. Synonym, CARRION CROW.

Adult. — Head and upper part of neck, naked, black; the feathers reaching farther up on back of neck; bill, black at base, with white tip; plumage, uniform dull black; under part of surface of wings,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 769

grayish or whitish. The heavier form, with square tail and short wings, with whitish lining, easily distinguish this bird.

Length, 23.00-27.00; wing, 16.50-17.50; tail, 7.50-8.50; culmen, .90-.95; tarsus, 3.00.

RANGE. — America, from Argentine Republic and Chili north to North Carolina, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and west to Great Plains. Irregularly or casually to Maine, New York and South Da- kota. Winters from southern Indiana southward.

Nest, on ground, under a log or bush, or in a hollow tree. Eggs, 2, occasionally 1 or 3; gray-green, irregularly marked with different tints of chocolate and reddish-brown; 3.09 by 2.01.

Resident in the southern part of the State; generally not numerous, but, in the lower Wabash Valley, at least from Knox County south- ward, it is common. In the lower Whitewater Valley it is seen most commonly in winter, but also breeds. The southern part of our State is mostly within the uncertain zone, which lies north of the territory where it is a common resident. It is not a migratory bird, but rather a wanderer which is liable to be found at any season, except that of breeding, within a narrow belt to the northward, and may even rarely breed there. Audubon, in 1834, said of this Vulture: "This bird is a constant resident of all our southern States, extends far up the Mississippi Valley, and continues the whole year in Kentucky, Indi- ana, Illinois and even in the State of Ohio, as far as Cincinnati." Apparently they withdrew from the vicinity of the Ohio Valley, and for over forty years there was no account of its having been observed there. The next record of its occurrence in Ohio was given by Dr. Langdon as December 20, 1876 (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, October, 1877, p. 109). The next record from Indiana was of two specimens observed at Brookville, May 17, 1879, by Mr. E. R. Quick (Journ. Cin. Soc. N. H.,. December, 1881, p. 341). From that time until the present it has regularly been seen in Indiana, in increasing numbers, and has extended its range northward until it has been found about half-way across the State. It would seem that here is a case of reces- sion from a -former area and of again extending its range to an equal or greater extent than formerly occupied. It has been noted as far north as the counties of Knox, Monroe, Decatur and Franklin, in 1890. Mr. 0. P. Hanger noted it in Orange County in 1887 (The Curlew, I, No. 3, p. 35). Mr. Alden M. Hadley observed them at Monrovia, Morgan County, November 24, 1894. Mr. J. B. Bum's saw several at Cloverdale, Putnam County, November 18, 1896. Mr. E. J. Chansler informs me they have become common at Bicknell, Knox

49— GEOC,.

770 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

County, since 1889. Previous to that date they were seldom seen. The fall of 1894 they were quite common, and in the fall of 1895, at times in September, October and November, large flocks were ob- served. Both autumns there were many dead hogs in that vicinity, and the Black Vultures fed upon them. Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me of its breeding in Knox and Gibson counties, and I have reported an instance of its breeding four miles west of Brookville, in the valley of the West Fork of the Whitewater River, in May, 1889, in a hollow sycamore stub, about twenty feet high. The two eggs were placed upon the ground inside (Bendire, L. H. N". A. Birds, I, p. 167). They usu- ally breed upon the ground, under bushes, logs, or sometimes entirely exposed. The eggs are usually two. Both sexes assist in incubation, which takes about thirty days. Probably but one brood is raised a season. They are generally known to our people by the name "Carrion Crow." It will be interesting to note whether they further extend their range as the years go by. The. Black Vulture may be distin- guished, by a careful observer, on account of its heavier body, square, short tail, which gives it a chopped off appearance, black head, and sil- very grayish primaries. In some of the southern cities these Vultures are very tame, in fact, are semi-domesticated, but in Vera Cruz, Mex- ico, they may be said to be the sanitary police. They clean the streets and all public places of offal, and their value to the health of the people is very great. They are so tame that when engaged in feeding in the streets they grudgingly make way for the passer-by.

SUBORDER FALCONES. FALCONS, HAWKS, BUZZARDS, EAGLES,

KITES, ETC.

XXVI. FAMILY FALCONID^E. FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES,

KITES, ETC.

t-

a1. Outer toe reversible ; claws all same length, narrowed and rounded on the un- der side. PANDION. 79

a*. Outer toe not reversible ; claws graduated from largest (hind toe) to smallest (outer toe).

61. Nostril small, circular, with a conspicuous bony tubercle; cutting edge of upper mandible with a strong tooth, separated from hooked tip of bill by a distinct notch. Subfamily FALCONINJE. FALCO. 7$

62. Nostril not circular, nor with an inner bony tubercle. Subfamily ACCIPI- TRIN^E.

Biuus OF IJNDJANA. 771

'. Tail deeply forked. EI.ANOIDES. 70

. Tail not deeply forked. d* . Wing not more than 18.00 inches. el. Tarsus more or less naked in front.

/'. Front of tarsus covered with small roundish scales; claws not grooved beneath. ET.ANI s.

f2. Front of tarsus covered with large transverse scales ; claws grooved

beneath.

gl. Cutting edge of upper mandible notched. ICTINIA. 71

<72. Cutting edge of upper mandible not notched.

hl . Face with a slight ruff as in owls. Cracus. 72

h2. Face without a ruff.

11. Tarsus about equal to tibia; wings little longer than tail.

ACCT PITER. 78

12, Tarsus usually less than three-fourths the length of tibia ; tail much shorter th-an wing.

j1. Nostril nearly ovate, its forward end pointed upward; wings rather pointed. BUTEO. 74

j'1. Nostril nearly circular; wings rounded. ASTURNIA. e2. Tarsus densely feathered to base of toes, except a bare strip behind.

ARCHIBUTEO. 75 d2. Wing over 18.00 inches.

k1. Tarsus feathered all round to base of toes.

AQUILA. 76 k2. Tarsus with at least lower third naked all round.

HAM^EETUS. 77

SUBFAMILY ACCIPITRIN^E. KITES, BUZZARDS, HAWKS, ETC. 70. GENUS ELANOIDES VIKILLOT.

128. (327). Elanoides forficatus (LINN.).

Swallow-tailed Kite.

Adult. — Tail, forked like that of some swallows; head, neck, band across rump, and lower parts, pure white; rest of plumage, glossy black, with reflections of varying shades. Immature. — Head and neck, streaked with dusky; black less glossy; feathers of wings and tail, more or less margined with white. -

Length, 19.50-25.50; wing, 15.40-17.70; outer tail feathers, 12.50- 14.50; culmen, 0.70-0.80; tarsus, 1.00-1.30.

EANGE. — America, from Brazil to Virginia, Indiana and Minnesota; rarely to Massachusetts, Ontario, Michigan, Manitoba, and Assiniboia. Breeds from Indiana, Illinois and Iowa southward. Winters south of United States.

772 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, of sticks and moss, in tops of tall trees. Eggs, 2-3; white, sometimes with greenish or yellowish tinge, spotted and blotched with brown, chestnut and umber; 1.87 by 1.49.

Rare summer resident in the southwestern part of the State; of rare and irregular occurrence northward. Wilson says of this graceful, swallow-like Kite, that it "is very abundant in South Carolina and Georgia, and still more so in west Florida, and the extensive prairies of Ohio and Indiana territory." (Am. Orn., VI, 1812, p. 70). They continued to grow less in numbers year after year. In Ohio, for twenty years after 1858, there was no record. From the time of Wil- son down to the year 1882, a period of seventy years, with the single exception reported from Franklin County by Dr. Haymond (Indiana Geol. Rept., 1869, p. 210), it was not reported from Indiana north of the lower Wabash River. There Dr. F. Stein killed three, two males and female, in one season. Mr. Robert Ridgway noted it as a summer resident, but much less common than formerly. The specimen seen by Dr. Haymond was shot eleven miles below Brookville. It had been feeding upon beetles and cat-birds' eggs, which it had swallowed with- out breaking (Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., November, 1856, p. 287).

Since 1882, whether because of increase of the number of observers or of its occurring more often, it has been noted several times north of the region named. A pair was shot, June 19, 1882, in Monroe County, Mich. (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, October, 1882, p. 250). It was noted in the following Indiana counties: Decatur, July, 1883 (Guthrie); Monroe, two, August 18, 1885 (Evermann); Allen, one, about 1885 (Stockbridge); Clinton, one, killed near Frankfort, July, 1885, and now in the possession of a man near there (Newlin); Mr. E. J. Chans- ler notes a pair in Knox County, in August, 1890, one of which is pre- served by Mr. J. Freeman, Bicknell, Ind. He also reports another one seen April 11, 1894. Mr. J. A. Balmer mentions it, from Knox County. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., writes me of a'male shot at Lake View, 111., fifty miles north of Chicago, June 5, 1895. Their nesting time is from April to June. It will be observed that its distribution in this State corresponds closely with that of the original prairies. It has never been known to breed in Indiana, though I should not be sur- prised to learn that it does. Audubon found a nest near the Falls of the Ohio in 1820, which contained four young. They feed upon lizards, tree-toads, toads, grasshoppers, beetles and other insects, and they are decidedly beneficial. It is said to feed extensively on the cotton worm during the summer and early fall.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. ; ; :;

71. GENUS ICTINIA VIEJLLOT.

*129. (329). Ictinia mississippiensis (WiLS.).

Mississippi Kite.

Adult. — Tail, very slightly forked; head, neck and secondaries, ashy; rest of plumage, dark plumbeous, blackish on lesser wing coverts; primaries and upper tail coverts, marked with rufous chestnut; tail, black. Immature. — Head, neck and lower parts, white, spotted or streaked with brown; tail, tipped with whitish, and below with nar- row cross bands of white or grayish; upper parts, brownish -black, marked with rufous or white.

Length, 13.00-15.50; wing, 10.60-12.30; tail, 6.00-7.00.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Guatemala north to South Carolina, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Kansas. Casually to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa. Breeds from Kansas and southern Illinois southward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, of sticks, twigs and leaves, lined with moss, in tops of tall trees. Eggs, 2-3; white, bluish-white or greenish- white.

Rare summer resident in the Lower Wabash Valley; accidental visitor elsewhere. Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me that it is found about the Cypress ponds of Knox County from May 15 to September. He notes that it breeds. Mr. Chas. Dury writes me, a specimen of a Mississippi Kite which was sent to him from Lafayette several years ago, which he supposes was killed near that place. Prof. A. J. Cook notes one specimen from Cass County, Mich. (Birds of Mich., p. 72). In the southern part of Illinois it is not uncommon, locally (Ridgway, Birds of 111., I, p. 449). This species is another of the Kites that be- longs to the harmless class of raptorial birds. Its food is much the same as last mentioned species.

72. GENUS CIRCUS LICEPEDE.

*130. (331). Circus hudsonius (LINN.).

Marsh Hawk.

Face encircled by a ruff of short, compact feathers, as in the Owls.

Adult Male. — Mostly of a uniform light bluish-gray, streaked with white; tail, barred with six to eight bands, the one nearest the end being broader and darker; tips of the wings, blackish. Female and Immature. — Dusky or rusty-brown, more or less streaked on head and neck. The Marsh Hawk may be easily distinguished in any plumaerc by the large white patch on the rump.

774 REPOHT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 19.50-24.00; wing, 12.90-16.00; tail, 8.80-10.50. (Fisher.) RANGE. — North America, from Panama and Cuba to Alaska. Breeds from Gulf States northward. Winters from Indiana and Mary- land southward.

Nest, a collection of sticks, weeds, grass, twigs or moss, on ground, on prairies, marshes, bogs and meadows. Eggs, 3-8; white to pale bluish-white, sometimes faintly spotted with drab-gray, burnt umber or cinnamon; 1.77 by 1.39.

Head of Marsh Hawk.

Resident in northern Indiana; winter resident farther south. Breeds. Of rare or irregular occurrence in fall, winter and spring in the southeastern part of State. Its residence is confined more or less closely to the original prairie region. There, in the northern part of the State, it is a common, well known bird, and breeds. It is probable that it also breeds southward along the western side of the State. Mr. Deane reported a nest and six eggs taken, May 19, 1889, at English Lake. Audubon found it nesting in the Kentucky Barrens. It is also reported to breed in the following counties in this State: Knox (Balmer), Fulton (Bunnell), Dekalb (H. W. McBride, Feagler), Allen (Snyder). In Franklin County it has been seen but a few times. I have records of only four specimens.

They begin their wanderings away from, the more open regions of the State in August and are most commonly seen through September, October and November. In spring they are -most often observed in March and April. The quantity of food upon the meadows has more to do with the numbers of these birds in southeastern Indiana than the weather changes. They are much more often seen when the meadow mice are abundant. These birds are known as "Harriers" or "Mouse Hawks." The light blue or gray color of the adult male is not nearly as familiar as the brown and black plumage of the fe- males and immature birds. The white rump, slender form, long tail and long, slender wings will distinguish it. It is thought they often remain paired throughout the year. They begin mating late in Marcli

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 775

or early in April. The nest is usual!}' placed in a inartih, on the ground or low bush, or other slight elevation. Nests may be found late in April and through May. The male assists in incubating. They fre- quently begin to incubate when the first egg is laid. The male often catches food and carries it to the female. The period of incubation is somewhat over three weeks. Both parents care for the young. But one brood is raised a season.

The food of the Marsh Hawk, as far as I have examined 'it in White- water Valley, is chiefly meadow mice, rabbits, squirrels and ground squirrels, lizards, snakes, frogs, and birds, grasshoppers, locusts and other meadow insects. The birds eaten are principally sparrows and other birds of the prairie and meadow. The food being so largely of injurious species, it is classed as one of the hawks that are mostly beneficial.

73. GBNUS ACCIPITER BBISSON.

a1. Tarsus feathered less than one-third the way down in front; the feathers well

separated in front. Subgenus ACCIPITEB.

61. Wing more than 8.75; tail decidedly rounded. A. cooperi (Bonap.). 132 b2. Wing under 8.75; tail not decidedly rounded. A. velox (Wils.). 131 «2. Tarsus feathered more than one-third (usually one-half) the way down in front; the feathers scarcely separated behind. Subgenus ASTUR.

A. atricapillus (Wils.). 133

Subgenus ACCIPITBB.

*131. (332). Accipiter velox (WILS.).

Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Adult. — Uniform bluish-gray above; top of head, darker; tail, crossed by several blackish bands; wing, not more than 8.80 inches; tail, more than two-thirds as long as wing, its tip even or slightly notched; below, whitish, with breast and sides barred with dusky or rufous. Immature. — Above, dusky, more or less spotted with lighter, the feathers bordered with rusty; below, whitish, streaked with brown or dusky.

Length, 10.00-14.00; wing, 6.00-8.80; tail, 5.80-8.20. (Fisher.)

EANGE. — North America, from Panama north to southern Canada, and in the interior to Great Slave Lake. Breeds from southern United States northward. Winters from northern Indiana and from northern New York southward.

Nest, in trees, 15 to 60 feet up, of sticks, lined with bark and leaves. Eggs, 4-5; pale bluish, or greenish- white, blotched and spotted with various shades of brown, the darker ones predominating; 1.47 by 1.16.

Eesident. Most of them leave the northern part of the State in fall and return in spring. In southern Indiana it is more often found in

776 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

winter than summer. Everywhere it is most numerous during the migrations. In some places it is considered rare at other times.

In fall the migrations occur in September and October; in spring, in March and April.

Mr. H. W. McBride found it breeding in Dekalb County. Mr. A. II. Kendrick says it breeds in Vigo County. Mr. L. T. Meyer found a nest containing two fresh eggs in Lake County, April 17, 1886. It was placed in a tall oak, and was composed of sticks and lined with bark. Dr. T. M. Brewer says Audubon speaks of having met with three nests, one in a hole in a rock, on the banks of the Ohio Eiver, another in the hollow of a broken branch, near Louisville, Ky., and the third in the forks of a low oak, near Henderson, Ky. (N. A. Oology, Pt. I, p. 19).

This represents three types of nesting sites, but the habit of nesting in cliffs is very rare outside of the Arctic regions. The nest is gen- erally large and well built. Sometimes they remodel the old nest of a crow or squirrel and use it. They are late in nesting. Usually fresh eggs are found late in April and in May, rarely as late as June 1. The eggs are laid at intervals of one and two days; incubation begins when the set is complete; meanwhile the female guards the nest. The male does not cover the eggs, but brings food to the female while she is thus occupied. The period of incubation is about three weeks. But one brood is reared in a year.

The three hawks of this genus, the Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, and the Goshawk, are among the most destructive and injurious of our hawks. They grade one into the other in size. The Goshawk is rare and is only seen in Indiana in winter. They are commonly known as Big and Little Blue-tailed Hawks, Darts or Darters, the present species being the Little Blue-tail. The greater part of their food is chickens, fowls and birds. These two species should be known by the name of "Chicken Hawk" or "Hen Hawk," instead of the larger Buteos. Our citizens, particularly farmers and poultry men, should take pains to learn these species, that they may be able to distinguish and punish the guilty and not the innocent. Investigations of 159 stomachs of this bird by the United States Department of Agriculture showed that nearly fifty kinds of birds had been eaten, and that no bird, from the size of doves, robins and chickens, were safe from its attacks. In fact, in 96 J per cent, of the stomachs containing food were the remains of small birds. While they rarely attack full-grown poultry, young fowls are a favorite food, and a brood, if exposed, is often entirely destroyed. One of the stomachs examined by me in December, 1886, was found to contain several large parasitic worms.

RTKDS OF TNDTANA

*132, (333). Accipiter coopeni (BONAP.).

Cooper's Hawk.

Synonyms, BIG BLUE HAWK, BIG BLUE-TAILED HAWK, LONG-TAILED DART,

DARTER.

Cooper's Hawk. (Fisher-Year Book, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.)

Adult. — Uniform bluish-gray above, top of head, blackish; tail, crossed by several blackish bands; below, white, with breast and sides barred with dusky or rufous. Immature. — Dusky above, more or less spotted with lighter, feathers witli rusty edges; below, whitish, streaked with brown or dusky.

Length, 14.00-20,00; wing, 8.85-11.00; tail, 7.80-10.50. (Fisher).

RANGE. — North America, from southern Mexico north to New- foundland, Manitoba and British Columbia. Breeds from Gulf of

778 KKL»OKT OF STATE UEOLOGLBT.

Mexico northward. Winters from northern New York and northern Indiana southward.

Nest, in trees, 20 to 50 feet up, of sticks, lined with twigs and bark (often use other nests, preferably crows" or squirrels'). Eggs, 2-6; bluish or greenish-white, sometimes indistinctly marked with brown or drab; 1.93 by 1.50.

Bill and Foot of Cooper's Hawk. Natural size.

Eesident. In northern part of the State, rare in winter. Most nu- merous during migrations, and in summer. Some severe winters they are rare. Prof. Cooke says, in the winter of 1883-4, none were re- ported north of 38 degrees (Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 114). It has been noted in the following counties, through the winter: Lake (Meyer), Fulton (Barnell), Carroll (Evermann), Monroe (Blatchley), Knox (Balmer), and Franklin. Breeds throughout the State. In fall they migrate — in September and October; in spring, in March. They are mated early in April and looking for nesting sites or repairing an old nest. The site is the fork or notch of some tree, generally from 20 to 50 feet from the ground. Sometimes they build a new nest, at other times they occupy that of the preceding year or even an old nest of some other hawk, or of a squirrel. The nests are sometimes very bulky, others well constructed and shapely. They begin laying in April, and full sets of eggs have been taken from April 25 to May 10. One brood is reared a year, though if the first laying is destroyed, a second, or, in case of loss of second, a third set has been known to be laid, sometimes in the same, sometimes in another nest. The eggs are deposited at intervals of one to two days, and incubation does not begin till the set is nearly completed. The female does most of the incubating and the male supplies her with food.

Hums or INDIANA. 770

Tins Hawk is an exact copy of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, only it is larger. For that reason it is more destructive to large poultry, larger birds and pigeons. It is, in fact, the Chicken-hawk. Big Blue Hawk, Big Blue-tailed Hawk, Long-tailed Dart or Darter are some of its com- mon names. In birds examined by me in fall and winter, one-half the food was small birds. They were also found to have eaten rabbits and mice. Of 133 stomachs of this Hawk reported upon by the United States Department of Agriculture, 34 contained poultry or game birds; 52, other birds; 11, mammals; 1, frog; 3, lizards; 2, insects, and 39 were empty. Dr. A. K. Fisher says it is by far the most destructive species we have to contend with. This is another, the chief one, of the in- jurious hawks.

This and the last species have learned that European Sparrows, usually called English Sparrows, are good eating and are fre- quently easily obtained, and in many localities have fed upon them in great numbers. In this way, at least, they are doing good service by destroying this imported pest. The characteristics of this species should be known, so that its attacks may be combated. Farmers and poultry-raisers should become thoroughly familiar with it. The ag- gregate damage done far exceeds that of all other birds of prey.

Subgenus ASTUR Lac6pede.

133. (334). Accipiter atricapillus (WiLs.).

American Goshawk.

Adult. — Above, bluish slate color, with blackish shaft streaks; top of head, deep black; tail, crossed by four dusky bands; below, white, thickly barred with narrow zigzag lines of gray; feathers often streaked in middle with dusky. Immature. — Above, dusky grayish, feathers margined with buff; below, whitish or pale buff, with narrow stripes of blackish.

Length, 21.00-25.00; wing, 12.00-12.45; tail, 9.50-12.75. (Fisher).

EANGE. — Northward. North America, from north Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia northward. Breeds from Maine northward; south in Bocky Mountains to California.

Nest, high up in large trees, of sticks, twigs, weeds, lined with grass and bark. Eggs, 2-5; soiled white, sometimes faintly blotched with brown; 2.31 by 1.74.

Eare winter visitor. Dr. F. Stein writes me he- identified it in the lower Wabash Valley. Mr. E. E. Quick reports it from near Brook- ville in January, 1881. Mr. J. G. Parker writes me of its occurrence in Lake County in April, 1889.

;.xn KKIMHIT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The fact that it is not often found in this State relieves the farmer of one of the most destructive enemies of poultry. Its size, strength and activity and rapacity, added to its well-known fearlessness, render it, in localities where it is common, a great pest. Besides poultry, they i -a i IJuffed Grouse, Bobwhites and Doves, Eabbits and Squirrels. The report by Dr. A. K. Fisher on 28 stomachs of this species examined show that 9 contained poultry or game birds; 2, other birds; 10, mam- mals; 3, insects; 1, centipede, and 8 were empty (Bull. No. 3 Division <>!' Orn. and Mam., II. S. Dept. of Agriculture, p. 46).

In some localities the Goshawk so persistently hunts the Ruffed Grouse that it is commonly known as "Partridge Hawk." Audubon tells us that, as he was passing down the Ohio, he observed one of these Hawks attack a flock of Grackles, which were crossing the river, and kill four or five of them. After killing each one by a squeeze, it was permitted to fall on the water. The Hawk finally returned and picked up all the floating birds.

In appearance, it is simply a larger Cooper's Hawk, which species it resembles in its flight and its hunting habits and its nesting.

It is said to breed in Michigan (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 74), and in ilic mountains of Pennsylvania, where it has been noted by Dr. War- ren (The Auk, July, 1897, pp. 317, 318).

74. GKXUS BUTEO CUVIER.

a1. Four outer primaries with inner webs emarginated.

6l. Tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe. B. lineatus (Gmel.). 136 b- . Tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe.

cl. Tail irregularly mottled with grayish dusky, rusty and white, with dark

band near tip; general color black or blackish; base of feathers pure

white. B. borealis harlani (Aud.). 135

c2. Tail, in adult, bright chestnut red above, with a narrow black bar near

tip, brownish gray banded with black in young; general color dark brown,

much barred and streaked. B. borealis (Gmel.). 134

a2. Three outer primaries with inner webs emarginated; wing less than 12.00.

B. latissimus (Wils.). 137

*134. (337). Buteo borealis (GMEL.).

Bed-tailed Hawk.

Adult. — Upper surface of tail, deep rusty rufous, with usually a black subterminal band; above, blackish-brown, variegated with gray, fulvous and whitish; below, white, with more or less huffy, belly streaked with dusky or brown. Immature. — Tail, bright gray, without any shade of red, and crossed by six to ten regular dark bands. A pronounced blackish zone across the upper part of the belly.

Report of State Geologist, 1897.

PLATE XXI.

\

Fisher, Year Book, U. S. Dep. Agr.. 1894.

RED-TAILED HAWK.

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

781

Length, 19.00-25.00; wing, 13.50-17.75; tail, <S. 50-10.50. (Fisher).

RANGE. — Eastern North America, west to Great Plains; from Mexico to North Labrador, Manitoba and Northwest Territory. Breeds almost throughout its range.

Nest, in high trees, of sticks, twigs, grass, etc. Eggs, 2^4; white, often irregularly and variously marked with different shades of brown; 2.36 by 1.80.

Common resident; more numerous in southern two-thirds of the State, in most places, where it is the most abundant Buteo. In the region adjacent to Chicago all but a few have been destroyed. Tltrv

Head of Red-tailed Hawk. Natural size.

are slightly migratory, perhaps more some years than others, as they are more numerous during the migratory periods, August, September, and March and April.

This is the best known of the larger hawks, being in most places commonly known as "Hen Hawk," or Chicken Hawk. This name is a misnomer. Occasionally an individual of depraved nature becomes a chicken-eater, but as a rule it is exceptional for them to attack poultry. In an examination of twenty stomachs, made by me a few years ago, there were but two that had eaten chickens. One contained the re- mains of a Bobwhite; the remainder, principally mice and small rodents.

In his report on "The Hawks and Owls of the United States," Dr. Fisher gives the results of the examination of 563 stomachs of this

782 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

hawk; 54 of them contained poultry or game birds; 51, other birds; 278, mice; 131, other mammals; 37, batrachians or reptiles; 47, in- sects; 8, crawfish; 1, centipede; 13, offal; and 89 were empty. Sixty- six per cent, of its food is injurious mammals and but 7 per cent, con- sists of poultry. The Red-tailed Hawk greatly prefers the smaller mammals, reptiles and batrachians, and lives almost entirely upon them when they can be had. In their absence they often eat grass- hoppers, crickets and beetles extensively. This is one of the species that is mostly beneficial and should accordingly receive proper protec- tion. Some years they begin mating in February, and I have found them so engaged as late as April 21 (1887). They at once proceed to repair the old nest, which they generally use. In southern Indiana the favorite site is high up in the largest of the Shell-bark Hickories. One such nest I have known to be occupied for nearly twenty years. Their call note is given as "Kee-aah," very shrill. Another note of the breeding season is something like "Chirr" or "Pii-chirr" when perched near the nest (Bendire). I have never found its nest in the bottom lands, but in some regions they prefer such places. Mr. H. W. Mc- Bride obtained a nest, with eggs, in Elkhart County, March 24, 1891. Mr. L. T. Meyer informs me of a nest, with two eggs, incubation ad- vanced, taken about 35 feet from the ground, in Lake County, April 19, 1885. Ordinarily, the most of our nests are found in March and April. Usually but one brood is raised a year. The eggs are laid at intervals of about two days. Sometimes, if the first eggs are destroyed, this Hawk will lay another set, and as much as a fourth laying has been known when something happened to the others. The period of incubation is about four weeks (Bendire). The male renders some assistance in this work, and at other times provides the female with food. When disturbed during nesting time, instead of attempting to defend their home, they usually fly about in circles high above, utter- ing their shrill screech. The following excellent notes are from the pen of Mr. H. W. McBride, a very enthusiastic collector, who has contributed many valuable records regarding the birds of northern Indiana:

"Next to the Red-shouldered Hawk, this is the most common hawk in northern Indiana. A few remain all winter, but most of them go south late in the fall, returning again early in the spring, the advance guard coming late in February, and by the middle of March they may be seen circling in pairs about their old nesting places. At this time they are quite noisy, and it is seldom that one or more can not be heard uttering their shrill "squeal/' and soaring about over every patch of woods containing a couple of acres or more.

l>iuns OK INDIANA. 7<S)>

"I think they remain mated for life, as I have not only noted cer- tain peculiarities of the birds occupying the same nesting site from year to year, but have been able to identify certain pairs by some pe- culiar shape or markings of the eggs.

"Toward the latter part of March they are at work repairing the old home, or, if it has been destroyed, in building a new one in the same locality, and by the first of April the females commence laying. The earliest date that I have taken the eggs of this species was March 29, 1890, when I took a set of two fresh eggs near* Waterloo. This set is remarkable for several reasons. In the first place, at the time I took it, the weather was very cold, the ground was covered with snow, and the lower part of the nest was a solid mass of ice, the only dry and warm spot being the cavity, about eight inches in diameter, which had been covered by the bird. The eggs are also unusually large, measuring 1.98 by 2.50 and 1.99 by 2.49 inches. This set is now in the collection of Mr. H. W. Flint, of New Haven, Conn.

"From April 1st to the 15th, fresh eggs may be found, but after that date they are too far advanced in incubation for preservation.

"My observations would indicate that the period of incubation cov- ered about 18 days.

"Out of about 25 sets of eggs I have taken the stages of incubation -average as follows: Fresh, April 5; slightly incubated, April 8; incu- bation advanced one-half, April 12; nearly ready to hatch, April 17; 3roung just hatched, April 21.

"On March 10, 1891, while after Great Horned Owls' eggs, near Waterloo, I saw a Bed -tail fly from a large nest, and shot her. After ascending the tree and finding the nest completed, but no eggs, I opened the bird (female) and found a very large and completely formed egg, with a hard shell, and evidently about ready to lay. This would have been a record breaker, as it was nearly twenty days earlier than I ever found their eggs.

"The nests are large, made of sticks, lined with small twigs, leaves, and sometimes grass, and usually placed in the fork of a large tree- beech, oak or ash— any where from 35 to 100 feet from the ground.

"The birds generally leave the nest upon the approach of any one and remain at a good distance, circling about and uttering a peculiar "squeal" very unlike the harsh scream of the Red-shouldered Hawk.

"The usual number of eggs in the sets I have taken is two, and never have I found more than three. The largest set was taken April 13, 1890, a few miles from Waterloo, in Dekalb County, and is now in the State Museum at Indianapolis. My record book contains tho following record of this set:

784 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

"April 13, 1890. No. 21—337. Red-tailed Hawk. Taken 5£ miles northwest of town (Waterloo), on the Golden Lake Road, in low, swampy woods on west side of road. Nest, rather large, in a large, leaning ash tree — 70 feet from the ground. Bird left nest after I started to climb. Two very large eggs, 1.98 by 2.46 and 2.04 by 2.60, the largest I have seen. Incubation, one-third advanced."

135. (337d). Buteo borealis harlani (AUD.).

Harlan's Hawk. Synonym, BLACK HAWK.

In Marian's Hawk the tail is mottled with rusty, white, gray, and dusky; the.rest of the plumage may vary from that of the typical red tail to nearly black. (Fisher).

Size, same as B. borealis.

RANGE. — Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis harlani), which until recently was considered a species, dwells in lower Mississippi Valley and Gulf States, east to Georgia, and extends casually to Kan- sas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Nest and Eggs, probably similar to those of B. borealis.

Accidental visitor. Mr. R. B. Williams, Lebanon, Ind., has in his possession a fine specimen of this Hawk. It was shot and its wing* broken by Mr. W. H. Moler, of the same cit}r, in Perry Township, Boone County, Ind., in September, 1887. He brought it while it was alive to Mr. Williams, who mounted it. This is the first record of the Black Hawk from Indiana. In Illinois, Mr. C. K. Worthen shot one of a pair on the Mississippi River, near Warsaw, Hancock County, in 1879. I have in my collection the skin of a specimen taken several years ago by Mr. W. S. Everhart, of Toledo, Cumberland County, 111., in that county, and presented by him to me. This species is so rare that, while its habits and food are probably similar to that. of the typi- cal Red-tailed Hawk, it is of no value to us. Its plumage varies from much the same color of the true borealis to uniform black. The well known Indian Chief, Black Hawk, was probably named after this bird.

*136. (339). Buteo lineatus (GMEL.).

Bed-shouldered Hawk.

Adult. — Head, neck, and lower parts, more or less rusty or cinna- mon, transversely spotted or barred with whitish; tail, black, crossed by about six bands of white. Above, reddish-brown, the center of the feathers darker than the edges. Immature. — Lower parts, dull

OF INDIANA. 786

whitish, longitudinally spotted or streaked with dark brown; tail, dusky, crossed by numerous narrow bands of dull buffy or grayish- brown.

Length, 17.50-22.00; wing, 11.25-14.25; tail, 8.00-10.00. (Fisher).

RANGE. — Eastern North America, Mexico to Hudson Bay and Nova Scotia; west to Texas and Great Plain. Breeds throughout its range. Winters principally south of northern United States boundary.

Nest, in tree, of sticks, twigs, lined with grass. Eggs, 2-5; extremely variable, usually dull white, variously marked with brown; 2.15 by 1.70.

Resident, varying in numbers, locally, and with the seasons. In some localities in northern Indiana they are abundant in summer, and breed commonly. It is common and breeds in the lower Wabash Valley. In the southeastern part of the State, including the White- water Valley, northwest to Carroll and Wabash counties, it is not com- mon in summer, but is more numerous during the migrations and in winter. While it breeds throughout the State, and, in fact, through- out its range, there are places where it is very common. In Connecti- cut and the southern portions of New York it is safe to say that its' nests outnumber those of all the other birds of prey combined (FHirr. Hawks and Owls of IT. S., p. 65). In other parts of New York it is reported as follows: It is the commonest bird of prey in Oneida and Herkimer counties (Bendire, L. H. of N. A. Birds, I, p. 219). Com- mon in Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Wayne counties (Rathbun et al., Rev. L. B. Cent. N. Y). Common southern resident in southern Ontario; more frequent there than any other "Chicken Hawk" (Mcll- wraith). In Wayne County, Ohio, it is more numerous than any other Hawk, outnumbering the Red -tailed Hawk about three to one (Ober- holser). In southern Michigan it is more common than the Red-tailed Hawk at Bay City; common at Port Sanilac and in Kalamazoo County (Cook); also in Wayne County (Trombley). In Dekalb County, Ind., Mr. H. W. McBride says the Red-tailed Hawk is tolerably common, but the Red-shouldered is abundant. In Elkhart it is nearly as com- mon. In Monroe it is about as numerous as B. borealis, and is com- mon in Vigo (Evennann).

Mr. Robert Ridgway, in a recent letter, says, in Knox and Gibson counties, in Indiana, as well as Wabash, Lawrence and Richland coun- ties, 111., and in the district about Washington, D. C., the Red-shoul- dered Hawk is far more numerous than the Red-tailed. I am sure there are, in the counties mentioned in Indiana and Illinois, at least five times as many Red-shoulders as Red-tails, and I think the dis- parity of numbers was even greater in most places, fully ten to one. 50— GEOL.

786 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

It is probable that these localities will be found to connect/ thus forming a narrow belt from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi Val- ley, or beyond, where, under somewhat similar conditions, they may be found breeding in greater numbers than elsewhere. Into these favorite localities in Indiana and Michigan the migrants are found returning from the middle of February to the 25th of March. They begin mating at once. Generally an old nest is repaired and used. The nests are smaller and are not placed so high on an average as the Red-tail's, the range being, perhaps, from 20 to 65 feet. In northern Indiana they must begin laying by the middle of March. Mr. Ridg- way has taken its eggs at Mt. Carmel, 111., April 1, 1867 (Bendire, L. H. N. A. B., I, p. 223). Mr. Blatchley saw one on its nest near Terre Haute, April 1, 1891. In the northern part of the State it is commonly breeding and has full sets before April 15. Mr. H. W. Mc- Bride has had better opportunities to observe these Hawks than any one I know in Indiana. He says that the birds in immature plumage sometimes nest, and that he took a set of five eggs of such a bird in Dekalb County, April 22, 1890. He also was led to believe that a Red- tailed and a Red-shouldered Hawk mated that year. He examined the nest twice that spring and both times was attacked by such a pair. The wood was small; there were no other nests near, and he was unable to find any other Hawks in that vicinity. The Red-shouldered Hawk was killed before any eggs were deposited, and the other was seen no more. The following interesting notes were also furnished by Mr. H. W. McBride:

"By far the most common Hawk in northeastern Indiana. There is hardly a patch of woods containing an acre or more that is not the home of a pair of .them, but unless the woods be very extensive, only one pair will be found nesting in it.

"The notes concerning the Red-tail will nearly all apply to this species also, as their habits are almost identically the same.

"As to the date of nesting, the Red-shoulder is perhaps a few days later than the Red-tail.

"I have taken, together with my -father, about 80 sets .of eggs of this hawk since 1884, and have examined several hundred nests. The variety of the eggs is infinite, and the size runs from that of the Cooper's Hawk to as large as the average Red-tail's egg. Some are nearly round, like an Owl's egg, some pear-shaped, some a perfect oval; and in markings they run from nearly a plain, dirty white to being so heavily marked by large blotches of brown and chocolate as to almost obscure the ground color. Below I give extracts from my notebook covering some of the more peculiar sets I have found:

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 787

"No. 5-- -339. Red -shouldered Hawk. Taken April 5, 1890, thret; miles northeast of Waterloo. In low, marshy woods. Nest in oak tree, about 75 feet from ground. Very small nest — probably an old crow's nest repaired. . Birds very aggressive and repeatedly flew past my head as I was climbing. Eggs are very peculiar, being pear-shaped and finely speckled all over with lavender and brown. Four eggs. In- cubation commenced.

"No. 34—339. Red-shouldered Hawk. Taken April 25, 1890, in same woods as No. 5 and about 200 yards from same place. Un- doubtedly the same birds, as the eggs are exactly like those described above. Nest in large oak tree, very hard to climb. Birds very aggres- sive, as before. Three fresh eggs. On the edge of the nest was a large dead garter snake. This set is now in the State Museum.

"No. 27—339. Red-shouldered Hawk. Three fresh eggs taken April 18, 1890, three miles south of Waterloo. Eggs remarkably small, as small as those of Cooper's Hawk. Nest in large sugar tree, about 60 feet up, and was lined with an old Baltimore Oriole's nest. The birds were very bold and remained after I descended. I shot the female to assure myself as to the identity. This set is also in the State Museum."

Most persons give three as the common number of eggs, but four are probably as often found, and often five. The eggs are laid at in- tervals of two or three days. The period of incubation is about four weeks (Bendire). In this species both sexes share the labor of build- ing, incubating and feeding the young. It is said, should the female be killed, the male will rear the young.

The Red-shouldered Hawk is mostly beneficial. In the immature plumage it is known as Winter Falcon. Its food is more varied than that of most Hawks. Tinder the direction of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Ornithologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, the food of this Hawk was studied. Of 220 stomachs examined, three contained poultry; 12, other birds; 102, mice; 40, other mammals; 20, reptiles; 39, batrachians; 92, insects; 16, spiders; 7, crawfish; 1, earth- worms; 2, offal; 3, fish, and 14 were empty. It was thus shown that at least 65 per cent, of their food consists of small rodents, while they and injurious insects amount to about 90 per cent. Hardly 1J per cent, thereof was poultry and game. These valuable birds deserve and should receive the protection of every one, particularly the farmer.

;ss REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Subgenus TIOHYTRIOECHIS Kaup.

*137. (343). Buteo latissimus (WILS.).

Broad-winged Hawk.

Adult. — Above, dusky-brownish, darker on back; below, brownish, dull rufous, or rusty, more or less broken by white transverse spotting; lower belly, white, barred with dull rufous; tail, blackish, crossed by two to four bands of gray or brownish-white. Immature. — Entire under parts, dull white or buffy, with longitudinal brown or dusky streaks on breast and sides; tail, grayish-brown, crossed by five to seven narrow bands of dusky.

Length, 13.25-18.00; wing, 9.75-11.40; tail, 6.50-8.00. (Fisher).

RANGE. — America, from Ecuador north over eastern North America to New Brunswick, Hudson Bay. Breeds from Cuba and southern United States northward. Winters from New York and in Mississippi Valley from latitude 40° south.

Nest, in trees, of sticks, lined with strips of bark and leaves. Eggs, 2-4; dull grayish- white, spotted and blotched with different shades of brown, hazel, drab and fawn-color, also, sometimes, shell markings (Bendire); 1.93 by 1.56.

Resident in southern Indiana; summer resident northward. Not common. Most often seen in spring and fall. Mr. C. E. Aiken tells me it breeds in Lake County, and Mr. Robert Ridgway notes its breed- ing in Knox and Gibson counties. In the northern part of the State they depart from August till the coming of severe weather, and return in March or early April.

This Buteo is much smaller than either the Red-tailed or Red-shoul- dered. It nests later, usually in May or June. The nests are smaller, and sometimes a crow's nest is occupied. It has been known to nest in the fork of a tree, within three feet of the ground. The sites range from that to about 60 feet high. The eggs are deposited at intervals of one or two days. But one brood is raised. Both parents incubate and care for the young. The incubation period is from twenty-one to twenty-five days. The following summary of the stomachs of 65 of these Hawks examined shows that 2 contained small birds; 15, mice; 13, other mammals; 11, reptiles; 13, batrachians; 30, insects; 2, earth- worms; 4, crawfish; and 7 were empty (Fisher, Hawks and Owls of U. S., p. 83). This Hawk is valuable because of its destruction of mice and other mammals and insects. In the meadows it wages war upon grasshoppers, crickets, May beetles and other beetles; and in the orchards and woods, upon caterpillars, the larvae of large moths, which feed upon the foliage. This Hawk is much more beneficial than otherwise, and is worthy of protection.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 789

75. GEKUS ARCHIBUTBO BREHM.

138. (347a). Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis (GMEL.).

American Rough-legged Hawk. Synonym, BLACK HAWK.

Legs, densely feathered in front and on sides down to base of toes. Width of bill at corners of mouth, 1.35-1.45 inches; head and neck, whitish, streaked with dusky. Above, irregularly varied with white, grayish, dusky or rusty; base of tail and feathers covering its upper surface, white; broad band near end of tail, grayish or dusky; below, whitish, usually with a band of dusky across front. Specimens are sometimes nearly uniform black.

Length, 19.50-33.50; wing, 15.75-18.00; tail, 9.00-11.00. (Fisher).

RANGE. — North America, north of Mexico, breeding north of the United States (excepting Alaska), from about latitude 49°; Quebec northward.

Nest, jn trees or on rocks, of sticks, grass and weeds. Eggs, 2-5; greenish or dingy-white, streaked or spotted and blotched with various shades of dark and light brown, ochraceous and drab; 2.31 by 1.74.

Winter visitor of irregular occurrence; usually rare, except along the western side of the State, where it is more or less common. Some winters they are very abundant throughout the State. Each fall these birds come into the United States from their breeding grounds, far to the north, like an army. They axe most numerous in the prairie districts, and the extension of their range depends upon food and weather conditions. In the vicinity of Chicago, Cook County, 111., and Lake County, Ind., it is, during winter, the most common of the larger hawks. (J. G. Parker, Jr.).

In Knox County, Ind., it is usually common at the same season (Chansler). To the south and east of the Wabash Kiver it is unusual to find them, but when they do appear it is almost always in some numbers. The winter of 1894-5 they extended their range as far as Boone County, where they were found in numbers.

Mr. J. E. Beasley wrote me, January 8, 1895, that he then had in his office at Lebanon six specimens, all from Boone County. One was taken near Greencastle, October 21 or 22, 1894 (Black).

The winter of 1886-7 they accompanied the great multitude of rapacious birds that spread over the States north of the Ohio River. They appeared in the southeastern counties of Indiana in December arid remained until near April 1. Thirteen were reported from De- catur and Rush counties. They were equally abundant in Franklin. Some of the specimens in my collection, obtained that winter, repre-

790 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

sented the extreme of the black phase. They frequented the meadowy, pastures and stubbles, where they fed upon the mice, which were so common that winter. They appear in the vicinity of Chicago from the middle to the last of October and in Knox County, Ind., from the 1st to the 20th of November. Some years they leave in February, but usually they remain well into March, sometimes to about April 1. March 12, 1887, Mr. E. L. Guthrie, of Adams, sent me one of six or seven noted in that vicinity. He said their principal food was mice, but he discovered one a few days before, feeding on the carcass of a dead lamb. Another person saw one eating the carcass of a dead skunk. The stomachs of six examined by me that winter contained nothing but mice and one rabbit. The summary of the report of the investigations made under the direction of Dr. Merriam, of the United States Department of Agriculture, shows that of 49 stomachs ex- amined, 40 contained mice; 5, other mammals; 1, lizards; 1, insects; and 4 were empty. It is known also, at times, to eat grasshoppers extensively. It sits upon a low perch and watches for its prey, and also sweeps the meadow, prepared to seize a mouse, when it appears. They vary much in color, ranging from very light to nearly uniform black. Whenever they are with us they are valuable friends of the farmer. So far as we know, there is not a harmful thing they do. They are wholly beneficial. They breed far north, in trees, or upon cliffs. The eggs are deposited at intervals of two or three days. In- cubation apparently begins before all are laid, and lasts about four weeks. One brood is raised a year. This Hawk is said to be of a very peaceful disposition, and soon becomes accustomed to permitting itself to be handled after a few days' captivity.

76. GKNUS AQUILA BRISSON.

139. (349). Aquila chrysaetos (LINN.).

Golden Eagle.

Legs, densely feathered down to base of toes. This character will separate it, in any plumage, from the White-headed Eagle, which is the only other Eagle in the United States.

Length, 30.00-40.00; wing, 23.00-27.00; tail, 14.00-16.00. (Fisher).

RANGE. — Northern portions of Northern Hemisphere; south in North America to southern California, Mexico and Georgia. Breeds chiefly in mountainous regions throughout its range.

Nest, on cliffs, sometimes in trees; a collection of sticks. Eggs, 2-3; whitish, sometimes unmarked, usually more or less blotched, spotted or clouded with various shades of brown; 2.93 by 2.34.

BIRDS OK JNDIANA. 791

Winter resident; occurs regularly, but is not common. It is said to have been more numerous formerly. There is no record of its having bred in Indiana; though Mr. C. L. Cass reports having observed a specimen at Clear Lake, Steuben County, August 17 and 18, 1894, and Dr. Joseph L. Hancock, of Chicago, saw one at Dune Park, Ind., August 7, 1897. It usually is not seen until late in November. A fine specimen was taken near Andersonville, November 24, 1895, and was alive when last heard from, the present summer (1897). A fine adult was taken near Indianapolis, November 29, 1891 (Noe). They disappear irregularly, not being seen usually over the greater part of the State after February, but sometimes remaining in the vicinity of Lake Michigan into March, or even April. One was noted in Porter County, April 25, 1887 (Trouslot). A pair were seen in Lake County, March 10, 1885 (Meyer); and one at Tracy Station, Starke County, March, 1884 (Coale). The greater number are seen in December, January and February. The winter of 1881, it was noted by Mr. E.-R. Quick near Brookville, three times. In 1884, once, and 1889, twice, in the same vicinity,

December 18, 1895, one was caught in a steel trap, set for a skunk, and baited with a rabbit, near Fairfield, Ind. That same month one was killed near Waynetown, and is now in the collection of Wabash College, Crawfordsville. In addition to these, I have ten other records of its recent occurrence in this State. It is most often taken when the landscape is clad in snow, and the streams locked in ice. Their food is scarce, and they are often taken in traps, set for animals, or for owls, from which it has attempted to take the bait. While the Golden Eagle will occasionally carry of? lambs, young pigs aiyl poultry, and even attack animals as large as a calf, their natural food is rabbits, ground-hogs, grouse, waterfowl and other game birds. They are very destructive to the noxious rodents that damage the farmers' crops. Stories of their carrying off children have been usual- ly found to have orginated in the brain of man, and not in fact. Prof. Stanley Coulter informs me of one of these Eagles, that was killed by Mr. M. G-. Jordan, Jordan Grove, White County, in Decem- ber, 1896, as it was hovering over a litter of little pigs. Much has been said about the fierceness of the Golden Eagle, and its ability to defend its nest, yet those who have studied its habits say these st-i fo- ments are false, as these birds are cowardly, leaving the nest when persons approach it, and not returning till danger is past. They seem sometimes to mate before they leave us, in the spring. They breed in the mountainous parts of America. The nest is usually placed upon a projecting shelf, on the side of a high, steep cliff. In

792 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

California, however, most of the nests are placed in trees. The nest is large. Two or three eggs are a set, and but one brood is raised in a year. They begin nesting, in this latitude, in March, and continue through May, and even far north fresh eggs have been found in June. Several days, sometimes a week, intervenes between laying the eggs. Incubation lasts about four weeks. It is performed almost entirely by the female, who is supplied with food by the male.

77. GENUS HALI^ETUS SAVIGHY.

*140- (352). Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Bald Eagle.

Lower third of leg naked all around. This character will separate it in any plumage from the Golden Eagle, which is the only other Eagle in the United States.

Length. 30-43; wing, 20-28; tail, 11-16. (Fisher).

T?ANflE. — Whole of North America, from Mexico to Arctic coast. Aleutian Islands, and Kamchatka. Breeds locally throughout it- range.

Nest, large, in trees, or on cliffs; of sticks; sometimes lined with gras< or moss. Eggs, 1-3; white; 2.90-2.27.

Resident locally; formerly common resident throughout the State, and still generally distributed in fall, winter and spring. Through- out the Whitewater Valley, where they formerly nested, and, in fact.

Burns OF INDIANA. 793

in all the region east and south of the Wabash River, it is not now known to breed. There they appear in October and November, and are seen until March, and sometimes late April. One was noted at Brook- ville, April 19, 1881. Its former occurrence led to a number of streams, fords and lakes, and other topographic features, receiving the distinctive "name Eagle. It has recently been reported as breeding in Laporte County, 1885 (Byrkit); Knox County, 1886 (Ridgway); may breed yet, noted April 18 and 26, 189? (Chansler); Porter County, near De Motte, 1894 (Pfrimmer). In Lake County it bred quite com- monly 40 years ago. Still breeds in limited numbers in the tall trees along the Kankakee River (Meyer, Ball). Found breeding near Tolleston in 1871, and at Water Valley in 1886 (Aiken). August 8, 1887, Mr. F. M. Woodruff saw five Bald *Eagles at Miller's, Ind., and shot one, which proved to be a young one. August 21, he took a female, and found a nest about one mile south of the sand hills in the pine timber.

In Starke County, at English Lake, they still breed regularly. I have reports from there for a number of years. In 1892 two pairs were found nesting within a half mile. One nest- was found February 27, when it was repaired, and probably contained eggs. It was aboui 80 feet up in a dead elm. The other was found March 6. It was in the top of a tall sycamore (Deane). Mr. Joseph E. Gould took three fresh eggs from a nest in a sycamore tree, sixty-five feet up, at English Lake, March 19, 1893 (0. "and 0., April, 1892, p. 64). They for- merly bred along the Tippecanoe River, in Carroll County (Ever- mann); and in Dekalb County, where it is possible they may yet, 1890 (H. W. McBride). One of their nests, built near the river about five miles west of Brookville, was used by them for many years. While in general the nest is in trees, from 20 to 100 feet up, it is sometimes found on projections of cliffs; on the coast of Texas, rarely, on the ground.

The nest is very bulky, and is often repaired, and used for many years. Nesting begins with us late in February, and continues through March, sometimes in April. Eagle Ford, near by, so-called on account of this well-known nest, will continue to designate the lo- cality.

The eggs are laid at intervals of three or four days. Both birds take part in incubation, which lasts about a month. But one brood is raised in a year.

The Bald Eagle, in its adult form, is the emblem of the United States. It will, in that plumage, be readily recognized by its white head and tail. As in hawks, the female exceeds the size of the males.

794 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The young have a greater expanse of wing than the adults, and have not the white head and tail. They do not assume perfect plumage until the third year. The first year they are black, and are known as the Black Eagle, also "Washington Eagle." The second year, they are commonly called "Gray Eagles." It is well to recall that this and the Golden Eagle are the only Eagles in the United States.

The favorite food of the Bald Eagle is fish. These it picks up on the beach, where they are strewn; takes by robbery from the Osprey; or, when it can get them in no other way, catches itself. February 24, 1891, Mr. E. Deane saw one of them fishing at English Lake. It poised in the air, after the manner of a Kingfisher, sustaining itself by rapid vibration of its wings, then suddenly "let go" and fairly dived to the water. This was repeated twice. Failing in procuring fish, it preys upon all kinds of waterfowl. They also eat lambs, small pigs and poultry. Mr. E. J. Chansler informs me of a Bald Eagle that was killed in Knox County, October 1, 1896, which had killed two lambs. Mice and other rodents form an important article of their food, and, all in all, they are considered to belong to that- class of rapacious birds whose lives are mostly beneficial.

SUBFAMILY FALCONING. FALCONS. 78. GBNUS FALCO LINN^IUS.

a1. Only first primary with inner web emarginated; first quill longer than the fourth; tarsus shorter than middle toe, and scarcely feathered below the knee; wing over 11.00. Subgenus RHYNCHODON Nitzsch.

F. peregrinus anatum (Bonap.). 141 a2. Two outer primaries with inner webs emarginated ; first quill shorter than the

fourth.

bl. Basal joints of toes with small hexagonal scales; tarsus about equal to mid- dle toe. Size small; wing, 9.00 or less; sexes unlike.

Subgenus ^ESALON Kaup. F. coluxnbarius Linn. 142 bz. Basal joints of toes covered with transverse plates; tarsus longer than middle toe; size small, wing 8.00 or less; sexes different.

Subgenus TINNUNCULUS Vieillot. F. sparverius Linn. 143

Subgenus RHYNCHODON Nitzsch.

*141. (356). Falco peregrinus anatum (BONAP.).

Duck Hawk.

Adult. — First and second wing feathers equal and longest. Top of head, black, decidedly darker than back; chest, creamy-buff, buffy-white, or pure white, often unspotted, never very heavily spotted with blackish. Immature. — Lower parts streaked with dusky. In Peale's Falcon, the top of the head is dark slaty, uniform with back; chest, heavily spotted with blackish.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 7(J5

Uiitfth, 15.50-20.00; wing, 11.30-14.75; tail, 6.00-9.00. (Fisher).

RANGE. — America, from Chili to Arctic coast. Breeds locally from the mountains of South Carolina, Arkansas and Lower California, north. Winters chiefly south of northern boundary of United States (New York and Manitoba south).

Nest, in cavity in trees, and on cliffs. Eggs, 3-5; pale creamy- white, sometimes overlaid with light chocolate, irregularly blotched, streaked and spotted with brown or reddish-brown; 2.10 by 1.68.

Eesident, not rare, in Lower Wabash Valley. Throughout the re- mainder of the State, rare. Migrant. Breeds.

In the spring of 1878, Mr. Robert Ridgway discovered that this was by no means a rare bird in the heavy timber in the bottoms of the Wabash River, in the vicnity of Mt. Cannel, Illinois. Three nests were found there. All were placed in cavities in the top of very large sycamore trees, and were inaccessible. One of these trees was felled, and measurements with a tapeline showed the nest had been eighty- nine feet from the ground. It was placed in a shallow cavity, caused by breaking off of the main limb, the upper part of which projected sufficiently to protect it. Four fully feathered young were taken from the nest (B. N. 0. C., 1878, pp. 163, 164).

Mr. Ridgway also informs me it breeds in Knox and Gibson coun- ties, Ind. The Duck Hawk usually nests on the projections of cliffs, and the foregoing sites are unusual. It has been taken elsewhere in Indiana but a few times. A specimen in the collection of Mr. G. F. Morson was taken in Starke County, Ind., September 25, 1884. Mr. Toppan has noted it in Lake County in winter. There is a specimen in the collection in the State Museum, which Mr. J. E. Beasley informs me was taken near Slabtown, Boone County, May 14, 1896. This is the largest of the true Falcons. If the days of falconry were here, it would be considered of great value for such sport. It generally mates in February. In this latitude its nesting time is April and May. The eggs are deposited two or more days apart. Incubation is performed by both birds, and lasts about four weeks. But one brood is reared in a year. The late Col. N. S. Goss said, the males, as far as noticed, sit upon the eggs in the fore part of the day, and the females during the latter part. It is found to be one of the dis- tinctively harmful species. If it were more common, it would do great injury. Its principal food is waterfowl, sandpipers, plover, snipe and such birds. It is also destructive to domestic poultry and pigeons. "Of 20 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry or game birds; 9, other birds; 1, mice; 2, insects; and 4 were empty." (Fisher, Bull. No. 3, Div. Orn. and Mam., IT. S. Dept. Agr., p. 109.)

96 .REPORT OF STATK GEOLOGIST.

Submenus MSALOX Kanp.

142, (357). Falco columbarius LINN.

Pig-eon Hawk.

Middle tail feathers, crossed by not more than four blackish or five light bands. Above, bluish gray or brownish; below, whitish, buffy, or light rusty; streaked with brownish or dusky. The Black Merlin is much darker. Above, plain brown; below, heavily marked with dusky.

Length, 10.00-13.25; wing, 7.40-8.60; tail, 4.65-5.50. (Fisher.)

RANGE. — America, from Ecuador to Arctic Ocean. Breeds from Maine to Iowa and California, northward. Winters from New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana, southward.

Nest, in trees, sometimes in cavities and on cliffs. Eggs, 4-5; pale creamy-white, often overspread by red-brown, and spotted and blotched with darker brown; 1.65 by 1.20.

Regular migrant, and irregular winter resident, not common. It is not improbable that it may rarely nest in the northern part of the State.

It is most often seen in September and October, March and April. In the Whitewater Valley, from which it was reported by Dr. Ray- mond (Ind. Geol. Rept. 1869, p. 209), it is now rarely seen. A speci- men was taken near Valley Junction, 0., in September, 1885, and one was taken near Brookville, Ind., October 20, 1880. A specimen was taken in Monroe County March 12, 1887 (Blatchley), and another was noted April 8, 1886, by Evermann, who also reports it from Car- roll County. In Lake County Mr. H. K. Coale shot one September 25, 1875, and Mr. Aiken saw it at Water Valley. It has been noted elsewhere as follows: Dekalb County, two, in October (Mrs. Hine); Elkhart County, February 6. 1891 (H. W. McBride); Allen County (Stockbridge); Putnam County (Clearwaters): Boone County, one in collection of State Museum (Beasley); Laporte County (Byrkit). It builds nests on limbs of trees, in hollows of them, as well as in cavi- ties or on projections of cliffs. In the southern part of its breed- ing range, it nests in March or April, while in Central Alaska and the Anderson River country, its nests are found in May or June. But one brood is raised in a season. Incubation lasts about three weeks (Bendire). Capt. Dall reports it as resident in Alaska.

The Pigeon Hawk is a true Falcon. It takes much of its prey upon the wing. This consists chiefly of small birds. Of 56 stomachs exam- ined, 2 contained poultry; 16, insects; 41, small birds; 2, mice; and 5 were empty (Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. and M., U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 113.

Report of State Geologist, 1897.

PLATE XXII.

Fisher. Year Book, U. S. Dep. Agr., 1894.

. SPARROW HAWKS. (Male and female.)

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 797

Fisher). When the number of "English sparrows/7 mice and insects it eats are considered, it seems to fall within the number of those Hawks that are mostly beneficial.

Subgenus TINNUNCOLUS Vieillot.

*143. (360). Falco sparverius (LINN.).

American Sparrow-hawk.

Male. — Tail, chestnut rufous, crossed by a broad black band near end; wings, grayish-blue, more or less spotted with black. Above, rufous, with or without black bars or spots. Below, varying from white to deep rufous, with or without black spots. . Female. — Tail, wings and back, crossed by numerous narrow bands of dusky.

Length, 8.75-12.00; wing, 6.55-8.15; tail, 4.20-5.60. (Fisher).

RANGE. — America, from northern South America to Newfoundland and Great Slave Lake. Breeds from Mexico and Florida, north. Winters from New York and Indiana, southward.

Nest, in hollow in tree or built among branches, or in cavity in cliff.

Eggs, 3-7; clear white to pale buff, variously marked with different shades of brown and ochraceous; 1.38 by 1.11.

Regular resident north to Wabash, Tippecanoe and Carroll Counties. In winter, rare north from there, more numerous southward . Every- where common in summer.

This little Hawk is well known, and no visitor to the country will long await a sight of their busy forms. They begin to leave the north- ern part of the State in September, and some winters all leave. Se- vere winters they often seek protection; in one instance in January one was found in a stable, sharing a stall with a horse. Nowhere, perhaps, are they so numerous in winter. In more open winters, their numbers in the southern part of the State begin to increase in Feb- ruary. Migrations then begin and continue through March. In the Whitewater Valley I have always seen them mating in April. I have found their nest as early as April 11, but fresh eggs are found farther northward well into May.

A favorite nesting site is a Woodpecker's hole in a dead limb, at the top of a tall sycamore tree. The usual nesting site, in timber countries, is a hole, natural or otherwise, in the top of a tree; some- times, however, they are made quite low. Other places, they occa- sionally nest in holes in cliffs or banks, or in the nest of some large bird, like a crow, and in buildings. In trees, the eggs are laid upon fragments of chips in the hole.

798 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The incubation period is near three weeks. Both birds share in the labor. They are very watchful of their charges, and many a spirited encounter is had to drive some intruder from the neighbor- hood. Usually,, but one brood is reared each season. When disturbed, they have been known to lay a second and third set of eggs. How- ever, eggs have been found as late as August, indicating, possibly, more than one brood in a season. In July and August, when old and young are found together, along the farm fences, they are most often seen. From the report prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture, we learn that of 320 stomachs examined, 1 contained a game bird; 53, other birds; 89, mice; 12, other mammals; 12, reptiles, or batrachians; 215, insects; 29, spiders; and 29 were empty (Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. and M., Fisher, p. 127). At times it is known to. attack young chickens and beneficial birds. A telegraph line is a favorite place for these Hawks. There, particularly at the time of the spring migrations, every few poles will be found to form a point of observation for them. From this point they wage war upon the mice and other small mammals along the roadway and in adjacent fields. They subsist largely upon grasshoppers, and other insects, especially in late summer and early fall, before the vegetation is cut down by the frost. Upon the Mexican plateau, in winter, I found these birds as much at home as they are with us. They were quite common, and lived chiefly upon insects. The lives of these birds are mostly beneficial. They should receive protection at our hands.

SUBFAMILY PANDIONINJE. OSPREYS. 79. GENUS PANDION SAVIGNY,

*144. (364). Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (GMEL.).

American Osprey.

Claws of the same length, narrower and rounder on under side. Above, plain dusky-brown, tail more grayish, narrowly tipped with white, and crossed by about six or seven narrow bands of dusky; head, neck and lower parts, white; the chest sometimes slightly blotched with brown; sides of head with dusky stripe, top more or less streaked with dusky.

Length, 20.75-25.00; wing, 17.00-21.00; tail, 7.00-10.00.

EANGE. — America, from northern Brazil to Labrador, Hudson Bay. and Alaska. Breeds throughout its North American range. Winters from South Carolina, and rarely in Southern Indiana, south.

Nest, bulky, of sticks, reeds, cornstalks, etc., lined with grass, corn blades and other fine material, in top of tree, on cliff, or on ground.

BIBDS OF INDIANA. 799

Myt/s, 2-o; creamy- white or huffy-white, blotched and spoiled with brown and vinaceous red; 2.44 by 1.77.

Locally summer resident; regular migrant, and some winters rare winter resident in the southern part of the State.

The winter of 1880-81 they were seen a number of times along the Whitewater (E. R. Quick), and have been noted other years. Along the Wabash River, it has been observed in winter as far up as Lafayette (Moffitt),and it was also noted in Putnam County, the winter of 1888 (Clearwaters). Usually they begin, when not found in win- ter, to appear upon our larger streams with the disappearance of the ice, generally in February. The greater number of them, however, are seen in April, in the Whitewater Valley, between April 2 and 29. In the fall they begin to appear there by September 6, and are sometimes common until October 7. Mr. V. H. Barnett saw one in Vermillion County, August 31, 1897.

In the vicinity of Michigan City, it is abundant along the lake in summer (Byrkit).

Mr. Ruthven Deane saw it in Starke County, June 10, 1888. Mr. T. H. Ball says they formerly nested along the Kankakee, and a few yet remain. Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me of its breeding in Knox and Gibson counties. In the spring of 1893, Mr. Joseph F. Honacker reports finding a nest, a short distance below Lafayette. They will probably be found, by persistent investigators, to breed in other parts of the State.

Mr. H. W. McBride found them in Steuben, Lagrange and Elk- hart counties early in May, 1891, and in Dekalb County, May 12, 1890. They breed commonly along the coast, and not so numerously in the interior, as far north as Labrador, Hudson Bay and the Yukon, in Alaska. It generally builds its nests on the top of trees, but some- times on or in cliffs, and on the ground. The same nest is occupied for years. The eggs are deposited at intervals of one or two days, and the period of incubation is given as 21 days, but Maj. C. E. Ben- dire thinks it is nearer 28. A single brood is raised in a season, though other sets may be laid if the first one is destroyed. In this latitude they nest from about April 25 to June. The Osprey is com- monly called Fish Hawk, or Fishing Eagle.

Its food consists entirely of fish, which it usually captures. It is n famous fisher, catching food not only for itself, but often for the Bald Eagle, which robs it of its catch. Mr. Chas. S. Shick, of New Jersey, says: "It is interesting to watch the Fish Hawk obtaining its food, sailing along from 50 to 100 feet above the water; with its keen eyes it can easily see any fish swimming close to the surface of the

800 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

water, and as soon as it sees its quarry, stops its flight, and remains suspended motionless in the air /for a moment, closes its wings, and then darts downward like an arrow. It disappears under the water for a few seconds, and when it arises and again takes wing, a shining, wriggling fish can be plainly seen in the grasp of its powerful talons. It is a curious fact that this bird will never carry the fish with the tail to the front. Many times have I seen them turn the fish around in mid air" (Bendire, L. H., N. A. B., I., pp. 321, 322).

The Osprey often selects a tree, sometimes miles from any water, where it resorts to devour its food.

SUBORDER 8TRIGE8. OWLS. XXVII. FAMILY STRIGID^E. BARN OWLS.

Characters same as family. STRIX. .so

80. GENUS STRIX LINN^US.

*145. (365). Strix pratincola BONAP.

American Barn Owl.

Facial disk not circular, but somewhat triangular. Middle and inner claws of equal length; inner edge of middle claw, jagged; wing, long, reaching beyond tail when folded; tail about half the length of wing.

Color. — Above, ochraceous-yellow, more or less marbled with white or ashy, and speckled with black, and sometimes with white spots. Below, varying in every degree from silky white to bright tawny, dotted with black spots. Eyes, small, black.

Length, 15.00-20.00; wing, 13.00-14.00; tail, 5.75-7.50. (Fisher).

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico north to Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ontario, Michigan, southern Minnesota and Oregon. Breeds from southern New York, northern Indiana, southward. Winters from northern limit of breeding range southward.

Nest, in steeple or barn loft, or in a hole in tree or bank. Eggs, 5-11; dead white; 1.65 by 1.31.

Found throughout the State; locally resident; rare northward; more numerous in the Wabash Valley and southward. Breeds.

In 1879 there were but five known records of its occurrence in Ohio. It was then considered a very rare visitor. At that time there was no record of its occurrence in Indiana. And as far as I have since heard, the only one who had met it was Dr. F. Stein, who noted it in the lower Wnbash Valley. In Illinois it was considered rare in

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 801

1878. Mr. Nelson had noted two taken near Chicago. The year 1883 is notable for a sudden increase in the number observed north of the Ohio Eiver. In October of that year ten Barn Owls were killed near Cincinnati, several of which were found occupying the tower of the town hall at Grlendale, 0. On October 18th, Mr. Chas. Dury visited the town hall at Grlendale. Four Barn Owls flew out. I give some extracts from Mr. Dury's account. The floor and ledges were covered with the cast-up pellets of the birds.

"With Owls the indigestible matter is formed into balls in the stomach, and afterwards cast up. These are called pellets. They covered the floor several inches deep in places. I examined many of them, and found them made up entirely of the hair and bones of

Foot of Barn Owl. Natural size.

the smaller rodents, mostly mice. There must have been the debris of several thousand mice and rats. But the strangest part of the curious habitation was the flock of domestic pigeons that were living, seemingly, on intimate terms with the Owls, and judging from the old pigeon nests, I presume the pigeons had actually nested and reared young there" (Journ. Cin. Soc. N. H., Dec., 1883, pp. 237, 238.) Soon afterwards two Barn Owls were taken at Monroe, Ohio.

These birds also spread into Indiana. October 25, 1883, the only one ever reported in the Whitewater Valley was killed near Brook- ville. There is one in the collection at the State Museum that was taken at Franklin, December, 1883. They bred near Frankfort, Clinton County, in the summer of 1889. In Vigo County young were taken about July 18, 1890. In the north part of Tippecanoe County, two young were taken from the nest in a hole in a large elm, about June 15, 1890. The winter of 1891-92, Mr. Fletcher M. Noe received three of those owls taken in this State. The following additional records are at hand: January 19, 1893, one was found dead in an old 61 — GEOL.

802 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

house in Decatur County (W. P. Shannon, October 7, 1893); one was taken alive, five miles north of Greencastle, and brought into that city (J. Earlle); November 10, 1894, one was picked up dead ten miles southwest of Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test). In 1894, Mr. J. 0. Dunn supplied two records from the vicinity of Chicago, September 25. About June 10 he saw one alive in a saloon window on La Salle street. He procured one from a small boy, which he still has.

One was picked up alive by Mr. Wm. Baum, three miles south of Delphi, August 30, 1897 (D. C. Ridgely). May 23, 1896, a female was shot on the Kankakee River, at Kouts, Ind., by Mr. M. F. Hilgard, which is now in the collection of Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., who says it undoubtedly had a nest close by. Prof. E. L. Moseley reports one from Sandusky, 0., April 11, 1896. He informs me a local taxider- mist had received/ two others. Mr. J. B. Burris (Cloverdale, Ind.) writes one was shot from a pine tree in a neighbor's yard, March 20, 1897. It has also been noted from the following counties: Wabash (Ulrey and Wallace); Boone (Beasley); Allen (Stockbridge).

With us, these birds seem to frequent, except at the breeding season, the belfry and tower of buildings, barns and deserted buildings, and nest in hollows of trees. This is the bird that is written up in the news- papers as the "Monkey-faced Owl." They also nest in deserted mine shafts, old wells, the burrows of animals, holes in banks and cliffs. They make little or no nest. "Incubation usually commences with the first egg laid, and lasts about three weeks. The eggs are almost invariably found in different stages of development, and young may be found in the same nest with fresh eggs. Both sexes assist in incu- bation, and the pair may be sometimes seen sitting side by side, each with a portion of the eggs under them" (Bendire, L. H., N. A. Birds, I, p. 327). The examination of stomachs under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture showed that "of 39 examined, 1 contained poultry; 3, other birds; 17, mice; 17, other mammals; 4, insects; and 7 were empty." (Fisher, Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. and M., p. 139). It is one of the most decidedly nocturnal of the owls. At dusk it goes forth to hunt; over meadow and marsh, pasture and prairie, its quest leads it. Its game is meadow mice, gophers and other destructive mammals, all more or less injurious. Its work is highly beneficial. The farmer and orchardman especially should give them protection.

OF INDIANA. 803

XXVIII. FAMILY BUBONIDJS. HORNED OWLS, ETC.

a1. Wing more than 10.00 inches.

ft1. Cere longer than rest of culnien ; iris yellow; external ear very large.

Asio. 81 62. Cere short.

c1. Ear tufts very conspicuous; size large. BUBO. 86

c2. Ear tufts very small, or none.

dl. Toes entirely covered with feathers; bill nearly hidden by feathers. e1. Tail 10. inches or less; plumage mostly white. NYCTEA. 87

e2. Tail over 10. inches; plumage not white. SCOTIAPTEX. 83

d2. Toes not entirely covered with feathers ; bill large, yellowish.

SYRNIUM. 82 a2. Wing less than 10. inches.

f1. Ear tufts conspicuous. MEGASCOPS. 85

/2. Ear tufts none.

gl. Wing over 8. inches. SUBNIA. SS

g2. Wing under 8. inches. ^YCTALA. 84

81. GBNUS ASIO BRISSON.

a1. Ear tufts well developed, of 8 to 12 feathers. Subgenus Asio.

A. wilsonianus (Less.). 146 a2. Ear tufts not conspicuous, of few feathers. Subgenus BKACHYOTUS Gould.

A. accipitrinus (Pall.). 147

*146. (366). Asio wilsonianus (LESS.).

American Long-eared Owl.

Ear tufts conspicuous, containing eight to ten feathers, and ahout as long as middle toe with claw.

Color. — Above, dusky, mottled with gray, tawny, and blackish. Below, grayish-white, with confused marbling of brown, black and tawny, many feathers with a median longitudinal dusky stripe, which gives off transverse bars. Feet and legs, tawny and unspotted.

Length, 13.00-16.00; wing, 11.00-12.00; tail, 5.50-6.50. (Fisher).

RANGE. — North America, from Valley of Mexico to Nova Scotia, Hudson Bay (and latitude 61 degrees). Breeds throughout its range. Winters in Maine, Northern New York, Michigan and Minnesota.

Nest, in trees, using an old nest of some bird or squirrel, in cavities in cliff. Eggs, 3-6; oval; pure white.

Resident, not common in summer; more numerous in winter. Breeds.

The Long-eared Owl is more numerous than is generally thought. It is the woodland species of this genus, as the Short-eared Owl is fhe prairie representative. Its woodland retreats, retiring ways, and

804 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

habit of frequenting certain localities, make it inconspicuous. Except at the mating season, it is rather quiet. Some years they are more numerous in winter than others. In Southern Indiana they have been most commonly noted from October 18 to January 30. Mr. J. A. Balmer informs me it breeds in the lower Wabash Valley. Dr. Langdon notes that Mr. Dury took full-fledged young of the year, at Avondale, Ohio, in July, 1878. April 29, 1890, Mr. H. W. McBride shot two old ones and caught two young ones in Dekalb County. With us, they must begin laying late in March or early in April. In Wayne County, Mich., Mr. Jerome Trombley reports nests with five eggs, taken in May. (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 80.)

Almost always this Owl repairs and uses the old nest of a bird or a squirrel; occasionally it is said to build a nest for itself. The eggs are deposited at intervals of one or two days. Incubation begins with the first egg laid and lasts about three weeks. If the first setting is destroyed, another, and sometimes a third, will be laid. The female incubates, but the male is usually near by. This species, unlike the Short-eared Owl, does all its hunting by night. By day it keeps hid- den in the seclusion of some dark woods or dense thicket. In winter they select a particular spot, 'and in early spring the ejected pellets lie beneath the perch in great numbers. In them the naturalist will find recorded much of the zoological history of the past winter of the neighborhood. Dr. A. K. Fisher gives us the result of the examina- tion of 107 stomachs examined: 1 contained a game bird; 15, other birds; 84, mice; 5, other mammals; 1, insects, and 15 were empty. (Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. and M., U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 145.) Please note what a great proportion of injurious animals these birds destroy. Of the stomachs which contained food, over 93 per cent, contained the remains of small mammals. They are the friends of agriculture. Be careful to protect them.

*147. (367). Asio accipitrinus (PALL.).

Short-eared Owl.

Ear tufts inconspicuous, much shorter than middle toe, with claw.

Color. — Whole plumage varying from bright tawny to buffy white, with conspicuous dark-brown stripes; a small tuft of feathers above hind toe.

Length, 13.75-17.00; wing, 12.00-13.00; tail, 5.75-6.10. (Fisher).

RANGE. — Nearly cosmopolitan; in America from southern South America to Arctic Ocean. Breeds from Kansas, Indiana and Ohio, southern Oregon, northern Maine. Winters chiefly south of northern boundary of United States.

MIKMS

SO.')

l, on ground iji marsh, meadow or prairie, of ^TJISS and slicks. Eggs, 4-7; white or creamy white; 1.59 by 1.33.

Eesident in some numbers northward; elsewhere irregular winter resident in varying numbers. Some winters not seen. Occasionally very abundant.

Short-eared Owl. (Merriam.— Annual Kept. U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1888, p. 496.)

Their original home was the prairie. Therefore, we may expect to find it most often in the area of original prairie land. It seems to pre- fer the long, rank grass about marshes, and in such localities it breeds. About May 6, 1890, two nests of the Short-eared Owl were found at English Lake. They were built in large grass tussocks in the open meadow. One contained three young and two eggs; the other, three eggs (Deane). Since the forest area has so largely given place to meadow, pasture and small grain, where prairie animals and insects

806 KEPORT ov STATE GEOLOGIST.

have come, it is to be expected that these owls will visit it to a greater or less extent. They irregularly range over it in greater or less num- bers, sometimes in flocks of from seven to twenty-five in winter. They take up their quarters in our meadows, and all winter long wage a re- lentless war upon the mice, shrews and other four-footed pests. Their coming is evidently regulated by the food supply, for always when they come in force the meadows are overrun with mice.

In the Whitewater Valley Dr. Haymond never recognized it. The first specimen taken there was November 8, 1878. From that time to 1886 no more were seen. The winter of 1883 they were tolerably com- mon in Eush County. Prof. W. P. Shannon obtained six specimens from a flock there. In November and early December, 1886, they came in immense numbers, in company with other Owls and several Hawks, and ranged over Indiana and Ohio to their southern boun- dary. In some places they are reported in flocks of ten to twenty-five. Near Cincinnati Dr. Langdon notes that during February, 1887, a young man who was crossing a partially inundated field counted these birds as they arose before him, and at one time there were thirty in the air. There was only one tree in the field, upon which they all alighted. (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XII, 1889, p. 59.)

In Franklin County, Indiana, they were very common throughout the county. Every one was speaking about the Prairie Owls. In one neighborhood in Decatur County there were three flocks, and another two, with from ten to twenty-five owls each. It is estimated there were hundreds of these birds in that county that winter (Shannon). A great many were seen in January, 1887, in Fayette County (Eehme). The same winter they were common in Knox County (Chansler), and were reported from Vigo (Evermann). They remained in the spring of 1887 well into April. The last one noted in Franklin County was April 26. Wherever they were observed their great destruction of mice was noted. In the winter of 1890 they were very common in Clinton County (Evermann). In 1892 a large number were killed in Knox County (Chansler). The winter of 1894-5 they ranged as far as Putnam County, where a small flock was found (Earlle). The stom- achs of ten of those taken the winter of 1886-7 showed that one was empty and nice contained the remains of mice. A summary of 101 stomachs examined shows that 11 contained small birds; 77, mice; 7, other mammals; 1, insects, and 14 were empty. (Dr. Fisher, Bull. No. 3, Div. of 0. and M., IT. S. Dept. Agr.).

Fully 75 per cent, of its food consists of mice, no less than six having been found in one stomach. In addition to their mousing hab- its, their habit of wandering and appearing in localities where mice

Report of State Geologist, 1897.

PLATE XXIII.

, —

Fisher, Year Book, U. S. Pep. Agr., 1894.

BARRED OWL.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 807

have become so numerous that they could not be overcome by ordi- nary means, is one of great importance, and renders them chiefly bene- factors to the farmers. Their presence in unusual cases in times of great emergency adds much to their value of service to man. In cloudy weather they may often be seen hunting their food by day. Their eggs are laid in April and May, in nests in such situations as have been mentioned at English Lake. They require about three weeks to hatch. But one brood is raised a year.

82. GKNUS SYRNIUM SAVIGNY.

*148. (368). Syrnium nebulosum (FORST.).

Barred Owl.

Large size; no ear tufts; general color, umber-brown and buffy whitish; the plumage everywhere barred transversely except on the belly, where the stripes run lengthwise; bill, yellow; eyes, brown-black.

Length, 19.00-24.00; wing, 12.50-14.00; tail, 9.00-10.00. (Fisher).

RANGE. — Eastern North. America, west to Dakota and Kansas from Texas and Georgia; north to Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Breeds throughout its range. Resident except at the extreme northern por- tion of its range.

Nest, in hollow trees or in deserted large birds' nests. Eggs, 2-4; pure white; 1.94 by 1.65.

Common resident. Breeds. Not so common as it was formerly, and apparently not so numerous in the Whitewater Valley as elsewhere. The following references to counties will give some idea of its num- bers: Knox, common resident (Chansler); Porter, common along the Kankakee River; quite rare in Cook County, Illinois (Parker); Starke, common (Deane); Carroll, the most abundant owl (Evermann); Mon- roe, quite common (Blatchley); Dekalb, common resident (Mrs. Hine); Lake, rather common at Water Valley (Aiken); Wabash, quite abund- ant resident (Ulrey and Wallace); Brown, rather common (Kindle).

This is the common large muley owl — the big woods owl that has no horns or ears. It is commonly known as the "Hoot Owl" on ac- count of its well-known hooting, which Mr. Robert Ridgway interprets "Who-who-who-who-who-who-who-r-r-e-you?" although sometimes translated as "Who cooks for you all?" "This call is far louder than the deep bass hooting of the Great Horned Owls, and is also more varied. Frequently it is preceded by a very loud, blood-curdling shriek, causing the hair of the uninitiated to rise on his head and his knees to tremble for fear that a panther is prowling in the neigh- borhood. When several get together their nocturnal concerts are very

808 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

entertaining. One appears to tell some joke or do something funny, at which the rest set up a hearty though demoniacal he, he, he, he, hi, hi, hi, hi, ha, ha, ha, ha, and the uncanny company is boisterously hilarious for a few moments, when the solitude of the night again reigns supreme." (Birds of Illinois, I, pp. 409, 410.)

Mr. F. M. Chapman says: "The usual call is a sonorous 'Who-who- who, who-whoo, to whoo-oh/ '• (B. E. N. A., p. 216.)

They begin mating in February, and some years may lay that month, though it is usually in March. The nest is in the hollow of a tree; or when that is not convenient, in an abandoned crow's or hawk's nest. The female appears to incubate the eggs, which requires from three to four weeks. Unless the eggs are taken, but one brood is raised.

They may be seen abroad on sunless days, and then usually receive much notice from crows and other birds, which collect to persecute them. Mr. H. K. Coale informs me of an unique instance of this. June 15, 1884, in Starke County, Indiana, he came upon a Barred Owl in a high tree. It was being attacked by the following birds: Wood Thrush, Blue Jay, Gnat-catcher, Great Crested Fly-catcher, Red Start and Yellow Warbler, all calling and flying at it. Mr. H. W. McBride kept a pair until they were a year old, but they did not breed.

Occasionally the Barred Owl eats a chicken, but this is not common, and perhaps most frequently when snow covers the ground in winter. The examination of the stomachs of these owls, made under the direc- tion of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, shows that of 109 examined 5 contained poultry or game; 13, other birds; 46, mice; 18, other mammals; 4, frogs; 1, a lizard; 2, fish; 14, insects; 2, spiders; 9, crawfish, and 20 were empty. (Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. and M., IT. S. Dept. Agr., p. 156.) But about 4J per cent, of its food is poultry or game, and this is doubt- less mostly obtained from fowls roosting in. trees or exposed places. By far the bulk of their food is composed of injurious animals, the principal part of which is mice. We are disposed to wage war upon them for the occasional pullet they destroy and consider not the ten destructive mice of which they rid us.

83. GENUS SCOTIAPTBX SWAINSON.

149, (370). Scotiaptex cinerea (GMBL.).

Great Gray Owl.

Largest of our Owls. No ear tufts. Wing, 16.00-18.00; bill, small, nearly hidden by feathers; eyes, yellow; general color, dusky grayish- brown and grayish-white.

Length, 25.00-30.00; tail, 11.00-12.50. (Fisher).

r»MM)S OK INDIANA. so:>

KANGE. — Northern North America; south in winter to northern border of United States, casually to southern New England, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois and southern Montana and California. Breeds from Hudson Bay territory and Washington State throughout the northern timber area.

Nest, of sticks, lined with feathers, in trees. Eggs, 2-4; dull white; 2.16 by 1.71.

Accidental visitor in winter. From the northern part of the State it has been reported by Dr. A. W. Brayton, and Mr. E. R. Quick has noted it in Franklin County, where it was captured several years ago. It has been reported from Ohio, Michigan and Illinois also. Its home is far north. Mr. E. W. Nelson says it is a common and well- known resident throughout all the wooded parts of Alaska, and thence south to Washington Territory (N. H. Coll. Alaska, p. 150). From there it ranges into the Anderson River district and throughout the Hudson Bay country.

84. GENUS NYCTALA BEEHM.

*150. (372). Nyctala acadica (GMBL.).

Saw- whet Owl. Synonym, ACADIAN OWL.

Smallest Owl of the eastern United States; no ear tufts; wing, less than 6 inches; tail, less than 3.50 inches; above, brown, more or less spotted with white; beneath, white, striped with reddish-brown.

Length, 7.25-8.50; wing, 5.25-5.90; tail, 2.80-3.25. (Fisher).

RANGE. — North America eastward, from Carolinas and Kentucky north to Hudson Bay. Westward it ranges south along the moun- tains to Oaxaca, Mex. Breeds from central Indiana, New York and Massachusetts, New Mexico and Arizona northward.

Nest, in hollow tree, Woodpecker's hole, occasionally in open, de- serted nest. Eggs, 3-7; pure white; 1.19 by 1.00.

Not uncommon resident northward; irregular winter resident south. Some winters rather common locally. Occasionally little parties or families are found in a, locality, and it is very interesting to note the precision with which one will occupy a certain perch, and if it is taken, another will take its place. In the vicinity of Chicago it seems tol- erably numerous. Mr. Nelson mentions over a dozen having been taken within two years (Bull. Essex Inst., Dec., 1876, p. 117). Mr. H. K. Coale reports from that general locality thirty specimens within ten years (Ridgway, B. of L, .Sec. 7, p. 414). Mr. B. T. Gault took a specimen in a grove at Sheffield, Lake County, Indiana, June 14,

810 REPORT ov STATIC (JuouxjisT.

1889; another, June 28. They were iathe juvenile or albifrons stage. He thinks they undoubtedly were raised there. In Boone County, Mr. J. E. Beasley says, it occurs both summer and winter. Prof. B. W. Evermann thus gives an account of its nesting in Carroll County, May 8, 1883: "In an old thicket near Burlington I found six young Saw-whets in a hole in a dead elm. The hole was about twenty feet from the ground, and the young Owls were able to fly." He adds he has heard it at various times in the spring. (The Auk, Oct., 1888, p. 351.) This is the most southerly record of its nesting (Bendire, L. H. N. A. B., I, p. 350).

The winter of 1886-7 they seem to have been generally dis- tributed over the State. Dr. A. W. Brayton informs me that winter they were rather common in Indianapolis. The fall of 1894 Mr. Jesse Earlle found them near Greencastle. The following summary of his notes is given. November 10 found one so tame he caught it in his hands. November 26 saw another, but failed to catch it. It was in the identical place where he caught the first one. It had brownish eyes. November 27 found one, a male, dead, 011 the railroad, about a mile from where he found the others. December 15 saw two; caught one, which was at the same place where first was taken, in a butterfly net. One of these was probably the same one seen November 26, as its eyes were similar. December 17, caught the remaining one, with brownish eyes, a female. He tried to keep this and the first one taken, alive, but after about a month they died. They have been reported from the following additional counties: Franklin, April 29, 1883 (Raymond); Tippecanoe (Dr. E. Test); Allen, rare (Stockbridge); Dekalb (E. W. McBride, Snyder); Fayette, January 10, 1887 (Eehme); Monroe, November, 1886 (Evermann); Wabash, November 20, 1894 (Ulrey and Wallace).

The Saw- whet Owl is decidedly nocturnal. It seems totally blinded and helpless in bright daylight. It is the smallest Owl found within this State. The absence of tufts on its head renders it easily distin- guishable from the Screech Owl. They usually nest in cavities in trees, sometimes, perhaps, beginning . in April and continuing through May. It is thought that both sexes assist in incubation. The note of this Owl is rasping, reminding one somewhat of the sound made by filing a cross-cut saw. From this it derives its name. Of 22 stomachs examined, 17 contained mice; 1, a bird; 1, an insect, and 3 were empty. (Dr. Fisher, Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. and M., IT. S. Dept. Agr., p. 162.) Its favorite food is mice, and it is friendly to all whom the mice despoil.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 811

85. GENUS MEGASCOPS KAUP.

*151. (373.) Megascops asio (LINN.).

Screech Owl.

Screech Owl.

"Toes more or less distinctly feathered or bristled on upper side; ear tufts conspicuous; plumage presenting two totally distinct phases, having no relation to sex, age or season, one grayish, the other bright rufous; a more or less conspicuous bright colored stripe runs along each side of the back and a blackish line along the shafts of the feathers, sometimes throwing out transverse bars.

"Length, 6.50-10.00; wing, 5.60-7.10; tail, 3.00-3.70." (Fisher).

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Texas and Georgia to Lake Superior and New Brunswick, west to South Dakota and Kansas. Generally resident throughout its range.

Nest, in hollow trees or in old buildings. Eggs, 4-7; white; 1.42 by 1.19.

Eesident; abundant; breeds. Everywhere the little Screech Owl is a well-known bird. Sometimes it is seen in gray plumage, but at this time in Indiana it is more often seen in the red phase. People for- merly thought each color represented a different bird and that we had

812 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

two kinds of Screech Owls, one red, the other gray. The fact is, the color is independent of age, sex or season. This double-color phase is called dichromatism.

In Indiana, in the Wabash Valley, 95 per cent, of the Screech Owls have been found to be red (Eidgway). From the Miami Valley of Ohio and the Whitewater in Indiana about 60 per cent, were found to be red (Langdon, Jour. Gin. Soc. N. H., April, 1882, pp. 52-3). In the winter of 1886-7, in Franklin County, Indiana, red Screech Owls were abundant and gray ones exceedingly rare. Up to 1882 almost all seen were gray, and prior to 1886 red Screech Owls were rare. At Terre Haute and at Bloomington, Carroll County, red is the prevailing phase. But it had not always been so. Prof. B. W. Evermann in 1890 said: "In 1877-'79 we got a good many Screech Owls at Camden, per- haps twenty all told, and I think there were only four or five red ones. Since 1885 I have seen four or five at Burlington, all red. In Wabash County both the red and gray phases are abundant. Since 1886, at Terre Haute, I have seen perhaps fifteen or twenty, and only three or four of them were gray. In 1891 Miss Bessie 0. Gushing (Ridgely) secured three red Screech Owls at Peru." In Lake County, in 1886, Mr. L. T. Meyer said the gray form predominated. Mr. E. M. Hasbrou-k has given us the result of his studies of this problem (Amer- ican Naturalist, Vol. XXXII, p. 521, etc., 1893), from which I make a few notes:

There are places where only the gray is known. There is at least one place, from the neighborhood of the mouth of the Ohio River southward to Louisiana, where only the red form prevails, while be- tween the two areas are found both red and gray. The State of In- diana is in this belt, and the greater part of it is in that portion where the red form predominates. All records show that the offspring of a pair of gray birds are invariably gray. On the contrary, the young of a pair of red birds, or a pair of which one is of each color, red and gray, may be part of one color and part of the other.

To the mind of the author all this presents a nice little study in evolution, in which he has discovered humidity, temperature, acquired characters and forest area are important factors. Mr. Ridgway had previously suggested humidity as one cause. (Proc., U. S. Nat. Mus., 1878, p. 108).

Mr. John Wright, a relative, living in Bartholomew County, told me in the summer of 1897 of some Owls that lived in or near a bridge in that county that attacked a number of persons who attempted to cross the bridge after night. They had attacked him. They were small Owls, he said, and he thought they were this species.

BIRDS OF' INDIANA. 813

They nest in cavities in trees, an old apple tree in an orchard, being a favorite place, in old squirrel nests and old buildings. Eggs are laid in May or early June. Incubation is thought to last about three weeks, beginning with the time the first one is laid. Eggs are deposited every two or three days.

These owls are much more numerous about our towns than they were formerly. English Sparrows have become numerous, and the Screech Owls have found them to be good eating and easily obtained. They keep the number of Sparrows down. In fact, the Sparrows are not nearly so common now as they were a few years ago. The owls are quite nocturnal, sitting through the day with eyes closed, and by ap- proaching carefully, they may often be taken by hand. March 26, 1887, I caught one alive on his perch on the lower limb of a small beech tree. The perch had long been occupied, for there was a great quantity of ejected material below the place where it sat. Amongst the refuse I identified the skull of the following: Mice, Synaptomys cooperi, Arvicola riparius, Calomys americanus; fragments of beetles, cicadae and crawfish. Its stomach contained the remains of a shrew. A specimen sent me by Mr. E. L. Guthrie, Adams, Ind., contained 3 crawfish and one minnow. There is no other record of this Owl eat- ing fish. A specimen taken at Brookville, December 31, 1887, had eaten a quantity of butter. Of 255 stomachs reported upon from the United States Department of Agriculture, 1 contained poultry; 38, other birds; 91, mice; 11, other mammals; 2, lizards; 4, batrachians; 1, fish; 100, insects; 5, spiders; 9, crawfish; 7, miscellaneous; 2, scorpions; 2, earthworms; and 43 were empty (Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. & M., U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 173). Birds were found in about 15 per cent., fully one- third of which were English Sparrows.

Throughout the warmer parts of the year insects form quite a large part of its food. "As nearly three-fourths of the Owl's food consists of injurious mammals and insects, and only about one-seventh of birds (a large portion of .which are destructive English Sparrows), there is no question that this little owl should be carefully protected" (Dr. A. K. Fisher, Year Book U. S. Dept. Agr., 1894, p. 226).

86. GBNUS BUBO DUMEBIL.

152. (375). Bubo virginianus (GMBL.).

Great Horned Owl.

Large and heavy. Ear tufts very conspicuous. Plumage, irregu- larly varied with buffy, tawny, whitish, and dusky, one or other of the colors predominating in the different races. The buffy and tawny

814

EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

tints are most marked in the typical bird, the dusky in the dusky Horned Owl, and white in the Arctic bird.

Length, 18.00-25.00; wing, 14.50-16.00; tail, 8.25-9.00. (Fisher).

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Costa Eica to southern Labrador and eastern Manitoba. Winters to central Texas and middle Kansas. Eesident throughout most of its range.

Great Horned Owl. (Fisher— Year Book United States Department of Agriculture, 1894, p. 228.)

Nest} usually in hollow tree, or deserted nest of other large bird. Eggs, 1-5, usually 2 or 3; white; 2.12 by 1.81.

Common resident. Breeds. In southeastern Indiana this is the most common large Owl. In some other portions of the State it is not so numerous as the Barred Owl, but everywhere it is common. Fre- quents mostly deep woods. It is commonly called "Cat Owl" or the "Big Long-eared Owl," to distinguish it from the Long-eared Owl (Asio

BIRDS OF INDIANA. Slf>

wilsonianus), which is termed "Little Long-eared Owl." This Owl is nocturnal in its habits. Occasionally it is seen abroad on a cloudy day. Then it becomes the target for the attacks of Crows, Kingbirds and other birds. The excited cawing of a lot of Crows on such a day often indicates that an Owl is abroad.

Mr. F. M. Chapman says: "Its usual call is a loud, deep-toned Whoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, whooo, whooo. The syllables are all on the same note, and bear some resemblance to a bass-voiced dog barking in the distance. A much rarer call is a loud, piercing scream, one of the most blood-curdling sounds I have ever heard in the woods." (Birds E. N. A., p. 220.)

Mating begins in January and continues through the next month. They lay their eggs in the nests of Hawks and Crows and in -hollow trees. Prof. A. J. Cook records one instance of the Great Horned Owl and Bed-tailed Hawk occupying the same nest at different times. This had been kept up for years, the former using it in February, the latter in April (Birds of Mich., p. 83). They usually lay their eggs in February, sometimes by the first of the month. Major Bendire thinks about three days elapse between the laying of each egg, and that about 28 days is the incubation period. The female, he thinks, per- forms that duty. Mr. H. W. McBride has raised several, and says he finds it impossible to tame them. He took young Owls, March 14, 1890. Mr. Chas. Barber found a nest near Laporte, March 11, 1892. March 26 he first examined it; then it contained two young, covered with white down. Before the young was piled parts of two rabbits, two rats and two mice; all quite fresh. The Crows had. been con- stantly and persistently bothering the old ones. April 9, one died; April 11, the white downy covering nearly all had disappeared. Bill, cere, and toenails, black; wing-quills, 2J inches long, with tuft of feathers at end; feathers, variegated, yellow and black. From the first, seemed afraid of him. Occasionally pairs may be found breeding most any time in summer as late as October. Mr. F, M. Noe had a half- grown Owl brought to him at Indianapolis, December 1, 1891.

This large Owl destroys more poultry and game than any other of our Owls. This may be largely due to the fact that individuals seem to have a great preference for this kind of food and become unusually destructive. Mr. E. J. Chansler informs me that he lost 59 young Guineas one fall by them. To balance this, sometimes they seem de- termined to live upon rats. Mr. Chas. Dury records that the remains of 113 Norway rats, most of them with the heads split open and the 'brains removed, were found in and about a nest of these Owls, wlnYh

sl(J Rui'ouT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

was in a sycamore stub near a farmer's barn (Journ. Gin. Soc. N. H., April, 1885, p. 66).

Rabbits are the principal mammals eaten, though they are great destroyers of mice. They also eat muskrats, opossums and skunks.

The summary of 127 stomachs examined shows that 31 contained poultry or game birds; 8, other birds; 13, mice; 65, other mammals; 1, a scorpion; 1, fish; 10, insects; and 17 were empty. (Fisher, Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. & M., U. S. Dept. Agr.) Undoubtedly almost all the poultry eaten by the Great Horned Owl is taken from fences, trees and other exposed perches, where many farmers permit their fowls to roost. If they will take care to have them properly housed, the Owls will seldom bother them. The farmer who takes proper care of his poultry has no charge to make against this Owl. To all such it is a beneficial bird. To the fruit growers, by reason of its destruction of rabbits and mice, it is a true friend. Let it be protected accord- ingly.

87. GENUS NYCTEA STEPHENS.

153. (376). Nyctea nyctea (LINN.).

Snowy Owl.

"Ear tufts, rudimentary; plumage, pure white, sometimes almost unspotted, but usually marked more or less with transverse spots or bars of slaty-brown.

"Length, 20.00-27.00; wing, 15.50-18.75; tail, 9.00-10.30." (Fisher).

RANGE.— Northern part of Northern Hemisphere. In North America breeding from Labrador, Hudson Bay and north Alaska, northward. South, in winter, to Ohio Valley; casually to South Caro- lina, Texas, California and Bermudas.

Nest, a few feathers, or bits of moss, in a depression on a knoll. Eggs, 3-10; white; 2.24 by 1.76.

Winter visitor, of irregular occurrence. Most every winter it is seen. Usually it is rare, but occasionally it appears in some numbers. In the northern part of the State it is seen more often than elsewhere. There are but few records from the Whitewater Valley. A specimen taken in Franklin County, in December, 1879, is in the collection of Mr. E.R. Quick, of Brookville. The winter of 1886-7 one was seen north of Brookville, and one was taken at Cedar Grove, December, 1893. In Fayette County one was taken, February 18, 1887 (Rehme), and in Wayne County one was reported during the holidays, 1887 (F. M. Smith). The winter of 1885-6 several were reported from different parts of the State, and in the winter of 1886-7 they were still miore nu-

BIRDS or INDIANA. 817

morons and wci'e generally distributed. They were again observed over the northern part of the State in 1889-90. The earliest appear- ances are early in November, and most of them are generally seen in that month and December. Usually they are gone in February, though one was reported from Valparaiso, March 31, 1887 (Trouslot); jmd Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me of one observed "about May," 1870, in Lake County. Besides a lot of general records, I may mention the following, from the counties named: Carroll, 1865 (Evermann); La-

Snowy Owl.

porte, Michigan City, December 21, 1883 (Miss Coif ax); Lawrence, near Bedford, 1887 (Chansler); Chicago, 111., two, November 3, 1885 (Parker); Porter, two, winter of 1885-6; one prior to that (Trouslot); 1st of November, 1887 (Byrkit); Decatur (Guthrie); 2 taken, several others seen, winter of 1886-7 (Shannon); Putnam, 1888 (Clearwaters); Vigo, November 20, 1889; Olivet, Mich., December 2, 1889, near White Pigeon, Mich., 1889 (Evermann); Allen, one, winter of 1889-90 (Stockbridge); Tippecanoe, February 20, 1891 (Moffitt); Wabash, near Roann, one, probably winter of 1891-2, one, near North Manchester, winter 1893, and one in 1894 (Ulrey and Wallace); Marion, near Southport, November, 1894 (Noe); one also taken at Sandusky, 0., November 26, 1896 (Moseley).

Although they are with us only occasionally, their visits are bene-

52— GEOL.

818 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

ficial. Their chief food, with us, is meadow mice; in the Arctic re- gions these mice and lemmings principally supply its wants. Mr. L. M. Turner, in his "Notes on the Birds of Labrador and Ungava," says: "It never seizes its prey except while the latter is in motion, except in the case, probably, of fish." The examinations of stomachs conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture show, of 38 stomachs of the Snowy Owl examined, 2 contained game birds; 9, other birds; 18, mice; 2, other mammals; and 12 were empty. (Fisher, Bull. No. 3, Div. 0. & M., U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 187.)

The beauty of the plumage of this useful bird marks it for slaugh- ter. It flys by day, and is, therefore, very conspicuous. Few, if any, of those that visit the United States live to return. The winter of 1876-7, Mr. Euthven Deane estimates as many as 500 were killed in New England.

Audubon gives an interesting account of the fishing habits of this Owl, as observed by him at the Falls of the Ohio (Orn. Biog., Vol. II, p. 136).

88. UEVUS SURNIA DUMKRU..

154. (377a). Surnia ulula caparoch (MULL.).

American Hawk Owl.

"No ear tufts; tail rounded at tips, and indistinctly barred with white. Top of head and back of neck, spotted with white and black, or dark brown; a patch of uniform blackish or dark brown on each side of hind neck; upper parts, brown, more or less spotted with white; lower parts, regularly barred with brown.

"Length, 14,75-17.50; wing, 7.50-9.00; tail, 6.80-7.00." (Fisher).

RANGE. — Northern North America. Breeds from Newfoundland and Manitoba, northward. South, in winter, irregularly, to northern United States; Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Da- kota and Montana.

Nest, in natural cavity, in tree or among limbs of bushy conifers. Eggs, 3-7; white; 1.51 by 1.23.

Accidental visitor. Mr. E. R. Quick identified it in Franklin County, in January, 1878.

This Owl is diurnal in its habits. It hunts by day, generally in the morning, or in evening. It nests from Newfoundland northward to the Arctic regions, wherever timber is found. Nelson says: "This is perhaps the most abundant resident bird of prey throughout the en- tire wooded part of northern Alaska/' (N. H. Coll. in Alaska, p. 155.) The Hawk Owl has been taken in the lower peninsula of Michigan, the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 819

last being in 1891 (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 84). It has been noted in Ohio (Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, p. 414), and one record is known from Illinois. It was taken in Kane County by Dr. J. W. Yelie the 1st of September, 1869 (Bull. Esser Inst., Vol. VIII, 1876, p. 117). This Owl is classed among those that are principally beneficial. Incuba- tion begins as soon as the first egg is deposited, and both sexes share in the work (Bendire).

K. ORDER PSITTACI. PARROTS, MACAWS, PAROQUETS, ETC.

XXIX. FAMILY PSITTACID^E. PARROTS AND PAROQUETS.

a1. Middle tail feathers longest. CONURUS. 89

89. GBNUS CONURUS KUHL.

*155, (382). Conurus carolinensis (LINN.).

Carolina Paroquet.

Adult. — Rich grass-green, varying to emerald in some lights, the lower parts lighter and more yellowish-green than the upper; tertials, tips of greater coverts, and basal portion of primaries, greenish-yellow; primaries, dark blue at tips; forehead, lores and cheeks, rich orange-red, or orange-crome; rest of head, with upper part of neck, pure gamboge- yellow; edge of wing, tinged with orange; bill, creamy- white;, eyelids, whitish; iris, blackish-brown; feet, whitish. Immature. — Similar, but no yellow on head or neck, which are green; the forehead only, or the forehead and lores, dull orange-red.

Length, 11.35-14.00; wing, 7.00-7.60; tail, 6.40-7.10.

RANGE. — Formerly eastern United States, from Florida and Gulf coast north to Denver, Col., northern Nebraska, Iowa, northern Illi- nois, southern Michigan, to Albany, N. Y. Now, probably only found locally in Florida and perhaps Indian Territory. Said to breed in cavities, in trees, and also to build nests among the branches.

Eggs, 2; white; 1.39 by 1.07.

Formerly resident; found throughout the State; now extinct. Bred at least north to the vicinity of Indianapolis.

This beautiful little Parrot is now almost extinct. It will soon be entirely exterminated. At present it is probably to be found in small numbers in Florida and in a few favorable localities from there to northeastern Texas and Indian Territory.

820 REPOKT OP STATE GEOLOGIST.

Less than a century ago they reached north into Michigan, thence east to Albany, N. Y., and west into Colorado. In 1806 they reached the mouth of the Manimee (Maumee) in Ohio (Audubon) and prob- ably the northern line of this State. R. Kennicott took specimens in the vicinity of Chicago, and Dr. H. M. Bannister saw it there (Nel- son). They were seen at Madisonville, near Cincinnati, 0., as late as 1840 (Langdon). Audubon says, in 1842, few were to be found higher than Cincinnati.

In the Whitewater Valley, in 1835, they were last reported from Brookville, Ind. They were common in Switzerland County in 1838-9 and were last noted in Clarke County in 1844. From the other coun- ties named the last record I have been able to obtain is as follows: Vermillion, 1844; Parke, 1842; Marion, 1835; Monroe, 1836; Morgan, 1838-40; Owen, 1845; Greene, 1849; Martin, 1845; Knox and Daviess, 1857-8; Posey, 1858; and the latest date is Knox County, 1859.

Thus it will be seen they disappeared from all of Ohio and Indiana, except the lower Wabash Valley, by about 1840. Their range con- tinued to diminish; it is still growing less. There are persons now living from 80 to 90 years of age in this State who can remember when they were to be found in great numbers over more than one-half of the southern part of Indiana. It will not be surprising if they should live to hear that the Paroquets are extinct.

They preferred the valleys of streams and the vicinity of ponds. There they were found in flocks ranging from six to a hundred or more. In such places -grew, in quantities, their favorite food, the "cockle-burr" or "cuckle-burr" (Xanthium canadense Mull.). For these it is said they would leave any other food. Sometimes they would gather — numbers of them — upon a stump and shell out the kernel, leaving instead a pile of empty burrs. Wherever they were found, the universal testimony is, they preferably ate this food. Next to cockle-burrs they preferred hackberries.

In spring they were very destructive in orchards, eating the leaf- buds, blossoms and young fruit. Early apples were often eaten. In fall they fed upon apples, grapes and grain. They also ate cherries, persimmons, black-gum berries, haws, beechnuts, acorns, and pecans. One authority says they split open the apples and ate the seeds, dis- carding the remainder of the fruit. Sometimes, when in large flocks, they seemed bent upon mischief. Then they destroyed an entire crop of fruit. After eating what they wanted they would tear the apples off the tree, and, after taking a bite, throw them to the ground. They also tore off the heads of wheat and threw them upon the ground.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 821

It is always difficult lor those who have not seen a part of the changes that the last century has wrought in the Ohio Valley and Lake Region to comprehend what has occurred. The Paroquets were found there in great numbers. Dr. Rufus Haymond, who wrote the first record of their occurrence in the interior of Indiana, in 1856, said: "This bird was formerly very numerous along the Whitewater River. Several years have elapsed since any of them have b.een seen." Proc. Phil. Acad., November, 1856, p. 293.) Wilson found them in 1810, in flocks, near Lawrenceburg, and in great numbers at the Big Bone Lick, in Kentucky, but a few miles away. When my father was a boy, six or eight years old, about 1816-18, they were common about Brookville. They were quite numerous in Morgan County in 1835-40. Prof. E. T. Cox informs me that they were as numerous about New Harmony in 1826 as Blackbirds (Quiscalus quiscula ceneus) are now. Several others have given the same estimate of their numbers.

Another authority says they alighted upon an apple tree in such numbers as to almost cover it over. They flew in two lines converging to a point, in form resembling the figure made by a flock of Wild Geese (B. canadensis). While on the wing they chatter and cry continually. This cry sounds like qui, with rising inflection on the i. This is re- peated several times, the last one being drawn out like qui-i-i-i (Nehrl- ing, N. A. B., XVI, p. 439).

The older people all claim they roosted and nested in cavities, nat- ural or otherwise, in trees. Prof. John Collett has supplied me with the following note: "In 1842, Return Richmond, of Lodi (Parke County), Ind., cut down, in the cold weather of winter, a sycamore tree some four feet in diameter. In its hollow trunk he found hun- dreds of Parakeets in a quiescent or semi-torpid condition. The weather was too cold for the birds to fly or even to make any exertion to escape. Mr. Richmond cut off with his saw a section of the hollow trunk some five feet long, cut out a doorway one foot by two in size, nailed over it a wire screen of his fanning mill, rolled this cumbersome cage into the house and placed in it a dozen of the birds. They soon began to enjoy the feed of fruit, huckleberries and nuts he gave them, and he had the pleasure of settling absolutely the disputed question of how they slept. At night they never rested on a perch, but sus- pended themselves by their beaks, and with their feet on the side of their cage. This was repeated night after night during their cap- tivity."

Mr. W. B. Seward, of Bloomington, informs me of obtaining some five, he thinks, young Paroquets from a farmer's boy in Owen County, in 1845. His impression is they were taken from the inside of a hoi-

S22 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

low tree, on the borders of White River. This is the farthest north we have any account of their nesting.

Audubon, Wilson and others say they nested in hollow trees. In 1889, while making explorations in Florida, Mr. William Brewster made every inquiry he could concerning the breeding habits of these birds. There he was informed they built nests like those of a Carolina Dove, in the forks of small cypress trees. It is possible that both kinds of sites were selected. The number of eggs is unknown, but has been given as from two to five.

They are easily tamed and make interesting pets. In their wild state they are very affectionate. It is said when one of a flock was wounded the others gathered about, regardless of danger, and made every effort to render the cripple assistance.

The following papers treat of this subject more extensively and are referred to for the benefit of any who care to investigate it further: The Carolina Paroquet (Conurus carolinensis), by Edwin M. Has- brouck (The Auk, Vol. VIII, October, 1891, pp. 369-379). Notes on the Range and Habits of the Carolina Parakeet, by Amos W. Butler (Ibid, Vol. IX, January, 1892, pp. 49-56).

L. OEDER COCCYGES. CUCKOOS, ETC.

SUBORDER CUCULI. CUCKOOS, ETC. XXX. FAMILY CUCULID^E. CUCKCOOS, ANIS, ETC.

SUBFAMILY COCCYGIN^. AMERICAN CUCKOOS.

a1. Tail feathers 10; bill gently curved downwards; colors of plumage soft and blended; wing less than 6.00; tail less than 8.00. COCCYZUS. 90

90. GENUS COCCYZUS VIEILLOT.

a1. Tail feathers except middle pair black with white tips ; lower mandible yellow.

C. americanus (Linn.). 156

a2. Tail feathers grayish brown, with narrow tips of dull whitish; lower mandible not yellow. C. erythrophthalmus (Wils.). 157

*156. (387). Coccyzus americanus (LINN.).

Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Synonyms KAIN CROW, Cow-Cow.

Bill, extensively yellow below, except tip; above, glossy black; cen- tral tail feathers, like the back; above, uniform satiny olive-gray, with bronzy reflections; below, pure white; wings, extensively rufous on inner webs of the quills, the rest black, with large white tips, the outermost usually edged with white.

.Bill US Ol'1 INDIANA.

823

11.90-12.70; wing, 5.40-5.80; tail, 6.00-6.15.

KA.NGE. — Eastern North America, from Costa Rica and West Indies northward to New Brunswick, southern Ontario, and Minnesota. Breeds from Florida and east Texas northward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, a mere platform of twigs, in bushes or in trees, 4 to 20 feet up. Eggs, 2-5, rarely 6 or 7; light greenish-blue; 1.21 by .88.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo. (Bojil.— Farmers' Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture.)

Common summer resident; less numerous northward. Arrives usu- ally early in May. Southern Indiana spring arrivals show as dates first observed: April 23, 1887, May 9, 1893 (Greensburg); April 30, 1895 (Bicknell, Knox County); May 3, 1888 (Vincennes); April 29, 1894, May 3, 1893 (Spearsville, Brown County). Northern Indiana: Lafayette, May 8, 1897; Dekalb County, Sedan, May 11, 1894, May 6, 1895; Waterloo, May 3, 1896, May 6, 1897; Laporte, May 15, 1894, May 10, 1895, May 6, 1896. The following fall records indicate when the last bird was seen. In 1889 the last one remained at Sedan until October 13, and in 1894 the last one was noted at Plymouth, Mich., September 3. In 1896 the last one was noted at Lafayette, October 13. In 1895 the last one was seen at Chicago, 111., September 22; at Lafayette, September 9; at Bicknell, Ind., October 14. The earliest date at which it left Brookville was September 6, 1886, and the latest, October 10, 1884. The last seen in Warren County, in 1897, was September 20. On September 17 old birds were seen feeding their

824 LvKi'oitT OF STATE (i EULOGIST.

young. They begin to leave early IB August. August 16, 1897, at 9:15 p. m., Mr. Barnett heard one in Vermillion County flying south. They sometimes are pairing when they arrive; again they mate soon after arrival. They are very numerous in May, in southern Indiana — one who has not observed them does not know how plentiful they are. Then they frequent orchards, lawns, and woods. Both species are -called Eain Crow, Cow-Cow, and Wood Pigeon.

I have seen them mating May 8 (1886), and as late as June 10 (1893). I have found their nest and eggs by May 20. Prof. B. W. Evermann- found a nest, with fresh eggs, June 30, 1885. They build their nests in thick bushes, on ends of low limbs of trees, especially of beech, and wild grape vines, from 5 to 15 feet high. The usual nest is a mere pretense, a flimsy structure of a few sticks, with a few blos- soms, generally of the oak, with us, upon which to lay the eggs. Occa- sionally a very substantial nest is built — one such was found at Bloom- ington, Ind., by my friend, Mr. 0. M. Meyncke. Often eggs are found upon the ground, beneath the nest; either the bird flirts them out as she leaves the nest or they are thrown out as the limb or bush is swayed by the wind. Incubation begins when the first egg is laid. Young birds and eggs in various stages of incubation, some almost fresh, are often found together. This and the next species occasionally lay in each other's nests, also in the nests of other birds. They, how- ever, do not do this habitually, as the European Cuckoo does.

Its common call, that may be heard throughout its stay, is Cook- cook-cook-cook; another call is, Cow-cow-cow-cow; another is, Ock- ock-ock-ock, sometimes changed into Ke-ock, ke-ock, Tce-ock, ke-ock.

Few birds are of so much service to the farmer. Especially are the fruit growers and nurserymen its debtors. In early spring, they love the orchard. I have known -them to destroy every tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa americana) in a badly infested orchard, and tear up all the nests in a half day. While they may have eaten some caterpillars, out of most of them the juices were squeezed and the hairy skin dropped to the ground. Almost every watchful fruit grower has had a similar experience. Prof. F. H. King found, upon examination, that one had eaten nine larvae of a species that destroys the foliage of black walnut trees. They also eat many canker-worms. Of nine specimens dissected by Dr. B. H. Warren, all but one had eaten in- sects, chiefly taken from shade and forest trees; these were beetles and caterpillars, besides one had eaten grasshoppers and snails (Helix), and one had eaten berries. While they occasionally eat some of the smaller fruit, their work all summer long is to protect the fruit tree from its enemies. Although it has been accused of robbing

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 825

the nests of other birds, and eating their eggs, I do not believe the charge has been sustained.

The results of the examinations of 21 stomachs of these birds showed that the contents consisted of 355 caterpillars, 18 beetles, 23 grass- hoppers, 31 sawflies, 14 bugs, 6 flies and 12 spiders; one stomach contained 12 American tent caterpillars; another, 217 fall web worms. (Beal, Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 6).

*157. (388). Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (WiLs.).

Black-billed Cuckoo.

Adult. — Bill, black; tail like the back and tipped with white; under surface of tail feathers, dull white; eyelids, red. Above, uniform olive gray, with bronzy reflections; below, pure white, sometimes with faint tawny tinge on fore parts; wings, with little or no rufous. Imma- ture.— Eyelids, yellow, more grayish above.

Length, 11-.00-12.70; wing, 5.12-5.65; tail, 6.25-7.00.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil, Amazon Valley to Labrador, Mani- toba and east Assiniboia. West to Rocky Mountains. Breeds from about latitude 35 degrees north. Winters from Florida south.

Nest, similar to that of C. americanus, but a little better built. Eggs, 2-5, rarely 6 or 7; smaller and darker green than those of last species; 1.11 by .78.

Summer resident; common northward; much less numerous south- ward, except during migrations, when it is common. It is common north of the Wabash River, and, perhaps, locally farther south. Fol- lowing 1884, Prof. Evermann thought this species became more com- mon than the last in Carroll and Monroe Counties. We have been accustomed to regard this species as a later migrant than the last. Some years it is, others they come together, and occasionally it is much earlier. I took it at Brookville, April 26, 1892. This is the only record of its arrival in April. In 1893 I did not get it until May 16. In southern Indiana, it may be expected between those dates. In the northern part of the State, the following will give some idea of the date of its first arrival: Lafayette, May 7, 1897; Dekalb County, Sedan, May 11, 1894, May 6, 1895; Waterloo, May 3, 1896, May 14, 1897; Laporte, May 9, 1896.

They leave in August and September, but occasionally one may be seen well through October. At Chicago, 111., the last was seen September 25, 1895, October 24, 1885; Plymouth, Mich., September 20, 1894; Bicknell, Knox County, Ind., September 16, 1894; Greens- Inirg, September 26, 1896; Warren County, September 23, 1897.

826 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Their mating, nesting and other habits are substantially the same as the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. They build insecure nests, and lay irregularly. A nest may be seen with a fresh egg, one ready to hatch, and a young bird well fledged. Nests may be found from early May well through the summer. A set of eggs in the collection of the United States Museum was taken near Mt. Carmel, 111., May 7, 1878 (Bendire, L. H., N. A. Birds, II., p. 29). The eggs must have been laid with little time intervening. Usually considerable interval elapses between the laying of each egg, and incubation begins soon after the first one is laid. Sometimes, however, an egg is laid each day. Both sexes incubate. Prof. A. J. Cook mentions four taken at St. Clair Flats, July 20, 1893 (Birds of Mich., p. 86). Mr. J. F. Clearwaters found a nest, containing two fresh eggs, in a willow thicket, near Michigan City, August 13, 1891. Some years most of the birds have left at that date. The nest of the Black-billed Cuckoo is, perhaps, a little more substantial than that of the Yellow-billed. Its eggs are smaller, and a deeper shade of green.

Its food is much the same as that of the last species. Prof. Forbes informs us that 75 per cent, of the food of some he examined contained canker-worms (Eept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1891, p. 204). Prof. F. H. King says 13 ate 13 hymenoptera, 68 caterpillars, 10 beetles, 26 orthoptera, and 2 harvestmen (Geol. of Wis.,Vol. 1,1883, p. 568). Prof. Beal notes that 16 taken during the summer months ate 328 caterpillars, 11 beetles, 15 grasshoppers, 63 sawflies, 3 stink bugs, and 4 spiders (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 5). Almost entirely do they eat injurious insects, and their work is distinctively beneficial, because they eat so largely of those hairy, destructive caterpillars that other birds do not choose for food. Its common note is a soft coo- coo-coo-coo. In addition, it has other notes, resembling those of the last species.

SUBORDER ALCYOKES. KINGFISHERS. XXXI. FAMILY ALCEDINID^E. "KINGFISHERS.

Characters same as family. CERYLE. 91

91. GBNUS CBRYLE BOIK. Subgenus STREPTOCBRYLE Bonaparte. •

*158. (390). Ceryle alcyon (LINN.).

Belted Kingfisher.

Adult Male. — Head with crest; above, bluish-gray, with a white collar, wings marked with white. Below, white; band across breast and sides, bluish-gray. Adult Female. — Sides tinged with ru-

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

827

Inns; kind JKTOSS belly, rufous. Immature. — Similar to adult, but band across breast and sides tinged with rufous.

Length, 13.50-14.50; wing, 9.10-9.50; tail, 3.80-4.30.

RANGE. — Forth America, from Panama and West Indies to Arctic Ocean. Breeds from Florida and Texas, northward. Winters from Virginia, southern Indiana, southern Illinois and Kansas, southward.

Belted Kingfisher.

Nest, a burrow in a steep bank, usually near water. Eggs, 5-8; pure white; 1.36 by 1.05.

Resident southward, the extent and number depending upon the severity of the winter, and the number of open streams; common summer resident northward. In the northern part of the State, they usually depart late in October or early in November, and return in

Syndactyle foot of Kingfisher.

March and early April. During mild winters, they doubtless remain wherever open water is found. Mr. Jerome Trombley says it is occa- sionally seen in mild winters in Monroe County, Mich. (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 86), but in 1897 it was not seen until April 18. One was reported from Dekalb County, February 15, 1888 (H. W. McBride). He also notes it first seen in 1889, March 5. In 1893, it was first

EEroirr OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

seen in Dekalb Count}7", Sedan, April 5 (Mrs. Hine). At Waterloo, in 1894, March 18; 1896, March 29 (Feagler).

Those living away from water courses and lakes do not know how numerous Kingfishers are, and sometimes persons living along streams think them more common than they are. A pair cover a certain stretch of river, having certain places where they alight and watch for fish. They are very busy, and their loud rattling noise often gives the impression that there are more than the actual number.

I have seen them mating at Brookville as early as March 24 (1893), and as late as April 15 (1887). In April they excavate a hole in a precipitous bank, usually of a water course, and therein deposit their eggs. Sometimes by May 10 a full set is laid. Along the rivers sub- ject to- high waters, many of these birds seem to have learned to build in other higher banks; occasionally, however, one builds on the low river banks, and is drowned out. They generally breed in single pairs. Some places they are found in colonies, and the banks are honeycombed with their burrows. Often they and swallows occupy the same bank, even sometimes having a common entrance to their burrows. Dr. F. W. Langdon found, near Cincinnati, 0., May 22, 1879, in the same creek bank, the burrows of a Kingfisher and of a Eough- winged Swallow. Each was occupied by the owner. Bach bur- row was occupied, in addition, by a colony of Bumble Bees, all dwelling in perfect harmony. The Kingfisher was. sitting*, and would not leave her eggs until taken by the bill and lifted off (Journ. Cin. Soc. N. H., Dec., 1881, p. 338).

The Kingfisher reminds one of a Woodpecker, which excavates holes in banks instead of trees. It lives principally upon fish, although insects are sometimes eaten. The bones, scales and other indigestible portions of its food: are ejected in pellets, as is the custom with Owls.

M. ORDER PICI. WOODPECKERS, WRYNECKS, ETC.

XXXII. FAMILY PICIDJE. WOODPECKEBS.

a1. Toes 3. PICOIDES.

a2. Toes 4.

bl. Head with a conspicuous crest; size, much over a foot long. c1. Bill white. CAMPEPHILUS. 92

c2. Bill dark. CEOPHLCEUS. 95

62. Head not crested.

dl. Outer hind-toe longer than outer front-toe.

el. Upper mandible with three distinct ridges, one in the middle, one on each side ; groove from nostrils to near the end of bill ; plumage not yellowish below. DRYOBATES. 93

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 829

f-. Upper mandible with one middle ridge; grooves from nostril running to about the middle of cutting edge of upper mandible; plumage with more or less yellow below. SPHYBAPICUS. 94

d*. Outer hind-toe not longer than outer front-toe.

f1. Plumage of lower parts spotted with black; under surface of quills and tail feathers yellow or reddish ; upper mandible without distinct lateral ridge or nasal groove. COLAPTES. 97

f2. Plumage of lower parts without spots; under surface of quills and tail feathers without yellow or red ; upper mandible with a distinct lateral ridge and nasal groove. MELANERPES. 96

92. GKNUS CAMPEPHILUS GRAY.

159, (392). Campephilus principalis (LINN.).

Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

A dull Male. — Bill, ivory-white. Most of plumage, glossy black; a conspicuous scarlet crest; white feathers covering nostrils; a white stripe beginning under each eye, and extending down the sides of neck, arid meeting on the back; secondaries and end of shorter pri- maries, white. Adult Female. — Similar, but with black crest.

Length, 19.75-21.60; wing, 9.00-10.00; tail, 6.25-6.80.

EANGE. — Formerly South Atlantic and Gulf States, from North Carolina to Texas, north in the Mississippi Valley to Missouri, south- ern Illinois, and southern Indiana. Now restricted to the Gulf States and the lower Mississippi Valley, where only locally distributed (A. 0. IT. Check List).

Nest, an excavation in a dead tree. Eggs, 3-5; glossy white; 1.37 by .99. (Bendire.)

Formerly resident, locally, in the southern part of Indiana; now extinct within our limits. It, like the Carolina Paroquet, has grad- ually retired from the Ohio Valley, and all the land formerly occupied by it, till now it is only found in certain localities in the Gulf States and the lower Mississippi Valley, being, perhaps, most numerous in Florida. It frequents the heavily wooded lowlands and cypress swamps, excavating its nests in the large dead top limbs of the largest trees. Dr. E. Raymond, in 1869, mentioned it as a former resident of Franklin County, where, he afterwards told me, it frequented the swampy woods and vicinity of the beaver ponds, in what is now Bath and Springfield Townships. From the late Mr. Louis Bollman, Prof. Evermann learned that it was formerly found in Monroe County. Mr. Eobert Eidgway recalled having seen it in White County, 111., which adjoins Posey County, Ind. Audubon mentions it nesting at Henderson, Ky., and speaks of it occurring in Indiana. Undoubtedly, too, Wilson, gained his knowledge from his trip down the Ohio Eiver,

830 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

in 1810, to write the beautiful tribute to it, beginning, "Majestic bird! the broad Ohio knows its presence well."

Its white bill has given it the local name of "White-billed Log- cock," or "White-billed Woodcock," to distinguish it from the "Pi- leated Woodpecker."

There have been reports of its occurrence in this State in recent years, but I have not been able to verify them.

(See Hasbrouck, The Auk, Vol. VIII., 1891, pp. 174-186. Also Maurice Thompson, "A Red-headed Family/')

93. GENUS DRYOBATES BOIB.

a1. Wing 4.25 or more; outer tail feathers white. D. villosus (Linn.). 160 a2. Wing under 4.25; outer tail feathers barred with black.

D. pubescens (Linn.). 161

*160. (393). Dryobates villosus (LINN.).

Hairy Woodpecker.

Adult Male. — Above, black, with a long white stripe down middle of the back; sides of head, with white stripes; with a red band across the back of head; the wing coverts and quills with white spots; below, whitish; outside tail feathers, white; others, black, or black and white. Adult Female. — Similar, but lacking the red on head. Im- mature.— With the crown more or less red or yellow.

Length, 8.50-9.00; wing, 4.50-5.00; tail, 3.10-3.60.

KANGE. — Eastern United States and South Atlantic and Gulf States; north to Nova Scotia, Quebec and Manitoba; west to Montana, Wyoming, Kansas and eastern Texas. Besident throughout most of its range.

Nest, an excavation in dead or dying tree. Eggs, 3-5; glossy white; .93 by .71.

Common resident; more numerous southward in fall, winter and spring. Breeds. Not as numerous as the next species, which is smaller and more sociable, but almost its exact pattern in coloration. Sometimes found about orchards and lawns, and other rather open places, though it frequents the woodland, where it generally nests. It is especially active in its warfare upon insects. Both this Woodpecker and the next have stiff, pointed tongues, sharply barbed for sticking and extracting insects; they are also supplied with a sticky secretion, which assists them in gathering food. They live largely upon the larvae that bore in the wood or burrow beneath the bark of trees, and upon ants. One instance is recorded of their catching and storing Colorado Potato Beetles, They also eat the fruits of dog-wood, Vir-

BIBDS OF INDIANA.

831

ginia creeper, and poison ivy. Prof. Beal informs us that from one- third to three-fourths of its food consists of insects which are chiefly noxious.

Hairy Woodpecker.

(Beal— Bulletin No. 7, Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, United States Department

of Agriculture, p. 14.)

The examinations made by the United States Department of Agri- culture show that 82 of these Woodpeckers ate 68 per cent, of animal matter, 31 per cent, vegetable, and 1 per cent, mineral. Of the animal food, 17 per cent, was ants; 24, beetles, adult and larvae; 21, cater- pillars; 2, bugs and plant lice; 4, spiders and myriapods (Bull. No. 7, Div. 0. and M., U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 11).

It mates early, and usually may be found breeding in April, in the dead tops or larger limbs of forest trees. I have noticed it seems to pre- fer hard maple. One brood is raised in a season. Both birds assist in incubation, which lasts about two weeks. The young are fed by

832 REPORT OP STATE GEOLOGIST.

regurgitation, as are most Woodpeckers. Most people can distinguish it by its larger size. To such it is commonly known as "Big Spotted Woodpecker/' or "Big Sapsucker." Against this latter name I desire to protest. It is not a sapsucker, but a destroyer of injurious insects, for which I trust it may receive the protection which it deserves.

*161. (394). Dryobates pubescens (LINN.).

Downy Woodpecker.

Head of Downy Woodpecker. Natural size.

Smaller, but coloration similar to D. villosus, except the outer tail feathers, which are barred with black; the smaller size will distin- guish it.

Length, 6.25-7.00; wing, 3.55-4.15; tail, 2.30-2.70.

RANGE. — Eastern and northern North America, from Florida to Labrador and North Alaska; west to eastern Texas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Manitoba, Northwest Territory, and irregularly to California and Washington. Resident generally throughout its range.

Nest, a hole in a tree. Eggs, 3-6; glossy white; .76 by .59.

Common resident. This is the smallest of our Woodpeckers, and is at the same time the most sociable. It is called "Little Spotted Woodpecker" and "Little Sapsucker." This last it is not. Let no one accuse it wrongly. They come about our homes in winter, even into towns, to let us know that they are present and ever watchful for our interests. When they do not come to us, a walk into the orchard or the wood pasture will almost always bring them within sight. But some windy November day, when rain or snow, one can't tell which, threatens, when every bird is out of sight, a rather deep hollow in the lea of a bluff is found to be peopled by a goodly company, not of Downy Woodpeckers, for they seem never to be very sociable with each other, but a mixed party, a composite of bird life, in which sev- eral quite different birds are recognized. The greatest number are Juncos. There are more of them than all other kinds together. A

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 833

few Tree Sparrows and a Song Sparrow are with them, chipping on the ground. A pair of Carolina Chickadees and a pair of Tufted Titmice are searching the fence. A few Goldfinches are swinging on the dried Goldenrod stalks, and, last, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, one of which is vigorously pounding with his bill the trunk of a small willow. All are active; all are happy. Each is talking as earnestly and cheer- fully as it can in its own language. Upon the approach of an in- truder, all leave, the Downy Woodpecker being the last to go. Tufted Titmice and Juncoes lead the way. Such companies are ever found from frost to March. Not always composed of the same kinds of birds, for sometimes one, sometimes another feature will be absent. At other times, Bluebirds, Cardinals, or Nuthatches may be of the company. What a jolly band! Eating weed seeds, destroying insects, and bringing cheer even on the most cheerless days. They roost and pass the most inclement weather in their old nest sites.

Late in March, or early in April, the bands begin to break up. Mating begins sometimes by April 1. Nesting begins about the mid- dle of the month. They nest in holes in fences, in orchard trees, in dead willows along streams, in dead stubs in the woods, generally not high up. Both sexes incubate, which requires about twelve days. But one brood is raised a year.

The food habits of this species are essentially the same as the last. It frequents orchards and yards more. Beginning at the base of a tree, it searches every inch of trunk and branch out to the smallest limb, searching for insects. In summer they may often be seen examin- ing the apples, and from the blossoms occasionally extracting a coddling moth. Its food is much similar to the last, but it eats a larger percentage of insects, principally ants, and less vegetable food. I have often found them feeding upon sunflower seeds, of which they are very fond. The following summary from investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture shows that of 140 stomachs examined, 74 per cent, of the contents was animal; 25, vegetable, and 1, mineral; 23 per cent, was ants; 24, beetles and their larvae; 16, cater- pillars; 3, grasshoppers; 4, bugs and plant lice; 1, flies; 3, spiders and myriapods (Bull. No. 7, Div. of 0. and M., p. 11). Prof. Beal notes that of the 7 species examined, our most common one, the Downy Woodpecker, is the most beneficial. Three-fourths of its food is in- sects, but few of which are useful. The greatest harm it does is in spreading the seeds of poison ivy. These seeds have a hard shell; the juices of the stomach do not destroy them. They are dropped, ha\ •in-- full vitality, and sprout where they fall.

58— GEOL.

834

REPORT OP STATE GEOLOGIST.

94. UKNUS SPHYRAPICUS BAIRL.

*162. (402). Sphyrapicus varius (LINN.).

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Synonyms, YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER, SAPSUCKER.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

(Real. -Bulletin No. 7, Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, United States Department

of Agriculture, p. 28.)

Adult Male. — Crown, forehead, chin and throat, crimson; other up- per parts, black, marked, or variegated with white or yellowish-white; a line from nostril, helow the eye, and one from behind the eye, run- ning backwards, white, sometimes tinged with yellowish; wings, black, the feathers with white spots, generally in pairs; wing coverts, chiefly white; tail with middle pair of feathers and upper coverts mostly

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 835

white. Below, belly pale yellow; sides with dusky pointed spots; breast crossed with black, from which a black stripe runs on side of throat to the base of the bill. Adult Female.— Chin and throat,

white; crimson restricted or wanting on top of head. Immature.

Black, red and white of head, neck and breast wanting, or nearly so; above, the mottling more or less brownish.

Length, 7.75-8.75; wing, 4.80-5.00; tail, 2.90-3.20.

RANGE.— Eastern and northern North America, from Costa Rica and West Indies north to Nova Scotia, northern Ontario, Great Slave Lake, Ft. Liard, B. C.; west to Texas, Kansas, North Dakota and Manitoba. Accidental in Greenland. Breeds from mountains of North Carolina, northern New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, northward. Winters from Illinois, Indiana and Pennsyl- vania, southward.

Nest, a hole in a tree. Eggs, 5-7; glossy white; .88 by .67.

Winter resident southward, and, occasionally, over most of the State, varying in numbers; rare summer resident northward; common everywhere during migrations.

This is the Sapsucker. Others are called by his name, and get the credit of his deeds. It is more quiet and sluggish than the other Woodpeckers commonly seen. With its bill it pierces the bark of several kinds of trees, making round, oval or approximately quad- rangular holes, arranged in circles or spirals, about the trunk or larger limbs. This is done for three things; to secure the sap; to obtain the inner bark (cambium); to attract insects. All of these it feeds upon. It knows when sugar making begins. Then its work upon the sugar and soft maples begins. I have found their borings, from which sap was flowing, February 15, 1896. Through March and into April they continue this work. As warm days come in March, the insects are drawn by the flow of sap and sometimes, upon the east hill-sides, the sound from their wings recalls the hum of a hive of bees. In this way food comes to the eater. But little effort is required on the part of the Sapsucker to supply his wants. In some parts of the New England States it has been observed they have sugar orchards which they frequent regularly. In fall when they come to us they resume their work of piercing the bark of maple, apple, and other trees. Sometimes they merely reopen the old puncture, by cutting the healing edges, and enlarging the hole. I have found their fresh work on young apple trees, never before pierced, as late as November 19, 1895. Pine trees are also girdled, chiefly, however, through the winter, for among them the Sapsucker spends his winter, and about lawns where pines and maples grow together they are most commonly

83G REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

found at that season. By spring they have removed most of the bark- scales from the pine, and it then appears quite clean. The resin flows from the wounds the bird has made and forms milky streaks and gummy excrescences later in the season, which look unsightly. The damage they do is to lawn and orchard trees. The pines are weakened, their tops girdled until they become bent, and even blown off by the wind. Apple trees and choice maples are seriously damaged, espe- cially when the Sapsuckers are very abundant. I have counted six of these birds, at one time, on a dozen sugar-maples in front of one lot in my own town, and have seen the sap flow in a stream. Mrs. Jane L. Hine, in the spring of 1888, saw, one of these birds alight beneath a tap in a small maple tree near its top. It emptied the holes of sap, then waited for it to collect, and drank again. This was repeated time after time for hours. The observer determined to stay until the bird was satisfied or left. She watched it from 10 o'clock in the morning until 5 o'clock in the evening, and then left the bird where she first saw it. In the entire seven hours it had not moved more than a yard from the holes from which it drank. They, of course, get the principal supply of sap at the time when it flows most freely. Then they also eat most of the inner bark. At these times they also eat much insect food, and as summer comes they undoubtedly live more and more upon insects. The tongue is not provided with a spear-like point, and it can not be extended as far as other Wood- peckers project theirs, because of the short hyoid. Instead, the tip of the tongue of the Sapsucker is provided with stiff hairs, and farther back with spines. The hairs may serve as a brush or mop, or to guide the sap onto the tongue, and they and the spines may serve them in their insect-catching. Prof. F. E. L. Beal, in Bulletin No. 7, of the Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, of the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture, informs us that of eighty-one stomachs examined, 50 per cent, of the food was animal and 50 per cent, vegetable. Of the former 36 per cent, was ants; 5, beetles and their larvae; 2, cater- pillars; 1, grasshoppers; 1, bugs and plant lice; 3, flies, and 2, spiders and myriapods. Fruit formed 26 per cent, of the entire food, and the inner bark of trees 23 per cent., most of which was eaten in April and October.

In southern Indiana they usually appear in October, and through that month and well into November they are common. The earliest date I have seen them in fall at Brookville was September 24, 1886. Mr. H. V. Barnett noted the first arrivals in Warren County, Sep- tember 21, 1897. When with us they utter a call that reminds one of the low mew of a cat. This is most often heard in spring. Gener-

Report of State Geologist, 1897.

PLATK XXIV

Beal, Bull. No. 7., Div. Oruith. and Mam.. U. S. Dep. Agr.

PILEATED WOODPECKER.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 837

ally some winter, some occasionally remain even north of the center of the State. It has been noted at Brookville almost every winter for the past seventeen years. Prof. Evermann reported it from Carroll County December 15, 1884, and January 11, 1885, and Mrs. lline observed it at Sedan, Dekalb County, January 25, 1894. They begin to become more abundant when sugar-making begins; generally in February and through March are common, some years abundant. Sometimes they leave early in April, April 2, 1893; April 6, 1895. Other years they remain until the last of that month, April 30, 1887. Mr. E. E. Quick saw one in June, 1891. The first migrants arrive at the northern boundary about April 1. Chicago, 111., April 1, 1885; April 3, 1886; Sedan, March 31, 1896; Laporte, March 30, 1896. I saw them mating at Brookville April 5, 1897, at which date they were common.

It has been found breeding in the following counties: Carroll (Ever- mann), Laporte (Coburn); Starke, English Lake, "abundant breed- ing," June 3, 1888 (Deane); Dekalb, 1888, 1890 (Mrs. Hine), 1889 (H. W. McBride); Porter, 1895, 1896 (Parker). Mrs. Hine first ob- served the Sapsucker in summer in 1888. That summer she saw their young oftener than those of any other woodpecker. In the summer of 1890 she saw old birds feeding their young. Mr. H. W. McBride took three eggs from a nest, near Waterloo, May 13, 1889. Mr. J. G. Par- ker, Jr., collected one young, saw them at Kouts in 1895. He found it breeding at the same place May 28, 1896. The nests do not differ from those of other woodpeckers. They have been found from eight to fifty feet high. Eggs may be looked for in May. An egg is laid daily until the set is complete. Both parents take part in incuba- tion. The young are fed almost wholly upon insects. At that time the old birds develop an expertness at fly-catching that is .very notice- able. Aside from their damage to orchards and lawn trees, they are very beneficial birds.

95. GENUS CEOPHLCEUS CABANIS.

*163. (405). Ceophlceus pileatus (LINN.).

Pileated Woodpecker. Synonyms, BLACK WOODCOCK, LOGCOCK, BIG BLACK WOODPECKER.

Adult Male. — Brownish-black; top of head, conspicuous, crest and stripe from base of lower mandible, bright red; white stripe from the eye, and one from the nostril, backwards and along the side of the neck, white and yellowish; throat, white; bases of wing feathers, white:

838 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

bill, dark. Adult Female. — Similar, but with fore part of head black- ish, and red stripe at base of lower mandible wanting.

Length, 15.15-19.00; wing, 8.90-10.00; tail, 6.60-7.40.

RANGE. — Formerly the heavily-wooded region of North America, south of about latitude 63 degrees, and Mexico, except in the southern Rocky Mountains; now rare or extirpated in the more thickly settled parts of the Eastern States.

Nest, excavation in tree. Eggs, 3-5; glossy white; 1.28 by .95.

Resident, confined to the more heavily-timbered and more inacces- sible portions of the State. Rarely breeds. It was formerly very com- mon, but disappears before civilization. To the older settlers it was known as "Logcock," and "Black Woodcock." It is about thirty years since I can hear of its occurrence in Franklin County. In 1890 I reported it from several counties in which it had been noted, or taken mostly within five years preceding (Proc. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1890, p. 59). From the following, I have no more recent record: Vigo, Dekalb, Decatur, Allen, and Gibson. Since that time it is reported from the following counties: Boone and Fountain; specimens in col- lection of the State Museum; Knox, rare, 1894, February 4, May 24, October 19, one; spring of 1897, two. I saw one fly through the main street of Carlisle, Ind., August 14, 1897 (Chansler). Brown, 1894, rare (Kindle), May 24, one (Barnett); 1895, April 6, two; April 15, April 16, very few (Miss Jacobs). Monroe, 1892, February 13, saw two, took female (Ulrey); Porter, 1894, December 5, saw a male killed by George Wilcox, at Kouts; 1896, December 11, I saw three near same town (J. G. Parker, Jr.).

Mr. C. E. Aiken also informed me he obtained a specimen at Water Valley, Lake County, where it was rare, a few years ago. I have no doubt of its occurrence in limited numbers still in Gibson and, per- haps, several other counties in southwestern Indiana. In fact, it may exist wherever there are extensive woods that are not much frequented. They are more liable to be seen in winter, as the leafless woods and their tendency to range to some extent for food then makes them more conspicuous. Mr. H. Nehrling gives an account of these birds, which every one who has known them in our State will recognize as his own experience. He says: "The Pileated Woodpeckers were con- stantly at work; with powerful strokes they hammered off the bark and captured their insect prey. Their beauty, activity and docility excited my admiration. When I approached one of them too closely, it uttered a loud and laughing ha-he, ha-he, and then took wing. It is very noisy during mating season, and indulges a good deal of it 6 time in drumming on a dry, hollow limb. Its call-note sounds like, a-wicJc,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 839

ii-iuicL'. l)iit. il also utters a tack-tack-tack, which is several times re- peated (N. A. Birds, PL xvi., p. 411). Eggs may be looked for with us late in April and through May. Its nests are excavated in dead trees or snags from 12 to 75 feet up. The opening is 3 to 3£ inches in diameter, and the excavation is from 7 to 30 inches deep, being larger ;il I lie bottom, which is covered with chips, or, sometimes, sand. A new one is generally built each year. They also use a nest or excavate ;i shelter for protection in severe weather. An egg is laid daily. The period of incubation is about 18 days. In this, as in digging the nest and caring for the young, both birds share. But one brood is raised each year.

This, is the largest Woodpecker in the United States except the Ivory-bill. Its powerful bill enables it to tear off tough bark, and dig deep into trees for grubs, borers and ants. Such is its work. Prof. Beal examined 23 stomachs, all taken in fall and winter; 51 per cent, of the contents was animal, and 49 per cent, vegetable matter. The animal matter was chiefly insects, of which ants, beetles, and wood- boring larvae formed the greater part (Bulletin No. 7, Div. 0. and M., U.S. Dept. Agr., p. 32).

96. OENUS MELANERPES SWAINSON.

«'. Head and neck deep red or grayish brown; back black.

M. erythrocephalus (LiNN.). 164

ft2. Head grayish, more or less red on crown; back and wings banded transversely with black and white. M. carolinus (LiNN.). 165

Subgenus MELANKRPRS.

164. (40H). Melanerpes erythrocephalus (LiNN.).

Bed-headed Woodpecker. Synonym, RED-HEAD.

Adult.— Head, neck and breast, crimson; rump, end of secondaries and remaining under parts, white; back, glossy blue-black; bases of secondaries, primaries and tail, black. Immature. — Crimson parts re- placed by grayish-brown.

Length, 9.25-9.75; wing, 5.30-5.70; tail, 3.60-3.75.

RANGE. — Eastern United States, west to Rocky Mountains; from Florida to northern New York, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba. Rare cast of Hudson River. Accidental in Utah and Arizona. Winters ir- regularly throughout northern New York, Pennsylvania. Indiana. Michigan. Breeds throughout its range.

840

REPORT OF STATK (i KOI.OCTST.

Nest, a hole in a tree. Eggs, 4-7, rarely 8; glossy white; .99 by .76.

It is not necessary to introduce the familiar "Red-head" to any In- dianian. It is liable to be found resident in any part of the State, but not always frequenting the same localities winter and summer. How- ever, it usually migrates from the northern part when cold weather

Red-headed Woodpecker.

(Beal.— Bulletin No. 7, Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, United States Department

of Agriculture.)

•

comes, and occasionally seems to leave the State almost entirely. The severity of the weather does not govern their removal. Food supply is the great factor. Some mild winters they leave. Other severe winters they stay. The abundance of mast keeps them. Beech- nuts are the favorite winter food, but all kinds of acorns and other nuts are eaten. Wherever there are quantities of beechnuts, there these Woodpeckers winter. Some winters they are found in one local- ity and are absent in others. They disappear every winter from the Whitewater Valley, and other localities where beechnuts are not

KIKDS OK INDIANA. 841

The past year they were not seen along the Whitewater Biver from October 1, 1896, to April 20, 1897; while in the beechland of Decatur and Shelby counties, they were found all winter. Into the river lowlands it comes as a migrant, while it is resident in the beech woods ten to twenty-five miles away. The winter of 1895-6, it remained in Wayne and Jefferson counties, and at the north end of the State in Dekalb County, where it was found common in colonies (Mrs. Hirre). The winter of 1894-5, they wintered in the following counties, in most of them commonly: Brown, Deca- tur, Putnam, Boone, Parke, Tippecanoe. In 1893-4, in Decutur and Dekalb, but none remained in Brown, where there were no beech- nuts, and where they were the next winter. In 1892-3, they wintered in Lake County, but none remained in Monroe. In 1891-2, they re- mained in Monroe, Bush, and Dekalb.

The winters of 1888-9 and 1885-6, they wintered in the vicinity of Chicago; 1887-8, in Vigo County, in large numbers; beechnuts were common; 1886-7, at Grand Bapids, Mich., and Marion County, Ind. When they all disappear, they are liable to return at any time between March 1 and May 1. Usually, however, they appear in April. This Woodpecker has learned to store its winter food. While it does not do so to the extent the California Woodpecker does, yet at times this habit is quite noticeable. Dr. Haymond was first to observe it here (Proc. P. A., November, 1856, p. 293). Mrs. Hine tells me the winter of 1891-2, they stored, in addition to beechnuts and acorns, some hickory nuts. Prof. 0. P. Hay has given the result of his obser- vations of the hoarding habits of this bird near Irvington in the win- ter of 1886-7, in "The Auk," Vol. IV., July, 1887, pp. 193-196.

The Bed-headed Woodpecker is not as common as.it formerly was. When deadenings were numerous, the numbers of these Woodpeckers therein is beyond estimate. To know these birds as they were, one should live where a deadening of beech timber was near a cherry orchard. There, through June, times were lively and the gay, tri- colored bird of which I wrote was one of the chief factors.

The more attractive mating-call, Kurr-Jcurr, of a month before has given place to the harsher Kahrr-kahrr, which sounds from woods, fence stakes and cherry trees from sunrise till dark. They mate from the first to the middle of May. The nest is in a dead snag or the dead top of a live tree. Beech, maple, and sycamore, are most used here, from 10 to 80 feet high. In prairie districts, fence posts and telegraph poles are used. One egg is laid a day; incubation sometimes begins be- fore the set is laid, and lasts about two weeks. Both parents take part in preparing the nest, incubating and caring for the young. But one brood is reared a year.

842 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

In August they often begin to disappear from their accustomed places. Mr. V. H. Barnett informs me that on the night of October 30, 1897, at 8:15 p. m., he heard the Red-headed Woodpecker and some warblers flying south.

The Red-headed Woodpecker has the greatest range of food of our species. At times its chief food is fruit; for another period it may be chiefly insects; again, it will live on nuts and cereals. Of 101 stomachs reported upon by the United States Department of Agricul- ture, 50 per cent, contained animal matter; 47 per cent, vegetable matter; 3 per cent, mineral matter. The animal matter was insects, of which there were found ants, wasps, beetles, bugs, grasshoppers, moths, caterpillars, spiders, and nryriapods. Ants amounted to about 11 per cent.; beetles, nearty one-third, and grasshoppers and crickets, 6 per cent. Seventeen, collected from May to September, had eaten corn, one had eaten strawberries; 15, blackberries, raspberries; 2, culti- vated cherries; 4, apples; 6, pears (Beal, Bulletin ISTo. 7, Div. 0. and M., pp. 24, 25). Prof. Forbes found that of these birds he examined, 32 per cent, of their food was canker worms (Rep. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204). This Woodpecker seems to be able to adapt itself to any circumstances. It has been accused of robbing birds of their eggs, and I have seen it catching insects after the manner of a flycatcher. While it eats some fruit, except berries and cherries, it eats too small an amount to amount to much. On the contrary, its insect-eating, in which it destroys many large beetles and quantities of grasshoppers, makes it a very beneficial bird ordinarily.

Besides, from the variety of its foods, it is a valuable factor in a contest with any unusual increase of old or the sudden appearance of new insect foes.

Subgenus CENTURUS Swainson.

*165. (409). Melanerpes carolinus (LINN.).

Bed-bellied Woodpecker.

Synonyms, GUINEA WOODPECKER, ZEBRA WOODPECKER, CAROLINA WOODPECKER, CHECKERED WOODPECKER.

Adult Male. — Above, crown and nape, scarlet; back and wings, ex- cept larger quills, regularly barred with black and white; primaries and secondaries, chiefly black, the former mostly white at base, the latter spotted with white; rump, chiefly white; sides of head and under parts, grayish- white, sometimes with yellowish tinge; belly, washed with reddish; outer tail feathers, black and white barred;

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 843

inner web of central feathers, white with black spots; their outer webs black with more or less white next the shaft. Adult Female and Immature. — Crown, grayish; nape and nostrils only, scarlet.

Length, 9.00-10.00; wing, 4.85-5.50; tail, 3.50-3.95.

RANGE. — Eastern United States, from Florida and Texas north to Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, southern Ontario, southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin, South Dakota. Breeds north to Penn- sylvania, and thence westward throughout its range. Winters almost throughout its range.

Nest, an excavation in a tree. Eggs, 3-5; white; .99 by .73.

Resident, rare northward, more numerous southward, common in southern third of the State. While they do not migrate as a body, they are less common north and more common south in winter. It prefers the heavy timber. Along the Whitewater and Ohio rivers it is seldom seen in the lowlands, but upon the top of the bluffs and farther back upon the uplands wherever white oak trees are found it is common. Its call is something like Kurr-urr-urr, more or less lengthened, while a note when disturbed or when hammering is Chow- chow. They are shy and suspicious, and as one tract of woods after another is cleared away, the birds that peopled each disappear. It has been reported as resident in the following counties in Indiana: Lake, rare (Meyer); Porter, not uncommon at Kouts (Parker); Laporte (Bar- ber, Byrkit); Dekalb, rather common (Mrs. Hine); Michigan, Kent County, not very common (Moseley); Wayne, a few winter (Trombley). They begin mating in March; one was seen excavating for a nest March 24, 1892 (Mrs. Hine). Eggs may be taken any time from April 15 to June 1. Nests are usually made in dead tops of living trees from 15 to 60 feet high. Eggs are laid daily. Incubation lasts about fourteen days. Both sexes share in nest-making, sitting and caring for the young. Generally only one brood is raised (Bendire, L. H. N. A. Birds, pp. 123-124). The Red-bellied Woodpecker is the vegetarian of its family. Of 22 stomachs examined, 26 per cent, of the contents was animal and 74 per cent, vegetable food; 14 had eaten ants amount- ing to 11 per cent.; 10 per cent, of the total food was beetles. The vegetable food was entirely wild fruits and seeds. Only 2 had eaten corn. August 10, 1897, I found one eating Benoni apples, and it was with difficulty it could be driven away. I was told they had eaten most of the apples, which were small and knotty. In winter they live upon wild fruits and seeds, but years when mast is plenty they doubt- less live principally upon acorns and beechnuts. Their evil deeds are few and the good they do very much. Dr. Haymond notes this bird has, like the Red-headed Woodpecker, the habit of hoarding nuts.

844

KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

97. GENUS COLAPTES SWAINSON.

*166. (412). Colaptes auratus (LINN.).

Flicker. Synonyms, GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER, HIGH HOLE, HIGH HOLDER, WICKUP.

Flicker.

(Deal.— Bulletin No. 7, Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, United States Department

of Agriculture, p. 17.)

Adult Male. — Back, wing-coverts and inner quills, brownish, barred with black; rump and upper tail-coverts, white; outer edge of quills and tail feathers above, black; shafts of feathers and under surface of same, golden-yellow, the tail feathers tipped with black; head and nape, grayish, the latter with scarlet band; a black stripe on each side of throat; below, chin, throat and breast vinaceous, the last bordered by a large black crescent; rest of under parts paler vinaceous, with black spots. Adult Female. — Similar, but without the black streak on each side of throat.

Length, 12.00-12.75; wings, 5.50-6.60; tail, 4.00-4.95.

RANGE. — North and eastern North America, from eastern Texas and Florida north to Labrador, Hudson Bay, Alaska and the Arctic Coast. West to Nebraska, North "Dakota, Assiniboia. Accidental in

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 845

Greenland. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Pennsylvania and Indiana, irregularly from New Brunswick, Maine and Michigan, southward.

Nest, a hole in a tree. Eggs, usually 5-9; glossy white; 1.10 by .85.

Resident, very common southward. Rare in the north, part of the State; common everywhere throughout the warmer parts of the year. Breeds.

The nearer the Ohio River in winter, the more numerous this bird becomes. It is, however, tolerably common from the Wabash River south. In both Tippecanoe and Carroll counties it is a common resi- dent. In the following northern counties it is found, at least some years, throughout the winters: Porter, rare (Parker); Dekalb, rare (H. W. McBride, Snyder); a few also winter in Wayne County, Mich. (Trombley). The migratory birds return to their homes in February and March, and during the latter month and October and late No- vember, they are very abundant, frequenting pastures, meadows and stubble.

This species is decidedly terrestrial, spending much time upon the ground. During the colder months, they are semi-gregarious. With us, they sometimes begin mating by March 7 (1882), other years, not until March 30 (1893). Eggs may be found, perhaps, late in April, but the earliest date full sets are recorded is May 4. Through May and June they may be found. Like other woodpeckers, it nests in the woods, but it also loves to make its home in an old apple limb, or dead snag in the lawn. It uses either a natural or artificial cavity. Although found so much upon the ground, its high nesting has given it the name of "High-hole." Usually, but one brood israised in a season, but if the eggs are removed as laid, the fecundity of this bird is re- markable. Between May 4 and June 22, 1885, Prof. B. W. Evermann, in Carroll County, took 37 eggs from a single nest. Between those dates they rested 14 days. There is one instance recorded where by leaving a nest-egg, a Flicker laid 71 eggs in 73 days. An egg is laid each day. Usually incubation does not begin until the full set is laid, but sometimes it does. It has the greatest number of calls of any member of its family. Its W ake-up, wake-up, have, in some localities, given it a local name. Its Quit-tu, quit-tu, recalls the stroke of a master hand with a scythe-stone upon a scythe. Chuck-up, chuck-up, is another well-known sound. These, with a dozen more vocal expres- sions to represent every phase of courtship or variation of bird-feeling, are known to all who live where the Flicker does.

The Flicker, with its curved bill, can not chisel its way into trees as the other species do. It, therefore, does not destroy so many insects

846 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

injurious to trees. In fact, except ants, of which it eats great num bers, it is not so destructive to insects as the other Woodpeckers are. The stomachs of 230 Flickers examined showed animal food 56 per cent.; vegetable food, 39 per cent.; mineral food, 5 per cent. Of the animal matter, which was insects, the percentage was divided as fol- lows: Ants, 43 per cent.; beetles, and their larvae, 10; caterpillars, 1; grasshoppers, 1; spiders and myriapods, 1 (Beal, Bulletin No. 7, Div. 0. and M., IT. S. Dept. Agr., p. 11). Several stomachs contained noth- ing but ants. In two, the actual number of ants in each stomach ex- ceeded 3,000 (Ibid, p. 17). The vegetable material it eats is principal- ly that which grows wild.

N. ORDER MACROCHIRES. GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, ETC.

SUBORDER CAPRIMULGI. GOATSUCKERS, ETC. XXXIII. FAMILY CAPRIMULGID^, GOATSUCKERS, ETC.

a1. Gape with long bristles; tail even or rounded; plumage fluffy.

ANTROSTOMUS. 9S a2. Gape without long bristles; tail forked; plumage more compact.

CHORDEILES. 99

98. GKNUS ANTROSTOMUS GOULD.

a1. Wing over 8.00 ; rictal bristles with lateral branches.

A. carolinensis (Gmel.). 167 a2. Wing under 7.00; rictal bristles not branched. A. vociferus (Wils.). 168

*167. (416). Antrostomus carolinensis (GMEL.).

Chuck- Will's- Widow.

Adult Male. — Bristles at the base of bill, branched. Above, mottled with gray ochraceous, tawny and black, and more or less streaked with black; primaries, dusky spotted, with ochraceous. Below, tawny or buffy and grayish, mottled with dusky; throat and crissum, more ochraceous; inner web of three outer tail-feathers, white or ochrace- ous. Adult Female. — Similar, but inner web of three outer tail-feath- ers without white.

Length, 11.00-12.00; wing, 8.70-8.90; tail, 6.26-6.30.

EANGE. — America, from Colombia and West Indies north to south- ern Virginia, West Virginia, southern Indiana, Southern Illinois and

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 847

south Missouri; west to Texas and Indian Territory, casually to southern Kansas; accidental in Massachusetts. Breeds throughout most of its United States range. Winters from Florida and Louisiana southward.

Eggs, 2; laid on ground; white, cream, or pinkish, blotched or veined with different shades of brown, purplish and gray; 1.41 by 1.01.

Summer resident in lower Wabash Valley, at least as far north as Knox County. Breeds. In that region it is not uncommon. In 1865, Mr. Eidgway heard it as far north as Eichland County, Illinois, three miles south of Olney. He says its habits are essentially the same as those of the Whip-poor-will, and its notes are somewhat similar, but louder and easily distinguished after once being heard (Eidg., Birds of 111., I., p. 367). Mr. Eidgway wrote me of its occurrence in this State, as follows: "I have both seen the Chuck- will's- widow, and frequently heard its unmistakable note in Knox County, Ind., imme- diately opposite Mt. Carmel" (111.) Mr. William Brewster and Mr. Ridgway identified this species on the Indiana side of the Wabash, April 20, 1878.

*168. (417). Antrostomus vociferus (WiLs.).

Whip-poor will.

Adult Male. — Bristles at the base of bill, not branched. Above, mottled, gray, brown and tawny, more or less streaked with black, which is not conspicuous on the grayish crown and wing coverts; primaries, blackish, spotted and barred with ochraceous rufous; the three outer pairs of tail feathers with the terminal half white. Below, mottled as above; darker forward, lighter behind; a white band across the neck. Adult Female. — Similar, but the three outer pairs of tail- feathers tipped with reddish or buffy white; band across the neck more brownish.

Length, 9.10-10.00; wing, 5.80-6.70; tail, 4.80-6.50.

EANGE. — North America, from Guatemala and West Indies north to Nova Scotia, southwest Keewatin and Manitoba; west to North Da- kota, western Kansas and Texas. Breeds from Florida and Louisiana northward. Winters from Florida, Louisiana and, rarely, southern South Carolina.

Eggs, 2; deposited on ground; white, or creamy- white, spotted and streaked with different shades of brown, lilac or pearl-gray; 1.15 by .84.

Common summer resident; breeds. Prefers more open woods over- grown with underbrush, or bushy pastures.

848 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The members of this family afford an excellent opportunity for migration notes. They are generally known, and any careful person can make the observations. Their movements are greatly regulated by weather.

There is a favorite region two miles south of my home where Whip- poor-wills and Brown Thrashers may be found from two days to two weeks earlier than they reach me. For several years dates have been kept that establish this. Mr. 0. M. Meyncke reports hearing the un- mistakable voice of the Whip-poor-will in Highland Township March 2, 1897. The unprecedented warm weather of the previous few days, resulting in unusual storms, may have induced its exceedingly early appearance (The Osprey, Vol. I., May, 1897, p. 123).

Whip-poor-will.

Excepting that the earliest record is from New Albany, where it was taken April 2, 1893, common April 5; at the following points it was first noted the same year; when a second date is given it indicates the date it became common: Moore's Hill, May 7; Bloomington, April 29; Kilmore, April 27, May 1; Lafayette, April 29; Camden, May 2; Petersburg, Mich., April 15, April 20.

In 1892, New Albany, April 6, April 12; Brookville, April 6; Bloomington, May 7; Rochester, April 23, April 30; Medora, April 23, May 1; Petersburg, Mich., April 28, May 1. In 1885. it was first noted at Brookville April 18; Chicago, 111., April 21. In 1886, Brook- \ille, April 14; Bloomington, April 21; Petersburg, Mich., April 14; Chicago, 111., May 6.

In sixteen years, the earliest date of first arrival at Brookville was in 1893, as given, and the latest, April 26, 1881. In the southern half of the State it is generally common between April 5 and 20; in the northern half, between April 17 and May 5. They mate soon after arriving. I noted them mating April 25, 1887. Eggs are usually found from May 1-10, at Brookville. The two eggs are usually laid on a leaf or a few leaves in a slight depression. Upon our wooded hill- sides they may be found upon the natural terraces, and frequently

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 840

when the bird suddenly leaves the nest it will scatter them; sometimes they roll down hill. The color of the Whip-poor-will so harmonizes with the leaves that even when one knows where to look he can with difficulty make out the form of the bird.

On sunny days it sits with eyes apparently shut. Then it will per- mit a hand within about a foot of itself and quickly and quietly leaves its nest. I have never known a sound to escape one when leaving the nest. At other times, when one is flushed, it utters a cut, similar to that of a turkey, which is often repeated two or three times. The female attends to incubation, which begins when the first egg is laid. If the nest is disturbed, the old bird will frequently remove the eggs and the young, it is said, in its mouth, to a more retired spot.

At dark they come from the woqds and thickets and engage in a warfare with insects. They even come into town. I have often known one to alight upon my doorstep, pavement or gravel walk near my house, and repeat its call, sometimes five or six times in succession, every little while, until disturbed. Undoubtedly, they were there after insects, attracted by the light.

The food of two examined by Prof. F. H. King was, 10 moths, 14 beetles, some of which were click-beetles and smaller lamellicorns, and 162 insect eggs (Geol. of Wis., Vol. I., p. 564).

Prof. A. L. Herrera notes the assistance they render in destroying many of the gnats (Culex) that sometimes infest the Valley of Mexico (La Naturaliza, 3d series, Vol. L, 1888, No. 4, p. 170).

The song of the Whip-poor-will continues well into June, perhaps sometimes into July. It rarely sings in the fall. I heard it September 14, 1887, and a friend reported two singing before daylight on the morning of September 4, 1897. That is also the latest I. have ever noted it. They are certainly fewer in July, and still more so in August. Generally all are gone by August 27 to September 7, but Mr. L. F. Meyer reports it remaining in Lake County until October. In 1897 they were last seen in Warren County, September 13 (V. H. Barnett).

99. GKNUS CHOKDEILE& SWAIKSON.

*169. (420). Chordeiles virginianus (GMEL.).

Night Hawk. Synonym, BULL BAT.

Adult Male.— Above, black, more or less mottled, with grayish- brown and tawny; primaries, brown, the five outer ones marked about midway with a white spot. Below, a white V-shaped mark on the

54 — GEOL.

850 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

throat; other under parts with transverse bars of white, blackish and pale-tawny; tail, blackish, with marbled cross bars and a white band across the end. Adult Female. — Tail without the white band across the end; the white of the throat replaced by tawny.

Length, 10.00; wing, 7.30-8.25; tail, 4.30-4.75.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil north to Nova Scotia, Hudson Bay, Keewatin and Mackenzie River (Ft. Good Hope); west to Great Plains and casually to Pacific Coast from California to British Columbia. Breeds from coast of Gulf States northward. Winters south of the United States.

Night Hawk.

Eggs, 2; laid on the ground or on flat roof of building; white, cream, olive-buff or olive-gray, marked with black, gray and lavender; 1.18 by .86.

Abundant migrant, most numerous in fall; in northwestern Indiana a common summer resident, locally elsewhere in some numbers. Breeds in suitable localities. In Knox and Hamilton counties a few remain during the breeding season. In Lake County it breeds com- monly. In the following other counties it has been reported to breed: Clinton, Pulaski.

They arrive later in spring than the "Whip-poor-will," and by most persons are unobserved. The earliest spring arrival for the State is at Bicknell, April 24, 1897, next seen April 30.

The following records will show its progress, that spring. The second date indicates when it became common, if reported: Carmel, Hay 22; Edwards, May 2, May 15; Richmond, May 20: North Man-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 851

Chester, May 22, May 27; Waterloo, May 19, May 24; Sandusky, 0., May 15; Chicago, 111., May 22, May 28. In 1896, the first reached Laporte April 28, common May 10. The earliest and latest date of first arrival in 16 years at Brookville is, respectively, April 26, 1886, and May 17, 1885. The corresponding records at Petersburg, Mich., for 9 years are May 1, 1886, and May 21, 1891. Sometimes I have seen them gracefully winging their way north during the brightest May days, high in the air and uttering their call, which reminds me of the "scape" call of Wilson's snipe. It may be interpreted "Skeep." In fact, it is not a night bird, but rather one that is active cloudy afternoons and in the twilight, and rests when night falls. It is not a bird of the woods, but prefers to nest in open ground. Its graceful flight, interesting evolutions and strange noise at mating time interest all bird lovers. Ascending high in air, the male, with stiffened wings and tail, descends almost as rapidly as a flash of light; the noise produced by the air against the wings is a peculiar booming sound which has been compared to that made by blowing into the bunghole of an empty barrel. It would seem the bird would dash itself to pieces on the ground, but suddenly the wings change position and gracefully it curves outward and upward, then circles again into the higher air. They nest in fields, upon the ground. Two eggs are laid on alternate days. Incubation begins when the first one is laid. In Cincinnati, Detroit and Chicago it has been found to breed upon the flat roofs of buildings. It does not breed in the Whitewater Valley so far as reported. Its eggs are to be found in northern Indiana from May 27 to last of June, and sometimes into July.

Prof. F. H. King, from dissection, found that five had eaten 19 beetles, 23 heteroptera, 9 grasshoppers and ;4 neuroptera. The ma- terial taken from the stomach of one specimen weighed 9 grammes (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 564). They are very destructive to flying insects.

In August and September they pass south in great numbers. About four o'clock in the afternoon they begin to appear along our streams, and by sundown a continuous stream may be seen passing down the river. In 1896 they were first noted August 21. That is the earliest record I have from Brookville, though Mr. V. H. Barnett saw them in Brown County August 12, 1895. The last fall record I have from Chicago is September 28, 1895; from northern Indiana, La- fayette, September 25, 1895; southern Indiana, Bicknell, October 4, 1895; usually all have left before October 1. Marksmen use these birds as targets for practice. Undoubtedly many are thus killed.

852 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

SUBORDER CYPSELI. SWIFTS. XXXIV. FAMILY MICROPODID^E. SWIFTS.

SUBFAMILY CHvETQKIN^E. SPINE-TAILED SWIFTS. a1. Tail rounded or even; feathers with spiny points at end. CHJETURA 100

100. GENUS CH^ETURA STEPHENS.

*170. (423). Chsetura pelagica (LINN.).

Chimney Swift. Synonym, CHIMNEY SWALLOW.

Head and tail feather of Chimney Swift. Natural size.

Above, sooty-brown, with faint greenish gloss; wings, black. Below, paler; chin and throat, grayish.

Length, 5.25-5.40; wing, 5.00-5.25; tail, 1.90-2.15.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from southern Mexico north to Labrador and Manitoba; west to Texas and Nebraska. Breeds from Florida and Texas northward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, half-saucer shape, of twigs glued together and attached to side of chimney or hollow tree. Eggs, 4-6; white; .79 by .52.

Abundant summer resident. Breeds. In the early history of this State these birds nested in hollow trees, and there are localities where a few do so yet. Only a few years ago a large hoUow sycamore near Brookville, that for years was occupied by them, was cut down. The large, old-fashioned chimneys were used by them in great numbers, and they became such a nuisance that wire cloth was fastened over them to exclude them. They do not use the smaller chimneys so commonly. I have known them to nest in stables and other deserted buildings. Through the latter part of April they are seen mating, but it is well into May before they begin breeding. The nests are composed of dead twigs fastened to each other and to the wall with a

THUDS OK INDIANA. 853

secretion from the mouth. The t\\iu> ,-ire hroken as the birds fly, being grasped by the feet and wrenched off. In my yard, I have noticed they usually take dead apple twigs. Mr. Widmann says it takes two months to rear a family of Swifts.

When the young are able to leave the nests, they remain in the chimney, clinging to the sides for some time. For several weeks a chimney, connecting with a bed-chamber, containing a few nests of these birds, is a source of the most uncanny sounds and annoying hissings, which render rest by day impossible, and occasionally unac- countable noises at night awaken the soundest sleeper. Often the entire younger portion of the family will tumble down the flue; if there is an open fireplace they enter the room, where they produce much dirt and disorder, if left a few hours. One of my earliest recol- lections, going back to the time of pinafores, is of 15 or 16 of these young birds, almost able to fly, hanging to my apron front, their cries and mine joining in vociferous rivalry.

The earliest record for Brookville is April 5, in each of the two years 1888 and 1897. The latest first arrival there is April 22, 1895. The earliest record for the State is April 4, 1889, New Harmony, where it became common April 13. It spread all over the State early that year, reaching Petersburg, Mich., April 20, becoming .common May 1. In 1888 it arrived unusually early. It was first observed all over the southern part of the State, as far north as Terre Haute and Brookville by April 7, and became common at once, but its course was stayed, and it did not reach Petersburg, Mich., until May 2, and became com- mon May 10. The following dates for 1897 show- it was very early in southeastern Indiana, while the Wabash Valley, excepting Lafay- ette, was behind: Brookville, April 5; Eichmond, April 12, April 15; Anderson, April 16, April 30; Muncie, April 17; Bicknell, April 17, April 21; Spears ville, April 19; Lafayette, North Manchester, April 22, May 5. The first bird was seen at Chicago, 111., and Sandusky, 0., the same day, April 24. Common at Chicago, May 1; at Sandusky, April 25. It did not reach Petersburg, Mich., till May 4, and was com- mon May 10. At Chicago it has been noted as first arrival April 24 to May 5; at Petersburg, Mich., from April 20 (1889) to May 4 (1897).

In fall, usually they disappear in September. Most of them leave the northern part of the State early in that month, Some, however, sometimes remain well into October. Their last fall dates at Lafayette are: 1894, October 12; 1895, September 30; 1896, September 29. At Sandusky, 0., it has been reported to Prof. Moseley, October 15, 1896. In 1886 it remained in Brookville until October 7, and in 1897 they

854 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

were common October 13, which is the latest I have seen it. They stay until a sudden cold snap comes, and then leave. October 5, 1894, they were common — one of our chimneys was alive with them. Next day it grew colder all day, and at night it was necessary to build a fire in that fire-place, but the swifts were all gone.

Their food is entirely insects, largely flies and other small forms, which they take in the air.

SUBORDER TROCHILL HUMMING BIRDS. XXXV. FAMILY TROCHILID^E. HUMMING BIRDS.

a1. Back golden green; bill straight; first primary not excessively lengthened.

TROCHILUS. 101

101. GENUS TROCHILUS LINNAEUS. Subgenus TROCHILUS.

*171. (428). Trochilus colubris LINN.

Ruby-throated Humming- Bird.

Adult Male.-Ta.ilf deeply forked; above, metallic green; wings and tail, dusky purple; below, white, a ruby-red gorget; sides, greenish. Adult Female. — Tail, not deeply forked, the feathers barred with black, outer ones tipped with white; lacking .the metallic gorget. Young. — Similar to female, but with tail more like the male.

Length, 3.07-3.25; wing, 1.60; tail, 1.25.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Central America and West Indies to Labrador and Northwest Territory; west to Great Plains. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Florida southward.

Nest, of lichens and vegetable fibre, covered with lichens and sad- dled to a horizontal limb. Eggs, 2; white; .51 by .33.

Common summer resident. Breeds. There are many beautiful and interesting birds found throughout our State, but beside this little flying gem all others are as common pebbles beside the ruby. We all continue to share the feeling of childhood, and gaze in inquiring won- der as we see it come from somewhere and gather food, as its humming wings carry it from flower to flower among the nasturtiums, and dis- appear over the fence as suddenly as it came. This is the only kind of humming bird found in the eastern United States. Its average time of arrival in southern Indiana is May 1; in the northern part of the State, May 10. I have taken it at Brookville as early as April 20, 1896; and it delayed arriving until May 9 in both 1888 and 1889.

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

855

Although they come tolerably late, they are sometimes destroyed by late cold weather. May 20, 1883, many must have perished from cold. Several dead were brought to me, and others reported. May 19, 1895, Messrs. Ulrey and Wallace reported dead found in Wabash County after cold weather (Proc. I. A. S., 1895, p. 152). At Sedan the earliest and latest record of first arrival is April 29, 1891, May 19, 1889; at Petersburg, Mich., April 28, 1896, May 22, 1890. The fol-

Ruby-throated Humming Bird— Male, female and nest, slightly reduced.

lowing record of first arrival, and date it became common, when given in 1897, are presented: Bicknell, April 29, May 12; Edwards, May 4, May 15; Hanover, May 6, May 10; Brookville, May 8, May 9; Eich- mond, May 4, May 17; Anderson; May 12; North Manchester, May 15, May 25; Lafayette, May 16; Waterloo, April 29, May 20. Only one was seen on first date at Waterloo, and no other until May 16.

Humming Birds frequent certain localities. Some places they may always be found; others, rarely. In late summer they gather in great numbers about certain flowers. One sand bar I know, near Brookville, covered with Bouncing Betty, is a favorite place. They gather there by hundreds in -August and early September. At a certain locality near Lafayette, where wild Touch-me-nots flower profusely, forty or fifty Humming Birds may be found most any evening, or morning, at the same season. Petunias, Gladioli, and Cannas, are visited, too, while earlier in the season the favorite flower is the Trumpet Creeper (Tecoma radicans). The food of this little bird is minute insects,

85G REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

nectar from flowers, and the sap of trees. Their nests are usually built of fine fibre and lichens, on a horizontal limb, in some retired spot along the borders of the wood. I know of one o\7er the bars into a wooded pasture, where many people and cattle pass each day. They look like lichened-covered knots. They pair at once upon arrival. May 12, 1882, I found a complete nest, and the next day found one with eggs. Mrs. Hine reports one just beginning its nest, May 27, 1887, at Sedan. Allowing time for its completion, for laying the two eggs, which is done on alternate days, and for incubation, about four- teen days, the young would not be hatched in that nest until well to- wards July. The female does the nest-building, incubating, and cares for the young. They are fed by regurgitation. Major Bendire thinks two, and occasionally three, broods may be reared in a year, as fresh eggs have been found as late as August 7.

Some years they leave early in September. Last seen in Brookville, 188G, September 7; Warren County, September 16, 1897; Lafayette, 1896, September 6; September 13, 1887, at Sedan; others, they remain until near October. In 1894 they were late leaving. That year they were last seen at Plymouth, Mich., September 27; Hillsdale, Mich., September 23; Sedan, September 15; Laporte, September 28. In 1889 they remained at Brookville until September 28, and in 1897, until September 29. An instance is recorded where one was entangled in the spines of a thistle.

0. OKDER PASSERES. PERCHING BIRDS. SUBORDER CLAMATORES. SONGLESS PERCHING BIRDS. XXXVI. FAMILY TYRANNID.E. TYRANT FLYCATCHERS.

a1. Tail much longer than wing; very deeply forked. MILVULUS.

a-. Tail not longer than wing; not deeply forked.

ft1. Tarsus not longer than middle toe with claw; adults with a bright colored

(yellow, orange or red) concealed patch on crown. TYRANNUS. 102

ft2. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw (or else with a conspicuous cottony

patch on each side of rump) ; adults without bright colored patch on crown.

c1. Wings and tail with chestnut; length generally 8.00 or more.

MYIAKCHUS. 108 & . Wings and tail without chestnut; general color olivaceous; length 8.00

or less.

d1. Wing at least six times as long as tarsus. CONTOPUS. 105

d2. Wing about four times as long as tarsus or less ; little longer than tail.

el. Wing more than 3.25. SAYORNIS. 104

e2. Wing less than 3.25. EMPIDONAX. 106

Bums OF I MM AN A. s:>;

102. (iKxus TYKANNUS CUVIKK.

*172. (444). Tyrannus tyrannus (LINN.).

Kingbird. Synonyms, BEE BTRD, BEE MARTIN.

Kingbird, i Beal.— Farmer's Bulletin, 54, United States Department of Agriculture, i». 11.)

Adult. — Above, blackish; top of head, black, crown with a con- cealed patch of orange-red; wings, dusky, the greater coverts and quills edged with white; rump and tail, black, all the tail feathers lipped and the outer ones sometimes edged with white; below, white, breast shaded with bluish-ash. Immature. — Lacking the orange-red crown patch, sometimes with wings and tail edged with rufous.

Length, 8.00-9.00; wing, 4.45-4.75; tail, 3.40-3.75.

RANGE. — America, from Bolivia north to Nova Scotia and Atha- basca; west to Texas and Rocky Mountains, which it crosses northward and extends to Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Breeds from Florida and Texas coast north. Winters from Florida and Gulf coast southward.

Nest, in exposed tree, usually 1.5 to 40 feet up, of sticks and weeds, vegetable fibre, wood, string, hair and rootlets; lined with finer mate- rial. Eggs, 3-4; white, creamy, or pinkish -white, spotted and blotched with varioiis shades of brown and purple; .95 by .72.

858 EEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

A well known summer resident. Abundant. Breeds. The King- bird has also been called "Bee-Bird/' "Bee-Martin," and Mr. L. T. Meyer says, in Lake County, it is called, by farmers, "Dumb-Bird." Popularly, it is known as a destroyer of bees. It, with all the other members of the "Flycatcher"" family, are insect catchers. That is their business, and they attend well to it. The Kingbird, and also other members of the family, are to be seen about the hives. There are many bees, both workers and drones, flying about. There, too, are flies, gnats, moths, and other insects; for there are more insects about apiaries than bees. All of these form a part of its food — of which bees other than drones form a small part.

The result of Prof. Beal's investigations of 281 stomachs of the Kingbird shows that only 14 contained the remains of honey bees. In these were 50 honey bees, 40 of which were drones; 4 were certainly workers; of 6 he was not certain. The stomachs examined contained 19 robber-flies, an insect injurious to bees, and more than an equiva- lent for the worker bees eaten. They do eat many wasps and native bees. Indeed, they are provided with a concealed patch of orange feathers on the crown, which, when exposed, seems to attract these insects to it, to 'bring its prey within easy reach. From the specimens examined, in addition to deciding its relations to the bee raiser, which certainly are not injurious, it was shown that about 90 per cent, of its food is insects, mostly injurious species; 10 per cent, is wild fruits, such as elderberries and wild grapes (Farmers' Bulletin No. 54, TJ. S. Dept. Agr., p. 12).

Prof. King found one bee in the stomachs of 12 Kingbirds. The principal food was beetles and flies (Geol. Wis., I, p. 559). Prof. Forbes found that 43 per cent, of the food of some examined was canker-worms (Eept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204). A pair of these birds about a house serves a good purpose in driving away or giving warning of the approach of hawks and crows.

The Kingbird comes into Indiana near the middle of April, or later, and is generally seen all over the State by May 1. The follow- ing are the earliest and latest dates of first arrivals from the places named for a series of years: Brookville, April 15, 1884, latest, 1882 and 1887, both May 1; Bicknell, April 15, both 1895 and 1896, April 24, 1894; Laporte, April 18, 1896, May 4, 1893; Sedan, April 22, 1896, May 1, 1888. I have observed them mating April 30 (1884). Their nests are usually built in a tree — an orchard tree, or one in a pasture or beside a field being preferred. Twigs, weed stems, grasses and hair are generally used for the nest, which is lined with horse-hair

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 859

or other finer material. They also adapt themselves to circum- stances, and use string, binder twine, cotton, wool, and other easily ac- cessible material. I once found a nest largely composed of wool.

An egg is laid daily, and incubation lasts 12 or 13 days. Both sexes share in this and in nest-building. Two broods are sometimes reared. I have found young in nest June 19, 1896; another set of young, able to fly, July 8, 1896; old teaching young to fly, August 8, 1897. The Kingbird's song becomes less frequent, his noise noticeably dimin- ishes, as household cares become burdensome. Only occasionally is it heard through August. They are seldom seen late in August, and early in September most have left. At Sedan, Mrs. Hine says they are usually gone by September 14. None were seen after that in 1894, except a single one, October 19.

In 1895 it remained in the vicinity of Chicago until September 25. Usually they are gone from southern Indiana by September 12. They disappear so gradually that we do not realize when all have left, and usually can not tell when we saw the last.

103. GENUS MYIARCHUS CABANIS.

*173. (452). Myiarchus crinitus (LINN.).

Crested Flycatcher. Synonym, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER.

Head, crested; above, decidedly olive, browner on head; wings, dusky, edged with rufous; tail feathers, dusky, with inner webs of all but the^two central feathers, rufous; below, throat and chest, deep ash-gray; rest of under parts, sulphur-yellow.

Length, 8.50-9.00; wing, 3.90-4.40; tail, 3.50-4.20.

EANGE. — America, from Colombia north over N". A. east of the Great Plains to New Brunswick and Manitoba. Breeds throughout its range, north of the Gulf of Mexico. Winters from south Florida southward.

Nest, usually a cavity in a tree or stump; a miscellaneous collection of odds and ends, including rootlets, twigs, bark, moss, leaves, hair, egg shells, feathers and snakeskins. Eggs, 4-8; creamy or vinaceous buff, with blotches, longitudinal streaks and fine lines of different shades of brown and purple; .89 by .69.

As common a summer resident as the Kingbird, but its home is in the woods, where few hear it and fewer see it. Late in April or early in May, some morning, the bird lover will hear a penetrating "e-wheet-

RKPOKT <>i STATK GEOLOGIST.

wht" coming from the higher limbs of a tree in the woods. It is a last year's friend. A step into the clearing will show him on the dead limb of a dying sugar tree. A second time he greets one, and another name is added to the list of arrivals. It is the Crested Flycatcher. There is a hole, whether made hy Woodpeckers I can not tell, in the top of the old forest guardian, where it sits. There it had a nest last year, and purposes to use it again this. Such is the site it prefers, hut it is not extremely particular in that regard. Dr. Haymond once showed me a hollow apple tree limh where one nested in a busy part of town.

Crested Flycatcher. (Reduced.)

Mr. T. H. Barton found a nest containing 3 eggs in a haJtf -gallon tin can along a garden fence, in town, one spring. Almost every nest found contains more or less of the cast-off skin of a snake. Both sexes assist in nest-building, in which they use leaves, grass, weeds, bark, rootlets and feathers. The female does most of the sitting, which re- quires about fifteen days. One egg is laid daily. But one brood is reared yearly. They are very noisy at mating time. Afterwards the noise grows less through June, and in July fails. Occasionally it is heard before leaving. September 1, 1897, I found one uttering its usual call, but not so emphatically as when a gay and careless bird, in May. They leave through August a.nd September. The following are dates when they were last seen: Sedan, Ind., August 21, 1892; August 30, 1887; September 9, 1895;. Bicknell, Ind., September 7, 1890, September 18, 1895, September 21, 1894; Warren County, Sep- tember 18, 1897; Brookville, August 29, 1887, September 3, 1880,

OF INDIANA. 861

September 1, 1897. In spring, they return closely after the Kingbird. The first spring record for the State is from Brookville, where it was observed April 18, in 1888, and 1896. It was not seen there until May 11, 1894. The following records give date of earliest and latest first arrival at places noted: Bicknell, April 19, 1896, April 24, 1895; Sedan, April 21, 1896, May 10, 1891; Laporte, April 27, 1892, May 2, 1894, and 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 5, 1897. Its food is largely insects, with which its woodland home abounds, though, after the wild fruits begin to ripen, it eats some of them.

104. OKNUH SAYORN1S BONAPARTK.

*174. (456). Sayornis phcebe (LATH.). <

Phoebe. Synonym, PEWEE, BRIDGE PEWEE.

Adult. — Above, olive-gray, top of head, dark olive-brown; wings and tail, dusky, the outer tail feathers, inner secondaries, and some- times wing coverts, edged with whitish; below, whitish, rather soiled on throat; sides of breast, olive-gray; posterior parts, tinged with yel-. lowish; bill, black. Immature. — More olive above, more yellow below.

Length, 6.25-7.00; wing, 3.25-3.55; tail, 3.00-3.40.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Mexico and Cuba north to Xew Brunswick and Mackenzie Eiver (Ft. Simpson); west to Great Plains. Breeds from South Carolina, Louisiana and western Texas, north. Winters from southern Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina, southward.

Nest, of mud, moss, grass, and feathers, under cliff, bridge, culvert or shed. Eggs, 3-8; white, rarely spotted with reddish-brown; .75 by .57.

One of the earliest of the summer residents to arrive is the Phoebe. Sometimes it is at Brookville by March 1, and arrives farther south late in February. It is rarely common before mid- April. The earliest arrivals seek the banks of rivers, creeks and the hillsides even in the woods. Cold days they seek the eastern exposures, where the winds do not blow and where the first rays of the sun may be felt. They are known as "Pewee," or "Bridge Bird/7 because of their note, which is variously given as Feebe, Feebec, or Pewee, and the place of nesting, which is often under a bridge or culvert, and also in barns, sheds, old buildings, sometimes on the post of a porch, or in the eaves of an occupied dwelling.

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Their nests are still placed under the projecting rocks of a steep bank, of a railway cut, and of quarries. Thus they cling to habit, for such were their original homes. In the Falls region of southern Indi- ana they build beneath the Falls, protected by the shelving rocks. The summer of 1897, while on a trip through Vermillion and Warren counties, Mr. V. H. Barnett found a nest in a coal mine 20 feet from the entrance. Some years they begin mating by March 17, and nest

Phoebe. (Beal.— Farmer's Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture, p. 13.)

building by March 26. I have found their complement of eggs April 18. Sometimes a second brood is reared. The birds appear to return to the same site year after year. Incubation requires about 12 days, most of which is done by the female. The following give the date at which it was first seen, earliest and latest record, for the places men- tioned: Brookville, March 1, 1881, March 29, 1892; Bicknell, March 9, 1896, March 24, 1895; Bloomington, March 2, 1893; Lafayette, March 18, 1893, April 10, 1895; Kouts, March 20, 1896; Sedan, March 16, 1889, March 30, 1896. In fall they are silent through the latter part of the summer, but just before leaving, their call may sometimes be heard. The following dates give earliest and latest departure noted for places named: Sandusky, 0., Oct. 10, 1896; Sedan, Oct. 11, 1893; Grreensburg, September 22, 1894, October 17, 1896; Brookville, Sep- tember 28, 1885-6, October 14, 1890, and Bicknell, September 30,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 863

1895, October 12, 1896, and October 19, 1894; which is the latest for the State. The well known severe weather in the south in the spring of 1895 must have destroyed many Phoebes. Their decrease was noted; in some localities, it was decided, that summer. By far the greater part of the Phoebe's food is insects. Few, if any, hirds are of more benefit. Its work is often about the house and garden, where every effort counts in favor of man. In 80 stomachs examined, over 93 per cent, of the food was insects and spiders. The remainder was wild fruit. The insects were mainly injurious kinds, including click bee- tles, weevils, May beetles, grasshoppers and flies. Major Bendire says cut-worm moths is one of their favorite foods.

105. GENUS CONTOPUS CABANIS.

a1. Wing 3.90 or over; sides of rump with a conspicuous tuft of white cottony feathers. Subgenus NUTTALLOBNIS Kidgway. C. borealis (SWAINS.). 175

a2. Wing 3.60 or less; no tuft of white feathers on sides of rump.

Subgenus CONTOPUS. C. virens (LiNN.). 176

Subgenus NUTTALLORNIS Ridgw.

175. (459). Contopus borealis (SWAINS.).

Olive-sided Flycatcher.

Adult. — Upper parts, between fuscous and dark olive; wings and tail, fuscous; throat, middle of the belly, and generally a narrow line on the center of the breast, white or yellowish- white; rest of the under parts of nearly the same color as the back; under tail coverts, marked with dusky; a tuft of fluffy, yellowish-white feathers, on either flank; upper mandible, black; lower mandible, yellowish or pale grayish- brown, the tip darker. Immature. — Similar, but with rather more olive above, more yellow below, and with the wing coverts edged with ochraceous-buff.

Remarks. — This species may always be known from other Fly- catchers by the comparatively little white on the under parts, and by the tuft of yellowish-white feathers on the flanks. Like the Wood Pewee, it has the wing .50 or more longer than the tail (Chapman, Birds E. N. A., pp. 246, 247).

Length, 7.10-7.90; wing, 3.90-4.50; tail, 2.80-3.50.

EANGE. — America, from Peru to mouth of St. Lawrence River, . Great Slave Lake and Alaska. Breeds from Massachusetts, New York and Minnesota, north and south along Rocky Mountains to New Mexico and Arizona. Winters south of United States.

864 RKPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, on a limb, 40 to 60 feet up, of rootlets, small twigs and moss. Eggs, 3-4; creamy- white, spotted with different shades of brown and purplish; .85 by .63.

Migrant; generally rare, but found in some numbers about the lower end of Lake Michigan. It has not been reported from the southeast- ern half of the State. It may breed in the northern part of the State, as Mr. E. W. Nelson took it as late as June 2, near Chicago. In that vicinity he notes it in spring, from May 15 to 25, and in fall, the last of September and first of October (Bull. Essex Inst,, December, 1876, p. 113).

It appears to be a late migrant, frequenting woodland, where it is to be found upon a dead limb^at the top of a tall tree. Mr. Robert Ridgway took it at Wheatland, Knox County, May 12, 1885. That is the only record from the southern part of the State. Mr. Ruthven Deane took it at English Lake, May 26, 1889, and Mrs. Hine has noted it at Sedan, Dekalb County. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., took a female, May 25, 1896,. at Colehour, 111. Mr. C. E. Aiken says it was not rare in Lake County in 1871, when he obtained a number of specimens! They nest late. Major Bendire says nidification rarely begins any- where throughout their range before June 1, usually not before June 10, and in some seasons not before July (L. H. N". A. B., p. 284).

*176. (461). Contopus virens (LINN.).

Wood Pewee.

Adult. — Above, dark olive-gray or olive-brown, darker on head; wings and tail, brownish-black, with an olive gloss, the former with the wing coverts edged with whitish; the latter, unmarked; white ring around eye; below, light olive gray on breast, whitening on throat; belly and under tail coverts, pale yellowish; bill, above black, below yellow. Immature. — Similar, but more olive above; nape, tinged with ashy; rump and upper tail coverts, with rusty; wing coverts, edged with light buff; below, lighter; forepart of lower mandible, dusky.

Length, 5.90-6.50; wing, 3.00-3.45; tail, 2.50-2.90.

RANGE. — America, from Ecuador north over eastern United States to New Brunswick and Manitoba; west to the Plains. Breeds from southern limits of United States northward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, on horizontal limb, 8 to 20 feet high, of bark, shreds, rootlets, vegetable fibre, covered with lichens. Eggs, 2-4; white or creamy- white, speckled and blotched with different shades of brown and pur- ple about the larger end; .72 by .54.

BIHDS OF INDIANA. 865

A common summer resident in woods, pastures, orchards, and even about farms and other large lawns. Its note is not so sharp as the Phcebe's, and has a smooth, soothing sound that speaks of rest and contentment. The most abundant Flycatcher we have. Owing to the lateness of its arrival in spring, it is not retarded by inclement weather, but may be depended upon to come very close to the day each year. Sometimes, however, their late coming does not avail them. They are very sensitive to low temperature. The unusual cold of May 20, 1883, killed many of them. During cold weather they may some- times be found in the thickly settled parts of our towns, probably hunting protection. At such a time, May 14, 1897, I observed one busily catching the insects about my strawberry blossoms, to many of which they were doubtless instrumental to fertilization.

It has never been reported from within our limits earlier than April 26. The fact that the Phoebe frequents woods to a considerable extent upon arrival, leads many to think that it is the Wood Pewee.

The following early and late dates of first arrival are of interest: Bicknell, April 26, 1896, May 1, 1894; Terre Haute, April 30, 1888, May 3, 1890; Brookville, May 5, 1885, May 8, 1897. They usually become common at once. Mating is observed in the latter half of May and early June. 1 have found the bird sitting on her nest in my yard July 9. They nest late, seldom before sometime in June. Probably occasionally a second brood is laid. Found young following old ones September 1, 1897. The shallow nest, covered with lichens, is saddled onto the horizontal lichen-covered limb of some tree; a dead limb is preferred. The nest cannot be readily told from a knot or a bunch of the covering material. This is its protection. The bird is very watchful, and never lets any one see her on the nest. By stay- ing thereon she would make it more conspicuous. It may be seen sitting upright, preferably, on a dead limb, from which it utters its characteristic note, and alternately therewith it flies into the air to catch a passing insect. An egg is laid daily. Incubation lasts about twelve days, and appears to be performed by the female; both parents, however, care for the young. Prof. King examined 41 specimens, and found 18 had eaten 66 small beetles; 14, 41 dipterous insects; 2, a butterfly each; 9, 13 small dragonflies; 11, 29 hymenopterous insects; 1, a moth; 1, a grasshopper, and 1 a larvae of a sawfly (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 562). He also adds that he saw a Wood Pewee capture and feed to its young, which had recently left the nest, 41 insects in 45 minutes. Some years they leave early in September; others, they remain to late October. They continue to sing to some extent until their departure. The following represent some of the extreme dates when the last were 55 — GEOL.

866 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

seen: Lafayette, September 6, 1896, September 21, 1893; Greensburg, September 10, 1896, September 15, 1894; Bicknell, September 23, 1895, October 10, 1896; Brookville, September 3, 1883, October 20, 1880; Sedan, September 16, 1894, October 1, 1889; Warren County, September 25, 1897.

106. GENUS EMPIDONAX CABAIHS.

a1. Below distinctly yellow. E. flaviventris Baird. 177

a2. Below not distinctly yellow.

61. Wing under 2.60; tail emarginated. E. minimus Baird. 181

ft2. Wing 2.75 or over; tail even or slightly rounded.

c1. Upper parts olive green, crown about the same shade; bill pale yellow

below. 'E. virescens (Vieill.). 178

c2. Upper parts dark olive green, shaded with brownish, center of crown

feathers brown ; bill dull brownish below.

dl. Bill larger; wing bars less conspicuous. E. traillii (Aud.). 179

d2. Bill smaller ; wing bars more conspicuous.

E. traillii alnorum Brewster. 180

*177. (463). Empidonax flaviventris BAIRD.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

Aboye, olive-green, somewhat darker on the crown. Wings, dark brown, crossed with two bands, and secondaries edged with yellow- ish-white; tail, brown, edged with olive-green; yellow ring around eye. Below, yellow, the fore parts tinged with pale olive-green; the back parts, dull sulphur-yellow; bill, above, blackish; below, yellow or whitish. . Length, 5.10-5.80; wing, 2.40-2.75; tail, 2.00-2.30.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama to Labrador and Northwest Territory; casually to Greenland. West to Manitoba and Minnesota. Breeds from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania northward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, on ground, of moss and rootlets. Eggs, 4-5; dull white, with fine markings of brown; .67 by .51.

Dr. Coues gives the following synopsis for the identification of the eggs of the small flycatchers:

"E. acadicus — Nest, on the trees, in horizontal forks, thin, saucer- shaped, open-work; eggs, creamy-white, boldly spotted.

"jE7. traillii — Nest, in trees, in upright crotch, deeply cupped, com- pact walled; eggs, creamy- white, boldly spotted.

"E. minimus — Nest, in trees, in upright crotch, deeply cupped, compact walled; eggs, immaculate white.

Biuj)s OF JN DIANA. 867

"E. flavivenlris — Nest, on ground or near it, deeply cupped, thick and bulky; eggs, white, spotted."

Rare migrant, and occasional summer resident. Breeds. This spe- cies is retiring and quiet, and with us is rather silent. Occasionally, it utters a queer, wheezing note, which Mr. J. Dwight, Jr., says (in Chapman's Birds of E. 1ST. A.) is suggestive of a sneeze, and whicji he writes pse-ek, uttered almost in one explosive syllable. Its call, he says, is a soft, mournful whistle, consisting of two notes, the second higher pitched and prolonged, with rising inflection, resembling a measure "chu-e-e-p."

It has been first observed at Bloomington, April 17, 1886, May 7, 1892; Bicknell, May 1, 1894; Eichmond, May 8, 1897; Greensburg, May 14, 1894; Davis Station, May 18, 1884, May 31, 1885; Sedan, May 21, 1888; Lake County, May 16, 1877; Petersburg, Mich., May 8, 1897. Mr. J. G. Parker took a male June 3, 1889, on one of the knobs near New Albany. Dr. F. W. Langdon notes a specimen taken at Madisonville, 0., May 28, 1879 (J. C. S. N. H., Dec., 1881, p. 340).

Mr. E. A. Colby shot several July 23, 1887, at Berry Lake, Lake County, Ind. (Coale). Mrs. Jane L. Hine thinks it bred in Dekalb County. Mr. E. W. Nelson says: "The first of July, 1873, I found them quite common in a dense, swampy thicket in northern Indiana, where they had probably nested" (Bull. Essex Inst., Dec., 1876, p. 114). Its time of mating and nesting is late. The second or third week in June, or even later, is the time they lay. Their southward migration is in August, and rarely extends into early September. Mr. E. M. Kindle took one at Weed Patch Hill, Brown County, August 11, 1891 (Proc. I. A. S., 1894, p. 70); Cook County, 111., August 25, 1886; Hillsdale, Mich., August 24, 1894, two. The nest is composed prin- cipally of moss, and is placed on or near the ground.

*178. (465). Empidonax virescens (VIEILL.).

Green-crested Flycatcher. Synonyms, ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, SMALL GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER.

Adult. — Above, olive-green, sometimes greenish-gray; wings, dusky; two wing bars, and edges of secondaries, buffy or buffy-white; tail, olive-brown, feathers edged with olive-green; ring around eye, yellow- ish-white. Below, whitish, tinged with sulphur-yellow, shaded on breast with grayish or olive; throat, whitish, Lower parts, not dis-

868 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

tinctly yellow, as in E. flaviventris ; bill above, brown, below whitish. Immature. — Above, with indistinct cross bars, wing bars and edging more ochraceotts.

Length, 5.50-5.90; wing, 2.55-3.10; tail, 2.25-2.70.

RANGE. — America, from Ecuador north over eastern United States to southern New England, southern New York, Pennsylvania, south- ern Michigan, "Wisconsin and Manitoba, West to Great Plains. Breeds from Florida and eastern Texas northward. Winters south of United States.

Nest, in woods, shallow, pensile, fastened by rim in fork of drooping limb; 4 to 20 feet up; of rootlets, grass, weeds, stems and plant fibres. Eggs, 2-4; pale cream to buff, spotted and speckled with light and dark brown; .79 by .58.

The Acadian Flycatcher is a resident throughout the State; in many localities it is very common, and is always more numerous dur- ing migrations. It frequents woods, but is also found in orchards, and lawns. It, too, arrives late, usually after May 1, and becomes common at once.

The early and late dates of first appearance at the following places, is Brookville, May 4, 1882, May 18, 1883; Greensburg, May 2, 1894, May 4, 1893; Sedan, May 1, 1896, May 17, 1892; Chicago, May 9, 1885. In the immediate vicinity of Chicago it is rare, but in the Kankakee Valley it is common. It has been reported as breeding in the following counties: Carroll, Dekalb, tolerably common; Lake, Tip- pecanoe, Brown, Decatur, Vigo, Starke and Monroe.

Mating begins in May; the nest is often ready for the eggs the mid- dle of May, near the Ohio River, and early in June towards Lake Michigan. The nest is woven in the fork of a drooping branch of a tree, seldom over 15 feet from the ground. An egg is laid daily. Dr. F. M. Langdon found several nests, with full complement of eggs, near Madisonville, 0., May 29, 1879 (J. C. S. N. H., Dec., 1881, p. 340). June 8, 1878, Mr. H. K. Coale took a nest and two eggs, at Whiting, Lake County. June 8, 1884, he took a nest and three eggs in Starke County. June 15, Prof. B. W. Evermann took full sets in Carroll County. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found a nest, with young, near Lafayette, June 29, 1892. The same young gentlemen found a nest, containing three eggs, on the bank of the Wabash River, July 9, 1892. Mr. Coale found a nest of this species at Berry Lake, June 16, 1878, which was attached to a slender twig by one side only. It was made entirely of fine, curling trailers growing on the tree, woven neatly into a shallow nest. Externally, it was one inch deep, two and a half inches in diameter. Two eggs could be seen through

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 869

the nest from below. It usually begins its return in August, but sometimes is "seen after the middle of September. The following give last records of its occurrence: Plymouth, Mich., August 29, 1894; Chicago, September 22, 1895; Lafayette, September 12, 1895, Septem- ber 16, 1894; Sedan, August 28, 1892, September 3, 1889. Mr. V. H. Barnett shot young that could not fly well in Warren County, Septem- ber 25, 1897. Maj. Bendire gives its call as wick-up, or hide-up, in- terspersed now and then with a sharp queep-queep or chier-queep, the first syllable quickly uttered. This is one of our very beneficial birds. Its food is chiefly insects. Dr. B. H. Warren examined the stomachs of 7; 2 contained beetles; 1, beetles and flies; 1, large flies and larva; 2, various insects; 1, berries (Birds of Penn., 2nd ed., p. 196).

*179. (466). Empidonax traillii (Auo.).

Traill's Flycatcher. Synonym, LITTLE FLYCATCHER.

Adult. — Above, brownish-olive, or olive-gray, darker on the head; wings and tail, dark brown, the former with two bands, varying from whitish to dark buffy; secondaries, edged with same; white or yellow- ish-white ring around the eye. Beneath, white, the sides of breast, and sometimes across the breast, shaded with the color of the back, or grayish; sides, throat and crissum, pale, tinged with sulphur-yellow; bill, above, brownish-black; below, white or yellowish. Immature. — Wing bands, ochraceous.

Length, 5.60-6.50; wing, 2.55-2.85; tail, 2.20-2.60; bill, .64-.7S tar- sus, .6S-.72.

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico to Manitoba; Mackenzie River Valley, and Alaska. East to Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Breeds from Texas and California northward. Win- ters south of United States.

Nest, in open woods, and second-growth thickets, preferably near water courses; in upright fork of bush, 18 inches to 8 feet up; of grass, vegetable fibres, cobwebs and leaves; lined with fine grass, horsehair and plant down. Eggs, 3-4; creamy-white, variously marked with minute dots, spots, or large blotches, with varying shades of red, red- dish-brown; and sometimes lavender, principally at large end; .77 by .56, .70 by .52; average, .74 by .54.

Summer resident, generally distributed, and locally common. Breeds. In the Whitewater Valley it has never been found common. It has been found breeding in Laporte (Barber) and Tippecanoe coun- ties (Test Bros.), and is thought to nest in Lake and Dekalb counties.

870 KEPORT OP STATE GEOLOGIST.

In Monroe County, Prof. Evermann found it an uncommon summer resident, and in Carroll County he took it June 10, 1885. They are usually later than the last species in arriving.

The following dates show time of its first arrival: Brookville, May 9, 1887, May 19, 1882; Davis Station, May 31; Laporte, May 30, 1896; Lafayette, April 28, 1897; Plymouth, Mich., May 11, 1882, May 20, 1895. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found a nest, containing three eggs, just north of Purdue University grounds, Lafayette, Ind., July 4, 1892. The nest was about 12 feet from the ground and about 6 feet above it was another deserted nest.

Traill's Flycatcher is the opposite of the Acadian in several respects. It does not prefer the woods, but rather thickets, especially of alders, in low, damp ground, the borders of streams and lakes. It also is found in orchards. Its nests are usually placed in the crotch of a bush 25 feet or less above the ground, and, instead of being loosely- woven affairs like the nests of the last species, are thicker and better made, reminding one of the nest of the Yellow Warbler, but not so compact. In "Wayne County, Mich., where it nests commonly, Mr. Je- rome Trombley, who has found twenty-five or thirty nests for several consecutive years, says they nest in communities in willows by marshes; nest in fork of a bush from three to six feet high (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 97). Mr. Otto Widmann says its notes sound like, wit-tit-che, wit-ti-go, and are uttered when the bird is perched on the top of a sprout or low tree, a telegraph post, or a fence stake.

Full sets of eggs are found after the middle of June. An egg is deposited each day; one brood is raised in a year. Incubation lasts about twelve days. They return to their winter home in August and early September. The following dates indicate the range of this migration: Brookville, August 13, 1881; Plymouth, Mich., Au- gust 8, 1892, September 3, 1895. It is impossible to tell at this time to what extent the eastern and western forms of this Flycatcher are found in Indiana.

180. (466a). Empidonax traillii alnorum (BREWST.).

Alder Flycatcher.

Differing from E. traillii (i. e., E. pusillus of Baird and subsequent authors) in having the coloring of the upper parts richer and more olivaceous, the wing bands yellower, and hence more conspicuous, the bill decidedly smaller and the legs rather shorter (The Auk, April, 1895, p. 161, Brewster). Bill, .60-.64; tarsus, .64-.67.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 871

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from the Maritime Provinces and New England westward, ^t least, to northern Michigan, etc., breeding from the southern edge of the Canadian fauna northward; in winter south to Central America (A. 0. U.).

Nest, preferably in alder swamps and thickets, usually in crotch in bush, 1 to 6 feet up; of grasses, vegetable fibre and bark shreds, lined with fine grass, fibre or hair. Eggs, 2-4; from creamy- white to pinkish- buff, with spots and blotches of reddish-brown, usually thickest about the larger ends; .73 by .53.

It is doubtful whether it is proper to attempt to separate this from the western form, E. traillii, in view of the fact that it is practically impossible to distinguish the birds by the aid of a description. To conform to existing conditions, however, I have included this form.

Summer resident. Mr. Win. Brewster considers that specimens from the Mississippi Valley, south of latitude 42°, belong to the western form of TrailFs Flycatcher. This extends its range farther east than was heretofore supposed, and undoubtedly includes a part, if not all, of Indiana. The eastern form has been given the name, Empidonax traillii alnorum, and the fact that it ranges west to north- ern Michigan, and has been taken in Ohio (Lynds Jones in The Auk), makes it probable it is also found within this State. He has shown it necessary to drop the name pusillus for that form because it can not be identified.

Audubon's Muscicopa traillii was described from an Arkansas speci- men, which Mr. Brewster thinks is of the western form. The name E. traillii will be used for that bird.

*181. (467). Empidonax minimus BAIRD.

Least Flycatcher.

Adult. — Above, olive-brown or olive-gray, slightly darker on head, lighter on rump; wings and tail, brownish, the former with two whitish cross-bars, and secondaries edged with same; ring around the eye, white. Below, throat white, sides of throat sometimes extending across breast, gray or olive-gray; other under parts, white, tinged (sometimes very faintly) with sulphur-yellow. Immature. — Wing bars, ochraceous.

Length, 4.90-5.50; wing, 2.20-2.60; tail, 2.10-2.40.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama to Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Great Slave Lake, and Mackenzie Eiver Valley (Ft. Simpson), west to Eocky Mountains, casually to Utah. Breeds from North Carolina, northern Indiana and Nebraska northward. Winters south of United States.

872 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, in orchards, thickets and woods, in upright fork or on hori- zontal limb; of shreds of bark, grass, plant fibres, vegetable down, feathers, string, etc.; lined with fine down and hair. Eggs, 3-6; pale creamy-white; .64 by .50.

Rather common migrant southward. Summer resident in some numbers northward. It arrives earlier than the species just men- tioned, sometimes by April 20. It is the smallest of the Flycatchers, and may readily be distinguished by its size. It is called, in many places, Che-bee, from its note, which is very distinctly "che-bec" It is to be found most often in straggling woods, along the edges, and about roads through woodland, and in strips of woods along hill-tops. With us, I have generally found it upon the higher land, where it is very quiet, seldom saying anything, and then only uttering a sharp "whit." It industriously pursues flying insects, and even when one does not see it he is reminded of its presence by hearing the snap of jaws as it seizes its prey.

The earliest and latest date of its first appearance is, at Brook- ville, April 24, 1886, May 8, 1882; Bloomington, May 3, 1892; Rich- mond, May 22, 1897; Sedan, April 20, 1889, May 3, 1885; Lake County, May 16, 1877 and 1880; Chicago, May 5, 1879, May 23, 1896. It has been reported breeding in Lake County and in Dekalb County. Mr. J. 0. Snyder found a nest, with fresh eggs, near Waterloo, June 3, 1885. Prof. B. W. Evermann says it is a summer resident, not common in Carroll County. Its disappearance in fall occurs in late August and September. It was last reported at the following places: Brookville, August 31, 1883; Cincinnati, 0., August 27, 1879; Sedan, September 7, 1889; Chicago, 111., September 30, 1895; Bicknell, Sep- tember 18, 1895. Its small size does not prevent it from doing great good. Its food is principally the smaller insects and occasionally a little fruit.

Prof. F. H. King says the examination of 23 showed they had eaten 30 beetles, 18 diptera (flies and gnats), 2 heteroptera, 37 winged ants, 2 small ichneumon flies, 3 caterpillars, 1 moth, 4 small dragonflies and 1 spider (Geol. of Wis., p. 562).

This is the only one of the little Flycatchers that tries to sing; at least, that attempts what to my ears bears some resemblance to music. It has a little song, that one may occasionally hear it try to sing, that is quite a credit to a Flycatcher.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 873

SUBORDER OSCINES. SONG BIRDS. XXXVII. FAMILY ALAUDID^E. LARKS.

a1. Small tuft of lengthened black feathers over each ear (sometimes obscure in female.) OTOCOBIS. 107

107. GINUS OTOCORIS BOXJLPAETK.

a1. Larger: wing generally over 4.30; forehead and line through eye yellow.

O. alpestris (Linn.). 182

a2. Smaller; wing generally under 4.30; paler colored ; forehead and line over the eye white. O. alpestris praticola Hensh. 183

182, (474). Otocoris alpestris (LINN ). i

Horned Lark. Synonym, SHORE LARK.

Head of Horned Lark.

Adult, Rummer Plumage. — Above, grayish-brown; nape, lesser wing- coverts and rump and upper tail-coverts, deep viiiaceous; forehead, line over the eye and throat, sulphur-yellow; band across breast, stripe from bill below the eye and band across the top of head, above the eye extending backward along the side of crown, ending in tufts or horns, black; other lower parts, white; dusky along the sides; tail, black, the outer feathers edged with white, the middle one with brown; wings, brown. Winter Plumage. — Paler, the black markings somewhat obscured by lighter. Female. — Smaller; black on head less distinct.

Male.— Length, 7.50-8.00; wing, 4.20-4.60; tail, 2.70-3.10; bill (aver- age), .50. Female, wing, 3.95-4.55; tail, 2.50-3.10.

RANGE. — Northeastern North America, from North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois (formerly farther south); north to Hudson Bay

874 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

and Greenland; west to Keewatin and western side of Hudson Bay. Also, north Europe. Breeds from New Foundland, Labrador and Keewatin northward.

Nest, on ground, of grass, lined with vegetable fibre and feathers. Eggs, 3-5; similar to those of next form; .94 by .66.

This species is occasionally found within the State in winter, but owing to the fact that but few persons are interested sufficiently to have a critical investigation made, we can not tell how extensive its range or how numerous it is. We know, however, that it is an oc- casional winter visitor to Indiana. Mr. G. Frean Morcom took a speci- men at Davis Station, Starke County, which Mr. Eidgway identified as this bird.

Mr. H. K. Coale obtained six specimens of this lark at Tracy Sta- tion, Ind., Feb. 10, 1887. Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., has given an exhaustive analysis of the Horned Larks of America in "The Auk" for April, 1890, pp. 138-158, to which one who is interested in the subject may profit- ably turn. In that article he mentions a specimen of this species from Mt. Carmel, 111., in the lower Wabash Valley, indicating that it may be found in winter. over the greater part of this State. Its habits are similar to those of the more common Lark at that season.

*183. (474b). Otocoris alpestris praticola HENSH.

Prairie Horned Lark. Synonym, SHORE LABK.

Adult. — Similar to 0. alpestris; smaller; paler, back, gray; nape, lesser wing-coverts, rump and tail-coverts, pale vinaceous; forehead and stripe over eye, white or whitish. Immature. — Darker; much streaked and spotted.

Length, 6.75-7.50.

Male.— Wing, 4.00-4.30; tail, 2.90-3.10; bill, .45. Female.— Wing, 3.70-4.00; tail, 2.60-2.90; bill, .45.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from central Texas and South Carolina north to Maine, Ontario and Manitoba, Breeds from eastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Indiana, Ohio and southern New York to Massachusetts north.

Nest, in depression on ground, of grass, lined with thistle-down and feathers. Eggs, 3-5; drab-gray to grayish-white; sometimes tinted with greenish; blotched and sprinkled with different shades of pale- brown; .85 by .62.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 875

Resident, common northward, except in the extreme northern part; most numerous in winter, when it is i'ound in flocks. There the •greater part are usually absent from December 1 to January 25, but occasionally, late seasons, they do not appear until early in March. First observed at Sedan, January 25, 1894; Cook County, 111., March 14, 1885, and March 6, 1886; February 22, 1888; Petersburg, Mich., January 22, 1889. They utter a lisping note of varying inflection, sometimes, when on the ground, always when flying. They frequent pastures, meadows, stubbles and fields of winter grain. When snow is on they are often seen where stock has been fed outdoors, and about barnyards. From southern Indiana the greater number, go north in late January and early May. Some, however, remain through the year. They are evidently gradually extending their range as the country is more and more brought under cultivation.

Mrs. Hine says they are increasing in Dekalb County. Prof. B. W. Evermann says up to 1879 it was very rare in Carroll County, but in 1886 it was a common resident. I never saw one after late February in Franklin County until 1886, when they remained until after breed- ing time. In 1891 they bred; young were found June 21, and since then they have been present yearly.

It is the earliest of our small birds to breed. Prof. Cook notes that its eggs have been taken at Plymouth, Mich., in February, and Mr. L. W. Watkins took them March 20, 1889, presumably at Manchester, when the nest was surrounded by snow. Usually, however, with us it nests in March and early April. The nest is placed in a depression in the ground, either natural or made by the bird itself. Sometimes it is composed of but a few sticks or straws, and lined with thistle-down or feathers. At this time they sing a beau- tiful song, but so fine and weak that it can scarcely be heard 200 feet away, and of such ventriloquil effect one can not tell whether the singer is on the ground or in the air. Generally he will be found- on a fence or a clod, but sometimes in midair, with feathers erected and full of emotion, which he expresses in his song. This song I have heard at Brookville, March 31, 1896.

They breed abundantly in Lake County, and they have been found breeding as far south as Bloomington, Spearsville, Greensburg, Richmond, Brookville and Bicknell. L. A. and C. D. Test found young able to fly at Lafayette, April 25, 1893. I found them at Brookville, June 21, 1891. Dr. A. W. Brayton says the young are fully-fledged in May; the male takes care of these and the female resumes her work on a second set of eggs (Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 102). Sometimes a third brood is reared, according to Prof. Walter B. Bar-

876 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

rows. Both birds assist in incubation, which takes about fourteen days. They must lay sometimes in February and March. April 24, 1878, Dr. Brayton shot, near Indianapolis, a number of Shore Larks, among them two young birds about grown (Bulletin Nutt. Orn. Club, 1878, p. 189).

Its food consists principally of seeds of different grasses, like those of pigeon, foxtail and Hungarian (Setaria); also of those of different species of Polygonum (bindweed, knotweed and smartweed), those of the ragweeds (Ambrosia), pigweed (Chenopodium), etc.

Broken kernels of oats and other grains have also been found in their stomachs, evidently picked up in the roads and streets among the droppings *of horses. During spring and summer, when small in- sects abound, a portion of their food consists of young locusts and grasshoppers, small beetles and their larvae, and hairless caterpillars, and the young nestlings, at least, 'are fed on insect food. From an economic point of view, all our Horned Larks must be considered as useful birds, doing far more good than harm (Bendire, L. H. N., A. B., II., p. 335).

The little harm they do is more than balanced by the destruction of weed seeds and of injurious insects.

XXXVIII. FAMILY CORVID^E. CROWS, JAYS-, MAGPIES.

a1. Tail not shorter than the short rounded wings. (Subfamily GARRTJLIN^E.) bl. Tail much longer than wing; graduated for half its length; head not

crested. PICA.

b2 Tail much longer than wing, not graduated for half its length.

c1. Plumage chiefly blue; head with a conspicuous crest. CYANOCITTA. 108 c2. Plumage not blue; head not crested. PERISOREUS.

a2. Tail much shorter than the long pointed wings. Subfamily CORVIN^E.

d1. Plumage glossy black. CORVUS. 109

SUBFAMILY GARJRULIN^E. MAGPIES AND JAYS. 108. GENUS CYANOCITTA STRICKLAND.

*184. (477). Cyanocitta cristata (LINN.).

Blue Jay.

Adult. — Conspicuously crested; above, purplish-blue; forehead and irregular band around neck, black; wings and tail, blue, barred with black; the greater coverts, secondaries and tail feathers, except middle one, tipped with white; tail, much rounded. Below, pale gray; throat, belly and crissum, whiter.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 877

Length, 11.00-12.50; wing, 5.00-5.70; tail, 5.05-5.70.

KANGE. — Eastern North America, from Florida and Texas coast north to New Foundland and Hudson Bay, latitude, 56°, west to Great Plains. Breeds throughout its range, except Florida, Gulf coast and central Texas.

Nest, bulky; in trees, of twigs, bark, moss, paper, strings, grass, and sometimes mud, and lined with rootlets and other fine material. Eggs, 3-6; cream, buff, or greenish, irregularly spotted and blotched with different shades of brown and lavender, generally heaviest about larger end; 1.10 by .81.

Blue Jay. (Deal.— Year Book United States Department of Agriculture, 18%, p. 197.)

A common and well-known resident. In the northern part of the State, some of them migrate over winter. Through the winter, aside from the well-known call, jay, jay, or caw, caw, is heard, but as spring approaches they become very vocal, uttering many calls, some very pretty notes, varying from loud to very low. Evidently some of the latter are intended solely for one female to hear, and when the pair is surprised they slip away and, with apparent indifference, repeat some rollicking role from a near-by tree. Keo-e-yeo is the familiar call, while one of the best-known low ones is, we-hue. They are quite good imitators of some birds.

With us, this season of song begins early in March. In 1893 as early as March 8, and in 1897, March 9. With it comes pairing time, which I have known to continue until April 25. I have known them to begin building as early as March 16, 1897, and have found them just beginning a nest May 11, 1881. I have found eggs from April 4 to May 21, and the young left the one containing eggs April 4, on May 20.

878 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Prof. W. P. Shannon has found eggs beginning to hatch (April 27). According to data, which he kept in 1896, a nest was begun April 1, the first egg laid April 17; an egg was laid each day, the fourth and last April 20; sitting began April 21, and the young were hatched May 2. That would make the period of incubation 12 days. Major Bendire says it is fifteen or sixteen days. Both sexes assist, and usually but one brood is reared. They use whatever is handy for nest- making. If in the woods, twigs, grass, leaves, bark, and sometimes mud is employed. About houses, strings, ra^s, paper, and almost any- thing in the way of odds and ends is used. It is usually placed from 10 to 20 feet high in a tree.

The Jay is pretty; his song and his queer ways are interesting, but every one has something against him. He is quarrelsome, teasing, persecuting and murderous, at times. Yet again he will live at peace with a mixed company of good birds in a town yard, as he .has done for years in mine, becoming, instead of the shy, hiding bird of the woods, a companion of the chickens when feeding-time comes. The Jay does so many unexpected things that I, long ago, concluded not to be surprised at anything he does. I have no doubt that many Jays are bad. Individuals or pairs are depraved, and in spring rob other birds of their eggs or young. In fact, I knew of a case in town in which they robbed the nest of a robin of its eggs. But we hear of such outrages and the good it does goes by unknown.

Investigations made show that the charges against the Jay are true, but that they are not so extensive as one would suppose, and that there is another column in the account in which should be given the credit due. The United States Department of Agriculture reports the in- vestigation of 292 stomachs. Shells of birds' eggs were found in three, and the remains of young birds in two. They eat mice, fish, salamanders, snails and crustaceans; altogether, a little over 1 per cent, of their food. Of harmful insects, they eat a little over 19 per cent. In August, nearly one-fifth of its food is grasshoppers; 19 per cent, of their food was cereals; 70 stomachs contained corn, most of which was eaten in the first five months of the year; 8, wheat; 2, oats. Mast formed the principal food. This (acorns, chestnuts, chinquapins, etc.), was found in 158 stomachs, over 42 per cent, of the whole food. Wild fruits were also eaten. The Jay eats many harmful insects. It does not destroy as many birds' eggs and young as was supposed. It does little harm to agriculture (Beal, Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54, pp. 14, 15).

Prof. F. H. King found, out of 31 specimens examined, one had killed three young robins; 15 had eaten 30 beetles; 2, 2 caterpillars; 2, 2 grubs; 1, other larvae; 2, grasshoppers; 5, corn; 1, wheat; 1, berries,

BIBDS OF INDIANA. 879

and 19, acorns. This and other investigations that have been made bear out the testimony of Prof. Beal. In my own yard I find young poison vines (Rhus toxicodendron), springing up in number every- where. These I ascribe to seeds dropped by birds, and I am inclined to lay the charge to the Blue Jay.

The Jay is one of those birds which by reason of its great range of food it is desirable to preserve, if it does not become more destructive, for it is liable to be of great service some day against any unusual insect outbreak.

SUBFAMILY COKVINJL CROWS.

109. GBNUS CORVUS LINN^BUS.

a1. Wing over 16. C. corax Binuatus (Wagl.). 185

a2. Wing under 14. C. americahus Aud. 186

*185. (486). Corvus corax sinuatus (WAGL.).

American Haven.

Adult. — Plumage, entirely lustrous black, with purplish reflections; feathers of neck, disconnected, long, narrow and pointed; bill and feet, black; iris, brown; tail, conspicuously rounded.

Length, 25.00-27.00; wing, 16.10-18.00; tail, 9.00-11.00; bill, 2.40- 3.05.

RANGE. — North America, from Guatemala to British Columbia, On- tario and Maine. In the eastern United States, now rare and prin- cipally confined to the mountainous districts, along which it ranges to South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Usually resident where found.

Nest, on cliffs or in trees, of sticks and bark; lined with hair, wool or moss. Eggs, 5-7; pale-green, drab or olive-green; much blotched or spotted with different shades of brown, lavender and drab; 1.95 by 1.29.

Rare resident. Breeds. I had supposed the Raven was extinct in southern Indiana, and but few were found in the northern part of the State. In April, 1897, Mr. Chansler informed me that two persons had spoken to him of its nesting in Martin County, in cliffs, and that one of them said he had taken a nest and two eggs in 1894. Mr. Cass. Stroud, of Wheatland, says Ravens are moderately common in a local- ity known as "Ravens' Hollow," five miles south of Shoals, Martin County. Mr. Chansler also said that one person told him of their nest- ing at "Ravens' Rock," in Dubois County. Mr. Geo. R. Wilson, Coun-

I. IMPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

ty Superintendent of Schools. Jasper, Ind., has very kindly made in- quiries on this subject in Dubois County. He knows of his own knowledge that Ravens were found in that county up to fire years ago. "Ravens' Rock" is a sandstone cliff 75 or 80 feet high, the top of which projects about 33 feet. It is situated between Dubois and Ellsworth. Two school teachers from that neighborhood have, by Mr. Wilson's request, investigated the question of its breeding there, and the following is the substance of their report. In the cliff are shelves, very difficult to reach, and on those, or, rather, in the crevices, the Ravens build their nests, .or did so until very recently. These nests were rough, made of large weeds, or even sticks, with hair or wool. The Ravens have not been noticed there this year, but were a year or two ago, and regularly previous to that. They look very much like a crow, but are very much larger, even two feet from bill to tip of tail, which is round in shape. They have been seen to eat rabbits, and some say to "suck eggs." Neighbors do not like them, and look upon them as a, sign of fcbad luck/" They were often seen five miles from the rock, and were known by their harsh croak. They fly very high. They ma}' still be found in other southern counties of the State. From northern Indiana, however, I have no recent record. Mr. C. A. Stock- bridge reported them as not uncommon in the eastern part of Allen County the winter of 1890-91. Mr. J. K Beasley said, in 1894, it wa* a, rare winter visitor in Boone County. He informs me none have been seen there since. Dr. A. W. Brayton, in 1879, said: "It frequents the sandhills along the shores of Lake Michigan from October until spring, eating the dead fish thrown up by the lake." (Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 129). Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me he saw it in Lake County in 1871. The opinion in southern Michigan is that this bird has been replaced by the crow, that the Raven was common there up to 35 or 10 years ago, and steadily faded out before the smaller species (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 100).

So far as I can learn, the last Ravens were seen in Franklin County in 1868. I know of no records later for any part of southeastern In- diana. Throughout portions of the western United States they are still common. Major Bendire says of it: "Although a good deal has been written reflecting on the Raven, my personal observations compel me to consider it a rather orderly member of a somewhat disreputable family group." He further says: "Their ordinary call-note is a loud ccraak-craak/ varied sometimes by a deep grunting, 'koerr-koerr,' and, again, by a clucking, a sort of self-satisfied sound, difficult to reproduce on paper; in fact, they utter a variety of notes when at ease and undisturbed" (L. H. X. A. B., II., p. 397).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 881

*186, (488). Corvus americanus AUD.

Common Crow.

Synonyms, CROW, AMERICAN CROW.

Adult. — Plumage, uniform black, with violet gloss; feathers on neck, short, rounded, not disconnected from others; bill and feet, black; iris, brown; tail but slightly rounded.

Length, 18.50-19.50; wing, 13.00-13.50; tail, 6.90-8.00; bill, 1.80- 2.05.

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico north to Labrador, Hudson Bay to Anderson Eiver (lat. 68°) and Alaska. Breeds throughout its range, except Florida.

Nest, in trees; of sticks, weeds, grass, leaves, lined with grass, wool, hair and other finer material. Eggs, 4-8; bluish-green, olive-green or olive-buff; irregularly blotched and spotted with* different shades of brown and gray; 1.63 by 1.15.

Very common throughout the State; resident, but not so common in winter northward. They are partially gregarious, collecting in col- onies, called "roosts," in October and November and breaking up in March. During the day they range widely from these roosts, and at night return to them. Sometimes these "roosts" are maintained for years at the same place; again, they change their location often. The roosts vary much in size; some of the larger ones being estimated to contain 100,000 to 300,000 crows. The following roosts have been reported from Indiana: (1) One in Wayne County, changed several times, locations given as 1J to 10 miles from Richmond; a roost near Boston, that county, may be one of the sites" of the same birds (W. S. Ratliff). (2) In Rush County, in a soft maple swamp near Milroy, has been there "always." Most numerous in late summer, at "roast- ing-ear" time, when farmers have to fight them to save their corn; sometimes found there by the thousands (Lon Innis). (3) In Turner's Grove, near Bloomington, quite extensive (W. S. Blatchley). (4) One near Terre Haute (W. S. Blatchley, J. T. Scovell).

(5) One in Shelby County, between London and Brookfield, has been there for the past four winters (J. G. Perry). There was one for 6 or 7 years near Fairland, in a grove of about 15 acres' extent. Five or six years ago the boys disturbed them, and they left and lo- cated 4 or 5 miles southwest of the old site (Willard Fields). As I understand it, this new site is the same one mentioned by Mr. Perry.

(6) One near Irvington, several years ending with 1893 or 1894 (G. S.

56— GEOL.

88% REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Cottman). (7) One near Brown's Valley, Montgomery County, not large (J. S. Wright). (8) One about three-quarters of a mile north of Camargo, 111. Tens of thousands roost in a scrub oak grove. It is said Crows from there range nearly or quite across -the first two tiers of counties of Indiana east of that point. Twenty or thirty years ago, it is said, they flew from the roost to Terre Haute, Vigo County; Ar- miesburg and Montezuma (Parke County), and Clinton, Vermillion County, for their morning feed upon the refuse of slaughter-houses, which then existed at each place. (9) Probably 500 birds roost at night in the two cemeteries at Vincennes through the winter (J. A. Balmer, 1889). (10) Mr. R. R. Moffitt reports a Crow Roost at Slim Timber, White County, about 12 miles west of Brookston and 21 northwest of Lafayette. He estimates 100,000 Crows winter there. In the southern part of Franklin County crows are noted flying in a southeastern direc- tion, as though a roost existed in that direction in Ohio (H. F. Bain). The following account of the roost near Irvington was written by Mr. W. P. Hay, February 24, 1890, and is published in Bulletin No. 6, Div. of 0. and M., U. S. Dept. of Agr., pp. 18, 19.

"For several years the Common Crow has been very abundant about here, especially in winter. Every morning at about half past 5 a great string of Crows, extending as far as the eye can reach, can be seen flying toward the south. At about 4 o'clock in the evening they re- turn. On the 15th of February I visited a roost which is situated about 2 miles north of here. It is in a thick beech wood of perhaps 50 acres. I reached the place at about half-past 4, and in a few mo- ments the Crows began to arrive. They came in five 'streams' — from the north, northeast, northwest, south and southeast. Soon the trees were black with them, ancl the noise they made was almost deafening. After being shot at several times, they all congregated in one corner of the wood, and when shot at again left the trees and settled on the ground in the neighboring fields. They were now so badly scared that it was impossible to get within gunshot; so, throwing myself upon the ground-, to be as near as possible out of sight, I began to imi- tate, as well as I could, the cawing of the Crow. Almost immediately they answered, and every crow in the field came circling over me. At first they were perhaps 200 feet in the air. They all would caw as loudly as possible for perhaps a half -minute, then they would be still. If answered, they would come lower and caw again. It was so near dark I suppose they could not see me, and at last they were within 20 or 30 feet of the ground. I shot and they flew away, but returned as soon as I began to imitate them again. At last they all departed for another woods,"

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 883

The following additional notes on the same roost by Mr. Greo. S. Cottman appeared in the Indianapolis News (date not known):

CROW ROOST.

"About four and a half miles east of Indianapolis, and a mile and a half north, of Irvington, a stretch of heavy woods was 'used by the crows for two winters (about '93 and ?94).

"By four o'clock in the afternoon the crows begin to come in from every point of the compass; straggling at first, then in flocks that in- crease in number and size till continuous streams seem to be converg- ing at this point, and the air overhead is fairly filled with a chaos of black flakes soaring and circling about. Evidently they come together for the purpose of enjoying a grand social carnival. They congregate in the adjoining meadows in vast crowds, where they walk about, inter- mingling and hob-nobbing; the rail fences present long, unbroken lines of black, and the isolated trees in the fields seem suddenly to have taken on some strange, large-leaved foliage. When this multi- tude take alarm and all rise at once, they are like the famous cloud of locusts, and it looks as if a rifle-ball fired at random would bring down a score. As one stands in the woods the spectacle of these thou- sands of birds swirling and eddying among the tree-tops has a be- wildering effect, which is heightened by the incessant clamor. Free speech seems to be the order of the occasion. Every crow has some- thing to say, and he says it, and as no individual can be heard for the others, the result is a conglomeration of noises that can be heard a mile, and which sounds precisely like a tremendous escape of steam. The jollification is continued till long after dark, and all through the evening they keep up a boisterous, many-voiced conversation. These mighty gatherings take place only through the winter, and during the summer lodgings in that locality are to. let."

Mr. W. W. Pfrimmer informs me that there is a "rookery" near Newton and Demotte, in Porter County, where he thinks as many as 500 nests could be found on two or three acres. Mr. Nehrling describes their nesting in a colony in Texas.

In spring when mating-time comes the Crows scatter. They begin pairing in March. I have noted them most commonly between March 28 (1896), and April 9 (1881). Nests with full sets may usually be found between April 15 and May 1. In Lake County, Mr. L. T. Meyer has taken fresh eggs from April 8 to 15. Prof. Evermann found fresh eggs April 16 in Carroll County. They nest in all kinds of woodland, dense and open, river valleys and hill-land. Incubation lasts about eighteen days, and both parents engage in it.

884 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The Crow is shy and cautious. They know that every man's hand is against them, and keep well out of reach of the man with a gun. A friend of mine says a Crow can count two, but his knowledge of mathematics ends there. Three persons may hide and after two have left the crow will return, but never till two have left.

The crow is charged with many crimes and is not given credit with many, if any, virtues. The United States Department of Agriculture has investigated the habits and foods of the Crow in the United States, and has issued a very valuable report thereon (Bulletin No. 6, Div. 0. and M., U. S. Dept. Agr., by Walter B. Barrows and E. A. Schwarz). The Crow is found guilty of pulling up sprouting corn, eating corn, destroying chickens and their eggs, robbing the nests of small birds, destroying such harmless and beneficial animals as salamanders, toads, frogs and snakes and spreading the seeds of noxious plants. But it is found the facts are somewhat different from what they are popularly supposed to be.

The Crow only eats hard, dry corn when other food is not easily obtainable. It eats it readily when it is softened. Therefore, the softened, sprouting grains are desirable food. They also are fond of it when in the "roasting-ear," or milk stage. Mr. Lon Innis says they are very destructive to corn in this condition near Milroy, Rush County. The destruction of chickens and their eggs is much less than is commonly supposed; of the entire number of stomachs examined in the year (909), but 57 contained evidence of such food, which was a little over one-half of one per cent, of their total food. The same testi- mony is given as to the destruction of wild birds. Less, by far, are eaten than is commonly supposed. Only 50 stomachs, or about one per cent, of the whole number examined for the year, contained such food. Through the fall and winter season, especially, the seeds of many vines and trees are eaten. They are especially fond of poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron), poison sumach (Rhus venenata), other su- mac (Rhus), and also eat those of juniper or red cedar (Juniperus vir- ginianus), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and sour gum (Nyssa aquatica). The seeds of such plants, together with sand, gravel, and other material eaten to assist in grinding the food, is ejected from the mouth usually in the form of pellets. They are thus spread over the country along fence rows, under shade trees, in orchards and other places to propagate undesirable plants. In September and October I have found the Crows feeding upon wild cherries (Prunus serotina), and beechnuts. Seeds of the former are doubtless distributed in the way just noted.. Thus, as a whole, the injuries the Crow does are shown not to be so great as is generally supposed.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 885

Most persons are disposed to note losses oftener and remember thein longer than benefits. It is found to eat many insects. May beetles, June-bugs and noxious beetles, and quantities of them, are fed to their young. Grasshoppers are eaten all summer, but form the bulk of their food in August.

Besides these, many bugs, caterpillars, cutworms, and spiders, etc., are eaten. Of the insect food, Mr. E. A. Schwarz says: "The facts, on the whole, speak overwhelmingly in favor of the Crow." I have else- where (Bulletin 12, Div. of Ent., U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1886, p. 30) noted their eating 17-year cicadas (Cicada septendecim), and their eating all the tomato worms in a badly-infested tomato field, near Indianapolis (Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1890, appendix c, p. 65). I am also informed of their coming in numbers into a timothy meadow which was practically destroyed by the larvae of some insects and going over it thoroughly, tearing up the grass, roots and all, and destroying the insects. When they had finished the field was described as look- ing like a great flock of poultry had scratched it all over, but no insects could be found. In addition to the insects eaten, it was found that mice rank fourth in quantity in the items of animal food. For this, they must be given credit. It is thought "in the more thickly-settled portions of the country that the crow does more good than harm, and if precautions are taken to protect the nests and young poultry and corn, its damage would not be of any considerable consequence.

XXXIX. FAMILY ICTERIDJE. BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

a1. Outlines of bill nearly or quite straight; the tip not evidently curved down- ward ; the cutting edges not turned inward. Subfamily ICTERINJE.

61. Bill stout, conical, its depth at base equal to at least one-third its length ; sexes unlike; female smaller.

c1. Tail feathers sharp pointed ; middle toe with claw longer than tarsus ; bill

shorter than head ; finch like. DOLICHONYX. 110

c2. Tail feathers not pointed at tips; middle toe with claw not longer than

tarsus.

dl. Bill much shorter than head ; finch like. MOLOTHBUS. Ill

d2. Bill about as long as head.

e1. Claws of side toes about half as long as middle claw, reaching little if any beyond base of middle claw. AGELAIUS. 113

ez. Claws of side toes much more than half as long as middle claw, reach- ing much beyond base of middle claw. XANTHOCEPHALTJS. 112

62. Bill slender, its depth at base scarcely one- third its length.

f1. Tail less than two- thirds length of wing, its feathers pointed; bill longer than head ; sexes similar. STUBNELLA. 114

/2. Tail nearly as long as wing, its feathers not pointed; bill shorter than head; sexes not similar. ICTEBUS. 115

886 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

a2. Outlines of bill distinctly curved, the tip distinctly curved downward; cutting edges turned inward. Subfamily QUISCALIN.E.

yl. Tail much shorter than wing, nearly even; bill slender, shorter

than head. SCOLECOPHAGUS. 116

g2. Tail longer than wing, middle feathers much the longer; bill as

long as or longer than head. QTJISCAIATS. 117

110. GENUS DOLICHONYX SWAISSOX.

*187. (494). Dolichonyx oryzivorus ..(LIMN.).

Bobolink. Synonyms, WHITE-WINGED BLACKBIRD, REEDBIRD, RICEBIRD.

Adult Male in Spring. — Mostly black; nape, deep buff; back, streaked with, buff; patch on side of breast, rump and scapulars, whit- ish; upper tail-coverts, light ash; outer primaries and tertials, mar- gined with yellowish-white; bill, blackish horn; feet, brown; tail feath- ers pointed. . Female and Male in Fall and Winter. — Above, yellowish, or yellowish-olive; crown and back, conspicuously streaked with black, nape and rump with smaller markings; crown, with a central stripe, and stripe over each eye olive-buff, or olive-gray; wings and tail, brownish, edged with lighter; tail feathers, sharp-pointed. Be- low, yellowish or whitish, shaded with buffy or olive; sides and lower tail-coverts, more or less distinctly streaked with black; bill, brown.

Length, 6.30-7.60; wing, 3.70-4^.00; tail, 2.60-2.90.

RANGE. — America, from Paraguay north to Nova Scotia and Mani- toba, west to Nevada, Utah and British Columbia. Breeds on coast of Louisiana and from southern New Jersey, southern Indiana and Kansas northward. Winters from West Indies southward.

Nest, on ground, frequently in natural depression, in bunch of grass, in meadow, prairie, or dry marsh; of fine, dry grass, straw or weeds. Eggs, 4-5, and occasionally 6-7; gray, bluish-gray, bluish-white, spotted and veined with various shades of brown and gray, heaviest at large end; .81 by .61.

The Bobolink is a regular migrant in southern Indiana, but is rare. It is a common summer resident in the northern part of the State, and in some localities breeds abundantly. At the time of the settle- ment of the country by white men it was probably found in summer about the lower end of Lake Michigan, extending westward some dis- tance into Illinois and south into the prairies of the Kankakee basin and as far east as Eochester in Indiana, thence northward to, and, possibly, into southwestern Michigan. It is probable some were to be

Minns oi«' INDIANA.

887

met with about the western end of Lake Erie, extending a short dis- tance into that State. From the first, or hoth of these centers, they have extended their summer range until it has spread over the State from east to west in its northern part, and reached points as far south as northern Union County and. the counties of Wayne, Delaware,

Bobolink. (Beal.— Farmers' Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture, p. 18.)

Madison, Marion, Clinten, Tippecanoe and Vigo, in all of which it breeds. However, it is not generally distributed and usually occurs locally. It is a rare summer resident and probably breeds in Decatur County, where Prof. W. P. Shannon found a pair July 2> 1896. In Carroll County, Elkhart County, and perhaps other counties, it is found rarely, if at all, and in others in but few localities. However, there are places where it is found abundantly. It has been observed in a number of these counties, as well as several others for the first time within the last few years. Doubtless it will continue to extend its range, and we watch its movements with much interest. They evidently reach their breeding grounds by migrating, farther eastward, doubtless along the Atlantic coast, and then turning west towards the lower end of Lake Michigan. They often are found in the area they

888 KEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

originally occupied as early or earlier than they are further southward, where they are only rare migrants. And the small numbers that pass in the spring cannot he compared to the multitudes found breeding northward. In the southern portion of the State, the following will give the earliest and latest dates in* a series of years when the first Bobolink was seen in spring: Bicknell, April 28, 1896; May 3, 1894 and 1897; Bloomington, April 17, 1885, May 6, 1883 and 1888; Brook- ville, April 6? 1890 (the earliest record for the State), ana May 5, 1881; Moore's Hill, April 23, 1893, April 27, 1888; Greensburg, April 26, 1896, May 8, 1895; Terre Haute, May 3, 1890, May 13, 1889. In the southern part of northern Indiana they appear a little later, from May 2 to 11.

At Muncie they were first seen May 6, 1893, and May 11, 1890; Lafayette, May 5, 1890; May 7, 1892; Eed Key, May 2, 1895; North Manchester, May 3, 1896. Farther north, where they breed com- monly, they are usually first seen between April 26 and May 5, most always by May 9; Lake County, April 27, 1887; May 8, 1889; Dekalb County, April 27, 1896; May 9, 1889; Laporte, April 27, 1894; Wayne County, Mich., April 26, 1896; April 27, 1892, and 1893; Petersburg, Mich., April 28, 1891, May 2, 1886, 1889, 1892 and 1893.

The males usually precede the females by from two days to two weeks. The crowning glory of prairie life in the spring is the lively antics, the ardent courtships and, above all, the beautiful music of the Bobolink, whether on the ground, in a treetop or in midair, his swed, song comes to us with the perfume of early clover blossoms. These remain twin impressions, indelibly impressed upon one's mind. The wife builds her nest of straws, grasses and weeds, on the ground, usually in a depression, but sometimes in a tuft of grass, and there assumes the duties of incubation and the care of a family. The hus- band is the stylish and attractive member of the family. "She broods in the grass while her husband sings." The female Bobolink in spring, and both sexes and young in fall, are a puzzle to young students of birds. The male he can readily determine, but the sparrow-like dress of the female in the spring, and of both adults and young in the fall, cause him much perplexity. Fresh eggs are usually to be found from May 20 to June 5. Between June 15 and July 5, the nests usually contain young. The males keep up their singing until the beginning of July, and then suddenly stop, change their dress to that of the fe- male and become songless. Only a metallic click is then uttered. I have found them in full song at Eagle Lake as late as July 4. It is generally thought they leave about July 20. While a few may start upon their return journey then, the greater number seek good feed-

BIEDS OF INDIANA. 889

ing grounds and remain until the middle of August. Some, com- paratively few, remain later than this. In 1894 the last was reported from Plymouth, Mich., September 12; Cook County, 111., September 21. In 1890 I received one from Mr. H. N. McCoy, which he killed at Marion, Ind., September 29. Prof. E. L. Moseley reports about 150 at Sandusky, 0., September 4, 1897. However, they flock to the Atlantic Coast in great numbers towards the middle of August and descend in immense swarms upon the rice fields of the South Atlantic and Gulf States. Apparently they journey southward, follow- ing the coast line, and some distance out. There they appear to arrive from seaward, "punctually on the night of the 21st of August" (U. S. Agr. Kept., 1886, p. 249). They at once proceed to destroy all the rice on which the grain is in the milk, as well as untold quantities of ripening grain. The annual loss to rice growers in this country on ac- count of Bobolinks is estimated at $2,000,000. For, not only do they consume so much in the fall, but in April and May, as they come north, they stop to lay in waste the fields of young grain. The Bobo- link, with us, is an entirely different bird, given to sweet songs, odd actions and good deeds. With us, it lives upon insects and seeds that are of no especial value. During the time the young have to be pro- vided for they are fed mostly insects. The meadows, marshes, pastures and prairies are its home, and multitudes of insects which infest such places are eaten each year. (See The Bobolink in Indiana Proc., I. A..S., 1896.)

111. GENUS MOLOTHRUS SWAINSON.

*188. (495). Molothrus ater (BODD.).

Cowbird. Synonyms, Cow BUNTING, BLACKBIRD.

Adult Male. — Plumage, mostly lustrous black, with purple and green reflections; head and neck, brown. Female. — Smaller; brown- ish-gray, darker above; chin and throat paler, apparently streaked, owing to the darker lines along the shafts of most of the feathers. Immature. — Similar to female, but more buffy; bill and feet, black.

Male, length, 7.75-8.25; wing, 4.00-4.60; tail, 2.90-3.35. Female, length, 7.00-7.50; wing, about 3.75; tail, 2.75.

EANGE. — North America, from southern Mexico north to New Brunswick and Athabasca (Little Slave Lake). Breeds from Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, northward. Winters from southern Illinois and southern Indiana, southward.

890 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

No nest. Lays in the nests of other birds; number of eggs unknown. Eggs, white, speckled and blotched with dark and light brown; .84 by .65.

Abundant summer resident. Favorable winters, some remain in the southern part of the State. Mr. E. J. Chansler found it remained in some numbers at Bicknell, the winter of 1896-7. I found it as far north as Brookville, November 24, 1887. They begin to return some years very early. In 1882 I noted it at Brookville, February 28, while

Cowbird, reduced.

in 1883 I did not see one until April 4. Mr. V. H. Barnett noted it at Spearsville, February 28, 1895, and March 6, 1894. The following are earliest and latest dates of first arrival for places named: Greens- burg, March 23, 1895, March 28, 1896; Sedan, March 6, 1889, April 17, 1894; Laporte, March 30, 1886, April 10, 1894; Lake County, March 13, 1886; Petersburg, Mich., March 17, 1889, March 18, 1897. The females arrive later in the spring than the males. They begin, mating some years late in March, and continue well through April. At Brookville, I have seen this beginning March 25, 1884. When they arrive late in March, or after, they are mated.

The Cowbird is polygamous. The dark male may be seen with sev- eral lighter females. The attentions to them are very persistent. With many motions, he puffs himself up, erects his feathers, droops his wings and spreads his tail, conscious of his own importance. All this ends in a farcical attempt to sing. Its ordinary call, Mr. Nehrling well says, is a shrill "cluck-see"; while it has, also, a shrill one-syllable screech.

The Cowbird builds no nest. It is a parasite. As the European Cuckoo, and to a limited extent our American species, lays eggs in the nests of other birds for them to hatch and rear, so does this bird.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 891

Most persons have seen it accompanying the cattle in pasture. Mr. Widmann thinks, thus, it used to accompany the American Bison. In its migrations, and because of its wanderings, it could neither build a nest or take time to rear a family. Thus, to his mind, was the habit formed. No one kind of bird is selected to be the foster parent. Major Bendire mentions ninety species of birds in whose nests Cowbirds' eggs have been found. These range from the size of the Mourning Dove, and Meadow Lark, to the little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and House Wren. Such well known birds as the Phcebe, Song Sparrow, Tewhee, Indigo Bunting, Oven-birds, and Yellow-breasted Chat, are most often imposed upon. The Yellow Warbler, however, is often a match for the Cowbird; frequently she buries the latter's egg or eggs and her own beneath a second story built on top of her nest, and deposits another set of eggs. Mr. E. K. Quick, of Brookville, has a nest of this Warbler to which a third story has been added, burjdng two efforts of the Cow- bird to perpetuate its kind. There have been other such nests found. The Acadian Flycatcher and, perhaps, TrailPs Flycatcher, disposes of the Cowbird's eggs in the same way, sometimes.

"It is very interesting to observe the female Cowbird ready to lay. She becomes disquieted. At length she separates from the flock and sallies forth to reconnoitre, anxiously, indeed, for her case is urgent and she has no home. How obtrusive is the sad analogy! She flies to some thicket, or hedgerow, or other common resort of birds, where, something teaches her, perhaps experience, nests will be found. Stealthily and in perfect silence she flits along, peering into the depths of the foliage. She espies a nest, but the owner's head peeps over the brim, and she must pass on. Now, however, comes her chance; there is the very nest she wishes, and no one at home. She disappears for a few minutes, and it is almost another bird that comes out of the bush. Her business done, and troubles over, she chuckles her self- gratulation, rustles her plumage to adjust it trimly and fly back to her associates. They know what has happened, but are discreet enough to say nothing; charity is often no less wise than kind" (Dr. Coues, Birds of the N. W., p. 185). The Cowbird's egg is said to hatch in about ten or eleven days. It hatches earlier, the young is larger, more persistent, or has some quality that is usually not found in the nest-mates. So it thrives and the others perish. Every Cowbird's egg is usually the cause of the destruction of a whole brood of more useful birds. They disappear as the dryer summer months come on, seeking the swamps and marshy pastures. In September they migrate, a few, however, remaining through the succeeding months and well into November. Most years they are gone before October 1, In Lake County they

892 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

sometimes remain until October. The following are some other rec- ords: Sedan, October 29, 1889; Sandusky, 0., October 17, 1896; Cook County, 111., October 5, 1895; Greensburg, October 31, 1896, Novem- ber 16, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., October 24, 1894; Hillsdale, Mich., November 1, 1894.

112. GBNUS XANTHOCEPHALUS SWAINSOX.

*189. (497). Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (BONAP.).

Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Adult Male. — Head (except lores), neck and chest, yellow; primary coverts and some of greater coverts, white; rest of pfumage, black. Female and Immature. — Brownish-black; little or no white on wing; yellow, restricted or obscured. Female smaller than the male.

Male, length, 10.60-11.10; wing, 5.65-5.80; tail, 4.50-4.85. Female, length, 9.00-10.00; wing, 4.40-4.65; tail, 3.50-3.70.

RANGE. — Western North America, from Mexico (Valley of Mexico), north to British Columbia, and Keewatin; east to Manitoba, Wiscon- sin, Indiana, Missouri and Texas. Breeds throughout its range. Win- ters from Louisiana and Texas, southward.

Nests, in colonies; nests fastened in rushes or other aquatic plants, of grass, reeds and rushes, lined with finer grass. Eggs, 2-5; grayish or greenish-white, rather evenly blotched or spotted with different shades of brown, drab and pearl-gray; 1.02 by .71.

This Western species is a summer resident in some localities, in northwestern Indiana. It frequents swamps and has a preference for certain localities, where it breeds in colonies. Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me that he found it breeding abundantly along the Calumet River, in Lake County, in 1871. He took over a hundred eggs. Mr. Geo. L. Toppan has also found it breeding in Lake County, and also abun- dantly about Mud Lake, over the line, in Illinois. There is a pair in the State Museum that are marked from Porter County. Mr. Ruth- ven Deane informs me one was taken from a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds at English Lake, August 7, 1897, and Mr. Chas. Dury says he obtained specimens from there years ago. None, however, have been reported from there for fifteen years or more. The hab- its of the Yellow-headed Blackbird are, in many respects, similar to those of the Red-winged Blackbird. They are swamp birds. The nest is built in reeds or tufts of grass; they have the somewhat similar harsh clacking notes.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 893

They feed upon seeds of swamp plants; sometimes do damage to green corn before the ears. glaze, but eat large numbers of insects. An egg is laid daily, and but one brood reared a year. Incubation lasts about 14 days. They arrive in May and depart in August or September.

113. GBNUS AGELAIUS VIEILLOT.

*190. (498). Agelaius phceniceus (LINN.).

Bed-winged Blackbird. Synonym, SWAMP BLACKBIRD.

Adult Male. — Plumage, deep black; lesser wing coverts, bright red, bordered behind with broad band of brownish-yellow, buffy or white. In fall or winter, black, more or less edged with brown. Adult Fe- male.— Smaller; above, blackish, with brown and white streaks; light stripe over eye, and inconspicuous light stripe along center of head; lesser wing coverts, with more or less red; wings, barred and edged with white or brownish; below, streaked with black and white; throat, tinged with pink or yellow. Immature. — Like female, but browner above and more buffy below.

Male.— Length, 9.00-10.00; wing, 4.60-5.05; tail, 3.55-3.95. Fe- male.—Length, 7.50-8.50; wing, 3.80-4.25; tail, 3.10-3.40.

EANGE. — North America, from Costa Eica north to New Brunswick and Mackenzie Eiver Valley (Ft. Simpson). Breeds from coast of Gulf States, north. Winters from Virginia and southern Indiana, southward.

Nest, and site, similar to that of last mentioned species. Eggs, 2-6; pale bluish-green, spotted and irregularly streaked with black and various shades of brown, drab and purple; .98 by .69.

An abundant summer resident about swamps and the reedy borders of lakes, and streams; elsewhere, rare, or only seen during the migra- tions. Some winters, remain in the southern part of the State. The winter of 1884-5 one was taken in January at Paris, 111., and a few were seen, at odd times during February, at Odin, 111. (Cooke, Eept. B. Mig. in Miss. Valley, p. 164). January 14, 1895, Mr. V. H. Bar- nett found four at Spearsville, and the following winter it remained at Bicknell as late as December 1. The winter of 1896-7 they also re- mained there in some numbers (Chansler).

To note the movements of the Eed-winged Blackbird one should be near its summer home. They proceed directly to such places, and, though a few often precede the main body, they are often found there

894

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

in force before any of the chance migrants are seen farther south. At Brookville it is only seen occasionally, as it passes over or stops beside the river., perhaps, some days, after it has appeared about the northern swamps. In the Whitewater Valley and, in fact, throughout southern Indiana, generally, there are few localities favorable to it; so that a

Red-winged Blackbird. (Beal.— Farmer's Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture, p. 20.)

fish pond containing a few cat-tails, a sedgy shallow in the old canal bed, or a bit of wet land, the remnants of an old marsh or beaver pond, afford about the only nesting sites. In the northern part of the State, where the marshes and marshy lakes are found, they are found in flocks numbering thousands.

They may be observed, on first arrival, in the southern part of the State, some time from January to March; and among the northern marshes, from February 17 to March 28. The following dates are the earliest and latest it was first seen at the points named: Brook- ville, February 21, 1888 and 1892, March 25, 1897; Frankfort, Feb- ruary 28, 1896, April 6, 1893; Dekalb County, February 17, 1897, February 22, 1886 and 1888; Lake County, March 11, 1893; Cook County, 111., March 20, 1886, March 28, 1885; Carroll County, Feb- ruary 12 (Evermann). Its call is one of the characteristic sounds of the marshes, Emerson says it calls "o-ka-lee" Nehrling gives

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 895

this call: "con-GUT-ee^" and says its whistling noise is tii-tii. Gen- erally they nest in colonies. The males are polygamous. Each one has usually two females. But this is not always so. For, often in these latter days, when draining and ditching are driving many birds to other haunts, and habits, solitary pairs are found about many little cattle ponds, fish ponds, or springy drains. They are even becoming noticeable in the more level country. In many mead- ows, where is a wet place, no water, a nest or two will be found. Prof. W. P. Shannon calls my attention to the fact that they are frequenting such places in Decatur County, and thus becoming more generally distributed and better known than they formerly were. The spring of 1897 he found two nests about such a place, one in a bunch of sour-dock, the other in a tuft of white top. Nests are found the middle of April, and full sets of fresh eggs are found until, at least, near the middle of May — Waterloo, May 12, 1885 (Snyder). Their nests and those of the last mentioned species are similar in con- struction and location, as a rule. The Red-winged Blackbird some- times builds in bushes or trees, as much as fifteen feet from the ground. Mr. J. 0. Snyder told me of one nest he found that was 18 inches in diameter. They usually rear but one brood in a season. One egg is laid daily, and it requires about two weeks for them to hatch. In August and September they collect in flocks in the upper Mississippi Valley, where they breed much more abundantly than they do with us. At this season they do much damage to the maturing corn. In the South, among the rice fields of the Gulf coast, they do great damage. Prof. Bears investigations show that, of 725 birds ex- amined, 74 per cent, of their food was vegetable matter and 26 per cent, animal. Insects were the greater part of the latter, and consisted chiefly of beetles, weevils and grasshoppers. The quantity of grain eaten was less than we would have supposed. It constituted but a little over 13 per cent, of the total food, and consisted of corn, wheat and oats; oats form nearly half of that amount.

The principal food, in fact, almost the entire food, in winter, was weed seed. That formed 54 per cent, of the year's food. Thus nox- ious and injurious insects form its principal food, and, save in cer- tain localities, it is decidedly a beneficial bird.

They wander about through the fall, sometimes starting southward in September. Other years they are passing through October and even remain northward some winters until early November (J. Gr. Parker, Jr.). The following are a few dates showing range at which last speci- mens were seen: Lafayette, Ind., October 5, 1895; Bicknell, Septem- ber 28, 1894, December 1, 1896; Brookville, 'November 11, 1886.

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

114. GENUS STURNELLA VIKILLOT.

*191. (501). Sturnella magna (LINN.).

Meadow Lark.

Adult. — Above, prevailing color black, crown with buff middle stripe; yellow and buff stripe over eye, black stripe from eye back; cheeks, ashy; back, streaked with brown, and buffy; outer tail feathers, white, middle ones pointed; they with the inner quills and wing cov- erts, barred or scalloped with black and brown, or gray; edge of wing and spot in front of eye, bright yellow; below, yellow, a black crescent on breast; sides and crissum, whitish, with black spots.

Male.— Length, 9.50-11.00; wing, 4.40-5.00. Female.— Length, 8.00-10.00; wing, 3.95-4.30.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Gulf of Mexico north to Nova Scotia and Manitoba; west to Great Plains. Winters from Kan- sas, Indiana and Massachusetts, southward. Breeds throughout its range.

Nest, in meadow, in depression in ground, of grass and weeds, arched over and protected by growing grass. Eggs, 3-7; white, spotted and blotched with brown or purple; 1.09 by .89.

Abundant summer resident. Resident in the southern portion of the State. Some severe winters it mostly or- entirely leaves. Other winters it is found throughout the State. It has been reported in winter from Brookville, where it remains during mild winters; Wa- bash County, often (Ulrey and Wallace); Carroll County, occasionally a few (Evermann); Brown, often (Barnett); Zanesville, Wells County, remained, 1896-7 (Hamilton); Petersburg, Mich., a few remained, 1896-7 (Trombley). In the northern part of the State the migration begins: In Dekalb County, as early as February 12, 1891, and as late as March 17, 1886; in Cook County, 111., March 20, 1888, March 28, 1885. In the southern part of the State, most years, the migrations begin in February, and frequently they are common by February 20. I have known them in full song March 8 (1893).

But mating does not usually begin until early April; sometimes, however, it is observed in March. Sometimes the bird scoops out a hole in the side of a tussock of grass and builds its nest, arching it over with the grass above. Usually it is placed in a little depression in the ground. It is made of such materials as are at hand — grasses of varying coarseness— and a lining of finer growth. The male sings while the female works. Prof. W. P. Shannon found a nest, with three eggs, near Greensburg, April 25, 1896, while I have taken the

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

897

first laying, at Brookville, May 28, 1892. Mr. E. K. Quick took a set of fresh eggs near the same place, July 15, 1879. This was a second laying in a nest in which young had been hatched a few weeks before. The nest was relined before the second laying. Mr. J. 0. Snyder took a set of eggs, possibly also a second set, at Waterloo, July 17, 1885. An egg is deposited daily, and incubation takes about fifteen days. Both sexes assist in the latter.

Meadow Lark. (Beal.— Year Book, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895, p. 421.)

The song is variously interpreted. Mr. Kidgway says country people sometimes interpret it as "Laziness will kill you," or "Peek-you-can't- see'-me;" the accent on the next to the last syllable. Mr. Nehrling says it sounds like "He-ah-he-here," or "et-see-dee-ah." After the harvest is over and the young are able to care for themselves, most of the Meadow Larks seek choice spots, and but seldom are their songs heard. However, when the fall rains come, and start the grass, they regain their voices. I found them in restless flocks during the dry weather, September 30, 1897, and in full song. At times they sing quite late. November 11, 1886, a sunny, pleasant day, I found them abundant and in full song at Lawrenceburg Junction.

The Meadow Lark is one of our most beneficial birds; and, as^it should be, has a good reputation. Every one speaks well of it. In 238 stomachs examined by the Department of Agriculture, animal food, practically all insects, constituted 73 per cent, of the contents; and vegetable matter, 27 per cent.

57— GEOL.

898 EEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The insects were ground species, such as beetles, bugs, grasshoppers and caterpillars, some flies, some wasps, and spiders. Crickets and grasshoppers constitute 29 per cent, of the entire year's food, great numbers being eaten in August, when these insects are most numerous. Beetles come next, being nearly 21 per cent. They may become very valuable in combating new enemies of the meadow, such as the rapidly spreading clover root lorer, and clover leaf weevil. The vegetable food is grain., weed and other seeds. Grain amounts to 14 per cent., and, being eaten in winter and spring, is probably principally waste grains. Only six birds had eaten clover seeds (See also Beal, Year Book of U. S. Dept. of Agr. for 1895, p. 419, et seq., and Farmers' Bulletin No. 54, same Dept., May, 1897, p. 21).

It will thus be seen that the Meadow Lark is almost entirely bene- ficial. Care should be taken to protect it, not only from the shooter, who wants something to practice upon, but also from unnecessary de- struction in any form. The mower, particularly in meadows of red clover, when first cut, destroys many nests, eggs and young.

115 GENUS ICTERUS BEISSON.

a1. Tail graduated, its length about equal to wing; bill slender, curved downward at tip; adult male, chestnut and black. Subgenus PENDULINUS Vieillot.

I. spurius (Linn.). 192

a2. Tail nearly even, much shorter than wing; bill not curved downward ; male, orange and black; female, duller. Subgenus YPHANTES Vieillot.

I. galbula (Linn.). 193

Subgenus PENDULINUS Vieillot.

*192. (506). Icterus spurius (LINN.).

Orchard Oriole.

Adult Male. — Black; lower back, rump, lesser wing coverts, and all under parts from throat, deep chestnut; a whitish bar across the tips of the greater wing coverts; bill and feet, blue-black; tail, graduated. Adult Female. — Smaller; above, grayish olive-green; wings, dusky; tips of the coverts, and edges of the inner quills, whitish; below, yel- lowish. Young, first year: Similar to female, but browner above. Young, second year: Similar to last, but with black mask, and some- times showing patches of chestnut.

JLength, 6.00-7.25; wing, 2.90-3.25; tail, 2.65-3.20.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia over eastern United States to Massachusetts, Ontario, Michigan and North Dakota, casually to New Brunswick. Breeds from Gulf of Mexico and Eio Grande, north. Winters south of United States.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 899

Nest, of green grass, lined with plant down; in tree, in orchard, lawn or grove. Eggs, 4-6; pale bluish- white, blotched, spotted and veined with brown, purple, lavender and pearl gray; .81 by .57.

The Orchard Oriole is a summer resident. In most counties in the State it is common, being more numerous where there are extensive orchards and attractive lawns. It is generally shown that these birds are steadily increasing in numbers. In the extreme north- ern part of the State they are extending their range, as well as increas- ing numerically. Prior to 1883, they are reported to have been un- known in portions of Dekalb County, and it was very rare in portions of Lake County. The orchard is its home, and not the deep woods. As conditions become more inviting, they will increase. While a few years ago the Baltimore Oriole was much more abundant than this, an estimate I made the present spring (1897) shows that these birds outnumbered the last mentioned species ten or fifteen to one.

The Orchard Oriole comes in spring, with the blooming of the Buckeye, and it frequents thickets, at first, where that bush or tree is found.

The earliest records are from Bicknell and Brookville. April 18, 1896, it appeared at each place. The following are the dates it first arrived in the places named in the spring of 1897, an early spring, and where second date is given, it is the latest date of first arrival: Brookville, April 24, 1897, May 14, 1888; Bicknell, April 22, 1897, April 27, 1894; Richmond, April 26, 1897; Lafayette, April 26, 1897; Sandusky, 0., May 9, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., May 6, 1897, May 8, 1889. The dates next given are earliest and latest dates of first spring arrival: Dekalb County, April 19, 1896, May 20, 1888; Cook County, 111., May 9, 1896, May 15, 1884. The females arrive after the males from several days to near two weeks.

In southern Indiana most years the Baltimore Oriole arrives first. At Brookville, but twice in fifteen years' observations do I find this species noted as occurring in advance of it, while in 1893 it was just two weeks later in arriving.

I have observed it mating as early as April 27, 1881, and May 4, 1886. In southern Indiana sometimes the full complement of eggs is laid about the middle of May. Prof. W. P. Shannon found the par- ents feeding their young May 31, 1896. Usually, however, they are about two weeks later. In the northern part of the State they breed in June. A set of fresh eggs was found at Waterloo, June 3, 1885 (Snyder); and an incomplete set at Lafayette, June 10, 1897 (Test).

The nest is usually placed in an orchard tree, most often an apple tree. It is made of green grass blades, and is placed in the crotch or

900 KEPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

fork of a limb. The color of the nest renders it inconspicuous. One egg is laid daily. Incubation lasts about twelve days, and it was Major Bendire's opinion that this was performed exclusively by the female. One brood only seems to be raised each year.

During the spring and early summer, the old birds have lived upon the insects in the orchard. Next, upon such food they feed their ever-hungry young, and when they leave the nest the whole family goes into the cornfield to feast upon the insect enemies of the corn.

No bird deserves better treatment by the orchard man and farmer. Except a few berries and fruit blossoms, almost their entire food seems to be injurious insects. These include green worms, hairless cater- pillars, beetles, flies, cabbage worms and plant lice.

They are very destructive to insects that feed upon the foliage of trees, berries, bushes and grape-vines; among the latter they use their sharp. bills to destroy the cocoons wrapped within the leaves.

It has a loud, rattling call, which Mr. Nehrling expresses by "tarrrrnT," besides a sprightly song, often partly sung on the wing. The song grows less frequent in late June, and seldom is heard in the Whitewater Valley after early July— July 9, 1886.

They leave early and almost unnoticed. Often but few are to be , found early in August. The last of the year was reported from Sedan, August 24, 1892; Plymouth, Mich., August 18, 1894; Bicknell, August 30, 1895, and July 27, 1896; Vermillion County, August 28, 1897.

Submenus YPHANTKS Vieillot.

*193. (507). Icterus galbula (LINN.).

Baltimore Oriole.

Male. — Head and neck all around, and back, black; rump, upper tail coverts, lesser wing coverts, most of the tail feathers and all the under parts from the throat, fiery orange, but of varying intensity, according to age and season; middle tail feathers, black; the mid- dle and greater coverts and inner quills, more or less edged and tipped with white, but the white on the coverts not form- ing a continuous patch; bill and feet, blue-black. Female. — Smaller, paler; the black obscured by olive, or sometimes entirely wanting. Young. — Similar to female, but wanting black on throat and head.

Length, 7.00-8.15; wing, 3.50-3.90; tail, 2.85-3.35.

EANGE. — America, from Colombia to Nova Scotia and Saskatche- wan; west to Eocky Mountains; casual to Hudson Bay and Keewatin; accidental in Cuba and Shetland Islands. Breeds from Gulf of Mex- ico, northward. Winters south of United States.

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

901

Nest, pensile, purse-shaped, suspended from slender- branch of tree; of vegetable fibres, hair, string and shreds of bark. Eggs, 4-6; pale grayish-white, blotched, spotted and irregularly lined with black, brown and lavender; .91 by .61.

Summer resident. Frequents the vicinity of water. The trees along water courses and about ponds and lakes are favorite places both for feeding and nesting. In many localities away from streams, this

Baltimore Oriole. (Beal— Year Book, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895, p. 427.)

Oriole is rare. Sometimes during the spring migrations they are gen- erally distributed over the country. They apparently have been, much less common the past few years. Their winter home is eastern Mex- ico, Centra] America, into the United States of Colombia. Cuba is the only one of the West Indies visited. One noting their restricted winter home, and seeing the large proportion of the skins of these birds shipped from there for purposes of decoration and adornment, need have no difficulty in understanding how that may have a con- siderable effect upon the number that returns to us in the spring.

But the spring of 1897 they were more numerous during the mi- grations for a few days than I ever saw them. They were found wher- ever trees grew. In the deepest woods and orchards; on hilltop and valley; in country and town. In one small apple tree, May 6, 1 found

902 KEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

three busy, inseet catching, and for the next two or three days they continued from one to four in almost every tree. I never knew so many birds of all species among the orchards as there were last spring. They seemed busy all the time, and there must have been much insect food and a great destruction of such forms. As it was, there was an unusual abundance of insects left to damage the fruit. But little late fruit, or fruit trees, escaped unharmed. What would have been the destruction had not this innumerable army of insect-eating birds thoroughly inspected and cleansed our trees from the earlier de- stroyers?

They cross our southern border usually between April 15 and 25. One advance straggler was reported from Ellsworth, Vigo County, April 10, 1897. It was next seen April 16. The year 1889 there were some of these birds that moved quite early. The first was re- ported from Terre Haute, April 17; Oxford, 0., April 18; Waterloo, April 18; Petersburg, Mich., April 19. The bulk of the birds were detained, however, and they were not common until after they often are in other years; 1888 was about an average of their first arrival. The following are the dates reported: Brookville, April 22; Terre Haute, April 24; Clinton County, April 25; Burlington and Waterloo, each, April 26; Kochester, April 27; Cedar Lake, Lake County, April 28. A single specimen was reported from Ann Arbor, Mich., April 25, but it was not noted at Bay City, Mich., until May 5. As with many other species, its movements begin to be slower as it approaches the lower end of Lake Michigan. The earliest and latest date of first arrival at Chicago, is April 27 and May 8, 1897. On the eastern side of Michigan and Indiana, it arrives sooner. The earliest and latest date of arrival at Petersburg, Mich., April 19 (1889), April 27 (1897).

Prof. B. W. Evermann noted it at Bloomington the four years ending 1887, as first arriving on April 20, 21, 20, 21, respectively. I have never found it so regular at Brookville. The following dates of first arrivals there for a series of years are of interest: 1881, April 25; 1882, May 3; 1883, April 26; 1884, April 27; 1885, April 23: 1886, April 25; 1887, April 23; 1888, April 25; 1889, April 20; 1892, April 29; 1893, April 17; 1894, April 28; 1895, April 26; 1896, April 18; 1897, April 20.

It usually becomes common, then, April 28-30, though in 1896 it was common April 20. The males appear first, and the females arrive about the time the species becomes common. With us, they, and the Orchard Oriole, arrive close together, but by the time they reach Michigan the last named form is behind. When they first arrive, the males have a lively, attractive song. Nuttall gives it as "tshippe-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 903

tshayia-too-too, tshippe-tshippe-too-too." I have observed them mating as early as May 3 with us, and have found the nest completed May 30, and young June 1. Mr. L. T. Meyer has reported young in Lake County May 30, and Mrs. J. L. Hine fresh eggs from Sedan June 1. The nest is the finest bird structure found with us. It is a pensile, purse-shaped composition, into which strings, fibres, tow, hair and various other pliable materials enter. Maj.Bendire says it requires from five to eight days to build the nest. One egg is laid daily, and one brood reared each season. Incubation lasts about fourteen days, and it is said the female performs most of that duty. It is said the young are fed upon insects. This is partly true. The past season .a pair of these birds built their nest in a fir tree in my yard, on a limb reaching over an alley. I observed the old birds, when the young were hatched, catching what seemd to be insects for them. They were also frequent visitors to my strawberry beds; eating and carrying away what they wanted. This was kept up until late in June.

June 25 my boys found that one of the young was fastened in the nest. I cut off the limb and found one leg entangled in the strings. It had been there some time, as the muscles were shriveled and the leg useless. The bird was lively and voracious. From the stains on its feathers, and the droppings in the nest, it was plain to be seen that a large part of its food for some time had been strawberries.

The attractive song of first appearance gives place to a shorter one about June 1. "Who-ee, here-we-are," or "who-ee-who-ee-who-ee- who" it seems to say. As the days pass by, this is shortened by two or three syllables. The last syllable is always short and emphatic. The staccato effect is very characteristic. The rattling call, "kur-r-r-t," still continues, as when it first came. Through June the songs get less frequent. The last I heard — a fragment — was June 25, this year. July 24, I again heard its song. The performance was like that of mid- June, but finer. This was continued into the early part of Au- gust. August 9, 1 heard one singing little parts of songs, and the last I heard of these attractive birds was a "kur-r-r-t," August 12.

They begin to leave late in June, and through July and August but few remain with us. Some years none are seen after the middle of August. Others, they remain well into September, and Prof. W. P. Shannon reported one from Greensburg, October 1, 1896. That is the latest record for the State. In 113 stomachs examined, caterpil- lars constituted 34 per cent, of the food. The other insects found were beetles, chiefly clickbeetles, the larval of which are very de- structive, bugs, ants, wasps, grasshoppers and some spiders. Vegeta- ble material was found to be a little over 16 per cent, of the food

904 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

eaten. They eat a few peas, blackberries and cherries, as shown by the returns. On the whole, they are excedingly beneficial.

Good looks and good deeds with them go together (see article by Prof. F. E. L. Beal, in Year Book U. S. Dept. of Agr. for 1895). The Baltimore Oriole has been accused of damaging grapes, but examina- tion of the stomachs did not seem to sustain the charge. Mr. Isham Sedgwick, of Eichmond, Ind., informs me that for three succeeding years, 1894-5 and 6, these birds damaged his grapes. Both he and other members of his family saw the birds at work, and agree that they neither ate the fruit nor sucked the juice of the grapes they pecked. The bird would bite every grape in a bunch in 15 to 20 seconds. One year they wholly or partially destroyed about 75 bunches of fruit. Mr. Sedgwick once, while watching for the bird, saw it come and chase and capture several bees, which were about grapes where the skin had been broken. I suspect that is the clue that will reward the inquirer with the cause of the Oriole nipping the grapes. Insects are attracted by the grape juice in punctured fruit. The bird punctures the grapes to draw more insects that it may obtain food more easily.

116. GRKUS SCOLECOPHAGUS SWAINSON.

194. (509). Scolecophagus carolinus. (MULL ).

Busty Blackbird.

Adult Malt in Summer. — Lustrous black, the reflections greenish.

Adult Male in Fall and Winter. — Similar, but with nearly all the feathers skirted with warm brown above and brownish-yellow below, frequently continuous on the fore parts. Female and Young Male. — Entirely rusty-brown above; the inner quills edged with same; a pale stripe over the eye; below, mixed rusty and grayish-black; the pri- maries and tail above, black; tail feathers of about equal length; bill and feet, black.

Length, 8.20-9.75; wing, 4.25-4.75; tail, 3.65-4.20.

EANGE. — North America, chiefly east of Eocky Mountains, from Gulf Coast to Labrador, Keewatin and Alaska; accidental in Lower California and Greenland. Breeds from northern New England, northern New York and Manitoba, northward. Winters from Indiana and Virginia, southward.

Nest, in saplings and bushes near wet places; of twigs, grass and moss; on a base of earth, lined with grass. Eggs, 4-5; light bluish- green, blotched and spotted with different shades of brown and gray; .98 by .72.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 905

Migrant, most places rarely identified, but really common. Barely, they may be found in winter in southern Indiana and Illinois, as far north as Catlin, 111., and Knox County, Ind. Most of them pass far- ther south in early winter, remaining with us throughout the State, ^ome years, until late in November.

Mrs. J. L. Hine reports them from Sedan, November 11> 1889; November 25, 189.1; Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., from Calumet, 111., Novem- ber 4, 1887; Greencastle, November 15, 1893. One taken to be this species was noted at Brookville, January 23, 1887; Brookville, Novem- ber 17, 1885, November 24, 1887. Mr. A. W. Hamilton reports a number at Zanesville, Wells County, December 7, 1896. The greater number begin to return early in March, and may be seen in flocks in southern Indiana until past the middle of the month — March 21, 1883. The first arrivals pass on at once to the swampy portions of the State. There they may be found, some years, well through April. Mrs. Hine reports them from Sedan, April 28, 1892, and Mr. C. A. Tallman noted them in Cook County, 111., May 1, 1897. In the fall they begin to return from their northern breeding grounds, some years by early October. Mr. Chansler noted it at Bicknell, October 5, 1894. Most of them remain about our smaller lakes through October, and in south- ern Indiana we generally see them in flocks in November. Major Bendire says the ordinary call note is like "tchack, tchack," several times repeated. Another call is "turnlee, turnlee," or "trallahee, trall- ahee."

Prof. F. H. King says he examined five specimens. Three had eaten seven beetles, among them three aquatic species; one, moths; one, two small mollusks; and two, small seeds (Geology of Wis., Vol. I., p. 551). They have been said to eat corn, but do no damage in Indiana.

117. QEKUS QUISCALUS VIKILLOT. Subgenus QUISCALUS.

*195. (5116). (Juiscalus quiscula aeneus (RIDGW.).

Bronzed Grackle. Synonyms, COMMON BLACKBIRD, CROW BLACKBIRD, PURPLE GRACKLE.

Adult Male. — Entire body, above and below, uniform and unvarying brassy-olive, or olive-bronze; wing shading gradually into bronze-pur- ple, the primaries and tail more violet-purple; head, neck and jugulum, metallic brassy-green, steel-blue, violet or purple (according to individ- ual), always very abruptly defined against the very different color of the back and breast. Bill and feet, deep black; iris, yellowish-white;

906

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

tail, conspicuously graduated. Adult Female. — Smaller; plumage much duller than in the male, the metallic colors less brilliant. Young. — Uniform grayish-dusky without metallic tints; iris, pale brown (Ridg.).

Male, length, 13.00; wing, 5.55-5.75; tail, 5.50-6.20. Female, length, 11.25-11.50; wing, 5.00-5.50; tail, 4.80-4.90.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Mexico and Gulf Coast to- Louisiana, northward, between the Rocky Mountains and the Alle-

Bronzed Grackle. (Beal.— Year-Book, United States Department of Agriculture,

I, p. 233.)

ghanies; to Atlantic Coast in Massachusetts, Labrador and Great Slave Lake. Casually to Atlantic Coast from Virginia to Florida. Breeds from Gulf Coast, north. Winters from Indiana and Illinois, south.

Nest, often in colonies, in cavities or among branches of trees; of grass, weeds and mud; lined with grass or feathers. Eggs, 4-7; pale greenish-white to light rusty-brown, blotched and irregularly streaked with various shades of dark br.own, and sometimes lavender; 1.14 by .82.

Common summer resident; most numerous in spring and fall in flocks. Sometimes in groves of cottonwoods, sycamores or other favor- ite trees, they are found breeding in companies, and there during nest- ing time the air is filled with harsh utterances and metallic notes.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 907

Some winters they are found in favorable places within the State. Usually these are few, or even single birds, but sometimes they are present in small flocks. The winter of 1878-79, one of these birds re- mained about my home, at Brookville, feeding with the English Spar- rows in the chicken yard and corncrib.

They occasionally remain in Monroe County (Evermann). The winter of 1896-7 they were reported from Hanover, January 11 (Cul- bertson). That winter they remained at Greensburg (Shannon), and at Bicknell (Chansler). Ulrey and Wallace say they are sometimes seen in mid-winter in Wabash County. They were fouad at Waterloo, January 18, 1890 (H. W. McBride), and Mrs. Hine says a flock of Blackbirds remained at Sedan all the winter of 1891-2, and the winter of 1893-4 they remained about Stony Lake. Mr. B. T. Gault saw a Blackbird of some kind in Cook County, 111., in January, 1896; and Prof. A. J. Cook gives it, upon the authority of Mr. Warren, as having been seen in protected bottoms in St. Joseph County in January (Birds of Mich., p. 105).

Those that winter farther south begin to appear in great flocks in southern Indiana in February and early March. At night they roost in great numbers, associated with Red-winged Blackbirds and Cow- birds, in some selected spot. The evergreens in my yard have for years formed such a roosting place. They frequent it until the middle of April. The older, more shady towns of Indiana are selected for roosting places, both in spring and fall. The earliest and latest dates, respectively, of first appearance at Brookville are February 17, 1882, and 1890, March 11, 1889; they are usually common between March 8 and 14; at Sedan, February 27, 1893, and March 15, 1886; common be- tween March 14 and 25; Petersburg, Mich., March 6, 1897, and March 18, 1891; common between March 15 and April 1; Cook County, 111., March 23, 1886, and April 7, 1885. Again, will be observed the earlier arrival of a species near Lake Erie. Soon after arrival they begin a beautiful mating song. The birds gather at evening in groves and the shade trees of lawns, even in towns, and sing in great glee. This was continued in 1895 until April 28. I have seen them mating by March 9, 1887. In the Whitewater Valley they prefer groves of cottonwood, sycamore or other trees near water courses. Often they begin building in southern Indiana early in April. I have found their nests, apparently completed and occupied, by April 12, 1897, and in 1881 1 found them nesting May 9.

Mrs. Hine reported their nesting at Sedan April 19, 1886, and Mr. L. T. Meyer says they usuallv breed in Lake County by May 15. The period of incubation is about two weeks, and both birds share that

908 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

labor. The young remain in the nest about eighteen days. Rarely a second brood is raised. After breeding, they begin to collect into small flocks. In 1896 they were first seen in flocks, coming into Greensburg to roost, June 5 (Shannon). In 1897 I observed the first flock in Brookville after breeding, June 16, and the next June 23. TJhe greater number pass northward and return in immense flocks the first cold spell in September. September 3, 1897, they began to re- turn in flocks, and added their clamor to the sounds of the town. The evening of September 21, a great flight of Blackbirds and Cow- birds was noted. The flocks followed each other so rapidly that there was almost a continual stream from northeast to southwest. Some years but few remain after late September. At Sedan they were noted October 17, 1889; October 29, 1891; October 13, 1892; October 27, 1894 (Mrs. Hine). At Brookville, November 14, 1884; November 9, 1887.

In nine specimens examined by Prof. King, the quantity of animal and vegetable food was about equal. Six had eaten corn; two, beetles; one, two water scorpions; one, a small crayfish; and one, a few seeds (Geology of Wis., Vol. I., p. 552. Dr. B. H. Warren, as the re- sult of the examination of hundreds of stomachs of the Purple Grackle, through the period of their sojourn with him, extending over portions of seven years, shows that October is the month in which the greatest damage to corn is done. He says: "These examinations show that late in the fall, when insect food is scarce, corn is especially preyed upon by these birds, but during the previous periods of their residence with us, insects form a large portion of their diet" (Birds of Pa., 2nd ed., p. 222). With us it is rarely they do much damage to corn. But one or two instances have come to my attention during the time it is ripening, in twenty years. On the contrary, the industry the sable visitors show in spring in destroying the insects in the freshly broken ground, thereby exterminating a whole generation of the farmer's foes, much more than compensate for the little corn they eat. Mr. Thos. G. Gentry says they destroy the eggs and young of other birds, particularly Robins. In our State I am not familiar with such a habit.

XL. FAMILY FRINGILLID^. FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

a1. Mandibles crossed at tip. LOXIA. 121

a2. Mandibles not crossed at tip.

fe1. Head crested ; bill, wings and tail chiefly red. CARDLKAUS. 137

62. Head not crested.

c1. Bill very stout, its depth a! base equal «to length of hind toe with claw; length about three-fourths that of head. COCCOTHRAUSTES. 118

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 909

c2. Bill less stout, its depth at base less than length of hind toe with claw. d1. Nasal plumules long, covering a third or more of upper mandible; bill stout, about one-half the length of head. PINICOLA. 119

d2. Nasal plumules, if present, covering less than one-third of upper

mandible.

c1. Gonys distinctly convex in profile; plumage streaked above, not be- low; no white, red, yellow or blue. PASSER. 127 e2'. Gonys straight or nearly so.

fl. Primaries much longer than secondaries, exceeding them by the

length of the tarsus or more.

t/1. Wing five times as long as short tarsus or more; under wing cov- erts red or yellow.

hl. Length 6.00 or more; wing over 3.50; plumage mostly white; hind claw nearly as long as bill. PLBCTROPHENAX. 124

h'2. Length under 6.00; wing under 3.50; tail forked.

11. Nasal tufts nearly one-third the length of bill; tail feathers without white or yellow; adult plumage with more or less red. ACANTHIS. 122

12. Nasal tufts short or none ; tail feathers blotched with white or yellow ; adult plumage with more or less yellow.

SPINUS. 123 g2. Wing not five times as long as tarsus.

jl. Under wing coverts without red or yellow; bill not very

stout.

k1. Depth of bill at base about equal to exposed culmen ; nostrils partly covered by small tufts ; no white on tail ; male more or less red. CARPODACUS. 120

k2. Depth of bill at base decidedly less than length of cul- men , tail partly white ; no red.

11. Tail forked, middle feathers pointed ; hind claw nearly

as long as bill, rather straight.

ra1. Tail feathers, except middle pair, white ; all, except outer pair, squarely tipped with black.

KHYNCHOPHANES. TO2. Tail feathers not squarely tipped with black.

CALCARIUS. 125

12. Tail rounded ; middle feathers not pointed ; hind claw short and curved. CHONDESTES. 129

j2. Under wing coverts red or yellow ; bill very stout.

HABIA. 138

/2. Primaries not much longer than secondaries, exceeding them by less than the length of tarsus ; plumage with no red.

ra1. Colors generally blue, brown or greenish ; not de- cidedly streaked or spotted.

o1. Length over 6.00; bill very stout; male blue with chestnut on wings; female plain brown.

GUIBACA. 139 4 o2.. Length under 6.00; bill not very stout.

pl. Male with blue or green; female mainly brown. PASSERINA. 140

910 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

p2. Color slate or ashy ; belly and first to third tail feathers white. JUKCO. 132

iz. Colors plain, somewhere or everywhere -streaked or spotted.

g1. Tail with two to four outer feathers more or

less white.

r1. Length over 7. CO; color above, male mainly black; female mainly brown.

PIPILO. 136

r2. Length under 7.00 ; above brownish gray, streaked with black and brown.

POOC^TES. 126 q2. Tail with no white feathers.

s1. Tail small and short; decidedly shorter than wings; or else tail feathers nar- row and sharp pointed. tl. Size large ; tail and upper tail coverts and wings mainly reddish brown.

PASSERELLA. 135 t2. Size smaller; not reddish brown as

above.

ul. Breast more or less yellow; male

with black patch. SPIZA. 141

u2. Breast not yellowish ; spotted or

striped above and below, or with

narrow sharp pointed tail feathers,

or both. AMMODRAMUS. 128

s2. Tail as long as or longer than wing, or

tail forked ; or head with black and

white, or brown and lighter brown

stripes.

vl. Tail forked, middle feathers shortest; adults not streaked or spotted below. SPIZELLA. 131 v2. Tail not forked, the middle feath- ers not shortest.

wl. Plumage streaked or spotted below, or crown chestnut.

MELOSPIZA. 134

wz. Plumage not streaked nor

spotted below; or crown with

black and white ; or brown

and lighter brown stripes.

xl. Wing over 2.75 ; head striped

in adults, chestnut in young.

ZONOTRICHIA. 130

x2. Wing under 2.75; edge of

wing yellow. PETJCJSA. 133

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 911

118. GKNUS COCCOTHRAUSTES BRISSON. Subgenus HRSPERIPHONA Bonaparte.

196. (514). Coccothraustes vespertinus (Coop.).

Evening- Grosbeak.

Evening Grosbeak. (Reduced.)

Male. — Above, olive-brown; line over eye, forehead, wing coverts and rump, yellow; crown, primaries and tail, black; secondaries, mostly white; below, yellowish, darkening to olive-brown on the throat; outer tail feathers, sometimes more or less white; bill, very large, greenish- yellow. Female. — Above, top of head, brownish-gray; rest of upper parts, grayish, tinged more or less with yellowish; a whitish patch at "base of primaries. Immature. — Similar to female, but duller.

Length, 7.00-8.50; wing, 4.20-4.50; tail, 2.75-3.20.

EANGE. — Interior of North America, from Eocky Mountains east to Great Lakes and northward. Casually, to the Atlantic Coast, and southward, in winter, irregularly, into Nebraska, the Ohio Valley, In- diana and Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Nest, in tree; of sticks, twigs, rootlets. Eggs, 3-4; greenish, blotched with pale brown. This description is of the nest and eggs of the western form, which has been separated from this. They are un- doubtedly similar.

Very irregular winter visitor; sometimes found in numbers. These birds, whose home is in the dark coniferous forests of the Northwest, some winters range eastward and southward, until they reach the At- lantic Coast. Such, however, is unusual, but every few years they have been found in Indiana.

912 BEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

In Illinois they were observed at Freeport during the winter of 1870-71, and at Waukegan, in Januaty, 1873 (Hist. N. A. Birds, Baird, Brewer and Eidgway). The winter of 1871 they were quite com- mon throughout the northern portion of that State. The following winter they were much rarer, and since then but very few have been seen (Nels. Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 104).

About the year 1872, while hunting in the autumn, near Eureka, Woodford County, 111., Prof. 0. P. Hay came upon a flock of these birds and killed six (Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, July, 1881, p. 179). Mr. T. Mcllwraith records its occurrence in Ontario, at Toronto, December 25, 1854, and at Woodstock, in May, 1866. In 1871 they were also found near London, and he noted them near Hamilton, March 17, 1883 (B. of Ont., 1894, p. 291). Dr. Kirtland noted its occurrence near Cleveland, 0., in March, 1860 (Wheaton, Birds of 0., p. 314). Dr. Morris Gibbs has informed me of the occurrence of this species in Michigan in 1869, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1878 and 1879.

During none of these visits, except that of 1878, does it seem to have been identified in Indiana.

The first reference to its occurrence in this State I find in Forest and Stream, Vol. VI., 1876, p. 148, where Mr. G. Aug. Smith says: "It occurs some winters at Ft. Wayne." In the collection of Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., is a specimen taken near that city in November, 1878 (C. E. Barnes). This is the first verified record for Indiana. In 1883, they were next noted. Five specimens were shot at Whiting Station, Ind., December 20, 1883 (H. K. Coale).- Mrs. A. W. Brayton has a specimen which she informs me was taken in the summer of 1886, near Allisonville, twelve miles north of Indianapolis. The winter of 1886-7 they ranged eastward into Ontario, as far as London, and south into Iowa to Fulton County, Ky., and over much of Indiana, as far, at least, as Bloomington, where the late Mr. C. H. Bollman and Mr. G. G. Williamson obtained several specimens. That winter they were first recorded in Indiana from Lake George, Decem- ber 5, 1886, when two females were taken, which are now in the collection of Mr. G. Fream Marcom, San Diego, Cal. Messrs. H. K. Coale and Geo. L. Toppan reported seeing two January 1, 1887. Jan- uary 14, Mr. Toppan reported two males near Chicago. January 20, Mr. C. H. Bollman took one male near Bloomington. The same day, Cal. Meredith and another boy shot five from a flock of twelve, near Frankfort (C. E. Newlin). March 25, Mr. Oscar Vaught shot two from a flock of eight or ten near Mace.

In Mr. Morcom's collection I saw six males and two females, two of which were kindly given to me, marked Berry Lake, Ind., April 3,

BIRDS OF IN 1 1 ANA. 913

1887; also four males from the same locality, April 18, 1887, and a male and a female, dated May 10 1887.

Mr. Gr. G. Williamson noted the following specimens at Blooming- ton, in April, 1887; April 27, one; 29, two; 30, two. Mr. C. A. Stock- bridge, of Ft. "Wayne, has a specim n taken from a flock of eight or nine near that city, about May 6, 1 s •? 1. Mr. K. Turtle, a taxidermist of Chicago, showed me a number of ihese birds, of which he said he killed ten, May 8, 1887, at Berry Luke, Ind., and thirteen May 10, at Whiting. Mr. Turtle obtained a large number of specimens the pre- ceding winter from Whiting. The latest record I have of its occur- rence in spring is May 13, 1887, when it was found in Lake County.

The winter of 1888-9, although they were observed in Michigan and Illinois, none were reported from Indiana. The year 1889-90, they appeared at Madison, and other places in Wisconsin, by November 20, 1889. They reached Ohio and Pennsylvania in December, and in Jan- uary, February and March were found reaching almost to the Atlantic Coast. Dr. Warren says they remained in some parts of Pennsylvania until May 15, 1890 (Birds of Penn., Rev. Ed., 1890, p. 225). In In- diana this movement was not so noticeable. Mr. H. N. McCoy ob- tained a specimen from a flock of twenty or thirty near Lafayette, Feb- ruary 1, 1890. Mr. L. T. Meyer reported them from Whiting, Lake County, in January and February. Dr. A. W. Brayton identified a specimen taken near Indianapolis that winter. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge saw them at Ft. Wayne, February 15 and 16, 1890. After the last date they became common, and he took one as late as April 12 of that year. Messrs. Ulrey and Wallace say there are two pairs in the collection of Mr. M. L. Galbraith, Collamer, Indiana. They were taken in Whitley County. Mrs. Jane L. Hine informs me a gentleman in Steuben County has an Evening Grosbeak that was taken in the southern part of that county.

Their food is principally elm buds, maple buds and seeds, and espe- cially the buds, more rarely the seeds, of the box-elder (Negundo aceroides). This last is most commonly eaten in early winter, the others all through their stay with us. They resemble clumsy Cross- bills when extracting the seeds of this tree. They also eat fruit of the • climbing bitter-sweet. They are loth to leave a woods heavy with maple "mast/* Early in May they have been known to turn their at- tention to the pine trees. One instance is recorded of their eating frozen crab-apples, that remained on the trees until mid-winter. In addition to evergreens, maple, beech and elm woods, they frequent orchards, where apple seeds are favorite food. They, gather food from

58— GEOL

914 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

the trees and also pick it off the ground. When on the ground feed- ing, they are quite silent. They move by hopping, holding them- selves like robins, and turn over the leaves with great dexterity, picking up the seeds from under them. The males have a loud call note, a sharp, metallic cry like the note of a trumpet, which they utter frequently when excited. The females chatter like Bohemian Wax- wings (Ampelis garrulus). Their song towards spring is a rambling, jerky warble, beginning low, suddenly increasing in power, and as suddenly ceasing, as though the singer were out of breath. They are usually found in flocks of six to twelve individuals. Sometimes, how- ever, there are twenty or thirty in a flock. It is but rarely that full plumaged males will be found among them. During the more severe part of the winter, they are usually tame and unsuspicious; this some- times continues through their stay, but they often become shy before they leave. Sometimes, when one is shot, all will leave; usually, how- ever, they will remain until a number are killed before taking flight. Their flight through the woods is very swift, reminding one, by the dexterity with which they avoid branches, of a Pigeon; when in the open, it is more like that of a Blackbird (See Butler, Some Notes Concerning the Evening Grosbeak, The Auk, Vol. IX., pp. 238, 247. Further notes on the Evening Grosbeak, The Auk, Vol. X., April, 1893, pp. 155-157; also Proceedings of the Ornithological sub-section of the Biological Section of the Canadian Institute for 1890-91.).

119. GENUS PINICOLA VIEILLOT.

197. (515). Pinicola enucleator (LINN.).

Pine Grosbeak.

Adult Male. — Carmine; paler ashy on the belly; darker and streaked with dusky on the back; wings and tail, dusky, the former much edged with white and with two white bars. Adult Female. — Ashy; paler below; head, back and lower parts, brownish, shaded with olive; rump, olive-yellow; wings, similar to those of male. Immature. — Similar to female, but more ashy.

Length, 8.25-9.00; wing, 4.50-5.00; tail, 3.70-4.45.

RANGE.— Northern parts of Northern Hemisphere. In America, breeding from Maine, Quebec and mountains of Colorado northward. In winter, irregularly into northern United States, rarely as far as northern Illinois, northern Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and southern New England.

Nest, in coniferous trees; of twigs and rootlets, lined with finer ma- terials. Eggs, "usually 4; pale greenish-blue, spotted and blotched with dark brown surface markings, and lilac shell spots; 1.05 by .74."

BIBDS OF INDIANA.

915

Irregular or accidental winter visitor. Mr. J. W. Byrkit identified it at Michigan City. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge informs me there is a specimen in the collection of Prof. H. Duemling, Concordia College, Ft. Wayne, Ind., that was taken near that city by the late Mr. G. Aug. Smith. It was observed at Waukegan, 111., Jan. 2, 1884 (Eidg., Birds of 111., I., p. 224). Mr. Geo. L. Toppan once noted it in Lake County, Ind., and thinks it was in the winter of 1884-5.

Pine Grosbeak. (Reduced.)

Mr. F. M. Woodruff writes that a few days before January 1, 1896, Mr. John F. Ferry took a number of specimens from a flock of Pine Grosbeaks at Lake Forest, 111.

Mr. L. 0. Pindar reports it from Fulton County, Kentucky, several times between February 7 and March 19, 1888 (The Auk, July, 1888, p. 321).

They were seen in flocks of thousands in Jackson County, Mich., in 1881, and were very tame. Jackson County is only one county re- moved from Indiana. With that exception, they are reported as rare in southern Michigan. They are found far north, where Mr. Nelson says they withstand the cold of these forests even within the Arctic Circle. Wherever found they appear in flocks, the greater part of which are young and females. Adult males are few some writers Bay, from one to ten or fifteen of the plainer-colored birds. Their disposition is agreeable, social and gentle. The fruit of the red cedar and berries of the mountain ash are favorite foods along the southern portion of their winter range.

916 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

120. G«NUS CARPODACUS KAUP.

198. (517). Carpodacus purpureus (GMEL.).

Purple Finch.

Adult Male. — Crimson, rosy or purplish-red, most intense on the crown, fading to white on the belly, mixed with dusky streaks on the back; wings and tail, dusky, with reddish edgings, and the wing coverts tipped with the same; lores and feathers all around the base of the bill, hoary. Female and Young. — With no red; olivaceous-brown, brighter on rump, the feathers above all with paler edges, producing a streaked appearance; below, white, thickly spotted and streaked with olive- brown, except on the middle of the belly and under tail-coverts; ob- scure whitish superciliary and maxillary lines. Young males show every gradation between these extremes in gradually assuming the male plumage, and are frequently brownish-yellow or bronzy below.

Length, 5.50-6.25; wing, 3.15-3140; tail, 2.30-2.50.

KANGE. — Eastern North America, from Gulf of Mexico north to Labrador and Saskatchewan. Breeds from Illinois and Pennsylvania northward. Winters from Indiana and Pennsylvania southward.

Nest, usually in evergreen; of weeds, grass, bark shreds, vegetable fibre; lined with hair. Eggs, 4-5; pale green, with spots and irregular lines of dark-brown and lilac, chiefly towards the larger end; .85 by .65.

These birds, when not in full plumage, more nearly, both in shape and coloration, resemble the English Sparrow than any of our native birds. They are often killed for the saucy foreigners by those who do not distinguish them.

The Purple Finch is a regular migrant in varying numbers, and is irregularly a winter resident, even to the northern limits of the State, in favorite localities. In northern Indiana they may possibly be found occasionally to remain through the summer. The winter of 1887-8 a company of these birds remained all winter near Sedan, De- kalb County, and a number more were found in the same woods through November, 1891 (Mrs. J. L. Hine). They were found Janu- ary 9, 1896, at Lake Forest, EL; January 25, 1879, in Carroll County; January 21, 1894, and through the winter of 1894-5 at Greencastle, Ind.; December 15, 1894, in Johnson County. Prof. W. W. Cooke says they breed in northern Illinois, eggs having been taken at Polo, El. (Bird Mig., Miss. Val., p. 179). They have also been taken at Wau- kegan in the breeding season (Nehrling, N. A. Birds, Pt. IX., p. 31). Prof. A. J. Cook reports it breeding at Lansing, Mich. (Birds of Mich., p. 107).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 917

They are most common during the spring migrations in March and April, being also occasionally seen in February and early May, and in fall in October, though they may be noted rarely as early as late August and late into November. The following dates give respectively the earliest and latest date of first arrival and the latest date of departure in spring at the places noted: Vincennes, March 4, 1897; Red Key, February 15, 1895; Brookville, February 26, 1892; April 25, 1881, 1887; depart, April 30, 1887; Richmond, March 20, 1892; de- part, May 11, 1897; Greensburg, April 23, 1893; April 30, 1896; de- part, May 7, 1893; Lafayette, March 13, 1897; April 28, 1895; Chicago, 111., April 12, 1884; April 28, 1885; Petersburg, Mich., March 17, 1889; April 23, 1897. At Brookville they have been noted in spring nine years out of twenty-one. Some years they are found but for a day; others, they remain for several days. They are usually found in flocks, but occasionally single birds are seen. In 1896 they were noted in Cook County, 111., August 21, and remained that fall until October 31, while in 1895 they were found there November 4. At Greensburg, Ind., the year last mentioned, they were found October 26. In 1894 they were seen at Sedan October 11 to October 31, and in 1891 were present through November. In Carroll County they were noted from October 12 to October 19, 1878. In spring they may be noted as feeding upon the opening buds of the elms, particularly the red elm, of which they seem to be very fond.

They may be found wherever elms grow, and prefer less dense woods or the straggling trees along smaller waterways. Sometimes they are quiet while feeding. In April, however, their voices may often be noted reaching through the woodland for a considerable distance. To me, the song somewhat resembles that of the warbling vireo. The song is a beautiful liquid utterance, and I fancy it as the beginning of the nuptial courtship. They usually nest in cedars, spruce or other evergreens, but occasionally build in apple trees. In height, they are found from 5 feet to 50. The nests are placed upon a limb among the twigs. The nest is shallow and composed of vegetable fibres, grass, shreds of bark; sometimes they are nicely woven and lined with a well-woven mat. In the fall they feed upon seeds, being especially fond of hemp and sunflower seeds.

918 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

121. GENUS LOXIA LINK.KUS.

a1. Wing with no white. L. curvirostra minor (Brehm.). 199

a2. Wing with white. L. leucoptera Ginel. 200

199. (521). Loxia curvirostra minor (BREHM.).

American Crossbill.

American Crossbills— Male and Female. (Reduced.)

Adult Male. — Bill, crossed; above, bricky-red; wings, blackish, un- marked. Female.^- Brownish-olive, streaked and speckled with dusky, the ramp saffron. Immature Males. — Mottled with greenish and green- ish yellow.

Length, 5.50-6.25; wing, 3.20-3.60; tail, 1.85-2.40.

EANGE. — Northern North America in winter; south irregularly to South Carolina and Louisiana. Of irregular occurrence south into the Ohio Valley in summer. Breeds along the Alleghanies from the northern United States and occasionally to Georgia.

Nest, in evergreen trees; of evergreen twigs, bark; lined with horse- hair, fine rootlets, grass and feathers. Eggs, 3-4; pale greenish, spotted and dotted, mostly at larger end with various shades of brown and purplish; .75 by .57 (Bicknell, N. 0. C., Vol. V., pp. 7-11).

A very erratic bird. When found is generally noted as a winter visitor or migrant in flocks; less common in southern Indiana; some winters wholly wanting. They are sometimes found singly in company with Pine Siskins. Prefers localities where pines or other coniferous trees are found. There they sometimes remain quite well into the summer, and are reported to breed.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 919

Dr. Haymond makes no record of the Crossbill in his list of 1856, and the first account'at hand is that of Dr. Wheaton, who noted it from Ohio in the winter of 1859-60. Dr. Haymond included it in his report of the birds of Franklin County in 1869. That year and the succeed- ing, Mr. C. E. Aiken observed them in Lake County, Ind., and Cook County, 111. They were not again observed in Indiana until the winter of 1882-3, when they spread over Indiana and reached at. least to Nelson County, Ky. (Beecham, p. 24). That winter they were reported by Prof. Evermann from Monroe and Carroll counties, and Mr. E. R. Quick and myself took them at Brookville.

The three succeeding winters they were noted in different parts of the State, as far south as Bloomington. In May, 1887, they were reported from Lake County. The succeeding fall they were found at Brookville from October 29 to November 19, and from there and Terre Haute northward were reported the following winter and spring. The winter of 1888-9, they were found over western Indiana, as far south as Vincennes. From that time until 1897, when they were noted at Lafayette, they were not reported from the State in winter. They were, however, reported as migrant in the spring of 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1895, and in the fall of 1894; Wabash, September 11, 1894 (Ulrey and Wallace). When they visit us, they usually arrive in late October or November, and pass northward in March and April. Some- times, however, they remain much later. Mr. C. E. Aiken tells me they became very abundant in the vicinity of Chicago, including Lake County, Ind., in July and August, 1869, and remained until late in the fall. They fed greedily on sunflower seeds, and were so sluggish that one could approach within a few feet of them, so that they fell an easy prey to boys with catapults. He says they were not rare the suc- ceeding year in the vicinity of Chicago. The summer of 1878 they were found at Columbus, 0., and abundantly at Cleveland, 0. In 1885 they remained at Bloomington until May 12; in 1886 they were noted July 10, 13, and 14. They have also been noted in summer at Muncie, May 4, 1888; Greencastle, July 27, 1891; Bainbridge, July 11- 15, 1892; Lafayette, March 11 to June 30, 1892; March 30 to May 22, 1895; February 22 to May 24, 1897. For the notes from Lafayette I am indebted to Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test.

In the summer of 1878 they were reported to have bred in the vicinity of Cleveland, 0. Dr. Wheaton reports it having been known to nest in Indiana (Ohio Geol. Survey, Vol. IV., 1879, p. 317). Mr. E. M. Kindle informs me that Mr. Sam Hunter reported a pair of these Crossbills to have bred at Bloomington, IndM in 1885. The nest was said to have been placed in a pine tree and was made ei-

920 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

clusively of pine burrs. Mr. E. B. Moffit informs me they nested at West Lafayette, in 1885, and that young birds were taken there.

Dr. H. A. Atkins is said to have taken their nests near Locke, Mich., July 13, 1880. They are said to nest early, often in February, while the snow still covers the earth, but they have been found nesting until into July.

They feed principally upon the seeds of conifers, which they extract from the cones. The crackling of these burrs was what first called my attention to the Crossbills. They uttered no note, but busily tore off the plates and picked out the seeds. The sound resembled the crack- ling noise made by the opening of the cone left on the tree under the warping influence of a warm spring sun. They sought their food both upon the tree and upon the ground beneath it. They were very tame, permitting me to approach quite close to them, apparently unnoticed. When they took wing, they uttered a note which Mr. Otto Widmann has compared to the "parent call of Progne" our Purple Martin. Mr. Widmann informs me that they were attracted to the vicinity of Old Orchard, Mo., partially by the abundance of apples left on the trees the winter of 1891-2. These, I presume, formed part of their food. They also eat elm buds in May. They also eat the seeds of horse- weeds. Mr. Jesse Earlle found a male in breeding plumage and four other Crossbills in dull plumage apparently probing the mud about the borders of a mill pond near Greencastle, July 27, 1891. The specimen first mentioned he shot. But a small proportion of the birds seen — as they move about in flocks of varying size — are males. Mr. Nehrling says its song consists of a number of loud, flute-like notes which are frequently intermingled with several harsh chattering tones (N. A. B., p. 41). (See Butler. The range of the Crossbill in the Ohio Valley, with notes, on the unusual occurrence in summer. Papers read at the World's Congress of Ornithology in Chicago, 1893-1896, pp. 47 58, and Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci., 1892, pp. 63-72.)

200. (522). Loxia leucoptera GMEL.

White-winged Crossbill.

Wings in both sexes, with two conspicuous white bars; bill, crossed. Male. — Rosy-red. Female. — Brownish-olive, streaked with dusky, the rump saffron. Immature Males. — Mottled as in last species.

Length, 6.00-6.50; wing, 3.50; tail, 2.60.

RANGE. — Northern North America, south in winter to northern Indiana and Pennsylvania, rarely to Kansas, southern Ohio and Vir- ginia. Breeds from northern New England and northern Rocky Mountains north.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 921

Nest, of twigs and strips of birch bark, covered externally with moss (Usnea), and lined with soft moss and hair; in an evergreen in deep forest. Eggs, 3 (?); pale blue, spotted and streaked near larger end with reddish-brown and lilac; .80 by .55. (Chamberlain).

These Crossbills are more rare than the preceding species, but their visits are of the same irregular character. Usually they are found in flocks. They often accompany the common Crossbill, and may be looked for at the same time in similar localities. The habits of the two birds are similar.

White-winged Crossbill. (Reduced.)

Dr. J. M. Wheaton mentioned it in his catalogue of the Birds of Ohio, in 1861. In the winter of 1868-9, Mr. Chas. Dury found this end the last mentioned species together in the vicinity of Cincinnati in large flocks in the proportion of two of that to one of this species. Mr. C. E. Aiken reports the first record of the White-winged Crossbill from Indiana. The summer of 1869, in the vicinity of Chicago, in Cook County, 111., and Lake County, Ind., he found this species in company with the last, and they remained throughout the winter suc- ceeding. About 1878 a pair of these birds was taken at Ft. Wayne. The female is now in the collection of Mr. C. A. Stockbridge, who has kindly permitted me to examine it.

Mr. Fletcher M. Noe reports its occurrence near Indianapolis early in 1883. February 6, 1883, Prof. B. W. Evermann shot two males from a flock of fifteen of these birds at Bloomington. Others were taken February 10 and 12. Mr. J. W. Byrkit found both species to- gether at Michigan City the winter of 1883-4. Miss H. E. Coif ax in- forms me of its occurrence there as late as June 26, 1884. Mr. Chas. Dury reports it from Michigan City, he thinks, 1885. Hon. K. Wes. McBride reports it in Dekalb County, where Mrs. J. L. Hine tells me

922 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Mr. McCord shot two in the court-house yard at Auburn, March 8, 1885. Prof. B. "W. Evermann killed a female with a stick, the only one seen, at Burlington. Another female was seen at Camden, March 16, 1885. The only instance of its occurrence in summer in the Ohio Valley is that given me by the late Mr. C. H. Bollman. He saw eleven on a fir tree in Bloomington, Ind., June 24, 1886. This species has been found breeding in Maine, in winter. Mr. H. Nehrling men- tions a nest having been found April 21, 1891, in Delta County, Mich. Nests of this species have been but rarely found, and are still desirable in collections. (See same papers referred to at end of last species.) In addition to the same kind of food eaten by the other species, they are said to eat decayed garden fruits, the seeds of beech, grass and canker worms. They have a chattering note, uttered when they fly, and in their breeding grounds have a song, which is de- scribed as low, sweet and disconnected.

122. GENUS ACANTHIS BECHSTEIX.

a1. Wing 3.00 or less; tail 2.50 or less. A. linaria (Linn.). 201

a2. Wing usually over 3.00; tail 2.60 or more ; bill much larger and stouter.

A. linaria rostrata (Coues.). 202

201. (528). Acanthis linaria (LiNN.).

Redpoll.

Adult Male. — Above, streaked with dusky and flaxen in about equal amounts; crown, with a patch of crimson; rump and breast, pink; throat, with a black patch; belly, dull white, sides streaked; wings, brownish-dusky, with two white bars. Adult Female. — Without pink on breast and rump. Young. — Head, neck and breast, streaked, and showing no red or pink. Bill, pointed and yellow.

Length, 4.50-5.00; wing, 2.70-2.80; tail, 2.30-2.35. Bill, length, .32- .36; depth at base, about .20-.25; tarsus, .52-.S5.

EANGE. — Northern part of northern hemisphere in North America; south, irregularly in winter to Kansas, Indiana and D. C. Breeds far north.

Nest, in low tree or bush; of grass and moss, lined with plant-down and feathers. Eggs, 4-6; pale bluish or greenish-white speckled with reddish-brown; .67 by .48.

The little Eedpoll is an irregular winter visitor. Some years they occur in immense numbers in the northern part of the State. Pos- sibly it is to be found there most every winter, but in the southern por- tion of the State it is rare.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 923

Mr. Chas. Dury took a single specimen in the vicinity of Cincinnati in January, 1869. The first record for Indiana is a specimen taken by Prof. B. W. Everniann, at Camden, November 5, 1878. From south- ern Indiana there are but few notes. Dr. C. R. Case noted it in flock* in Franklin Count}', February 10, 1881. Prof. Evermann identified a single bird at Bloomington in December, 1882. Mr. E. L. Guthrie obtained specimens in Decatur County the winter of 1883. Mr. Chan- cey Juday obtained specimens from a flock of twenty at Bloomington, April 12, 1895. They have also been reported as follows in winter: That of 1889-90, they were distributed generally over the northern part of the State in some numbers, having been reported from Benton, Wabash, Allen and Dekalb; 1892-3, there were many about Elkhart; 1895-6, they were tolerably common in Cook County, 111., and Lake County, Ind.; 1896-7, they seem to have been generally distributed northward, having been reported as common in the vicinity of Chi- cago; noted at different times in Lake County and common in March at Sandusky, 0. There is a specimen in the State Museum at Indian- apolis, from Boone Count}', Ind. The earliest date of arrival in fall is October 24, 1896, when they appeared commonly at Chicago. They remained in that vicinity in 1885 until April 26.

While often found among the evergreens, they also frequent weed patches, eating the seeds, after the manner of the American Gold- finch. They are easily frightened from their feeding grounds, but soon return, uttering a soft call, as if to reassure each other. Mr. H. Nehrling observed them in 1875-6 at Oak Park, 111. He says: "With- out fear, they came under the kitchen windows, picking up millet, canary seed and crumbs of bread. The weeds in the garden (a species of Ambrosia), and the hemp stalks, were thoroughly searched for food. Like Titmice, they climbed, head downward, along branches of shrubs and weed stalks, always uttering a peculiar chett, or chett-cherrett" (Birds 1ST. A., X., p. 51). They are very tame and unsuspicious when undisturbed, but when frightened become wild. Their flight is not high, and the scattered flocks move along in undulating lines. The late Dr. Kirtland, of Ohio, records a crippled Redpoll which came into his possession in the winter of 1868, that ate crumbs of bread and hay- seed, and rapidly recovered. It learned to live exclusively upon the parasitic insects of house plants, and did so until it escaped in the spring.

924 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

202. (5286). Acanthis linaria rostrata (CouEs).

Greater Redpoll.

Similar to A. linaria; usually more heavily streaked on sides, and all the dimensions larger.

Length, 5.25-5.75; wing, 3.00-3.30; tail, 2.60-2.70; bill, .41-.47; depth of bill at base, .25-.30; tarsus, .65-.70.

EANGE. — Greenland and northeast North America; south, irregu- larly in winter — to New England, New York, Ontario and northern Indiana and west to Manitoba.

This species, which is said to be common in Greenland, occasionally reaches in its winter wanderings as far southwest as Ontario, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana.

Different forms of Redpolls are associated in flocks, but this and the preceding are the only ones that have been taken in Indiana. Mr. H. K. Coale obtained a specimen of this Redpoll (No. 5340, Mus. H. K. C.) at Davis Station, Starke County, Ind., January 1, 1884. It was found with a flock of Redpolls (A. linaria) , feeding — eating seeds of weeds, the tops of which protruded through the snow. Mr. Coale had taken a specimen November 21, 1878, in Cook County, 111., near the Indiana line, which was the first Illinois record. These birds were reported as Acanthis linaria holbceillii, but evidently are this form. Its habits are similar to that of its more common relative.

123. GENUS SPINUS KOCH.

a1. Inner webs of tail feathers with white patch; plumage not streaked.

S. tristis (Linn.). 203

a2. Inner webs of tail feathers without white patch, but with yellow bases; plumage streaked. S. pinus (Wils.). 204

*203. (529). Spinus tristis (LINN.).

American Goldfinch. Synonyms, YELLOW BIRD, LETTUCE BIRD, SALAD BIRD.

Adult Male. — Bright gamboge-yellow; crown, wings and tail, black; lesser wing-coverts, band across the greater ones, ends of secondaries and tertiaries, inner margins of tail feathers, upper and under tail- coverts and tibia, white. Female. — Yellowish-gray, above; greenish- yellow, below; no black on forehead; wing and tail much as in male. Young. — Reddish-olive, above; fulvous yellow, below; two broad bands across coverts, and broad edges to the last half of secondaries, pale rufous (B., B. and R.).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 925

Length, 4.45-5.40; wing, 2.60-2.90; tail, 1.80-2.10.

KANGE. — North America, from southern California and Gulf coast north to Labrador, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Breeds from Virginia, Kentucky and Kansas, northward. Winters from southern Ontario and northern United States, southward.

Nest, usually in upright fork of tree or bush, 5 to 25 feet up, a neat* structure of grass, bark strips and plant fibres, closely woven, and lined with plant down. Eggs, 3-6; pale bluish-white; .65 by .52.

Eesident; rare some winters, northward. Most persons fail to recog- nize the bright, black-winged, black-capped yellow bird of May and June in the mottled plumage of September. In spring the bright plumage is taken on, and in September the duller winter plumage begins to replace it. During the greater part of the year these birds associate in flocks, wandering about as they are attracted by desirable food. While these birds are always present, the same individuals are not. Those which winter with us pass northward, and the bright- colored ones, who have changed their dress farther south, come upon us quite suddenly, with the bursting of the apple blossoms each spring. They usually come to the Whitewater Valley in the latter part of April, but, in 1883, arrived April 12, and in 1884, not until April 30.

With the advent of those in brighter colors, the ones which have been feeding upon the buds of elms and other early flowering trees, leave. They do not mate upon arrival, but postpone their nesting until quite late. The earliest I observed them mating was May 9, 1887. Nests may generally be looked for after July 1, but sets of eggs are sometimes found in August and September. Their song is an ecstatic effort that is very pleasing. It is loud and has a peculiar flute-like quality that adds attractiveness to its brilliant effort. The strain may be written thus: chit, chit, chit-o-ree-e, repeated with trills and expressions indescribable. Besides, it is continued into July and sometimes August, and becomes more conspicuous, because many of its rivals have, long before that, ceased to sing. In 1897, I last heard it July 22. As it gallops through the air, apparently riding the wind-waves, its rythmic note has been interpreted by Mr. F. M. Chap- man as "per-chic-o-ree," "per-chic-o-ree." When feeding in spring among the tree-buds, it has a note, "eo-ree," "co-ree," which a number sometimes utter together. But all through the year they have a soft "tweet" that readily distinguishes them. They are the seed destroyers par excellence. Sometimes it is something desirable, like the seed of lettuce, turnip and hemp, but more often it is the baneful dandelion, burdock, mullein, and other pernicious weeds. Sunflower seed is a

926 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

favorite food. In winter the seeds of grasses, rag-weeds, horse-weeds, and occasionally sycamore, are eaten.

They are very tame. In summer they often make their homes in orchards, lawns, and even among the fruit and shade trees of our towns. In autumn the garden is a favorite place. In winter they are 6ften found ahout the barnyards and adjacent shrubbery.

Prof. F. H. King examined 34 stomachs and found they had eaten 20 plant lice, and the remainder of their contents was chiefly weed seeds. He says the service which the Thistle Bird does in destroying the seeds of the almost uncontrollable Canada Thistle throughout the Eastern and Middle States must be very great (Geol. Wis., I., p. 535). Dr. Wheaton says they eat the Hessian Fly. .

204. (533). Spinus pinus. (WiLs.).

Pine Siskin. Synonym, PINE FINCH.

"Tail deeply forked; above, brownish-olive; beneath, whitish, every feather streaked distinctly with dusky; concealed bases of tail feathers and quills, together with their inner edges, sulphur-yellow; outer edges of quills and tail feathers, yellowish-green. Two brownish- white bands on the wing. Sexes alike. Young. — Similar, but the white below tinged with yellow, the upper parts with reddish-brown, and there are two pale ochraceous bands on the wing."

Length, 4.50-5.25; wing, 2.75-2.90; tail, 1.85-1.95. (B. B. and E.).

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico (Vera Cruz) north into Brit- ish provinces. Breeds from south New England, New York, the south- ern limit of its range in Mexico, northward, but mostly north of United States.

Nest, in coniferous trees, of grasses, rootlets (near settled places, string, threads, etc.); lined with finer material of the same kind, hair and feathers. Eggs, 4; pale bluish-white, spotted and blotched with reddish or dark brown, vinaceous, sometimes lines of same color; .61 by .47.

More or less regular winter migrant, and rare winter resident. Sometimes found in great numbers, in flocks, occasionally associating with Goldfinches, in winter, and with Purple Finches, in spring. They resemble the Goldfinches in action, in fall and winter, too, but not in song. Their note is a single wheezy syllable, which may be expressed as "Cree," sometimes highest at the end, again highest on the first vowel, and falling towards its close. Some years they arrive in Octo- ber, others in November. They arrived at Wabash early in October,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 927

1896, and were found in abundance into November. They also were noted at Bloomington. The earliest arrival at Brookville is October 14, 1896. That fall and the succeeding spring they were generally distributed in the Whitewater Valley, but were not abundant. No- vember 17, 1882, I found them everywhere along the Whitewater Eiver bottoms in countless numbers.

Eoadsides, fence rows, weedy banks and thickets, corn and stubble fields, all were alive with their fluttering wings, while the crackling of weed seeds and their peculiar note added voice to the scene. They were present in great numbers throughout the winter. Were last seen April 27. Some years they are not seen after February or March; others, they remain until late April or May. In spring they frequent the evergreen trees about our homes, as well as the native cedar, where they sometimes are found in company with the Crossbills; also, elms, maples, apple, and other deciduous trees, where they, with habits somewhat resembling the Purple Finches, associate with them while feeding. The spring of 1885 they remained at Brookville until May 11, while the spring of 1887 they generally remained, not leaving until May 5. They were remarkably abundant at Richmond, where they remained until May 24 (Hadley); Lafayette, May 29 (L. A. and C. D. Test); Petersburg, Mich., May 12 (Trombley). Dr. Jordan took a specimen near Indianapolis in midsummer (Bray ton). One was ob- served at Wabash, with Goldfinches, several times between June 10 and 20, 1892. They were feeding on mulberries (Wallace). The last ones to remain in spring are very shy. They frequent the higher ever- greens in little companies, and, after sitting quietly for a time, al] utter their lisping "cree" together, sometimes repeating it two or three times. After an interval of silence they repeat the call. Dr. Wheat on thought it probable it breeds in northern Ohio, and Da vie gives it as breeding in Michigan (Nests and Eggs of N. A. Birds, 1889, p. 293). Nests, with eggs, have been found from near the first of May until near July 1. Dr. A. K. Fisher took a nest of this species at Sing Sing, N. Y., May 25, 1883 (See Ridg., B. 111., p. 289).

124. GENUS PLECTROPHENAX. STEJNEGKR.

205. (534). Plectrophenax nivalis (LINN.).

Snowflake. Synonyms, SNOW BUNTING, WHITE SNOWBIRD.

Adult, Breeding Plumage. — White, middle of back, terminal half of primaries, and tertiaries, and two middle tail feathers, black; legs and bill, black. Adult in Winter. — White; head, rump and breast, brown- ish; back, brown and black, streaked; wings, fuscous; bill, yellow,

928 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

darker at tip. Female, in Breeding Plumage. — Streaked above with black, white below.

Length, about 6.50-7.00; wing, 4.20-4.50; tail, 2*80-3.15.

EANGE. — Northern part of northern hemisphere; south in winter to northern Illinois, northern Indiana and northern Ohio, and south- ern New England. Casually to District of Columbia, Georgia and Kentucky. Breeds from Labrador to Alaska, north.

Nest, on ground, of grass and moss, lined with fine grass and feathers. Eggs, 4-7; greenish or bluish- white, spotted, principally about the larger end, with brown; .91 by .64.

The Snowflake comes to us from the north, in flocks, with the whirl- ing wreaths of the midwinter snow. They are irregular in their com- ing and variable in their numbers. Sometimes they are absent for several years. Other winters they occur in numbers in the northern portion of the State. Farther south they are of rare occurrence, ap- pearing during the coldest weather.

Dr. Haymond observed it in Franklin County, where it was later identified by Dr. C. R. Case, in December, 1880. Mr. E. L. Guthrie noted it in Decatur County the winter of 1883-4. Mr. Angus Gaines informs me that it is a rare winter visitor in Knox County'. Mr. Robert Ridgway has reported a single specimen from Mt. Carmel, 111., on the opposite side of the Wabash River. They were quite common about Indianapolis during the extreme cold weather and snow of January, 1879 (Brayton).

Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., says of it, in Cook County, 111., and Lake County, Ind.: "Not uncommon winter visitor. Found in large flocks on our prairies. On November 9, 1891, I found these birds in thou- sands on the sand flats about Wolf Lake. December 17, 1895, they were very abundant on the beach at Miller's, Ind. The last leave for the north during March. Latest, March 15, 1884."

Mr. C. E. Aiken says they were exceedingly abundant in the vicinity of Chicago the winter of 1860-70. They were noted in the vicinity of Chicago, November 11, 1895 (Blackwelder), and, the spring of 1893, remained until March 12 (Dunn). At Plymouth, Mich., they appeared October 16, 1894, and in 1893 remained until March 20 (Alexander). They have been noted from Michigan City as a rare winter visitor (Byrkit). Miss Colfax reported them there, January 15, 1884. Away from the lakes we see them very rarely in December, generally appear- ing in January and February. Among other localities they have been noted as follows: Newton County, seen several times (Pfrimmer); Carroll County, January 15, 1884, January to February, 1885 (Ever- mann); Starke County, a number of flocks at English Lake, February

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 929

14 and 15, 1891; Wabash County, several, winter of 1892-3 (Wallace); Dekalb County (E. W. McBride); Allen County (Stockbridge).

While usually found in flocks of their kind, sometimes small num- bers, or single individuals, are sometimes found associated with flocks of Horned Larks, with which at times may be found Lapland Long- spurs, also.

With us, they frequent the meadows, pastures, stubble and other cultivated land, living upon seeds of different kinds of grasses and weeds. From examinations made of the stomachs of birds, presumably taken in Wisconsin, their chief food was found to be the seeds of the black bind-weed and foxtail grass (King, Wis. Geology, I. p. 535). "They keep pretty closely in flocks, numbering from a dozen or so to several hundreds, and, though they spread over the ground a good deal in running about after seeds, they fly compactly and wheel all together. In their evolutions they present a pretty sight, and have a not unpleasant stridulent sound, from the mingling of the weak chir- rups from so many throats" (Coues).

125. GENUS CALCARIUS BECHSTEIN.

a1. Lower parts whitish; but little white on outer tail feather.

C. lapponicus (Linn.). 206 a2. Lower parts deep buff; much white on two outer tail feathers.

C. pictus (Swains.). 207

206. (536). Calcarius lapponicus (LINN.).

Lapland Longspur.

Adult Male in Summer. — Above, brown, spotted with black; head and jugulum, black, with broad white supra-auricular stripe; lower parts, dull whitish; nape, bright chestnut-rufous; lesser wing coverts, grayish; middle coverts, dusky; legs, black. In Winter. — Similar, but throat whitish, jugular patch badly defined, head much tinged with ochraceous, and rufous of nape obscured by grayish. Adult Female in Summer. — Head, mostly dull-buffy, the crown with two broad lateral stripes of broad dusky streaks, the ear coverts tipped with dusky bar; a dusky patch on each side of throat, and indication of one on the jugulum; nape, faintly rufous, streaked with black. In Winter. — Simi- lar, but more suffused with brownish. Young. — Head, neck, jugulum, and upper parts, yellowish-fulvous, streaked with black; crown and wings, strongly tinged with rufous. (Bidgway, Orn. of 111., Vol. I., p. 241).

Length, about 6.10-6.90; wing, 3.60-3.90.

59— GEOL.

930 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

RANGE. — Northern part of northern hemisphere, in North America; south in winter to Kansas, California, northern Illinois, northern In- diana. Casually to South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, and North Mex- ico. Breeds in Arctic regions.

Nest, on ground, in clumps of grass, of grass and moss, lined with feathers. Eggs, 4-5; greenish-gray, heavily marked or washed with chocolate; .83 by .60.

The Lapland Longspur ranges farther south than the Snow Bunt- ing. Like it, however, it is found in flocks varying in numbers from a few individuals to several hundred. Often, during their stay with us, they and the Horned Larks are associated in flocks. To the northward, sometimes, but a few Larks will be found in a flock of Longspurs, while farther south, where usually Longspurs are scarce, a few, or even single birds, may be found in flocks of Larks. Their actions, in some respects, are similar.

Dr. Wheaton notes that frequently, when first flushed, they utter a rapid, rattling note, somewhat like that of the Kingfisher, but less loud and harsh. They are irregular in their visits over the most of Indiana, occurring in fall, winter and spring, but are seen more fre- quently and more numerously than the Snowflake. About the lower end of Lake Michigan they are sometimes seen in great numbers. In the vicinity of Chicago they were exceedingly abundant the winter of 1869-70 (Aiken); also 1895-6 (Blackwelder), and 1896-7 (Tollman). Mr. Parker says it is a common spring and fall migrant in Cook County, 111. It is found by thousands on the prairies west of Engle- wood, throughout April, in beautiful spring plumage, and by May 1 most have gone north. Mr. Toppan reports it as a common spring migrant in Lake County, Ind. In Wayne County, Mich., they were seen the winter of 1891-2, and springs of 1892-93-94-95 (Alexander). The earliest fall record from that vicinity is September 26, 1896, and the latest spring date is May 3, 1894. From March 28 to April 4, 1896, they were common, in immense flocks, in fields, accompanied by a few Shorelarks, at Laporte (Barber). Mr. Byrkit had pre- viously reported it from there.

The winter of 1893-4 they were common in Wabash County, arriv- ing in September, and remaining until March 15. Before that there were but two records of its occurrence there. It has been noted as a rare winter visitor in Dekalb County (R. W. McBride); as a regular but rare winter visitor in Allen County; a pair was taken at Ft. Wayne in 1880 (Stockbridge). Dr. J. T. Scovell took three specimens near Terre Haute in the winter of 1881-2. November 14, 1893, Jesse Earlle obtained a single specimen, which he flushed from a wheat

BIHDS OF INDIANA. 931

stubble, on bottom land of Big Walnut Creek, Putnam County. Two were taken at Bloomington, February 2, 1883 (Evermann). There is a pair in the State Museum at Indianapolis from Boone County. Mr. Balmer reports it as a winter resident in Knox County, and Mr. Robert Eidgway has noted large flocks at Mt. Carmel, 111., during severe weather. Mr. E. R. Quick identified it in Franklin County, March 1, 1897, and Mr. V. H. Barnett observed it in Brown County, January 29 and 30, and February 13, 1897.

Mr. B. T. Gault, Glen Ellyn, 111., says: "June 14, 1889, I took an adult female, in breeding plumage, at Sheffield, Lake County, Ind. When first seen it was flushed from the side of a wagon road, near Lake Michigan, and, taking wing, flew ahead of me but a few feet above the ground. It seemed rather tame, and the probabilities are that it may have been crippled earlier in the season, thus accounting for its late sojourn in this latitude; but, judging from its appearance when skinned, it must have recovered entirely from the effect of wounds previously received (The Auk, Vol. VI., No. 3, p. 278).

While with us its food is wholly the seeds of weeds and grasses. Of six examined by Prof. King, each had eaten more than one hundred seeds of pigeon grass and black hind-weed (Geol. Wis., I., p. 536).

It is common in northern Europe and northern Asia, also breeding in the Arctic portions of those continents, as it does in North America. Mr. E. W. Nelson found it breeding abundantly on the grassy flats near St. Michael's, Alaska. They arrive there early in May, while the ground is still largely covered with snow, and by the middle of that month are common. "The males, as if conscious of their handsome plumage, choose the tops of the only breaks in the monotonous level, which are small, rounded knolls and tussocks. The male utters its song as it flies upward from one of these knolls, and when it reaches the height of ten or fifteen yards, it extends the points of its wings upwards, forming a large V-shaped figure, and floats gently to the ground, uttering, as it slowly sinks, its liquid tones, which fall in tinkling succession upon the ear, and are, perhaps, the sweetest notes that one hears during the entire spring-time of these regions. It is an exquisite jingling melody, having much less power than that of the Bobolink, but with the same general character, and, though shorter, it has even more melody than the song of that well known bird. The nests are placed on the drier portions of the flats; a hummock or tuft of grass is chosen, or perhaps a projecting bunch of dwarf willow stems, and, as one comes directly upon it, the female usually flutters off under one's feet." (N. H. Coll., in Alaska, pp. 184, 185).

932 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

207. (537). Calcarius pictus (SWAINS.).

Smith's Longspur. Synonym, PAINTED LONGSPUR.

Outer tail feathers dusky at base; lower parts, deep buff; legs, yellow.

"Male in Spring. — Top and sides of head, black; a line from bill over the eyes, lores, lower and posterior border of the black cheeks, ears (encircled by black), and a small patch in the nape, white; entire under parts and extending round neck to nape (where it bounds abruptly the black of head), buff or light cinnamon yellow; the under tail coverts, paler; the inside of wings, white; feathers of upper surface, black, edged with yellowish-gray; shoulders or lesser coverts, and the greater, black; middle, white, forming a conspicuous patch; quills, edged externally with white, this involving the whole outer web of outermost primary; whole of outer and most of second tail feathers, white; bill, dusky; lower mandible and legs, yellowish.. Female. — The markings of male faintly indicated, but the black and buff wanting; head, above, brown, streaked centrally with paler; a narrow dark line on each side of the throat, and brownish streaks across the jugulum, and along sides of body; traces visible of the white marks of the head; bill and feet, as in male/5 (Eidgway, 111., I, p. 243).

Male, length, 6.40-6.50; wing, 3.60-3.70. Female, length, about 5.50-6.00; wing, 3.45-3.60.

KANGE. — Interior plains of North America, east to Indiana, from Texas to Yukon and Mackenzie rivers. Breeds in north part of range. Winters from southern Wisconsin and Kansas, southward.

Nest, on ground, similar to last species. Eggs, 4-5; light clay, with spots and lines of dark purplish-brown; size of those of C. lapponicus.

Migrant; sometimes common in the vicinity of Lake Michigan; of unusual occurrence elsewhere; rare. Nelson observed this species as a common migrant on the borders of Lake County, Indiana, where even seventy-five were observed in a flock (Brayton, Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 121).

In the fall of 1896 a flock of fifty was seen in Cook County, 111., October 3, and others were seen October 11 (Tallman). Mr. F. M. Woodruff informs me there are four specimens in the collection of the Field Columbian Museum, collected at Worth, 111., May 3, 1894. At the same place, Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., found them quite common in a patch of meadow land, April 27, 1893. The spring of 1896 they were first seen near Chicago, April 16, where Mr. Eliot Blackwelder saw

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 933

about a hundred, two days later. Mr. C. A. Tallman reported seeing a hundred and fifty. Each of these gentlemen saw them repeatedly that spring, as did also Mr. Parker. They were last noted May 2. March 29, 1894, Mr. Jesse Earlle found about sixty Smith's Longspurs in a field about three miles west of Greencastle, Ind. Of these, he obtained two specimens.

Smith's Longspur is a bird of the interior of America, frequenting the great interior plains of the United States and the interior valleys of British America. It breeds in the valleys of the Anderson and Mackenzie rivers very numerously. It is not found breeding on the Atlantic or Pacific coast.

The nest, like that of the last species, is placed on the ground, and is made of grasses, lined with finer materials of the same kind, down and feathers.

126. GENUS POOOETES BAIRD.

*208. (540). Poocaetes gramineus (GMBL.).

Vesper Sparrow. Synonyms, BAY WINGED BUNTING, GRASS FINCH.

Thickly streaked everywhere, above, on sides and across breast; no yellow anywhere; lesser wing coverts, chestnut, and one to three outer pairs of tail feathers, partly or wholly white; above, grayish-brown, the streaking, dusky and brown, with grayish-white; below, white, usually buffy-tinged, the streaks very numerous on the fore part and sides; wing coverts and inner quills, much edged and tipped with bay; crown, like back, without median stripe; line over and ring round eye, whitish; feet, pale.

Length, 5.50-6.70; wing, 2.95-3.40; tail, 2.40-2.75.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, west to plains, north to Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba. Breeds from 'Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, north. Winters from southern Indiana and Virginia, south.

Nest, in open field, in a depression in the ground, of grass, lined with hair. Eggs, 4-5; white, sometimes greenish or pinkish, blotched and lined with various shades of reddish-brown; .80 by .60.

The Vesper Sparrow is found commonly throughout Indiana from March to November. Mr. J. 0. Balmer informs me it is also found through winter in Knox County, and doubtless occurs from that lati- tude south, some winters at least. At Brookville, I have found it as early as February 15, 1882, and until November 19, 1894. Usually, however, they appear near March 20, and, while many leave through

934 BEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

September and early October, quite a number are found until well into the latter month. At Laporte, they were first noted March 20, 1894, April 2, 1896; at Sedan, March 20, 1894, April 4, 1895; Cook County, 111., April 5, 1886, April 14, 1895. They are usually common over the greater part of the north half of Indiana by the first week in April. I have observed them mating, April 8, 1882. They may be found nesting through May, June and July. July 17, 1886, I took a female Vesper Sparrow, containing eggs about ready to be laid. Two and sometimes, perhaps, three broods are reared in a summer.

The nest is placed upon the ground, preferably in a timothy or clover field; in prairie districts, on the prairie. In September they be- gin to collect in flocks, and the latter part of the month and all the next they are found along the fence rows, working their way south- ward.

Prof. King found that 37, which he dissected, had eaten: 8, moths; 3, flies; 3, ants; 27, beetles; 4, grasshoppers; 3, snails; 8, grasshoppers' eggs; 10, larvae; 31 of them had eaten various small weed seeds; 1, two kernels of wheat, and 1, a kernel of rye. He estimates that fully one-third of their food consists of insects and the remainder largely of seeds of noxious plants (Geol. of Wis., I, p. 536). They remain, some- times, as far north as our northern border until November. It has been reported from Sandusky, 0., November 1, 1896; Sedan, Ind., October 31, 1894; Hillsdale, Mich., November 5, 1894; Livonia, Mich., October 31, 1894.

This striped sparrow shows a white feather on each side of the tail as it flies. That distinguishes it by sight as it flies before one in the public highway, or the field. Its song may be heard in the morning or on cloudy days, but its sweetest notes swell forth at twilight, asso- ciated with the sounds of insect life, the glow of the fire-fly, the call of the Whip-poor-will. This is its vesper song; hence its author is known as the Vesper Sparrow. Of all the pretty things said of this sweet-voiced finch, nothing, perhaps, has been said that fits the case so well as that written by Mr. John Burroughs, in his charming book named "Wake Bobin." From it I quote: "Have you heard the song of the Field Sparrow? If you have lived in a pastoral country, with broad upland pastures, you could hardly have missed him. Wilson, I believe, calls him the Grass Finch, and was evidently unacquainted with his powers of song. The two white lateral quills of his tail, and his habit of running and skulking a few yards in .advance of you, as you walk through the fields, are sufficient to identify him. Not in meadow or orchards, but in high, breezy pasture grounds, will you look for him.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 935

"His song is most noticeable after sundown, when other birds are silent, for which reason he has been aptly called the Vesper Sparrow. The farmer, following his team from the field at dusk, catches his sweetest strain. His song is not so brisk and varied as that of the Song Sparrow, being softer and milder, sweeter and more plaintive. Add the best parts of the lay of the latter to the sweet, vibrating chant of the Woods Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), and you have the even- ing hymn of the Vesper bird, the poet of the plain, unadorned pas- tures. Go to those broad, smooth, n plying fields, where the cattle and sheep are grazing, and sit down on one of the warm, clean stones, and listen to his song. On every side, near and remote, from out the short grass which the herds are cropping, the strain rises. Two or three long, silver notes of rest and peace, ending in some subdued trills and quavers, constitute each separate song. Often you will catch only one of the bars, the breeze having blown the minor part away. Some unambitious, unconscious melody! It is one of the most characteristic sounds of Nature. The grass, the stones, the stubble, the furrow, the quiet herds, and the warm twilight among the hills, are all subtlely expressed in song. This is what they are, at least, capable of."

The song period usually ends near the first of July, though some- times it may be heard well toward the 1st of August. I heard the last song June 25, 1897.

127. GENUS PASSER BRISSON.

209. ( — )• Passer domesticus (LINN.).

European House Sparrow. Synonym, ENGLISH SPARROW.

Adult Male. — Above, chestnut brown, back streaked with black; crown, nape and rump, ashy; line back of nostrils, lores and throat, black; remaining lower parts, grayish; chestnut-brown stripe from be- hind the eye to the back; wing, edged with brown; cheek, sides of neck and bar across the wing, white. Female. — Lacking the black on head and neck; lower parts and cheeks, ashy; breast and abdomen, tinged with reddish; head and rump, grayish; back, streaked with black; stripe over the eye, and wing bar, ochraceous.

Length, 6.00; wing, 2.85; tail, 2.50.

EANGE. — Almost all Europe, western Asia; introduced into North America, Australia and other countries. Now occupying the eastern United States and southern Canada, and extending west to Colorado, and Utah. Not so numerous in Southern States.

936

REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, about houses, in trees, etc., o| grass, hay, and feathers. Eggs, 6-9; soiled white, speckled with brown; .86 by .62.

The European House Sparrow, which is generally known as "Eng- lish Sparrow," is a resident throughout the State. Its history in America is but one of the accounts of the folly of ignorance, in the introduction of species into a new country, where, under favorable con- ditions, they so thrive at the expense of man and his native bird

European House Sparrow. Male.

(Barrows, Bulletin I, Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy, United States Department of Agriculture, 1889, p. 16 )

friends, that they become a serious pest. They were first introduced into the United States at Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1850, and into several other cities at different times from that date to 1869. They were brought to Louisville, Ky., between 1865 and 1870. Cleveland, 0., received 40 birds in 1869, and the same year Cincinnati received 66 pairs. In Indiana, they are said to have first appeared at New Albany, presumably from Louisville, Ky., in 1867. In 1869 they were brought to Richmond from Philadelphia, Pa. In 1871 and 1872 several hun- dred were brought to Indianapolis from New York City. In 1873 they were introduced into Evansville, and about 1874 into Lafayette. From these points they spread, appearing at Burlington about 1870; Greencastle, 1872; Bloomington, 1875, and at Brookville, 1878. It was not observed at Albion until about 1880.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 937

It is now to be found in suitable localities in every part of the State. At the close of the year 1886 it was to be found in 35 States and 5 Territories. It has spread very rapidly, reaching west to cen- tral Kansas and Nebraska. From there it followed the railway lines, reaching Pueblo, 'Col., in 1895, and Denver in the summer of 1896. In March, 1897, it was estimated that less than twenty pairs were to be found in the latter city (Cooke, Birds of Colorado, pp. 99, 100).

They have proved their enmity to our very best native birds, have lived off the farmers' crops, ruthlessly destroyed fruits and vegetables, and, by reason of their noisy chatter, their dirtiness, and other unde- sirable habits, have made themselves public nuisances. In Indiana, they have occupied many of the nesting sites of the Martin and Blue- bird. From many towns and farms the latter have almost disappeared. The Chipping Sparrow, Eobin, House Wrens, and Carolina Wrens, and even the Great Crested Flycatcher and Eed-winged Blackbird, have been persecuted by them. The United States Department of Agricul- ture has had specific reports from all parts of the United States of 70 kinds of native birds it has molested. Of 1,860 complaints received regarding molested birds, more than one-half relate to Martins, Swal- lows, Wrens, and Bluebirds. In the garden they are most destructive to young peas, and in the field, to ripened wheat. As soon as the ten- der pea sprouts are out of the ground, it is not uncommon for a num- ber of these sparrows to begin at some point in the row and bite off the leaves from every vine, completely destroying the crop. When wheat is ripe, young and old are associated in flocks. They leave town and village for wheat fields, and, breaking down the stalks, feed upon the grain until it is shocked. Then I have known them to eat all accessible grains in the cap, and outside sheaves, and, when the crop was stacked, to live upon the stack until it was threshed and garnered. They also eat oats, barley, rye, and corn. Besides these, reports from this State indicate they eat lettuce, cabbage, radish, and beets, par- ticularly the young plants, also their seeds. In the spring they cut off apple blossoms, and later, sometimes eat mellow apples, and juicy pears. They also eat cherries, currants and strawberries. In Indiana, I have found them, of all fruits, to destroy grapes the most. This I find has also been the experience of others.

The fall of 1896 they began work upon my grapes about August 20. The Delawares were first attacked. Early in the morning they com- menced cutting off the bunches, then gathering upon the ground to eat the fallen fruit. Many also ate grapes from such bunches as they could reach from a perch. The next grapes attacked were the Prentiss, fol- lowing which came the Catawba. There were other kinds, but they did

938 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

not suffer perceptibly. For about ten weeks ending about October 25 a great part of their food was grapes. The insects they destroy are comparatively few, and are most often caught to feed the young. I have occasionally seen a Sparrow catch a moth or other flying species, and on one or two occasions have observed them hunting among cab- bage heads, as though they were after cabbage-worms. Indeed, they are known to occasionally eat these. July 21 a mass of larvae of a species of ant was found associated together and so arranged that they looked like one large worm the size of a piece of rope. They were upon a street crossing in Brookville. All moved together in one direction. A few specimens were taken and sent to Mr. L. 0. Howard, U. S. Ento- mologist, Washington, D. C., for identification. Soon after a flock of House Sparrows found this living rope, and ate it all. The mass was about 1-J feet long, f inch wide and \ inch deep.

The following is a summary of the contents of 522 stomachs of these birds, examined by the United States Department of Agriculture: "Wheat was found in 22 stomachs, oats in 327, corn (maize) in 71, fruit seed (mainly mulberries) in 57, grass seed in 102, weed seed in 85, undetermined vegetable matter in 219, bread, rice, etc., in 19; nox- ious insects in 47, beneficial insects in 50, insects of no economic im- portance in 31. Doubtless most of the oats found in the stomachs were obtained from horse droppings, and some of the undetermined vegetable matter was from the same source." Insects constituted but a little over 17 per cent., which, when we consider that it was an un- usually favorable year for insects at Washington, D. C., where most of these birds were killed, and, further, that the grounds where they were taken were infested with several noxious forms, of which only two specimens of one kind were found to have been eaten by the sparrows, is not favorable to this bird as an insect destroyer.

They are very prolific. I have found them mating January 16, 1887, and have found young barely able to fly July 30, 1896. They sometimes lay in February and, perhaps, rarely breed as late as. Novem- ber. I have found nests with from three to nine eggs. It is supposed they lay from four to six sittings a year, and it is estimated that each pair raised 24 young in a season. The rate of increase is enormous. How shall it be held in check? In most States it is outlawed; some States have offered a bounty for its capture, but the results have not been altogether satisfactory. Poisoning has been tried, generally with unsatisfactory results. Trapping, too, has been used. It is said Mr. W. T. Hill, of Indianapolis, trapped 40,000 of them in Indianapolis the two years ending October 1, 1887. Outside the immediate neighbor- hood of operations no effect was observed. The best thing to do is to

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 939

wage war upon them with gun, trap, poison, and every other way that will work. I find that the best results are obtained by destroying the eggs, and using a gun on the adults. But to our help comes natural causes. Some hard winters many of them perish. In Wabash County, and perhaps elsewhere, a great many were destroyed the winter of 1892-3 (Ulrey and Wallace, Proc. I. A. S., 1895, p. 154). Cats are efficient aids. I am satisfied the greater part of my grapes were saved in 1897 by a cat which spent hours among the vines and on top the arbors. Several birds have become more useful by their destruction of this sparrow. Shrikes, Blue Jays, and Bronzed Grackles are men- tioned, but sometimes in the country and borders of towns the Spar- row Hawk, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, Marsh Hawk, Red- shouldered Hawk, the Short-eared Owl, and occasionally the more rare Pigeon Hawk, eat them. In towns and cities, as well as country, the Screech Owl is a valuable destructive agent. It, and the Sparrow Hawk, especially, should be protected. The House Sparrow is also subject to accidents, and, doubtless, to disease. Prof. C. A. Waldo in- forms me a few years ago, at Greencastle, Ind., of seeing a Sparrow suspended from a building by a string about its neck, while about it was a noisy crowd of its fellows, flying at it and pecking it.

His query was, whether it committed suicide, was hanged by its fellow-outlaws, or accidentally came to such a fate (See Eeport of Orn. and Mam., U. S. Dept. Agr., Report 1886; also, same Dept., Bulletin No. 1; also, Walter B. Barrows, "The English Sparrow in America," etc., 1889, from which some of the above data is derived).

128. GENUS AMMODRAMUS SWAIKSON.

1. Outer pair of tail feathers longer than the middle pair; wing much longer than tail. Subgenus PASSERCULUS Bonaparte.

A. sandwichensis savanna (Wils.). 210

2. Outer pair of tail feathers shorter than the middle pair; wing not much, if any, longer than tail.

61. Bill stout; tail feathers narrow and sharp-pointed; center of crown with a

light stripe. Subgenus COTURNICULUS Bonaparte. c1. Tail much shorter than wing; double rounded.

A. savannarum passerinus (Wils.). 211

c2. Tail about equal to or longer than wing; outer tail feathers shortest. dl. Bill very stout; a dusky streak on each side of the light malar stripe.

A. henslowii ( Aud. ) . 212

d2. Bill very small and glender; no dusky streak on each side of the light malar stripe. A. leconteii (Aud.). 213

b2. Bill slender; tail feathers sharp pointed; outer ones shortest; center of crown without a light stripe. Subgenus AMMODRAMUS.

A. caudacutus nelson! Allen. 214

940 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Subgenus PASSKRCULUS Bonaparte.

210, (542a). Ammodramus sandwichensis savanna (WiLs.).

Savanna Sparrow.

Above, brownish-gray, streaked with blackish, whitish-gray and pale bay; the streaks largest on the inner scapulars, smallest on the cervix; the crown divided by 'an obscure whitish line; superciliary line and edge of wing, yellowish; sometimes an obscure yellowish suffusion about the head; below, white, pure, or with faint buffy shade, thickly streaked with dusky, the individual spots edged with brown, mostly arrow-shaped, running in chains along the sides and often aggregated in an obscure blotch on the breast; wings and tail, dusky; the wing- coverts and inner secondaries, black, edged and tipped with bay.

Length, about 4.85-5.50; wing, 2.60-2.90 (2.73); tail, 1.90-2.20 (2.07).

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Mexico and Cuba to Labra- dor and Hudson Bay. Breeds from Missouri, southern Illinois and New Jersey north. Winters from Indiana and Virginia southward.

Nest, in depression on ground; of grass. Eggs, 3-6; greenish or grayish-white, spotted and blotched most thickly about the larger end with light-brown and lilac; .76 by .54.

The Savanna Sparrow is, some seasons at least, a rare resident in the lower Wabash Valley. Mr. J. A. Balmer in 1888 noted it as a winter resident in Knox County, and Mr. Robert Eidgway at that season across the Wabash River at Mt. Carmel, 111., where he also has taken its nest and eggs. The bulk of these Sparrows pass northward with us through April. At Brookville they are often found in flocks, frequenting the pastures, meadows and stubble of the upland farms. In the river valleys they are rare. All I have ever seen in the spring have been between April 9, 1887, and April 24 (1886).

They are inconspicuous, and will often be overlooked, as they run or crawl among the grass and weeds, unless when too closely pressed, they rise but a little piece above the ground and all fly away to an- other field. In 1897 it was seen at Richmond, March 26 and April 29 (Hadley). In 1892, at Bloomington, March 30 (Kindle); at Terre Haute, May 1, 1890 (Evermann); Spearsville, May 3, 1894 (Barnett). They were first noted in Cook County, 111., in 1896, March 31; in 1895, April 1; in 1897, April 8 (Tallman). While many of them leave early in May, they are often common after the middle of that month; May 18, 1895; May 23, 1896. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., thinks it breeds not uncommonly about Calumet Lake, where he collected one July 16,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 941

1896, and another August 4, 1896. May 30, 1894, he found it com- mon about Wolf Lake. "In northern Illinois, in Wisconsin and Min- nesota it is in some localities common, breeding in large colonies, but in other entirely similar places it is not found at all" (Nehrling, N. A. B., Pt. X., p. 84). There is a specimen in the State Museum at Indian- apolis that was taken at English Lake, Ind., June 14, 1896. Dr. J. M. Wheaton notes he once observed it in Ohio in June, and refers to its breeding at Gambier (Birds of Ohio, p. 325).

In the fall they begin to be observed migrating in September. The earliest record I have at Brookville is September 9, 1886. They may be seen through that month and the next. The latest record I have from Cook County, 111., is October 11, 1896. Some, however, linger along into November, and stop with us in mild winters. The song is always a weak affair, as easy to be overlooked as the singer. At breeding time insects are eaten; at other times they do good by destroying great quantities of weed seed (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 536). .

Subgenus COTURNICULUS Bonaparte.

*2U. (546). Ammodramus savannarum passerinus (WiLs.).

Grasshopper Sparrow. Synonyms, CRICKET SPARROW, YELLOW-WINGED SPARROW.

Adult. — Above, chestnut-brown, edged with ashy, streaked with black; nape, grayish or buff y, with small chestnut spots; lower back and rump, reddish and ashy; head, throat, breast and sides, ochraeeous- buff; other under parts, whitish; edge of wing and spot before the eye, yellow; no streaks on side of breast; crown, blackish, with a middle stripe over the eye of buff or paler gray; tail feathers, narrow and pointed; they, and wing feathers, edged more or less with whitish. Immature. — More buffy below; grayer above; breast, streaked with dusky.

Length, 5.20; wing, 2.50; tail, 1.90; bill, -.50; depth of bill, .25; tarsus, .80.

KANGE. — Eastern North America, from Costa Eica and West Indies; north to Dakota, south Ontario and IVJassachusetts; casual in Maine. Breeds throughout United States range. Winters from southern Illi- nois and North Carolina southward.

Nest, on ground; of grass. Eggs, 3-5; white, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown; .73 by .58.

Over most of Indiana a common summer resident, frequenting timothy and clover meadows, prairies and fields of small grain. In the three first mentioned its nest-building is npon the ground. Sometimes,

942 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

at least, two broods are reared in a season. Davie reports fresh eggs having been found in Illinois as late as August 12. I have observed young not able to fly, at Brookville, Ind., July 8, 1887. They have been gradually increasing in numbers and extending their range. Fif- teen years ago, in the lower Whitewater Valley, they were rare, any- where; now, it is the most common meadow bird on the uplands, but it is rare in the lowlands. In 1886 it was a rather common summer resident in Monroe County and a very rare summer resident in Carroll County (Evermann). It was not reported at that time from Putnam or Lake counties, where there were good observers. Although Mr. Nelson gave it as abundant in Cook County, 1876, Mr. H. K. Coale collected there and in Lake County for a number of years up to about 1888, and was unable to find it. In May, 1887, I visited many locali- ties in Cook County and failed to observe it. It first began to be com- mon in Dekalb County in 1893, and Prof. A. J. Cook notes its increas- ing abundance in southern Michigan (Birds of Mich., p. 112).

The following are the earliest and latest dates of first arrival in spring: Brookville, April 8, 1892, April 27, 1885 and 1897; Chicago, 111., April 18, 1896, May 11, 1895; Waterloo, April 21, 1896; Ply- mouth, Mich., April 19, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 23, 1897.

Often when they arrive in the spring they are mated. One who is familiar with them will first detect their arrival by their peculiar stridulating song. It reminds one of the music made by the grasshop- per or cricket. From this curious song the bird is named. The song has several variations, among which are the following: "pit-tick-zee- e-e-e-e-tick," or, "tick-zee-e-e-e-e;" another, the most common of the longer efforts, is, "pit-tick-ze-z-rr (trill) 1-rl (rl sometimes three or four times repeated) ee-e-e." It may be sung from the ground, a weed in the meadow, a small bush, a clod in a plowed field, or a fence-post. It begins with the dawn, and may be heard through the day and until 8 or 9 o'clock at night. A favorite position is on a fence, where they will often permit one in a buggy to pass within 10 or 15 feet of them. Then the large bill and head, short tail and wings and light-colored legs, may be plainly seen. When they have selected: a home they seldom fly far, but when they first arrive, or after breeding is past, they make long, zigzag flights close to the ground.

The sudden changes which come to their homes are enough to drive these birds away, and that is generally the result. Late in June they are driven from the fields of small clover when the first crop is mowed. Then they seek other fields for a short time, until the abund- ant rains cause it to renew its growth. By the middle of July the mower cuts clean the fields of timothy. About the meadows the fences

BIBDS or INDIANA. 943

are full of these little Sparrows in full song. Some find cover in the fields of English clover, or wheat stubble. The greater number, how- ever, leave at this time. This occurred in 1897, July 14. I found them still common in fields of English clover August 3, 1897, and the last were noted August 6, still singing. About that time cutting of the large clover began, and they disappeared. Some years a few remain later than this, but they quit singing, and skulk along the grassy and weedy fence rows, and are hard to find. In 1894 I found them as late as September 25, and that same year they remained at Sedan until October 20 (Mrs. Hine). Mr. V. H. Barnett reported it at Trafalgar, Brown County, October 23, 1897.

*212. (^47). Ammodramus henslowii (Auo.).

Henslow's Sparrow.

Adult. — Tail feathers, narrow, sharp-pointed, outer ones much the shortest, middle ones bright rufous-brown, darker along the shafts; others darker, edged with ashy; bill, large; crowiu, blackish, divided by a, middle stripe of pale olive-green; stripe over eye and sides of head and nape, pale olive-green, which also tinges the back; a black stripe behind the eye, and one from the corner of the mouth, and usually one, more or less distinct, on each side of upper throat; back, brown, the leathers marked with black and edged with grayish; tertiaries and rump, chestnut-brown, more or less grayish edged. Below, whitish, more or less shaded with buffy; breast and sides streaked with black (wanting in young). Edge of wing, yellow.

Length, 4.75-5.25; wing, 2.10-2.20; tail, 1.90-2.05.

RANGE. — Eastern United States. Breeding locally from Maine, Vir- ginia north to Nebraska, northern Indiana and Michigan. Winter* from Illinois south to Gulf of Mexico.

Nest, in meadow, prairies or neglected fields; on ground in tuft of grass; of dry grass and hair. Eggs, 4-5; greenish or grayish white, rpeckled and blotched with different shades of brown and lilac; .75 fcy .57.

Atthough HensloVs Sparrow has never been taken in southern In- diana it probably occurs as a migrant, but is overlooked because it i» »ot readily recognized. Audubon drew his description and figure from a bird of this species taken at Newport, Ey., across the river ire-m Cincinnati, 0. In the northern portion of the State in the wet prairie* and marshea, they breed in companies in certain localities. The first record I have from this State it a specimen taken by Mr. C.

944 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

E. Aiken while hunting Prairie Chickens in Lake County, in August, 1869. He identified it, but did not preserve it. Near Tolleston, in the same county, Mr. H. K. Coale obtained a male May 10, 1877. He says: "Hearing a rustle in the grass, I looked down and saw a bird, which ran like a mouse. It stuck its head under some leaves and grass, leaving its tail exposed. I had to go back some distance to shoot it."

July 4, 1881, he visited the' same locality again and found quite a number of these birds confined to a restricted area. He obtained five specimens. The males were in full song, and he is confident they were breeding. Mr. J. G-. Parker, Jr., collected a female, near Liver- pool, Ind., May 18, 1895, and a pair July 4, 1896. He had previously taken several west of Cheltenham Beach, Cook County, 111., April 29, 1886. He says the bird is loth to take wing from its shelter of weeds and grasses, and when it does fly it goes but a short distance, and just above the tops of the weeds, again alighting and skulking like a field mouse.

Two males were collected at English Lake, June, 29, 1891. Mr. Ruthven Deane informs me that he spent July 26, 1891, making the acquaintance of that species at the same locality. He reported seeing about twenty-five specimens, of which two persons killed ten. They were very shy and hard to collect, and had been there all summer; Mr. Deane also observed them the latter part of June, 1894. Within five days after receiving Mr. Deane's account of his first trip, my friend, Mr. Chas. Dury, of Cincinnati, 0., wrote me that two of his friends had visited English Lake in July and August. They found Henslow's Sparrows rather common and breeding, and took some specimens, in- cluding some young birds. An adult taken there was kindly presented to me by Mr. Ralph Kellogg, one of the .collectors. Mr. J. 0. Dunn in- forms me Henslow's Sparrows were very common in a field of weeds near the southeast corner of Bass (Old Cedar) Lake, Starke County, Ind., late in Jialy, 1894. They were apparently breeding, but no nests were found; two males were taken. One beautiful evening, about 10:30 o'clock, a bird of this species was heard singing near camn. July 24, 1895, the same gentleman, with Mr. Wallace Craig, found it abundant in an extensive field of tall weeds near Wilders, Ind. Mr. Dunn says of his experience with them there, in "The Auk," Vol. XII., October, 1895: "Hens- slow's Sparrows seem to be quite numerous and found over a consider- able area in the prairies. They sing frequently, and may be found in almost, if not quite, the hottest part of the day. The song is very, simple, being a very rude attempt at producing music. It consists,

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 945

as far as I have been able to determine, of two insect-like notes; it may be represented by the syllables, stitch, lick, uttered in quick succes- sion, and once, when I had fired several shots without hitting any- thing, I thought the bird said, "Such luck, such luck." The notes, as has been said, are insect-like in character, especially the first one, which is very lisping, the last note having more volume. The notes are not loud, but may be heard at some distance, and are somewhat ventriloquistic, seeming to come from some general direction, but not from any definite spot, so that it is impossible to locate the birds easily by their notes." Mr. Nehrling, N". A. Birds, Pt. X., p. 88, gives its song as, "Sit-sit-sit-sit-ser-it." Lynds Jones says: "The song is a few short and rapidly-uttered notes, something like, 'i-tse, tse-tsip." Mr. L. Whitney Watkins, May 12, 1894, added this species to the Michigan list, and May 30 found a nest containing five eggs in Jackson County, Mich. June 8 the female was shot as she was leaving the nest, and identified. The nest was in an open marsh, bordering a lake. It was placed in a tuft of grass about four inches above the wet ground, and is neatly, though loosely, constructed of coarse grasses and sedges, lined with finer ones. The eggs average .72 by .59 inches, and are white, with small reddish specks so numerous as to form an imperfect wreath about the large end. Incubation was well advanced. The nest was hardly different from one of a Maryland Yellow-throat, found on the same day in the same locality (Proc., I. A. S., 1894, p. 74). Mr. James B. Purdy more recently has recorded taking a bird and the nest and eggs at Plymouth, Mich., July 27, 1893 ("The Auk," Vol. XIV., 1897, p. 220).

Mr. Eliot Blackwelder noted five of these birds in Cook County, 111., April 16, 1896. Mr. W. 0. Wallace took a male in a cherry orch- ard at Wabash, Ind., April 26, 1897. Mr. Robert Ridgway found it exceedingly numerous during the latter part of October, 1882, in dead grass in the damp portions of meadows in Richland County, 111. (B. of 111., I., p. 255). It therefore arrives from April 16 to May 10 and remains until late in October. Prof. W. W. Cooke says it sometimes winters in southern Illinois (Report Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 191).

213. (548). Ammodramus leconteii (AuD.).

LeConte's Sparrow.

Adult. — Tail feathers, narrow, sharp-pointed, the outer ones much

the shortest, light-brown, shaded with grayish, centers very dark; bill,

small; culmen, slightly depressed in the middle; crown, black, feathers

sometimes bordered with brown, divided by a middle stripe of whitish

60— GEOL.

946 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

or cream; stripe over the eye, buff; a black stripe behind the eye; nape, reddish-brown, feathers with black centers and whitish edges; back and rest of upper parts, black, feathers edged and bordered with dif- ferent shades of brown and buff and whitish; ear-coverts and lores, grayish-white. Below, whitish; breast, throat and sides, washed with buffy; sides, streaked with black. Immature. — Similar, but more buffy.

Length, 4.40-5.50; wing, 1.87-2.06; tail, 1.87-2.25; bill, .35.

RANGE. — Eastern portion of the Great Plains, north to Manitoba. Breeds from Dakota and, possibly, Iowa, north. Migrates south and southeast. Winters from Illinois, South Carolina and Texas, south to the Gulf of Mexico.

See description of nest and eggs below.

LeConte's Sparrow is only known from Indiana as a rare migrant in March, April and October. March 12, 1884, 1 found a bird which I could not identify at close range, sitting on a small bush near the rail- road track, four miles northwest of Brookville. Backing, so as not to destroy it, I shot it, and it is now in my collection. I am indebted to Mr. C. E. Aiken for the following note, from Lake County, Ind.: "While snipe shooting near Water Valley about April 15, 1887, I caught sight of two small, yellowish Sparrows darting out of the dead lopping flags of the marsh. I believed them to be this species, but could not secure them for close examination. At about the same season in 1889, in the same vicinity and on similar ground, I started three of the same birds, and as they scurried off I shot two of them, which proved to be, indeed, A. leconteii, one a male, the other a female. Both specimens are preserved, and one is still in my possession. The other was given to my friend, C. H. Holden, of Chicago. When flushed, the birds started from thick cover close to me, flew straight away from five to twenty rods, then darted again into the dead marsh grass or rushes, from which I could not start them a second time. The rise was not more than two feet above the grass, except in one case, that of one of the birds killed, which had apparently started for a long flight and was flying about four feet above the ground when shot. I did not see any of them except while on the wing."

March 30, 1892, Mr. J. E. Beasley took a bird of this species, which was with two or three others, possibly of the same kind, feeding among the dead grass by the side of the railroad, near Lebanon. This specimen, a male, is now in the State Museum at Indianapolis. Oc- tober 2, 1894, I saw a Leconte's Sparrow along the edge of a clover patch near Brookville. Besides these records from Indiana, I may say Mr. Eliot Blackwelder noted six at Morgan Park, 111., April 21, 1895.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 947

They were next seen the following day, and a few days later four were taken. The same authority reports them April 16 and 19, 1896, from the same vicinity. Mr. Robert Eidgway says the latter part of October, 1882, he found it numerous in the meadows of Sugar Creek Prairie, Richland County, 111., in company with the species last men- tioned (Birds of 111., I., pp. 257, 258).

Mr. Ernest E. Thompson says of Leconte's Sparrow, in its sum- mer home in Manitoba: "This bird frequents the damp meadows, which are a mixture of red willows and sedgy-grass. It is commonly found in the willows at all seasons, uttering its peculiar ventriloquial tweete, tweete, whence I knew it as the ' Willow Tweete' long before I ever heard of Leconte or any other name for this bird. But in spring the male may be seen perched on some low twig in the meadow, pour- ing out its little soul in a tiny, husky double note, like 'reese-reese/ This is so thin and so weak as to be inaudible at thirty yards, yet in uttering it he seems to labor hard, his beak being wide open and pointed straight up to the zenith; he delivers it with such unction that afterwards he seems quite exhausted, and sits very still until at length the fit comes on again, as it is sure to do in about ten sec- onds.

"On the 26th of June, 1882, I found the nest and eggs, which, I believe, were previously unknown. The nest was by a willow bush in a damp meadow; it was apparently on the ground, but really raised six inches, being on a tangle of grass, etc. It was composed entirely of fine grass. The eggs — three in number — were of a delicate pink, with a few spots of brownish and of black toward the large end. The pink was lost on blowing them. One measured .75 by .50 inches" (The Auk, Vol. II., January, 1885, pp. 23, 24; see also Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XIII., p. 596). Prof. W. W. Cooke says, it winters and possibly breeds in Illinois (Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 191).

Subgenus AMMODRAMUS.

214. (549a). Ammodramus caudacutus nelsoni ALLEN.

Nelson's Sparrow.

Tail feathers, narrow and sharp-pointed; outer ones much the short- est, umber-brown, darkest along the shafts; bill, not large; crown, olive-brown, divided by a middle stripe of blue-gray; breast, sides, throat, a stripe over the eye and sides of head, excepting grayish ear- coverts, deep ochraceous; back, brown or olive-brown, feathers mar- gined with whitish; tertials, dusky, bordered with rusty white or rusty. Below, belly white; the ochraceous breast, throat and sides, faintly, or not at all, streaked with dusky; edge of wing, yellow.

948 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 4.80-5.85; wing, 2.12-2.23', tail, 1.90-2.25; bill, .53-.59.

RANGE. — Eastern United States. Breeds in interior locally from northern Illinois north to Manitoba. Winters from South Carolina to Texas. Found along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts south during migration.

Nest and eggs, unknown; probably similar to those of A. caudacutus.

Migrant and possibly a summer resident locally in the northwestern part of the State where, only, it has been observed within our limits. Nelson's Sparrow was discovered by Mr. E. W. Nelson in the Calumet marsh, near Chicago, 111., September 17, 1874. They were then abundant there. June 12, 1875, he found several of these birds in the dense grass bordering Calumet Lake, where they were undoubtedly breeding. October 1, next, they were abundant in the Calumet marsh, and November 10 following they were numerous in the wild rice bor- dering Grass Lake, Lake County, 111. (Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 107).

Mr. H. K. Coale informs me that he saw about a dozen Sharp-tail Finches, A. nelsoni, in the grass along Berry Lake, Lake County, Ind., September 25, 1875. Dr. A. W. Brayton informed me he had taken this species in Lake County, Ind. These are the only two In- diana records.

Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., considers it now very rare in Cook County, 111., where he thinks it probably breeds. The only locality where he has found it is on the wet prairies bordering the east shore of Calumet Lake. There he collected two birds September 19, 1893. Mr. Eliot Blackwelder, however, reports it from the vicinity of Morgan Park, September 28, 1895, where he says it is not common and breeds. I have a specimen from Hyde Park, 111., taken September 21, 1878, about which time Mr. G. F. Clingman took five specimens in a week at Mud Lake.

Mr. Nelson says: "They are difficult to obtain, as they take refuge in the dense marsh grass upon the first alarm. Occasionally one mounts a tall reed and utters a short, unmusical song, slightly re- sembling that of the Swamp Sparrow (M. palustris)" Mr. Nehrling says: "In northern Illinois and near Lake Koshkonong and in the Horicon marshes in Wisconsin this is an abundant summer resident" (N. A. Birds, Pt. X., p. 92). It appears to be extremely local in its distribution in the breeding season.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 949

129. GENUS CHONDESTES SWAINSON.

*215. (552). Chondestes grammacus (SAY.).

Lark Sparrow.

Adult. — Crown, chestnut, black towards forehead, divided by a mid- dle stripe of whitish; stripe over eye, one from the angle of the mouth, meeting it behind the ear-coverts, and a crescent below the eye, whit- ish; a black stripe through and one below the eye, and one on each side of the throat; ear-coverts, chestnut; remainder of upper parts, pale grayish-olive, the back with blackish markings. Below, white; a small black spot in the middle of the breast; tail, rounded; outer tail feathers

Head of Lark Sparrow. Natural size.

edged with white; others, except the middle pair, tipped with white, which the bird shows as it flies with the tail partly spread. Imma- ture.— More buffy; chest streaked with dusky.

Length, 6.50-7.25; wing, 3.35-3.70; tail, 2.60-3.35.

RANGE. — Interior of North America, north to Manitoba and from Ohio, Indiana and Ontario west to the plains. Breeds throughout its range. Accidental on Atlantic Coast north to Massachusetts. Winters from Texas south.

Nest, of grass, rootlets and hair; on the ground or in low bushes. Eggs, 3-5; white, bluish or pinkish- white, speckled and lined chiefly at the larger end with black and dark-brown; .80 by .61.

The Lark Sparrow is a prairie species that is year by year extending its way into the former forest area. In 1861 it made its first appear- ance in Ohio, and about the same time appeared in Ontario. In 1879 it was common throughout central Ohio, but both north and south of there it was rare. In Indiana it is most numerous through the central part of the State. It was rather rare until recently in southern Indiana, and is still scarce in many localities northward. Everywhere

950 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

it is apparently becoming more numerous. They first appeared in Franklin County about 1877. They were rare in Monroe County in 1886 and in Carroll County that year they were noted as "until re- cently very rare" (Evermann). In 1871 they were rare in Lake County (Aiken), and are still reported as rare in Dekalb (Mrs. Hine) and in Cook County, 111. (Tallman, Parker).

In the southern part of the State they may be found in pairs or small flocks from April 15 to May 10, and in the northern part they are noted from April 25 to May 12. The following are the earliest and latest dates of its first arrival in spring at the places mentioned: Spearsville, April 11, 1897, April 18, 1894; Brookville, April 18, 1885, May 11, 1882; Elkhart, April 23, 1891; Cook County, 111., May 9, 1896, May 12, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., April 26, 1897, May 5, 1888. With us, when they arrive, they are first seen upon the sandy fields and weedy and grassy bottom lands along the rivers. Later, they frequent open fields having fence rows grown up with bushes or adjoining sparse woodland; also, the neighborhood of shady highways, along which they spend the sunny days, and from which they enjoy the pleasures of a dust bath. They are readily recognized as they fly up ahead of the passing traveler, and exhibit their decided markings and rounded tail, each feather so beautifully tipped with white. I find them mating early in May. May 3, 1881, is the earliest date, and that was the date of their first arrival that year. With us, the nests are placed in bushes, in a thicket or along a fence. It is also said to nest at the foot of some weeds on the bare ground (Nelson), and in corn- fields, where the nest is put at the foot of a cornstalk (Ridgway). They begin nesting in May and continue well through June. Mr. V. H. Barnett found a nest at Spearsville, June 18, 1897. June 10, 1897, I found young able to fly near Brookville. I found four pairs of these birds nesting along a public highway near Brookville that year in a distance of less than a mile. They have a beautiful song, in some respects reminding one of the Indigo Bird's notes.

After the young are reared, most of the birds leave through July and August. Sometimes they collect in considerable flocks. One that Mrs. Hine observed near Sedan, August 16, 1887, contained about fifty birds, and Mr. V. H. Barnett saw one August 4, 1897, in Vermil- lion County containing twelve. Some, however, are found in Septem- ber, October and even November. The following are the latest dates of its fall occurrence: Plymouth, Mich., September 15, 1894; Sedan, Ind., September 15, 1892; Lafayette, October 13, 1885, November 3, 1894; Greensburg, October 29, 1894.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 951

Mr. H. K. Coale says in some parts of Illinois it is called the "Potato Bird," because of its eating potato bugs. But few survive the pans green which they eat with the bugs. In May and June Prof. King found those he examined had eaten nothing but small seeds (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 540).

130. UKM s ZONOTRICHIA SWAINSON.

a1. No yellow anywhere; throat not abruptly white.

Z. leucophrys (Forst.). 216 a2. Yellow on head; throat abruptly white. Z. albicollis (Gmel.). 217

216, (554) Zonotrichia leucophrys (FORST.).

White-crowned Sparrow.

Adult. — No yellow in front of eye; throat, ashy; edge of wing, white; crown, white, bordered by two black stripes, each as wide as the white center; a black stripe behind each eye almost meeting on back of head; white stripe from over eye to back of crown; nape and sides of head, gray; back, light ash-gray, gtreaked with chestnut-brown; rump, brownish; wing-coverts, edged with chestnut and tipped with white, forming two white bars; tail, fuscous. Below, grayish, white on belly; sides and lower tail-coverts, buffy. Immature. — Black stripes on the crown, brownish; white stripe, brownish-yellow or ashy.

Length, 6.50-7.50; wing, 3.00-3.30; tail, 2.80-3.20.

EANGB. — North America, from Mexico north at least to Hudson Bay and Greenland. Breeds from Labrador, Vermont and Wisconsin to Kocky Mountains and northward; also, south in the higher moun- tain ranges of the western United States to Colorado and California. Winters from southern Indiana and southern Illinois south.

Nest, bulky; of grass or straw; on ground or in bushes or briers. Eggs, 4-5; light green or greenish-blue, tolerably uniformly speckled with small blotches of reddish and golden-brown; more prominent at the larger end; .88 by .62.

Common migrant; occasional winter resident southward. Very noticeable late in April and early in May. I always associate this beautiful bird with the fragrance of apple blossoms, for they come to- gether. At the time of the spring migration they are usually found singly in gardens, orchards and occasionally in the more open woods. Then its characteristic song declares its presence. This song, Mr. Nehrling says, sounds like, pee-dee-de-de-de. The first two notes arc long drawn and rising, the rest hurried and lowering, the whole sound- ing like a mellow whistle, being easily imitated. It is easily distin- guished from that of the White-throated Sparrow. The White-crown

952 EEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

arrives later in spring than the White-throat, yet the former sometimes winters in southern Indiana, while the latter, so far as I know, has not been noted. The White-throat thus passes it in migration. In winter the present species frequents swampy woods and thickets. Some remained in Knox County the winter of 1888-9 (Balmer), and the win- ter of 1896-7 (Chansler). Mr. Eobert Eidgway reports them often wintering abundantly at Mt. Carmel, 111., and Mr. Charles Dury found them at Cincinnati, Christmas week, about 1877 (Langdon). Some

Head of White-crowned Sparrow. Natural size.

winters all go farther south toward the Gulf coast, where they abound throughout the colder months, ranging into Mexico and, perhaps, to the Valley of Mexico (Sumichrast La Naturaleza, Tomo, V., p. 245). They are occasionally seen in the southern part of the State in March, possibly only when they remain in the neighborhood over winter. The following indicate the earliest and latest date of first ar- rival and the earliest and latest date at which last seen in the spring: Brookville, first seen April 13, 1882, May 6, 1897; departed May 3, 1882, May 27, 1892; Bicknell, first, April 14, 1896, April 28, 1895; departed, May 18, 1895; Lafayette, first, April 24, 1897, May 2, 1896; departed, May 13, 1897;. Sedan, first, April 30, 1896, May 4, 1894; departed, May 8, 1895, May 10, 1894; Chicago, 111., first, April 21, 1885, May 9, 1896; departed, May 17, 1897, May 20, 1896; Peters- burg, Mich., first, May 5, 1889, May 9, 1888; departed, May 11, 1889, May 20, 1888. In 1896 it remained at North Manchester until June 6 (Bell), and Ulrey and Wallace report it from Wabash County as late as June 10. In the fall they reach the upper part of the State late in September and early in October. Some years they pass through rapidly, others they straggle slowly along, remaining in the vicinity of the Ohio Eiver into November and even all winter. The following dates as to fall migration are given: Sandusky, 0., arrived October 11, 1896; departed October 19, 1896; Bicknell, Ind., arrived Septem- ber 29, 1894, and 1895; departed November 5, 1895; Lafayette, last

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 953

seen October 14, 1896; Chicago, 111., October 3, 1895, October 9, 1896; Brookville, Ind., October 13, 1879, October 16, 1886. In fall they have lost their song and frequent the edges of woods and fields, brier patches, thickets and clumps of weeds. They are then busy eating weed seeds, of which they destroy great quantities. They migrate chiefly through the Mississippi Valley, and thence many turn oft northeast to Labrador and Newfoundland where they breed abundantly. Their scarcity and irregularity along the Atlantic Coast has been noted. Its summer range is a little north of that of the next species, consequently they in migrating pass them. It has been found breed- ing at Butland, Vt., Potsdam, N. Y., and in Oconto County, Wis. Mr. Nehrling says: "In northern Wisconsin, and especially in north- ern Michigan — in the Lake Superior region — this Sparrow is a rather common summer bird." Mr. 0. B. Warren, however, has never found them breeding at Palmer, Mich. Its food is principally weed seeds and insects, though Audubon adds small mollusks to its bill of fare. I suspect from its habits about our gardens and orchards that it will be found to destroy many injurious insects that frequent such places.

217. (558). Zonotrichia albicollis (GMEL.).

White-throated Sparrow.

Adult. — Edge of wing and spot in front of eye (sometimes extend- ing to above eye), yellow; throat, abruptly white; two broad stripes on the crown and a narrow one behind the eye, black; a white stripe in middle of crown, and one over ear-coverts, sometimes extending over eye; ear-coverts and jugulum,, deep ash; back, rusty brown streaked with black. Immature, First Winter. — Similar to adult, but head stripes rusty dusky-brown and pale rusty-buff; the yellow in front of eye and white throat-patch, less distinct. First Plumage. — Crown, uniform snuff-brown, with a narrow whitish middle stripe; stripe over the eye, dirty- whitish, with no yellow in front of eye; jugulum, streaked with dusky; throat, not abruptly white.

Length, 6.30-7.65; wing, 2.80-3.15; tail, 3.05-3.35.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, west to Montana, north to Labra- dor and the fur countries. Breeds from Montana, northern Michigan, Ontario and Massachusetts north. Winters from Massachusetts and southern New York south along the Atlantic Coast and in the lower Mississippi Valley, north to Missouri and Illinois. Accidental in Utah, California and Oregon.

954 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, on ground, at base of small bush or clump of weeds; of dry weed stalks, bark, grass, rootlets and hair. Eggs, 4 to 5; light blue or bluish-white, dotted more or less with light and dark-brown; .84 by .62. Usually two broods.

The White-throated Sparrow precedes the last mentioned species in both spring and fall migrations. While it remains in the southern part of the State late in the fall, I have no account of its wintering within our limits, though it may do so. Some winters it remains in the vicinity of St. Louis (Cooke), and in Illinois as far north as Wa- bash, Lawrence and Richland (Ridgway).

Head of White-throated Sparrow. Natural size.

We know it in Indiana as a very abundant migrant, generally in flocks, in March, April and early May, and from September to No- vember. It varies in the date of its arrival in the same locality, both in spring and fall as much as a month. The earliest and latest dates of its first arrival and of its departure in spring at several localities are given: Bicknell, arrived March 11, 1894, March 24, 1895; departed May 1, 1895, May 16, 1897; Brookville, arrived March 13, 1884, April 25,1881; departed May 1, 1889, May 8, 1886; Lafayette, arrived March 6, 1894, April 13, 1895; Laporte, arrived March 7, 1894, April 12, 1896; departed May 1, 1896; Sedan, arrived April 13, 1894, April 27, 1893; departed May 4, 1889, May 10, 1896; Chicago, 111., arrived April 12, 1884, April 16, 1896; departed May 6, 1896, May 15, 1886; Peters- burg, Mich., arrived April 24, 1889, May 5, 1888; departed May 5, 1889, May 20, 1888. They are to be found among thickets, brier patches and brush piles, either in the open or among the densest woods. From among the thickets and through the long forest aisles their peculiar song comes to one's ear at the time of their vernal visits. In March, when they are present, their songs are seldom heard, but in April, particularly toward the latter part, and in early May, one who visits their haunts is greeted with both solos and choruses as the waves of inspiration come to the inhabitants of the brush-piles with the

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 955

intermittent warm southern breezes. The song is commonly inter- preted, pe-pe-pe-body, pe-body, and from it the singer has been named the "Peabody Bird." Both this species and that last described are scratchers, moving both feet together in turning over the leaves. They are very persistent in this work, and "all is grist that comes to their mill." Be it seeds or insects, they serve as food.

A White-throated Sparrow was taken at Berry Lake, Lake County, Ind., July 23, 1887, by Mr. E. A. Colby (Coale). While they may rarely breed in the northern part of the State, I do not know that they do. In Michigan they breed abundantly northward, and have been found breeding as far south as Grand Rapids (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 114). They also breed abundantly in northern Wisconsin. They remain with us in spring as late as they can. Often they are seen mating, and some years, when they lingered long, they have been observed carrying sticks, as though they had thought to begin nest-building. Some year, when they remain late, I shall not be sur- prised to learn that the imperative demands of nature have impelled some of them to make their summer homes with us and build their nests. In fall, some years, they cross the northern line of this State near the middle of September, and linger in their journey south- ward, feasting upon seeds, wild fruits and insects for a month or more. At that season of the year, the present species and the last are often associated with a number of other birds in a mixed com- pany, frequenting thickets and weed patches. The following gives earliest and latest fall dates of arrival and departure at the places noted: Chicago, 111., arrived September 16, 1896, September 20, 1894, departed October 24, 1896; Sedan, Ind., arrived September 25, 1894, departed October 17, 1889, November 4, 1894; Lafayette, ar- rived September 26, 1896, October 2, 1894, departed October 17, 1894, October 26, 1895; Greensburg, arrived October 3, 1896, October 19, 1894, departed October 28, 1894, November 17, 1896; Brook- ville, arrived October 5, 1887, departed October 20, 1883; Bicknell, arrived September 29, 1894, 1895, September 30, 1896, departed, October 17, 1894, November 26, 1896. They winter abundantly in the Gulf States. Mr. H. Nehrling says: "In southern Louisiana a shameless slaughter of our small song birds is going on throughout every winter. In the French Market of New Orleans we notice dead Juncos, Towhees, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Robins, Warblers, etc., by the thousand. We learn from Audubon that even in his time these birds were slaugh- tered in innumerable numbers in Louisiana. In Texas they are not much molested, except by negroes" (Birds of N. A., Pt. XL, pp. 117,

956 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

118). Prof. F. H. King examined 16 White-throated Sparrows, and found they had eaten 4 caterpillars, 4 beetles, 1 grasshopper, and 1 caddis fly; 13 of them had eaten some seeds; 1 had eaten raspberries. Until after July their food is largely insects (G-eol. of Wis., I., p. 540).

131. GENUS SPIZELLA BONAPARTE.

a1. Crown rufous in adults.

61. Upper mandible black, lower yellow; dusky spot on breast.

S. monticola (Gmel.). 218 b2. Bill wholly black or reddish brown.

c1. Bill wholly light reddish brown. S. pusilla (Wils.). 221

c2. Bill wholly black in adults; dull reddish brown, lighter below in young.

S. socialis (Wils.). 219 «2. Crown grayish brown, streaked with black. S. pallida (Swains.). 220

218. (559). Spizella monticola (GMEL).

Tree Sparrow.

Adult. — Bill, upper mandible, black, lower, yellow; a black or dusky spot on the middle of the breast; crown, rufous, feathers some- times bordered with gray; grayish-white stripe over the eye; rufous stripe behind the eye; greater and middle wing coverts edged with rufous and tipped with white, forming two conspicuous bars; sec- ondaries more or less edged with rufous and white; back, brownish, streaked with black and buffy; rump, brownish-ashy; sides of head and neck, ash-gray, lighter on the throat; rest of under parts, whitish, washed with pale brownish. Immature. — -Similar, but more, or less distinctly streaked below.

Length, 6.00-6.50; wing, 2.80-3.10; tail, 2.60-3.90.

EANGE. — North America east of Plains, from South Carolina, Ken- tucky and Indian Territory, north to Arctic Ocean. Breeds from northern Maine to Labrador and north. Winters from North Da- kota, northern Michigan, Ontario and New England, south.

Nest, on ground, or low in trees; of grass, rootlets and hair. Eggs, 4-5; pale green, speckled, blotched and scratched with various shades of brown; .74 by .57.

Soon after the Junco, or common Snowbird, appears in the fall, these little winter Sparrows appear. They frequent thickets, weedy places and spots where grasses and sedges have borne seed. There, sometimes alone, sometimes with the Juncos, they may be found, busily engaged seed eating. They generally appear in October in northern Indiana, but sometimes are not noted until November.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 957

That month they spread over the State. From then they are com- mon until they leave in the early spring. In that migration they precede the Juncos, sometimes leaving the southern part of the State early in March, and most always disappearing from our limits before the middle of April. I have known them to arrive at Brookville in the fall as early as October 10, but usually they are much later. The following are earliest and latest dates of first arrival: Chicago, 111., October 5, 1895, October 20, 1894; Sedan, Ind., October 20 one year, November 4, 1894; Greensburg, November 26, 1896; Bicknell, November 1, 1895, November 8, 1896; Lafayette, November 3, 1894, November 12, 1895. In the extreme northern part of the State, in severe winters, at least, most of them move farther south, but some remain, and it is truly a winter resident throughout the State. They utter a chip when they come to us in the fall, and when many are busily feeding together, all chipping at once, the result is a low twittering that plainly tells to the watcher along its border of the lively birds hidden within the weed patch. In winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they often come in companies about barn yards, poultry yards, and even into door yards. Toward the end of their stay, they begin to sing, often ascending a high bush, or even a tree, from which a fine musical selection is rendered. With this period of song, they begin to gather into large flocks, which give forth a full chorus some warm April morning. I have known them to begin singing March 3 (1893), and to be in large flocks in full song March 31 (1896).

Examinations made by the United States Department of Agricul- ture show that in winter it feeds entirely upon the seeds of weeds, and probably each bird consumes about one-fourth of an ounce a day. Upon this basis, counting ten Tree Sparrows to an acre, it has been estimated they destroy during a season's stay in the State of Iowa alone, 1,750,000 pounds, which equal 875 tons of weed seed (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54, U. S. Dept. of Agr., p. 28).

The following indicate the earliest and latest dates at which the last birds were noted in spring at the places named: Brookville, March 3, 1893, April 11, 1881; Greensburg, February 22, 1895; Bick- nell, March 10, 1895, April 8, 1896; Lafayette, March 8, 1894, March 28, 1896; Sedan, April 4, 1895, April 17, 1893; Chicago, 111., March 22, 1886.

958 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

*219, (560). Spizella socialis (WILS ).

Chipping- Sparrow. Synonyms, CHIPPY, CHIP BIRD, HAIR BIRD.

Adult. — Bill, black; crown, bright rufous; forehead, black, divided by a short grayish streak; stripe over eye, whitish; streak through and behind eye, black; back, brownish, streaked with black; ear coverts and sides of neck, ash-gray; rump, grayish-blue; wings with two light cross bars. Below, whitish, unspotted, washed with ashy on sides and across breast; wings and tail, edged with lighter, not white. Immature. — Bill, dull reddish-brown; crown, colored like the back; breast and sides with dusky streaks; otherwise similar. The grayish-blue .rump and more dusky upper mandible serve to dis- tinguish this bird.

Length, 5.00-5.85; wing, 2.55-2.90; tail, 2.20-2.60.

EANGE. — North America, from Mexico north to Newfoundland and Great Slave Lake. Breeds from Gulf States, north. "Winters from Indian Territory, south.

Nest, of rootlets and fine grass, lined with horsehair; in bush, vine or tree, generally under ten feet up. Eggs, 3-4; pale bluish-green, dotted, speckled or scrawled with dark brown; .69 by .50.

• The Chipping Sparrow is familiarly known as the "Chippy," or "Chip Bird." It comes about our doors, upon our porches, and even, at times, into our houses, picking up crumbs that have fallen. Where cats and other enemies do not persecute them, they are very familiar, building their nests in the shrubbery, vines and smaller evergreens. From its habit of using horsehair, preferably black, in its nest, it is sometimes called "Hair Bird." While sometimes they are with us, in southern Indiana, from early March until past the middle of November, rarely into December, I have no knowledge of their re- maining over winter. The earliest and latest dates of its spring appearance and fall departure in the localities noted are: Bicknell, March 9, 1897, March 23, 1895, departed October 27, 1895, November 19, 1896; Greensburg, March 1, 1895, April 5, 1894, departed October 17, 1896, December 15, 1894; Brookville, March 10, 1888, April 8, 1881, departed October 24, 1886; Lafayette, March 19, 1894, April 1, 1895, departed November 3, 1894; Sedan, March 30, 1897, April 8, 1895, departed October 31, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., April 3, 1888, April 8, 1897; Chicago, 111., April 1, 1894, April 14, 1897, departed October 3, 1895.

In the spring the first to arrive are single birds, and these are suc- ceeded in a few days, or, if very early, in a week or two, by flocks of their fellows, which may be seen trooping through the orchards

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 959

and fields. Usually the last to arrive are the ones that breed with us. They at once make themselves at home upon our lawns, and announce their arrival by the same old song we heard last year. When the migrants arrive very early in the Whitewater Valley, they do not at once begin singing. They usually begin mating the first ten days of April. The earliest date I have is March 27, 1882. I found them building at Brookville, April 15, 1889. April 29, 1896, Prof. W. P. Shannon noted a nest, with four fresh eggs, at Greens- burg. He found a nest, with young recently hatched, May 9, 1896, and I found one with young of the same age, May 9, 1887. Through May and June their nests may be commonly found. Sometimes they rear a second brood. Prof. A. J. Cook notes a nest with eggs taken in Michigan, August 4, 1893 (Birds of Mich., p. 114). Its common note is a sharp tchip, and its song a rapid repetition of tchips, by which it may readily be distinguished. No other bird that frequents similar situations has a song anything like it. The songs dwindle in July and are seldom heard the latter part of that month, and rarely until near the middle of August. In 1897 I heard one singing, July 24, and after that noted but two more songs, one August 12, and another August 14. Mr. Bicknell (The Auk, Vol. II., April, 1885, p. 145) speaks of a later song period, the latter part of September and early in October. I have never noticed it.

Prof. F. E. L. Beal has shown that about one-third of the food of the Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow and Song Sparrow consists of insects, comprising many injurious beetles, such as snout beetles, or weevils, and leaf beetles, many grasshoppers, which form one- eighth of the food of the present species; many wasps and bugs. On the whole, their insect food is mainly injurious species. They are, therefore, beneficial as insect eaters, as well as destroyers of grass and weed seed (Farmers' Bull. No. 54, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 26, 27).

In September, they begin to collect in flocks and frequent weedy places, where they are found in company with other birds, principally Field Sparrows.

220. (561). Spizella pallida (SWAINS.).

Clay-colored Sparrow. Synonyms, SHATTUCK, ASHY-NAPE.

Adult. — Bill, reddish, dusky towards tip; crown, grayish-brown, streaked with black, divided by a distinct stripe of pale ashy; stripe over eye, white; ear coverts, light brownish, edged with dusky; nape, ashy; back, brownish, not so rufous as S. socialis; striped with black;

960 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

rump, grayish-brown. Below, white, the breast and sides tinged with grayish-brown; an indistinct brownish stripe on each side of throat. Immature. — More rusty above; streaked with- dusky below.

Length, 5.00-5.75; wing, 2.20-2.50; tail, 2.30-2.60.

Remarks. — This Sparrow is smaller than 8. socialis, and has not the bluish rump.

EANGE. — Interior of North America, north to the Saskatchewan, and from the base of the Eocky Mountains east to Indiana and Mich- igan. Breeds from northern Nebraska and northern Illinois, north. Winters from central Texas west to Cape St. Lucas and south to Oaxaca.

Nest, of grass, lined with hair; in bush, or on ground. Eggs, 3-5; similar to those of 8. socialis.

Eare migrant; possibly locally rare summer resident. Prof. W. S. Blatchley shot a bird of this species from a flock of Sparrows near Terre Haute, September 27, 1890. This is the only record of its occurrence in this State. Mr. E. W. Nelson notes that specimens have been taken near Chicago, and that it is a rare summer resident about the borders of prairies (Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. VIIL, Dec., 1876, p. 108). Prof. A. J. Cook (Birds of Mich., p. 114) notes its occurrence in Michigan, notably in "Covert's Birds of Washtenaw County," and Mr. L. Whitney Watkins took several specimens from about forty seen at Manchester, Mich., September 3, 1894. It has not yet been reported from Ohio. This is one of the birds of the interior plains of America, extending eastward to the old prairie lim- its. Mr. E. E. Thompson says it has a singular lisping song, which he describes as follows: "The bird mounts some perch, and, with head thrown back and with gaping beak, utters a sound like a fly in a newspaper — 'scree-scree-seree' — sometimes giving but one note, and at other times, in the height of the season especially, repeating the dulcet note five or six times" (Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XIII., pp. 601, 602).

"This species is readily distinguishable from the other American Spizellas, except 8. Ireweri, in the dark streaks and medium ashy stripe on the crown, the paler tints, the dark line on the side of the chin, etc." (B. B. and E., History N. A. Birds).

Prof. F. H. King examined the stomachs of 13 and found they contained 6 beetles, 12 hemiptera, principally plant lice; 1 grasshop- per, 1 larva, and other insects; 7 had eaten small seeds (Greol. of Wis., L, p. 540).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 961

*221. (463). Spizella pusilla (WiLs.).

Field Sparrow.

Adult. — Bill, light reddish-brown; crown, rufous, faintly marked with grayish; line over the eye, nape and sides of head, grayish, the latter tinged with ashy; faint rufous streak behind the eye; hack, rufous, feathers with black centers and ashy edgings; wings crossed by two whitish bars; rump, brownish-ashy. Below, white, unmarked, but washed with pale brown on breast and sides. Young. — First plumage streaked below.

Length, 5.10-6.00; wing, 2.45-2.70; tail, 2.50-2.80.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Gulf States and Texas, north to Manitoba and Quebec. Breeds from South Carolina and Kentucky, north. Winters from southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Virginia, southward.

Nest, on ground or in low bush; of rootlets and grass, and lined with hair or fine grass. Eggs, 3-5; greenish-white, variously marked with rufous; .68 by .51.

The Field Sparrow is much more numerous than the Chipping Sparrow, but is not such a social bird. It is not found about our homes as closely as the "Chippy," but keeps a little farther away. In the back orchard, in old fields and pastures, especially if more or less overgrown by bushes, it makes its home.

Occasionally, at least, it winters in the Wabash Valley, from Knox County, southward. Prof. J. A. Balmer reported it wintering at Vin- cennes the winter of 1887-8. Elsewhere it is a common summer resident, arriving, some years, very- early and remaining quite late. The earliest and latest date at which it has been first seen at the following places is given: Brookville, February 25, 1892, April 12, 1894; Spearsville, March 9, 1897; Lafayette, March 28, 1897, April 10, 1895; Sedan, March 30, 1897, April 6, 1894; Laporte, April 12, 1896, April 13, 1894; Chicago, 111., April 3, 1886, April 17, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., April 5, 1893, April 26, 1897.

Late in March it adds to soft pastures and greening grass the charm of a delightful song. Its voice is clear and its song distinct and far reaching, as well as sweet and plaintive. There is no bird in the old pastures that can equal it, as from fence or bush or old weed stalk it carols to the wind a song that is borne to a surprisingly long distance. I have been upon a hill over a hundred feet above a Field Sparrow that was singing five hundred feet away, and the wind, coming my way, brought to me distinctly, but faintly, its April

61— GEOL.

962

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

song. Its song comes with the blooming of the violet, innocence and the Virginia cowslip. John Burroughs says: "Its song is like the words, fe-o, fe-o, fe-o, few, few, few, fee, fee, fee, uttered at first high and leisurely, but running very rapidly toward the close, which is low and soft." The song continues practically through the sum- mer. Some singers drop out, but many are still singing the first of August, and not a few a week or two later. August 10, 1897, I

Field Sparrow. (Beal.— Farmers' Bulletin, 54. United States Department of Agriculture, p. 27.)

heard several singing as well as they did in April. September 14, I found one trying his best to sound the notes, but his effort was very imperfect.

I have observed them mating as early as March 20 (1897). They are usually found nesting in May, June and sometimes July. Earliest nests noted at Brookville, May 7, 1883, May 11, 1881. Two or three broods are reared. August 28, 1896, I found a nest and eggs near Brookville. I have referred to their food habits under the last spe- cies. Prof. F. H. King, in addition, notes that 7 he examined ate a caterpillar, 2 grasshoppers, a heteropterous insect, a harvestman, a spider; 4 had eaten small weed seeds (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 539).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 963

In September they begin to collect into flocks, and are found in great numbers among the weeds and brier patches. The latter part of that month they mostly leave northern Indiana, and through Octo- ber all disappear from our northern counties, and most of those from farther south. There, however, some remain well into November, even when they do not winter. The latest fall records I have are Chicago, 111., September 30, 1895; Lafayette, Ind., October 13, 1896; Brookville, November 11, 1886.

132. GENUS JUNCO WAGLER.

a1. Sides grayish. J. hyemalis (Linn.). 222

a2. Sides brownish. J. hyemalis shufeldti Coale. 223

222. (567). Junco hyemalis (LINN.).

Slate-colored Junco.

Adult Male. — Upper parts, throat and breast, blackish or slate- gray; in winter washed with brownish above; belly, abruptly white; two outer tail feathers and part of third, on each side, white; bill, flesh color. Adult Female. — Similar, but upper parts browner and throat and breast paler. Young. — First plumage, streaked above and below with black.

Length, 6.00-7.00; wing, 3.15-3.65; tail, 3.00-3.29.

EANGE. — North America, mostly east of the Eocky Mountains, breeding on the higher Alleghany Mountains from Virginia, from the mountains of southern New England and northern Minnesota to Alaska. In winter, south over the eastern United States to Gulf States. Straggling westward to Arizona and California.

Nest, on or near the ground; of grass, moss and rootlets, lined with finer material. Eggs, 3-5; whitish, speckled with reddish-brown; .76 by .58. ]

The Slate-colored Junco over most of Indiana is known as the Snowbird. In some localities, to distinguish it from the Snowflake, or Snow Bunting, which is termed "White Snowbird," it is called Black Snowbird.

From the middle to the last of September they begin to appear in northern Indiana, arriving first about the lower end of Lake Mich- igan. In the southern portion of the State, a few are seen from the 1st to the 20th of October. Their presence is usually announced by a sharp tchip, followed by a rapid chipping as it flies. Then the dark, slate colored bo'dy and the conspicuous white feathers on

964 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

either side of the tail render identification easy. From the extreme northwestern part of the State the greater part of the Juncos dis- appear with the coming of severe weather, and return from the south in February or March. They frequent all kinds of places. When they first come, thickets and fence rows are preferred. But while they are with us they frequent stubble and brier-patch, upland and riverside, heavy wood and swampy thicket, and, when the weather is severe and snow covers the ground, the barn yard and door yard. Often they are associated in flocks with the Tree Sparrows. The earliest and latest dates of first arrival and of latest departure from the localities named are given: Chicago, 111., arrived September 16, 1896, departed in spring April 30, 1895; Sedan, Ind., arrived Septem- ber 30, 1894, departed April 15, 1896; Lafayette, arrived September 22, 1894, October 12, 1895, departed April 18, 1895, May 2, 1893; Bicknell, arrived October 2, 1895, October 4, 1896, departed April 16, 1896, April 22, 1895; Brookville, October 6, 1887, October 19, 1895, departed April 11, 1883, April 26, 1892 and 1897; Trafalgar, September 25, 1897. Some years individuals remain in this latitude quite late. Prof. S. A. Forbes notes taking one June 9, one mile from the Ohio Eiver, near Elizabethtown, Hardin County, 111. (Bull. N. 0. Club, July, 1881, p. 180). Dr. J. M. Wheaton notes that he has seen it in July, in Portage County, 0., and says it is "resident throughout the year in northeastern Ohio" (Birds of 0., p. 332). It is a common summer resident in Michigan, north of Traverse City. It has been noted at Locke, July 8, 1879; Grand Rapids, July 13, 1878 (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 115). From Indiana, however, I have no records after early May. They begin to think of mating before they leave us. Sometimes, during a spell of warm weather, near the middle of March, we begin to hear their love songs. The first heard at Brookville in 1896 was April 11, but this year (1897) I heard the first song March 18. It came from a Junco in an apple tree in my yard. When singing, the bird gets among the thickest of the branches of an apple, cedar or other tree. It is very difficult to see there. When singing, it makes little or no movement, remain- ing for quite a while in the same place, and when its head is turned away from the observer the ventriloquial effect is such that the singer is hard to locate. The Junco utters a pleasant, little vibratory song, usually consisting of four notes, all in the same key. Often there are but three notes, and occasionally it utters five or six. The song is repeated every three to five seconds for as much as a quarter of an hour at a time. It resembles twe-ti-ti-tee, and suggests to me the rattling of a note over a cog wheel, going at an unvarying rate of

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 965

speed. The food of the Junco is substantially the same as that of the Tree Sparrow. Both are valuable as destroyers of the seeds of nox- ious plants.

223. (5676). Junco hyemalis shufeldti COALE

Shufeldt's Junco.

Similar to J. liyemalis, but with the head dull black, the back browner, and the sides brownish-vinaceous.

Wing,- 3.05-3.14; tail, 2.75-2.89; tarsus, .72-.74; bill, .40-.43.

EANGE. — Eocky Mountain region, west to California, south to Arizona, Texas and northern Mexico. Accidental in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, etc.

Accidental winter visitor. There is only one record known of the occurrence of this western form in Indiana. A specimen was killed by Mr. Ealph S. Wickersham in the yard of Mr. Thomas Cory, in West Lafayette, January 20, 1891. It was shot for food for a captive Barn Owl, Strix pratincola, but observing it differed from the ordi- nary Junco, it was forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, where it was identified as this form. For the informa- tion, and, finally, for the specimen, I am indebted to Dr. Erastus Test, and to Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test. Mr. H. K. Coale had a specimen in his collection, taken at Waukegan, 111. (The Auk, Oct., 1887, p. 331).

133. GENUS PEUC^EA AUDUBON.

*224. (575a). Peucaea aestivalis bachmanii (Aim.).

Bachman's Sparrow.

Adult. — Above, rufous, streaked with gray, and sometimes spotted on the back with black; buff stripe over eye; dusky stripe on each side of chin; below, grayish-buff, whitening on the belly; edge of wing, yellow.

Length, 5.30-6.25; wing, 2.25-2.60; tail, 2.38-2.95.

EANGE. — Mississippi Valley, north to southern Illinois and central Indiana (Warren County), west to north Texas, east to east Ten- nessee, Georgia and North Carolina. Breeds throughout its range.

Nest, on ground; of grass, usually domed and cylindrical. Eggs, 3-4; white; .74 by .60.

Summer resident in the southwestern quarter of the State, usually not common.

966 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Bachman's Sparrow was first reported from the lower Wabash Valley by Mr. Robert Ridgway, who noted it early in June, 1871, about half way between Mt. Carmel and Olney, 111. August 11, 1871, he found it rather rare at Mt. Carmel. In July and August, 1875, Messrs. E. "W. Nelson and F. T. Jencks took several specimens in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel and on Fox Prairie, in Richland County, about thirty-five miles to the northward of Mt. Carmel (Ridgway, Birds of 111., I., pp. 281, 2S2). April 26, 1881, Mr. Ridgway found it near Wheatland, Knox County, Ind., and nearly ten years later in- formed me it was not uncommon in all parts of Knox County that he had visited. April 24, 1884, Prof. W. S. Blatchley took two Bachman's Sparrows from a brush pile in Monroe County. That was its first record there. It appeared regularly thereafter between April 6 (1885) and April 29 (1886). In 1886 two sets of eggs were found and, perhaps, a half dozen birds taken (Evermann). It was first noted in Putnam County by Mr. Alexander Black, April 18, 1891, and has appeared regularly there since, between April 7 and 18. It is tolerably common there now (1897). May 15, 1893, Mr. Jesse Earlle took a nest and four eggs, but slightly incubated, near Greencastle. He flushed the parent from the nest and shot her. The nest was placed on the ground, at the edge of a little patch of woods, in a blue grass pasture. It was composed of grass, and re- minded him of the nest of a Meadow Lark. It was not arched over. The eggs were pure white. Mr. V. H. Barnett first observed it in Brown County, in 1894. He took its nest and four Qggs near Spears- ville, in the southern part of that county, May 22, 1894. He ob- served it April 1, 1895, and April 7, 1897. He found it July 30, 1897, in Parke County, and last saw it September 10, 1897, in Ver- million County. He writes he did not see it north of southern War- ren County. In Kentucky, the late Mr. C. W. Beckham found it in Nelson County, April 28, 1877 (Ky. Geol. Surv., Birds of Nelson Co., p. 28). Mr. Ridgway says it frequents weedy fields, in which scat- tered dead trees are standing. Mr. Nelson (Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. IX., p. 38) says it was "found about the fences or brush piles in half cleared fields. They were shy, and quite difficult to secure, from their habit of diving into the nearest shelter when alarmed, or skulking, Wren-like, along the fences, dodging from rail to rail."

Their song has been said by more than one to recall the effort of the Field Sparrow. Mr. Ridgway says it resembles the syllables the-e-e-e-e-e-e-thut, lut, lut, lut, the first being a rich, silvery trill, pitched in a high musical key, the other syllables also metallic, but abrupt, and lower in tone. They sing throughout the day, and even

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 967

when the day is gone and darkness reigns, they sing on. Mr. Beck- ham mentions the ventriloquial effect of their voices. When sur- prised, the birds, instead of flying, run or glide through the grass, like a mouse or snake, and utter a sound more like the hissing of a snake than the scolding of a bird. It is said not to be difficult to mistake the escaping bird for a gliding snake. The theory has been advanced that Bachman's Sparrow imitates, as far as possible, the movements and hiss of a snake, as a means of protecting its nest (Nehrling, K A. Birds, XII., pp. 149-151).

134. GENUS MBLOSPIZA BAIRD.

*. Breast and sides distinctly streaked at all ages. 61. Maxillary stripe and breast white, the latter heavily streaked.

M. fasciata (Gmel.). 225 b2. Maxillary stripe and breast buff, the latter lightly streaked.

M. lincolni (Aud.). 226 a2. Breast and sides unstreaked, except in yoling (first plumage).

M. georgiana (Lath.). 227

*225. (581). Melospiza fasciata (G MEL.).

Song Sparrow.

Maxillary stripe, throat and other lower parts, white; sides and crissum, washed with brownish; they and sides of throat streaked with dark brown and black; breast with broad wedge-shaped streaks of black and brown, which often unite to form a large spot in the center; crown, rufous, divided in the middle by dark gray streak; each feather streaked with black; line over eye, light gray; stripe back of eye, and one on each side of maxillary stripe, rufous brown; other upper parts, rusty-grayish, streaked with brown and black; tail feath- ers, rufous brown above, the middle feathers blackish along -their shafts, and often with obsolete wave markings.

Length, 6.00-6.75; wing, 2.45-2.80; tail, 2.58-3.02.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, west to base of Rocky Moun- tains; north to Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Breeds from Virginia, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana and northern Illinois, northward. Winters from Indiana and Massachusetts, southward.

Nest, on ground or in bush; of grass, leaves and bark strips, lined with grass and hairs. Eggs, 4-5; light greenish or bluish-white, marked with brown; .79 by .59.

The Song Sparrow is a resident throughout the State. In the northern portion, most of them leave during the severest part of the winter. This is more noticeable late years, since so many of the

968 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

thickets have been cut away. In the extreme southwestern part of the State, they are rare in summer, as they are in Nelson County, Ky. (Beckham), and in southern Illinois (Ridgway). The last named gentleman says: "While the Song Sparrow breeds in the extreme northern part of Illinois, it is known in the southern portions only as a winter resident, * * * abundant, but very retiring, inhab- iting almost solely the bushy swamps in the bottom lands, and un- known as a song bird" He also notes that it breeds at Paris, Edgar County, 111. (Birds of 111., I., pp. 283, 284). In Indiana it breeds, and its songs are heard through summer, at least, as far south as Jef- ferson and Knox counties. It has been reported as breeding in Dear- born, Brown, Monroe, Putnam, Vigo, Sullivan and Knox counties. In Franklin County, I have found it begins singing early, sometimes by February and keeps at it all through spring, summer and fall. I some- times wonder if its song is not sung on bright days every month in the year.

I heard one singing October 5, 1897. The migrants return to northern Indiana in February and March. The following are early and late dates on which the first returned: Sedan, February 9, 1894, March 8, 1897; Laporte, March 1, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., March 4, 1889, March 10, 1897; Chicago, 111., March 10, 1894, March 23, 1896. Everywhere they are most numerous during the migrations.

I have found them mating at Brookville as early as February 27 (1886), and have found nest and eggs April 28, 1883. Mr. J. 0. Snyder reports nest and eggs at Waterloo, April 28, 1885. Two broods are reared in a year. Nests have been found as late as July 23, 1893, and August (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 115). The Song Sparrow frequents thickets along streams and in low ground gen- erally, also gardens, small fruit farms, and bushes and hedges along highways. It is a well-known bird, and its song, although not so attractive as that of the Field Sparrow, or so pleasing as that of the Vesper Sparrow, exceeds that of most of our common birds. It is the best singer about our gardens. Dr. T. M. Brewer said it sounded to him like sttnide-sh'nide-sli'nide-sh'nide-ze ze ze ze ze ze, the first four syllables slow, the rest in quicker time. As has been noted under the Chipping Sparrow, its food has been found to be about one-third in- sects and the great bulk of the remainder is grass and weed seeds. Prof. F. H. King examined 52 specimens, of which 29 ate more or less seeds; 1 ate 2 kernels of wheat. The total insect food was 11 lepidop- tera, 25 beetles, 5 grasshoppers, 4 grasshoppers' eggs, 2 dragonflies, 1 cricket, 1 spider, 1 millipede, 4 dipterous insects, 1 heteropterous insect (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 538). Brewer says they eat caterpillars and other larvae. The canker worm is a favorite article of food.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 969

226. (583). Melospiza lincolnii (AiiD.).

Lincoln's Sparrow. Synonym, LINCOLN'S FINCH.

Maxillary stripe, breast, sides and crissum, buff; other lower parts, whitish; breast and sides, with narrow black streaks; black stripe on each side of throat and one above maxillary stripe. Crown, chestnut, each feather with a black streak, divided by middle stripe of ashy; stripe over eye, ashy; rest of upper parts, brownish-gray, streaked with black and grayish; tail, grayish-brown, feathers darker along the shafts; wings edged with light rufous and whitish.

Length, 5.25-6.00; wing, 2.30-2.50; tail, 2.40-2.70.

Remark. — The buff breast easily determines this Sparrow.

EANGE. — North America, from Guatemala to Labrador and Alaska. Rare east of the Alleghanies. Breeds from northern Illinois and northern New York north; also south, along the higher Rocky Moun- tains almost to Mexico. Winters from southern Illinois south.

Nest, of grass; on or near ground. Eggs, 3 to 5; pale greenish, spotted and blotched with several shades of reddish-brown, more prominent at the larger end; .78 by .58.

In Indiana this Sparrow is a regular but rare migrant over most of the State. It is generally found in May and October, and passes farther north to breed. In the lower Wabash Valley it is more numer- ous. The spring of 1881 Mr. Robert Ridgway found them very abundant in Knox County. In 1888 they arrived at Terre Haute, April 17, and departed May 5. At Brookville, in 1886, it was first noted April 24; in 1880, May 11; in Starke County, May 11, 1884, May 11, 1890; Lake County, May 16, 1880. It has also been taken in Carroll and Monroe counties. Mr. E. W. Nelson says they occur in Cook County, 111., and vicinity between May 8 and 20 and September 20 and October 5. Dr. Gibbs reports it from Michigan (Kalamazoo?) October 9, 1879 (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 116). It was taken at Brookville, Ind., October 2, 1879. When found in May, often two or three are together. Possibly they are then paired. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., collected a young male of this species on the east shore of Calumet Lake, Cook County, 111., July 16, 1896. It has been found nesting in Hamilton County, N. Y., and at Racine, Wis., and may do so about the lower end of Lake Michigan.

In many respects its habits resemble those of the Swamp Sparrow. Generally it is found throughout the migrations in similar places; among bushes, drift and reeds about watercourses and bodies of water.

970 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

It also is found along bushy ravines, in woods, among bushes and about brush piles in swampy ground. One specimen was taken in a cloverfield near Brookville by Mr. E. E. Quick. It is an inconspicuous species and doubtless is generally overlooked. It is shy and retiring, preferring at all times to move under cover and to fly when hidden from view by an intervening object. The first specimens reported from Franklin County were two taken near Brookville by Dr. F. W. Langdon and Mr. J. W. Shorten, May 10, 1879. Dr. Langdon says of them: "The birds were found in a damp, wooded ravine traversed by a small stream, one of them hopping about on a mass of drift in search of small aquatic insects and larvae, with which its stomach was found to be filled" (Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., July, 1880, p. 124). Its food is insects, fruit and seeds.

*227. (584). Melospiza georgiana (LATH.).

Swamp Sparrow.

Adult in Summer. — Breast, sides of head, nape and stripe over eye, gray; sides, pale grayish-brown, indistinctly streaked; belly, white; crown, light chestnut; forehead, black, ashy stripe dividing both in the middle; black stripe behind the eye; back, brownish-gray; upper parts, striped with black, and on the back also with brown, ashy and whitish; wings and tail feathers, edged with rufous, the latter dark along the shafts; tertials and larger wing-coverts, black-tipped, more or less edged with whitish. Adult in Winter and Immature. — Crown and upper parts, more blackish; more or less streaked on breast.

Length, 5.25-6.00; wing, 2.30-2.50; tail, 2.40-2.70.

RANGE. — Eastern North America. Breeds from northern Indiana North to Labrador and Manitoba. Winters from southern Illinois south to Gulf of Mexico.

Nest, in wet meadow or swampy thicket; on ground or in tussock of grass; composed of plant stems, lined with fine grass. Eggs, 4 to 5; greenish- white to light green, clouded and spotted with various shades of brown; .78 by .56.

Regular migrant over most of the State; in the extreme northern part it is, in some localities, an abundant summer resident, breeding in great numbers, even outnumbering the Song Sparrows. In the lower Wabash Valley some may remain through the winter. It is re- ported as wintering in southern Illinois. There, Mr. Ridgway says, it congregates in immense numbers — perhaps exceeding those of any other species in the sheltered swamps of the bottom lands. By reason

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 971

of its frequenting the thickets of low lands and swampy places gen- erally— localities usually but little visited by most persons — it is not often observed. It Was noted at Bloomington, March 5, 1895, where it remained until April 19. The following dates give extremes of first appearance in spring: Brookville, April 11, 1884, April 25, 1885; Lafayette, March 6, 1894, April 27, 1897; Laporte, April 2, 1894; Terre Haute, March 28, 1888; Kichmond, April 16, 1897; Waterloo, March 17, 1894, April 11, 1896; Chicago, 111., March 28, 1895, April 1, 1897. They usually have all passed by the latter part of April, but were reported from Terre Haute May 1, 1890; Richmond, May 10, 1897; and several were seen at 'English Lake, May 10, 1891.

In the fall they are observed leaving their summer homes early in October, and at that time begin to appear in the southern part of the State. They were reported from Cook County, 111., October 6, 1893, and October 12, 1895, and were noted at Brookville, Ind., October 5, 1897. They have not been reported as breeding south of the north- ern tier of counties. They are known to breed commonly in Cook County, 111., and in Lake County, Ind., and tolerably commonly in Dekalb County. There it sings its song, but during the migrations it is songless. Beginning in May, it continues singing, with a slight interruption in August or September, until October. Its fall song is pronounced its best. Mr. Nehrling says its song resembles the syl- lables, chee--chee-chee-chee-ze-ze-ze-ze-ze-ze, and declares that while it resembles somewhat the melody of the Field Sparrow, it is louder and more varied. He says: "Its food consists of small caterpillars, beetles, worms and such insects as are usually found near water. During fall and winter they eat largely of the seeds of weeds and grasses" (N. A. Birds, Pt. XII., pp. 161, 162). Prof. King examined 25 speci- mens: 13 ate seeds of grasses, sedges, etc.; 1, an ichneumon fly; 1, a chalcidian (?); 1, a moth; 6, 13 beetles; 2, 2 hemiptera; 2, 2 grasshop- pers; 1, 6 snails, and 5, 13 larvae (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 537).

135. GENUS PASSERELLA SWAIXSON.

228. (585). Passerella iliaca (MERR.).

Fox Sparrow.

Synonym, FOX-COLORED SPARROW.

Above, bluish-ashy, more or less marked with rufous and rufous- brown; bright rufous on upper tail-coverts and tail; wings, edged with rufous, with two narrow white cross bars. Below, white; sides heavily streaked with brown; breast and other forward parts, marked with triangular spots and pointed streaks of black and rufous; bill, yellow below; darker above.

972 REPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 6.20-7.50; wing, 3.30-3.70; tail, 2.80-3.15.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from the Gulf States to Alaska and the Arctic Coast. Breeds from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and Manitoba north. Winters from southern Indiana and Vir- ginia south.

Nest, on ground or in bush, or low tree; of grass, rootlets and moss, lined with hair and feathers. Eggs, 4 to 5; pale bluish, evenly speckled or heavily blotched with umber or vinaeeous-brown; .80 by .63.

Bill of Fox Sparrow.

' This large, trim, fox-colored Sparrow appears to be an aristocrat among his fellows. They are common migrants during March and April, and October and November. Mild winters some are winter resi- dents in the extreme southern part of the State, and others remain all but a few weeks in the lower Whitewater Valley and, perhaps, farther north. The winter of 1888-9 they remained all winter at Vincennes (Balmer). Mild winters they remain most of the winter in Putnam County (Clearwaters). The extreme records of first arrival axe: Brookville, February 16, 1881, April 1, 1885; Spearsville, March 6, 1894, and 1897, March 13, 1895; Bicknell, March 7, 1897, April 5, 1896; Lafayette, March 6, 1894, March 28, 1896; Wabash, March 11, 1894; Sedan, March 30, 1897, April 18, 1896; Chicago, 111., March 18, 1893, April 1, 1897. Most have passed north before the last of April and are rarely found in early May. Bloomington, April 20, 1895; Spearsville, April 19, 1895; Laporte, May 1, 1896; Richmond, May 4, 1897, are extremely late dates. They are retiring birds, fre- quenting thickets, brier patches and brush piles, where they are asso- ciated with Towhees and Cardinals. Like the former, they spend much time upon the ground scratching among the leaves. They are on good terms with the Juncos, and when they visit their homes as- sociate with them. They pass northward ahead of the Juncos and go farther north to breed. With us the Fox Sparrow utters a sharp tchep. It is said to have a clear, loud, melodious voice, and to sing a sweet song, which I have never heard, but hope to some spring, as they should occasionally give us a foretaste of the musical treat that

BIRDS or INDIANA. 973

is wasted — humanly speaking — on the uninhabited Hudson Bay region. In autumn they begin to reach northern Indiana late in September. Five were reported from Lebanon, September 28, 1894. They were noted at Chicago, 111., September 30, 1896, October 27, 1883; Lafayette, Ind., October 17, 1895, November 3, 1894; Bicknell, November 20, 1896; Greensburg, November 30, 1894. Prof. F. H. King examined three specimens, one of which had eaten 50 chinch bugs; the other two, small seeds.

136. GKNUS PIPILO VIEILLOT.

*229. (587). Pipilo erythrophthalmus (LINN.).

Towhee.

Synonyms, CHEWINK, TOWHEE BUNTING, JEWEE, JOREE, MARSH ROBIN, GROUND ROBIN.

Adult Male. — Black; belly, white; sides, chestnut; crissum, fulvous- brown; primaries and inner secondaries, with white touches on the outer webs; outer tail feathers, with the outer web and nearly the ter- minal half of the inner web, white; the next two or three, with white spots, decreasing in size; bill, blackish; feet, pale brown; iris, red in the adult, white or creamy in the young and generally in winter speci- mens. Female. — Eich, warm brown, where the male is black; other- wise similar. Young. — Streaked brown and dusky above; below, whit- ish, tinged with brown and streaked with dusky.

Length, 7.50-8.75; wing, 3.30-3.75; tail, 3.55-4.10.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, east of Texas and Dakota; north to Manitoba and Labrador. Breeds from Georgia and lower Missis- sippi Valley north. Winters from Indiana and Pennsylvania south.

Nest, on ground, or near it; of leaves and shreds of bark, lined with grass and leaves. Eggs, 3-5; white, uniformly and thickly speckled with different -shades of rufous; .95 by .70.

The Towhee is a common resident in southern Indiana north at least to the latitude of Vincennes and Brookville, and some winters over the greater part of the south half of the State. Occasionally, in mild winters, a few winter throughout the State, and even in Michigan. Over the greater part of our territory, however, the bird is best known as a common summer resident. It is distributed everywhere among bushes and thickets. At some seasons it frequents the densest woods; at others, it enters the larger towns. Its well-known call, uttered by both sexes, and variously interpreted, has given it a name everywhere. The female does not sound the final fc in chewirik, which is distinctly

974 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

given by the male. The other names refer to its being, in some places, a frequenter of marshy thickets and of spending much of its time upon the ground. There it enjoys turning over the old stems and fallen leaves. It is pre-eminently the scratching sparrow. In October, in a river valley, among some thicket of willows, cottonwoods, and young sycamores, where wild sunflowers, horse-weeds and poke grow rampant, the whole woven together by the interlacing of wild cucumber vines, the number, and the varied, miscellaneous company of birds found there is a revelation to the one who visits it for the first time. Among the babel of voices and the flitting forms may be observed Blue Jays, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Field Sparrows, In- digo Buntings, Juncos, Cardinals, Hermit Thrushes, Chats, Long- billed Marsh Wrens, House Wrens, Carolina Wrens, Winter Wrens, Tufted Titmice and Downy Woodpeckers. In winter, when many of these are gone, whether we go to the woods or follow the fringing bushes of some little run, the Towhee will be found, and not alone, for the Cardinals, Juncos and Tree Sparrows, at least, will be found occupying the same haunts. In spring, when the vegetation has fal- len, been broken down or burned away, the old companions return and are more readily seen. The variations in the time of its occur- rence may be illustrated by the following dates: At Greencastle they remained all the winter of 1894-5, but in 1896 were not noted until April 4. They were first seen in Lafayette, March 6, 1894, March 28, 1896; at Sedan, March 1, 1894, March 30, 1896; Laporte, March 4, 1894, March 28, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., March 17, 1889, March 25, 1893; Chicago, 111., March 20, 1884, April 17, 1886. They are rarely common in the north part of the State before April 1, and about Chicago, HI., sometimes are not common until April 15 to 25. Most of them disappear from our northern counties through September and October. The latest records I have are: Chicago, October 12, 1895; Sedan, October 22, 1889; Lafayette, October 12, 1894, 1895.

In the lower Whitewater Valley I have found them mating March 21, 1883; paired, March 31, 1885, and building, April 5, 1884. They occasionally nest quite early and raise two, perhaps three, broods. Nests have been noted at Sedan with the birds sitting at the extreme dates March 15 and August 17 (Mrs* Hine). In Lake County a nest and three fresh eggs were taken in July, 1882 (Meyer). Eggs were found at Waterloo, June 24, 1885 (Snyder). Mr. Y. H. Barnett found young in southern Vermillion County, August 4, 1897.

The nuptial song is beautiful and striking. The male, from the top or some high bush or high upon the principal limb of an isolated tree,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 975

again and again repeats its score. Finally it flirts its tail and flies down to some brush pile, within which it disappears, and the call, chewirik, comes from the hidden depths of the heap. Its song sounds something like, "look-out, ter-r-r." The first syllable has a rising in- flection; the second is slurred. Mr. E. E. Thompson interprets it as, chuck-burr, pill^a-will-a-ivill-a. They begin singing some springs by the middle of March, and while most cease in June, they may occasion- ally be heard well into July. "Of seventeen specimens examined, fire had eaten small seeds; one raspberries; one, seven moths; three, nine beetles; one, wheat; one, oats; one, a wasp; one, an ichneumon; two, three grasshoppers; two, two cockroaches; one, a walkingstick (Spec- trum femoratum), and four of its eggs; and one, a larva" (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 543). Other authorities agree that this species is de- cidedly insectivorous and beneficial.

137. GENUS CARDINALIS BONAPARTE.

*230. (593). Cardinalis cardinalis (LINN.).

Cardinal.

Synonyms, CARDINAL GROSBEAK, REDBIRD, VIRGINIA CARDINAL.

Adult Male. — With a conspicuous crest; plumage, rich vermillion or rosy-red, obscured with ashy on the back; throat and face, black; bill, reddish; feet, brown. Adult Female. — Ashy-brown; paler below, with evident traces of red on the crest, wings, tail and under parts.

Length, 7.50-9.25; wing, 3.55-4.00; tail, 3.90-4.60.

KANGE. — Eastern United States west to Texas and Kansas; north to Iowa, Indiana and southern New York. Casually or rarely to Maine, Ontario, southern Michigan and Minnesota.

Nest, in bushes or vines, three to ten feet up; of twigs, bark, grass and leaves, lined with grass. Eggs, 3-4; white, bluish or greenish- white, spotted with rufous-brown, lavender and gray; .99 by .73.

The Cardinal is the most noticeable feature of our avian fauna. Whether we consider its beautiful dress, its cheery song, its good, habits or ita beneficent deeds, there is nothing that cannot be admired. It is resident throughout the State, being very common in the south- ern part, north at least to Vermillion and Warren counties, Green- eastle, Indianapolis, Connersville and Brookville. Throughout the northern half of the State in some localities they are quite rare. Thers some winters they disappear, others they remain. They are often laore numerous in spring and fall than at other seasons. They are very rare and of irregular occurrence in the northwest portion of the

976 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

State beyond the Wabash Valley. It has not been reported from Lake County; is rare in Cook County, 111.; Porter County, scarce (Trouslot); rare winter resident at Kouts (Parker); Laporte County, Michigan City, one record (Byrkit). In the northeastern part of the State it is more numerous and seems to be increasing in numbers and extending its range into Michigan. I have winter records from the following counties: Steuben, Angola, several the winter of 1896-7 (Mrs. Sniff); Dekalb, the following winters: 1888-9 (Snyder); 1889-90, 1890-91, 1892-3, 1894-5 (Mrs. Hine); Allen (Stockbridge); Elkhart and Koeci- usko (Juday); Fulton (Gould). In Michigan it has been taken in Hillsdale, Lenawee, Monroe and Kent counties, and at Detroit (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 117).

By the first of March the Cardinal begins its songs. Both sexes have the gift, but the male is the superior singer. Mating follows soon after the opening of the season of song. I observed the begin- ning of their courtship, March 7, 1887. Mr. Eobert Eidgway says one that he studied had six very distinct songs. He adds: "The diffi- culty of expressing a bird's notes by words is well known, but the fol- lowing attempt may give some idea of the different songs of my Car- dinal:

I. Hoit — whoit, whoit, whoit (eleven times) ; hoit-whoit, whoit, whoit (eleven

times). II. Wheu, wheu, wheu, wheu, wheu.

III. Tchew, tchew, tchew, tchew, tchew.

IV. Birdie, bircKie, bird'ie — tchew, tchew, tchew, tchew. V. Bird'ie, bird'ie, bird'ie, birdie, bird'ie, bird'ie.

VI. Whoy'it — whoy'it, whoy'et, whoy'et, chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi (a jingling trill so long continued that it apparently ended only when the singer became out of breath).

"The notes of many Cardinal Grosbeaks are clear and tender — far sweeter than the mellowest notes of fife or flageolet."

The above songs are readily recognized as good interpretations in our language of the efforts of many individuals we have heard. In some of its notes there is some resemblance to those of the Carolina .Wren. Mr. Nehrling interprets its ordinary song as: "Jehu-jehu- jehu-jehu-teu, teu, teu, teu, tr-rrrrrrr." Such is the translation. To know the song one must hear it and feel it. No keener interpreter of Nature has caught its spirit than Hon. B. S. Parker. He says:

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 977

"When golden pippin trees are white

Some mellow, liquid, notes are heard, That mingle in one brief delight

The thought of man, the soul of bird. Sing on, my redbird ! Strains that speak

A tenderer hope than words can tell ; The boor who named thee for thy beak

Had never felt the witching spell Of wild-bird music, such as cleaves

The crust of pride and wafts the soul From hate that blinds, and care that grieves

To love- taught art's divinest goal."

— Hoosier Bards, p. 14.

The song period continues until the end of August and sometimes well into September (September 10, 1891). I found the nest and eggs April 18, 1888. Mr. J. 0. Snyder found a nest with two fresh eggs at Waterloo, May 20, 1883. They frequently build their nests in shrubs, vines and young trees in towns. Several pairs build every year within the town of Brookville, sometimes in vines that drape the walls and screen the windows of residences. The spring of 1897 a pair attempted to nest in a yard adjoining mine, but their hopes were blighted, for, during a storm, a heavy wind blew the nest and eggs from the Syringa bush where it was built, and the birds did not at- tempt to rebuild. I first saw the female carrying the fibrous bark of a last year's morning glory vine from my yard to the nest May 16. These were hanging in a cherry tree, and after much pulling she would get a bill full and carry it to my neighbor's bush. The female did all the work. The male accompanied her every trip to or from the nest. While she collected the nest-material he flew to the top of a chimney, the tip of the lightning-rod, the topmost limb of an apple or fir tree, sometimes a hundred feet away, and poured forth a lively, joyous song in earnest appreciation of the efforts of his mate. She could not start towards the nest but he instantly darted to her side and escorted her all the way; then, flying to the top of the neighboring house, or to a telephone wire, while the female arranged her material, he rejoiced in whistling song. A gay beau is the male! He is afraid of soiling his bright, new coat. He carries the style and is the chief musician. He lets his mate bear the burdens and encourages her by his presence. Some men do not as well. For several years a pair has built in a Virginia creeper against the side of another neighbor's house.

Often two broods, and sometimes three, are reared in a summer. Mrs. Jane L. Hine informs me that a pair nested near that place three times in the summer of 1891. The female was sitting August 62— GEOL.

978 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

28. That day, and for two weeks after, she sang sometimes a great deal. July 13, 1896, I saw young which had just left the nest, and August 28, of that year, I found a nest containing three eggs. To one who has not visited the lower Ohio Valley, including the southern part of the valleys of the Whitewater and the Wabash, especially at a season when the trees are leafless, it would be difficult to convey any idea of the numbers of Cardinals that are to be found there. The rougher land, overgrown with second-growth or briers, and the waste land along streams, afford an abundance of shelter, which will prob- ably remain. While the quantity of food — seeds, wild fruits and in- sects, added to the grains that are ungarnered or scattered by man — affords them a good living, in winter they come about our homes and feed upon the crumbs from the kitchen or pick up a share of the wastes from the barnyard. It is no unusual thing, at that season, to find from three to six pairs frequenting a comparatively small thicket in a favorable locality, while almost every brier patch or clump of bushes harbor a pair or two.

They are easily tamed and in many localities are much sought, for cage birds. In localities where I have been I do not think the prac- tice of trapping them or robbing the nests of young birds is as com- mon as it was some years ago. It should be discouraged by every one- and the offenders prosecuted.

138. GENUS HABIA REICHENBACH.

*231. (595). Habia ludovifciana (LINN.).

Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Adult Male. — Head, neck and back, glossy black; wings and tail, black, the former barred with white, and primaries white at the base, the latter with outer tail feathers tipped with white on inner web; breast and under wing coverts, bright rose-red or carmine; rest of un- der parts and rump, white; bill, large, pale; feet, dark. Adult Fe- male.— Above, grayish-brown, streaked with cream-buff and blackish; stripe through center of crown, buff, and one over the eye, whitish; wing coverts, tipped with white; below, white, tinged with buffy and streaked with dusky; under wing coverts, saffron-yellow. Imma- ture.— Similar to female, but with under wing coverts rose-red.

Length, 7.00-8.50; wing, 3.90-4.15; tail, 3.25-3.55.

RANGE. — America, from Ecuador to Labrador and Saskatchewan west to eastern Kansas. Breeds from higher points of North Carolina and central Indiana, north. Winters from Cuba and Mexico, south.

BIRDS OF INDIAN \. 979

Nest, in bush, or low down in tree, of twigs, fibres and rootlets. Eggs, 3-5; greenish-blue, thickly spotted with olive-brown and rufous- brown; .95 by .67.

Throughout northern Indiana this attractive bird is found, in most places, as a summer resident, increasing in numbers as one goes north- ward. Elsewhere, it is an irregular migrant, some years very common,

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. (Beal.— Farmer's Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture.)

others, rare or wholly absent. In some localities, where it was for- merly found in some numbers, it is said to be becoming scarce.

It breeds commonly south to the Wabash River: Wabash, Logans- port and Lafayette. Farther south, at Terre Haute, it rarely builds, and it has been reported nesting at Frankfort, Lebanon and Anderson. It is extremely unusual for it to breed farther south, but it has been so reported from Bloomington. Audubon found it nesting near Cin- cinnati, 0., and Dr. E. Raymond thought it might breed in Franklin County, as he had found it there in early June and in August. Dr. Wheaton once found a nest near Columbus, 0. (Birds of Ohio, pp. 346, 347), and Mr. Otto Widmann has observed it nesting at St. Louis, Mo., where it rears two broods in a season (Nehrling, N". A. Birds, Pt. XIIL, p. 204). They nest on low bushes, tall shrubs, in orchards and forest trees even, at times quite high. Along the Des Plaines River, in Illinois, they nest in thorn trees (Parker). They prefer to breed in the neighborhood of lakes, streams and tamarack swamps

980 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

(Mrs. Hine). In northern Ohio, they frequent the cranberry marshes and nest there (Wheat on). The nest and eggs very much resemble those of a Scarlet Tanager.

The first nests, with full sets of eggs, are usually found late in May; May 22, 1897, Anderson; May 27, 1893, Lafayette; May 30, some years, Cook County, 111. The breeding season continues through June. The male shares in incubation.

In the spring, some years, they come into the State by April 25, and arrive at their breeding grounds, beyond the Wabash River, by April 27 to May 1. Dates of early and late first arrivals for the places noted are as follows: Bloomington, April 23, 1886, May 1, 1887; Brookville, April 25, 1885, May 8, 1897; Bicknell, April 25, 1897, May 3, 1894; Spearsville, April 29, 1894, May 1, 1895; Terre Haute, May 1, 1887, May 9, 1890; Lafayette, April 28, 1894, May 8, 1897; Sedan, April 28, 1896, May 7, 1889; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 5, 1889. The earliest arrivals are males; the females follow later.

When with us, in southern Indiana, in spring, they frequent the wooded hillsides and uplands, preferring the former. There they are often to be seen feeding upon the buds of the elm, oak and maple, and catching insects among the topmost boughs of those trees. They do not move about much, but their beautiful notes attract one to them. Often, in looking among the greening tree-top, one may be seen, and, while watching it, another and another will move slightly until from six to a dozen are finally located.

Viewed from a distance through the timber, as they fly, they may readily be taken for Red-headed Woodpeckers, so sharply is the black and white of the plumage contrasted.

All who have heard the song of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak have been charmed by it, and all who have known the singer, hold it in the highest regard. Beauty of song has made it famous as a wild bird, and it is extensively known also as a desirable cage bird, but the beauty of its tri-colored plumage would attract attention even had it not such a remarkable voice. That is not all; it does beautiful deeds. Few birds are more beneficial to man. With the exception of a few peas, its vegetable food consists of the buds and blossoms of shade and forest trees, and seeds. They eat many insects. The value of its services in its breeding range, in destroying Colorado potato beetles, can not be overestimated. Prof. F. E. L. Beal tells of one field that was badly infested by these destructive insects. "The Grosbeaks vis- ited the field every day, and finally brought their fledged young. The young birds stood in a row on the topmost rail of the fence, and were

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 981

fed with the beetles which their parents gathered. When a careful inspection was made, a few days later, not a beetle, old or young, could be found; the birds had swept them from the field and saved the potatoes" (Farmers' Bulletin No. 54, U. S. Dept. of Agr., p. 29). "Of eight specimens examined, six had eaten small seeds; two, seven beetles; and one, berries" (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 542). Prof. Forbes notes they eat canker worms, which, in some he examined, formed 66 per cent, of their food (Eept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204); also army worms and other caterpillars, wood-boring, leaf- chafing and snout beetles, and hymenoptera.

The latest dates at which they have been observed, in fall, are as follows: Plymouth, Mich., September 3, 1894; Lebanon, Ind., Sep- tember 12, 1894; Lafayette, September 15, 1894; Bicknell, September 28, 1894; Sedan, September 22, 1889; Warren County, September 18, 1897; Chicago, 111., September 26, 1895; Brookville, Ind., October 5, 1887.

139. GENUS GUIRACA SWAINSON.

232. (597). Guiraca caerulea (LINN.).

Blue Grosbeak.

Adult Male. — Deep blue, darker on the back; chin, lores and tail feathers, black; wings, black, edged with blue; middle and secondary wing coverts, tipped with rufous-brown or chestnut. Adult Female and Immature. — Yellowish-brown above; brownish-yellow beneath; darkest on breast; wings and tail, fuscous; wing crossed by two bars of ochraceous-buff; tail, faintly tinged with blue.

Length, 6.35-7.50; wing, 3.35-3.60; tail, 2.70-2.90.

RANGE. — North America, from Cuba and Mexico to southern Ne- braska, southern Indiana and South Carolina. Casually to New Eng- land. Winters south of the United States.

Nest, in bush, or low in tree, at edge of wood or field, of grass, lined with rootlets and hair. Eggs, 3-4; pale bluish-white; .84 by .66.

Of rare or accidental occurrence in the southwestern part of the State. Mr. Robert Ridgway observed a specimen in Knox County in the spring of 1881. That is the only record of its occurrence in In- diana. Mr. Ridgway notes it as rare in southern Illinois, and it has been observed in Kentucky. This species is quite local and inconspic- uous. It frequents localities similar to those occupied by the Indigo Bunting. The song is said to resemble that of the Purple Finch. In summer they are said to live chiefly upon insects, but through fall and winter they subsist mainly upon wild fruits and seeds.

982 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

140. GENUS PASSERIXA XI

*233. (598). Passerina cyanea (LINN.).

Indigo Bunting. Synonym, INDIGO BIRD.

Adult Male. — Blue; darker on head, throat^and breast; lighter on back; black about base of bill; wing and tail feathers, black, with bluish edgings; bill, dark above, light below, with a dark stripe along gonys. Adult Female. — Brown above, whitish below, more or less streaked with brownish; shoulders, rump and some of larger feathers, showing blue; wing and tail feathers, more or less distinctly edged with bluish. Immature. — Male, similar to female, but showing more or less blue, according to age; young birds, streaked below.

Length, 4.75-5.75; wing, 2.60-2.80; tail, 2.20-2.50.

Note. — Close observation will show bluish edgings on wing and tail feathers, which will determine the bird.

RANGE. — North America, from Panama and Cuba, east of Plains, to Minnesota, northern Michigan and Nova Scotia. Breeds through- out its United States range. Winters from the coast of the Gulf States, south.

Nest, in crotch of bush, low down, of leaves, grass and bark, lined with similar material. Eggs, 3-5; white, tinged with blue, occa- sionally speckled with reddish-brown; .73 by .53.

The Indigo Bunting is a common summer resident throughout In- diana. The blue plumage and sprightly song of the male are known to every one who has spent much time about bushes, brier patches and thickets. They prefer the drier land and are very seldom found, in southern Indiana at least, about low or swampy places.

They sometimes appear on the southern border of the State by the middle of April, but other years, when the season is more forbidding, they are not found until May 1. The following early and late dates of first appearance .are given: Bloomington, April 13, 1882, May 2, 1895; Bicknell, April 22, 1896, April 30, 1895; Brookville, April 22, 1885, May 8, 1889; Vigo County, April 18, 1897, May 8, 1886; Spears- ville, April 27, 1895, and 1897, April 29, 1894; Greencastle, April 24, 1896, May 1, 1894 and 1895; Lafayette, April 27, 1896, May 10, 1895; Sedan, May 4, 1895, May 5, 1896; Chicago, 111., May 18, 1895, May 23, 1896 and 1897.

The males precede the females from a day to a week. Mating be- gins soon after the latter arrive. The beginning of pairing was noted at Brookville, May 9, 1887. Sometimes they must be mated when

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 983

they arrive. Mr. V. H. Barnett found a nest, with two eggs, at Spears- ville, May 14, 1895. They may be found nesting commonly late in May and early in June. Sometimes two broods are reared in a sum- mer. August 18, 1896, I found a nest and eggs at Brookville. Mr. J. 0. Snyder informs me he has known these birds to use the same nest two years in succession. The males continue in song well along toward the first of August. I found one singing, August 3, 1897. After they cease singing they are less conspicuous. They leave the latter part of August and in September. The old males go first. The latest dates at which they have been seen at the places noted are: Manchester, Mich., September 10, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., September 15, 1895; Sedan, Ind., September 27, 1894; Lafayette, September 21, 1895; Trafalgar, September 26, 1897; Bicknell, September 29, 1895; Brookville, October 14, 1896.

They are so numerous, frequenting every place where bushes grow about the farm, even to the small fruit garden, and can adapt them- selves to many foods, that it is desirable that they receive the fullest protection, for at any time they may prove of untold value in assisting to hold in check some threatened outbreak of injurious in- sects. Prof. King found that, of 19, 2 ate caterpillars; 1, 2 beetles; 1, a grasshopper; 1, raspberries; 1, elderberries; and 18 of them ate seeds of various weeds (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 542). Prof. Forbes found that 78 per cent, of the food of some he examined was canker-worms (Kept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204). He also notes they eat other caterpillars, spring beetles, vine chafers, snout beetles and hemiptera.

141. GKKUS SPIZA BONAPARTE.

*234. (604) Spiza americana (GntL ).

Dickcissel. Synonyms, BLACK-THROATED BUNTING, LITTLE MEADOW LAEK.

Adult Male. — Top and sides of head, sides and back of neck, ash; forehead, tinged with yellow; line over eye, one on each side of throat, edge of wing, and breast, yellow; a black patch on throat and upper breast; throat^ lores, belly and under tail coverts, white; wing coverts, chestnut; back, with black streaks; wings and tail, fuscous. Adult Female. — Similar, except less yellow on the breast; black patch on throat replaced by spots or streaks; top of head, more brownish. Young. — Similar to female, but more buffy.

Length, 5.75-6.80; wing, 2.80-3.30; tail, 2.35-2.90.

984 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

EANGE. — America, from Colombia over the eastern United States to Massachusetts, Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota. Rare east of the Alleghanies. Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters south of United States.

Nest, on ground or in bush, of leaves, grass, rootlets and weed stalks, lined with grasses and hair. Eggs, 3-5; pale blue; .80 by .60.

In most localities the Dickcissel is an abundant summer resident. However, it is a recent introduction into our fauna. Mr. E. J. Chans- ler says he can remember when it was rare in Knox County, where its numbers now are perhaps exceeded by no other bird. It appeared in Franklin County some time between 1869 and 1879. While it has be- come abundant there, in the upland meadows, it is quite uncommon in the valleys of streams and on the rougher land. As is to be supposed, it is rare in the more heavily timbered portion of southern Indiana. In 1886, Prof. B. W. Evermann noted it was becoming more com- mon in Carroll County each year. Mrs. Jane L. Hine first observed them at Sedan, Dekalb County, in 1887, and Mr. J. P. Feagler, at Waterloo, in 1894. They are still rare there. In the spring of 1887 I found it rare in the parts of Cook County, 111., that I visited. It is now said to be locally common there. Dr. G-ibbs says (1893) it was not known in Michigan twenty years ago (Cook, Birds of Mich., p. 118). In 1894 Mr. L. Whitney Watkins notes that it only appeared at Man- chester, Mich., within the last few years. Mr. T. L. Hankinson noted that it appeared for the first time at Agricultural College, Mich., the spring of 1896. Prof. E. E. Fish, of Buffalo, N. Y., informed me that in 1891 it was more numerous than any other species of bird about Logansport, Ind.

Some early and late dates of first spring appearances are given: Brookville, April 19, 1887, May 10, 1886; Bicknell, April 20, 1894, May 13, 1896; Bloomington, April 28, 1893, May 4, 1895; Green- castle, April 29, 1893, May 5, 1896; Lafayette, April 27, 1896, May 13, 1893; Waterloo, April 30, 1897, May 10, 1896; Plymouth, Mich., May 1, 1895, May 3, 1891; Chicago, 111., May 4, 1895, May 16, 1897.

They are associated in my mind with the Grasshopper Sparrow. They arrive about the same time, frequent similar places, the period of singing is about the same, and they depart together. In the south- ern part of the State they are often mated when they arrive. The site for a home is at once chosen and work upon the structure is begun. The bird is adapting itself to conditions. In the more open regions it nests upon the ground, frequently in a clover field or meadow. Other places, it builds in clumps of weeds a little distance off the ground. ' Dr. Hoy, of Eacine, Wis., never found a nest in that

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 985

vicinity on the ground, and some were elevated on bushes as much as six feet. Prof. Cook says, in Michigan, they usually nest on bushes. In Lake County, Ind., Mr. L. T. Meyer notes that they nest upon the ground. The same conditions that operate upon the Grasshopper Sparrow act upon the Dickcissel. The different times of mowing the clover and timothy crops and of cutting the small grain result in driving them and the insects from the land, as they are left neither shelter nor their usual food. Notwithstanding these discouragements, they continue common, and our people are beginning to recognize in them good friends.

Mr. W. 0. Wallace has taken a nest and four eggs in Wabash County as early as May 18, 1894, and Mr. T. L. Hankinson took a nest and four eggs at Agricultural College, Mich., June 18, 1896. Their song is a peculiar one, uttered from fence, bush, tree or tall weed, from early morning till evening. It is said to suggest the syllables see, see — Dick, Dick-cissel, cissel. Dr. Coues would interpret it: look! look! see me here! see! But it comes to me characteristi- cally as five metallic sounds — something like the noise made by drop- ping six silver dollars, one upon the other, into one's hand: clerik, clerik, clerik-clerik-clerik. They keep singing until late July or early August, and then the song and the singer vanish together. Many were heard singing August 3, 1897'. August 6 there were but few, and neither song nor bird were noted after that date. In 1896 they were last reported from Bicknell, August 26 (Chansler).

Prof. S. A. Forbes, in writing of an orchard infested with canker- worms, says: " Another valuable species was the Black-throated Bunt- ing, Spiza americana. This confined itself less strictly to the (canker) worms for food than the foregoing (Cedar bird), but was much more abundant and was nesting in the orchard. Eleven birds were exam- ined, and eight of them were found to have eaten canker-worms, which made about half the total food of the whole number. Cater- pillars are usually eaten in May by the Black-throated Bunting, in the ratio of about 20 per cent., while they made 70 per cent, of the food of those shot among the canker-worms" (Eept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204). They live largely upon grasshoppers and other meadow insects, eating also seeds.

986 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

XLI. FAMILY TANAGRIDJE. TANAOERS.

a1. Bill stout, tinchlike, with a more or less evident tooth near middle of cutting edge of upper mandible. PIRANGA. 142

142. GENUS PIRANGA VIEILLOT.

a1. Male scarlet, wings and tail black; female not red, under parts greenish yellow.

P. erythromelas Vieill. 235

a2. Male vermillion red; wings and tail not black; female not red ; buff'y yellow below. P. rubra (Linn.). 236

*235. (608). Piranga erythromelas VIEILLOT.

Scarlet Tanager. Synonym, BLACK-WINGED REDBIRD.

Adult Male. — Head and body, continuous, intense scarlet; wings and tail, intense black; bill, greenish; feet, blue. Adult Female. — Olive-green above, greenish-yellow beneath; under wing coverts, white; wings and tail, fuscous. Immature Male. — At first, similar to female, but with wings and tail black; later, with plumage spotted with green and scarlet.

Length, 6.50-7.50; wing, 3.55-3.90; tail, 2.80-3.25; bill, .55-.60.

EANGE. — America, from Peru north over eastern United States to New Brunswick and Manitoba. Breeds from southern Illinois and Virginia north. Winters south of United States.

Nest, on a horizontal lower limb of tree, usually on the borders of a wood; of twigs, bark and leaves, lined with rootlets and bark fibres. Eggs, 3-5; greenish-blue or bluish-white, speckled and blotched with rufous-brown; .90 by .65.

The brilliant red and jet-black plumage of the male Scarlet Tana- ger have made it a well known bird to those familiar with the more open woodland. Its less conspicuous mate is, however, a stranger. They are common summer residents throughout the State, arriving in southern Indiana late in April, the migrants passing rapidly through, and, in from three days to a week, usually reaching our northern border. The following are early and late dates of its first arrival: Brookville, April 22, 1882, May 1, 1884, and 1896; Bicknell, April 18, 1896, April 24, 1894, and 1895; Bloomington, April 22, 1896, May 6, 1882; Lafayette, April 25, 1896, April 30, 1895; Sedan, April 19, 1889, April 30, 1894; Laporte, May 2, 1893, May 9, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 6, 1893; Chicago, 111., May 1, 1886, and 1896, May 11, 1894. ,

In the Whitewater Valley they frequent the wooded hillsides and uplands, being seldom found among the timber in the river bottoms.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 987

In southern Illinois, according to Mr. Ridgway, they prefer the high timber of bottom lands to upland woods. In the northern part of the State the upland oak woods are favorite haunts.

Mr. Bicknell says their ordinary note is chip-chirr, but quotes Mr. F. T. Jencks as saying that, in Illinois and Indiana, it has three notes — chip-chir-ree. He notes that its song may be heard until August 20 (The Auk, Vol. I., 1884, p. 326). To me it seems to utter a chuck-dh or chuck-ur, which is one of the characteristic sounds of the woodland. The Scarlet Tanager has a song, too, which it sings from the top of some tree. Mr. Eidgway says this resembles "somewhat that of the Eobin in its modulation, but is shriller in tone, more hur- ried, and enunciated in a peculiar, wavering style."

In spring, the males are observed in advance of the females, but usually only a few days at most. Mating follows at once upon the arrival of the latter. I observed them mating, May 4, 1886. May 15, 1897, one of my sons found an egg of this species on the ground, where it had in some manner been dropped. I found a nest, with eggs, May 20, 1886. The latter part of May and through early June nests may be found containing eggs. Their nest is a frequent recep- tacle for the egg of the Cowbird. Scarlet Tanagers begin to be less numerous in August, and generally leave before the middle of Sep- tember. However, specimens have been observed at Chicago, 111., October 3, 1895; Brookville, Ind., October 6, 1894; Zanesville, Octo- ber 22, 1896; Lebanon, September 29, 1894.

They live principally upon insects and destroy great numbers of those kinds that frequent forest trees. Dr. B. H. Warren examined 29 specimens and found that, with the exception of two, which had eaten cherries, their food was entirely insects, largely beetles (Birds of Pa., 2d Ed., p. 251). Prof. F. H. King also examined 29 specimens, and found their principal food was as follows: 26 caterpillars, 47 beetles, 11 spiders, 7 grasshoppers. They also had eaten ants, ichneu- mon flies, 6 diptera, 6 hemipterous insects, 1 dragon fly. Curculios, elaters and leaf-chafers formed a part of the beetles eaten (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 512).

"At least three years seem to be required for the assumption of the perfect plumage of the male. In the first year the young male is like the female, but has black wings and tail; in the fall red feathers begin to make their appearance, and the following spring the red predomi- nates in patches'7 (B. B. and R., Hist. N. A. Birds, L, p. 435). Occa- sionally, also, the female assumes, in part or wholly, the plumage of the male (The Auk, July, 1891, pp. 315, 316; Ibid, October, 1897, pp. 406, 407).

988 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The correction in nomenclature by which the present species be- comes P. erythromelas instead of P. rubra, which is the correct name of the Summer Red Bird, has led to much confusion, and many er- roneous records have latterly been made by those using the old nomen- clature.

*236. (610). Piranga rubra (LINN.).

Summer Tanager. Synonyms, SUMMER KEDBIRD, RED BEE-BIRD.

Adult Male. — Vermillion-red, the wings and tail similar; other up- per parts, duller than lower; bill, yellowish, darker above; feet, gray. Adult Female. — Yellowish-olive above, light ochrey-yellow beneath (Ridgway). Immature. — Like female.

Length, 7.45-7.95; wing, 3.70-3.95; tail, 2.90-3.15; bill, .82-.90.

RANGE. — America, from Peru over eastern United States to New Jersey, Indiana and eastern Kansas. Casually to Nova Scotia and Ontario;- Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters south of United States.

Nest and Eggs, similar to those of P. erythromelas.

Over a good portion of southern Indiana the Summer Tanager is a common summer resident. It is not so brightly colored as the last species and is less retiring, being often found along highways, where they pass through woods, and about the edges of timber land. They frequent the more level upland, where, among the oak and beeches of the white clay land, they are more abundant than the Scarlet Tanager in the same portion of the State. They are common as far as Han- over, the bluffs of the Whitewater near Brookville, which river they rarely cross, Bloomington, and Terre Haute. They have been noted at Greencastle and at Shades of Death, Parke County. Mr. V. H. Bar- nett noted it near Clinton, Vermillion County, August 2, 1897. Mr. Robert Ridgway has noted its appearance at Wheatland from April 18 to 23. It has first appeared at other places noted at the following early and late dates: Bicknell, April 16, 1896, April 26, 1894; Han- over, April 21, 1896, April 27, 1897; Bloomington, April 28, 1886, May 1, 1893; Terre Haute, April 26, 1890, April 28, 1888; Brookville, April 26, 1897, May 11, 1880. In the fall, they leave late in Septem- ber and early in October. The latest dates noted are Brookville, September 24, 1894; Bicknell, October 4, 1896; Wheatland, October 10, 1882.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 989

The call note is different from that of the Scarlet Tanager, sound- ing, as it comes through the woods, like per-chuck-urr. Mr. Ridgway says its ordinary notes are pa-chip-it-tut-tut-tut, or, as Wilson ex- presses it, chicky-chuck-chuck. The song resembles, in its general character, that of the Scarlet Tanager, but is far louder, better sus- tained and more musical. It equals in strength that of the Robin, but is uttered more hurriedly, is more wiry, and much more con- tinued. The male does not acquire his full plumage for several years. Therefore, the plumage is often strangely marked with red and yel- low. Females are sometimes found showing red markings. "One, shot at Wheatland, Ind., May 21, 1881, had the plumage more than one-half red, the red color being of greater extent, in fact, than on the male, which was killed by the same shot. The tint of red is very peculiar^ being of dull Chinese orange, instead of pure, rosy ver- million, as in the male. * * * The food of this bird consists, to a great extent, of hornets, wasps, and bees, on which account it is to a greater or less extent known to the farmers as the 'Red Bee-bird' ': (Ridgway, Birds of 111., I., pp. 217, 218). These and other insects constitute its summer food, but with the ripening of wild fruits and seeds in the fall, they become quite a factor in its bill of fare.

To most of us this bird was formerly known as P. cestiva (Gm.), and to the last species was given the name P. rubra (Linn.). It was found that Linnaeus' name, rubra, applied to this species, and, in at- tempting to correct an error, much trouble has been caused to those who knew them by the old names, and, in regions where both are found, confusion of data will result.

XLII FAMILY HIRUNDINID^ SWALLOWS.

a1. Nostrils opening directly upward and with very little membrane bordering edge.

61. Wing 5.00 or more; tail forked ; male glossy black. PROGNE. 143

62. Wing less than 5.00; tail nearly even.

c1. Plumage of upper parts lustrous blue-black, marked with various shades of chestnut; edge of outer quill without recurved hooks.

PETROCHELIDON. 144

c2. Plumage of upper parts pale grayish brown ; edge of outer quill with stiff recurved hooks (obscure in female). STELGIDOPTERYX. 148

a2. Nostrils opening laterally, covered more or less by a membrane or scale.

rf1. Tail forked for more than half its length ; tail feathers with white spots.

CHELIDON. 145 d2. Tail forked for less than half its length.

el. No feathers on lower part of tarsus; plumage lustrous above.

TACHYCINETA. 146

e2. Small tuft of feathers on lower part of tarsus; plumage of upper parts • dark gray. CLIVICOLA. 14.7

990 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

143. GENUS PROGNE BOIE.

*237. (611). Progne subis (LINN).

Purple Martin.

Adult Male. — Lustrous blue-black. Adult Female and Young. — Much duller above; more or less white below, streaked with gray.

Length, 7.25-8.50; wing, 5.65-6.20; tail, 3.00-3.40.

EANGE. — America, from Argentine Kepublic and Bolivia north over eastern United States to Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Mexico, south.

Nest, of grass, straw, string, paper, etc., lined with feathers; in boxes provided for them. Eggs, 4-5; pure glossy- white; .97 by .72.

The Purple Martin is a well known summer resident in most locali- ties. Some places, however, it is not found, though common a few miles away. In many localities its numbers are much less than for- merly, while in a few places it is noted as becoming more common. None of our native birds have suffered more from the English Spar- row than this. Their houses, homes in box cornices, and other nest- ing sites, have been occupied by the irrepressible little foreigner. The Martins fought bravely for their homes, but in many cases gave up the battle. In southeastern Indiana they are notably few in numbers, compared with those that summered there before the Sparrows came. This is true about all the cities and larger towns, not of this State only, but of the eastern United States generally. At Lafayette, I am informed, they were more common in 1896 than usual. In Dc- kalb County it is rare (Mrs. Hine), and is not found at Waterloo (Snyder) or at Redkey (Hathaway). I suspect, from the fact that they regularly return each spring, they will adapt themselves to cir- cumstances and once more become numerous. This could be helped by our having boxes prepared that could be put up about the time they appear or at a moment's notice when they arrive. These sites would not then be occupied by Sparrows in advance, and, with a little watchfulness upon our part the Martins would probably be secure in their occupancy of them. They would be further encouraged by keeping their houses closed each year until the time of their arrival.

The early and late records of first arrival are: Spearsville, March 21, 1894, March 29, 1897; Brookville, March 27, 1882, April 16, 1894; Bloomington, March 28, 1886, April 17, 1895; Bicknell, April 6, 1894, April 12, 1895; Greencastle, April 2, 1893, April 12, 1894; Lafayette, March 23, 1897, April 30, 1893; Eichmond, March 25, 1897; Muncie, April 3, 1897, April 28, 1893; Dekalb County, April 5, 1896, April 17, 1894; Laporte, April 4, 1893, April 14, 1894; Peters-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 991

burg, Mich., April 26, 1888, May 1, 1889; Chicago, 111., March 31, 1885, May 5, 1896. The males often arrive first and are followed later by the females.

Mating begins early in April, or at once upon arrival, if they are late. In 1896, Prof. W. P. Shannon noted that they began to build at Greensburg April 25. May 9 the nest was completed and the first egg was laid. Evidently an egg was deposited each day, for on May 13 the nest contained four eggs, and the bird had begun to sit. The young are usually able to leave the nest toward the last of June. I observed them learning to fly in 1886, from June 28 until July 9. After the young are able to fly, neither the old nor young return to the nesting site to roost.

Mr. Otto Widmann tells us, as night falls they collect in colonies in willow thickets, where they roost, and scatter again as the day breaks. Their cheery songs are heard well into July — July 21, 1897. Mr. Widmann noted them singing at St. Louis, Mo., as late as August 12. Their ordinary call is heard as long as they remain. They were last observed, at Lafayette, August 31, 1896, and September 19, 1895; at Bicknell, August 18, 1896, August 30, 1894; Vermillion County, Au- gust 14, 1897; Brookville, August 31, 1883. Often they mostly dis- appear late in July or early in August, and usually but few are seen after the middle of the latter month.

The Martin is a general favorite, yet it destroys many bees, tiger beetles and other beneficial insects. Therefore it should eat a great quantity of injurious insects to balance the destruction of those bene- ficial kinds. Prof. King informs us that five ate 14 bees, 8 tiger beetles, 2 butterflies, 9 breeze flies, 6 dragon flies, 3 mollusks (G-eol. of Wis., I., p. 24). They have also been known to capture squash beetles.

The Purple Martin migrates from tropical America, both north and south, breeding in the Argentine Republic as naturally as it does with us. Prof. F. Sumichrast reported it a resident of the Alpine region of Mexico.

141. GKNUS PETROCHELIDON CABANIS.

*238. (612). Petrochelidon lunifrons (SAY.).

Cliff Swallow.

Synonyms, EAVE SWALLOW, SQUARE-TAILED BARN SWALLOW, MUD DAUBER. Adult. — Lustrous steel-blue; forehead, whitish or brown; rump, ru- fous; chin, throat and sides of head, chestnut; a steel-blue spot on the throat; breast, sides and generally a ring around the neck, rusty-gray, whitening on the belly. Immature. — Duller; throat, black, possibly with whitish markings.

992 KEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 5.00-6.00; wing, 4.05-4.55; tail, 2.00-2.20.

KANGE. — America, from Paraguay to Labrador, Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. Breeds from Mexico (Mazatlan), north. Winters south of the United States.

Nest, a bottle or gourd-shaped structure of mud, attached to cliffs or under the eaves of buildings, lined with feathers and bits of straw. Eggs, 3-5; white, spotted with olive or rufous-brown; .81 by .55.

One of the pleasant recollections of my boyhood is of visits to the country where the large barns were elaborately decorated beneath the eaves, sometimes in a double row, with the curious, bottle-shaped nests of the Eave Swallow. I should think from one to two hundred nests could be found on a single barn, and many barns harbored large col- onies. Now they are much less common in Franklin- County. In southern Indiana they prefer the uplands for building sites, usually nesting in colonies. Sometimes, however, one, or. a few pairs, are found nesting by themselves. They usually return year after year to the same building, but occasionally change the site of a colony, deserting an old locality and seeking a new one. They now rarely build along our rivers, though I can remember when some barns there were quarters for large numbers. That would seem to be the natural place for their homes because of the ease with which mud can be ob- tained. But the sand in the mud is a discouraging feature that is re- sponsible for so few nesting there. I know of two instances in which a colony of these birds came to a barn near the river and began to construct nests. When they were almost completed they crumbled and fell. Again and again they tried to build, but each time the nests fell when they began to dry. At last, despairing of succeeding, they left the locality never to return. I know of but one instance of their building in a town. Some years ago I found a few pairs nepting about a barn near the canal at Metamora, Ind. Before the days when men built barns these birds built along cliffs. In some parts of the United States such sites are still occupied. Mr. Angus Gaines informs me they yet breed against a bluff in Knox County. In the days gone by the thoughtless farmer, with his long pole; the mischievous urchin and the prowling cat were their most persistent enemies. Later man intro- duced the English Sparrow, which in many localities has succeeded in driving the "mud daubers" away. Each year reports are made of ad- ditional localities from which they have been driven. In 1891 they and the Barn Swallows were driven from our barn by English Spar- rows (S. T. Sterling, Camden). In 1895 none appeared at Bicknell; seldom nests any more (E. J. Chansler). .Decreasing in numbers with- in the last year, 1897 (Prof. Glenn Culbertson, Hanover). Are being

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 993

driven off by English Sparrows (A. H. Kendrick, Ellsworth, 1897). Not so common as formerly; has been driven off by English Sparrows (Wabash, Ulrey and Wallace).

The impression once held was that these birds had but recently extended their range to the eastern United States. It is known, how- ever, that they were found in New York, New Hampshire, New Bruns- wick and Vermont about the time the species was described by Say. In 1819 Audubon noted them at Newport, Ky. Information concern- ing their occurrence in this State prior to 1850 is almost wanting. Dr. Haymond says: "These Swallows first built their nests in this* county (Franklin) in 1849. Previous to that time they were occasion- ally seen as migrants" (Proc. Phila. Acad. Sci., 1856, p. 287). In the early days when they built about cliffs they were unknown, save during migration, away from the vicinity of such places. Their ex- tension over the State, and over the country generally, came with the provision by man of suitable nesting sites.

Mr. Geo. L. Toppan informs me that he found two nests among a colony of these birds, each of which was of the usual gourd shape, and contained an egg of the Cowbird. It seems impossible that these in- trusive eggs could be deposited in such nests except the parent Cow- bird placed them there with her bill.

The Cliff Swallow some years arrives by April 10; others, is nearly a month later. Early and late dates of first arrival are: Brookville, April 12, 1881, April 26, 1897; Bloomington, April 18, 1884, May 2, 1893; Hanover, April 10, 1897, April 24, 1896; Delphi, April 7, 1894; Vigo County, April 15, 1896, April 26, 1897; Dekalb County, April 10, 1897, May 4, 1890; Michigan City, April 12, 1890; Petersburg, Mich., April 26, 1889; Chicago, 111., April 13, 1886, May 9, 1897. Sometimes not only the early arrivals, but late ones as well, perish from severe weather. During the very unseasonable weather of May 20 and 21, 1883, many died. After breeding they leave the vicinity of our homes, but later in the season, generally in August, are seen again as they make their way southward. The latest fall dates at hand are: Bicknell, August 25, 1896, September 5, 1894; Franklin County, September 3, 1897; Sedan, October 5, 1887. They feed upon insects, among which have been identified ichneumon flies, flies, leap-hoppers, beetles, bugs, ants, wasps and grasshoppers.

63— GEOL.

994 KEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

U5. GRNUS CHELIDON FORSTEE.

*239. (613). Chelidon erythrogaster (BODD.).

Barn Swallow. Synonym, FORK ED- TAILED BARN SWALLOW.

Adult. — Above, lustrous steel-blue; below, rufous or pale chestnut of varying shade; forehead, chin and throat, deep chestnut; breast, with an imperfect steel-blue collar; tail, with white spots on the inner web of all the feathers, except the inner pair; tail, deeply forked. Immature. — Less lustrous above; paler below.

Length, 5.75-7.75; wing, 4.60-4.90; tail, 3.70-4.10.

EANGE. — America, from southern Brazil north to Greenland and Alaska. Breeds from Mexico north. Winters in tropical America.

Nest, bowl-shaped; of mud and straw, lined with feathers, fastened by one side to timbers in a barn or to walls of a cave. Eggs, 3-5; white, spotted with olive and rufous-brown; .77 by .54.

The Barn Swallow is an abundant summer resident. It is not found in colonies as is the preceding species, but frequents barns, outhouses and old buildings in country and also in towns. There it builds inside buildings, usually a single pair occupying a building. Formerly it, too, nested in caves and in sheltered places against cliffs, but has adapted its life to the changed conditions.

Some years they arrive in southern Indiana before March is over, but that is unusual. Earliest and latest dates of first arrival are: Brookville, March 30, 1884, and 1887, April 23, 1893; Bicknell, March 31, 1897, April 19, 1894; Spearsville, April 5, 1897, April 19, 1895; Edwards, April 2, 1897; Camden, April 20, 1896, May 2, 1894; Sedan, April 17, 1896, April 29, 1895; Laporte, April 10, 1893, April 14, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 11, 1889, April 18, 1888. As with some of the other Swallows, they may be found along quiet stretches of river or about ponds and other bodies of water quite early. These are, doubtless, migrants. Often the summer residents do not appear about their breeding places until after May 1. Thus one station near a pond or lake will report migrants almost a month ahead of another but a few miles from water. They, too, are destroyed by storms. That of May 20 and 21, 1883, killed many. I found them mating April 21, 1881, and May 13 of that year found the nest with eggs. They often rear two broods and occasionally three. Before leaving, in August, they sometimes collect in considerable flocks. Usually they depart by Au- gust 20, but sometimes after all appear to have gone, migrants from

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

995

farther north appear in numbers. The following are the latest dates at which they were seen: Plymouth, Mich., August 29, 1894, Septem- ber 4, 1886; Sedan, Ind., August 24, 1889; Lafayette, September 6, 1894; Vermillion County, August 31, 1897; Brookville, September 1, 1885, September 2, 1887; Bicknell, September 29, 1896.

Barn Swallow. (Beal.— Farimer's Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture )

Prof. King found 11 had eaten 14 small moths, 40 flies (among them 33 tipulids), 6 beetles and 1 dragon fly. Prof. Forbes' investiga- tions show similar results. Many people have learned to prize these well-known birds, and still many others have not. Their value is great, for their service to mankind is great, and they are almost unob- jectionable. The dollars they save in their warfare against insects entitle them to our thought as to means for their protection and en- couragement. Openings should be left in the gables and high up on the sides of barns and other buildings and shelves or other projections provided on the outside that they may be attracted to our homes and farms.

996 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

146. GENUS TACHYCINETA CABANIS.

*240. (614). Tachycineta bicolor (VIEILL.).

Tree Swallow. Synonym, WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW.

Adult. — Above, lustrous green or steel-blue; below, pure white. Immature. — Less glossy.

Length, 5.00-6.25; wing, 4.50-4.80; tail, 2.30-2.50.

RANGE. — North America, from Guatemala to Labrador, Great Slave Lake and Alaska. Breeds from Virginia, southern Indiana and Colo- rado north. Winters from South Carolina south.

Nestt in a hole in tree or stub; of leaves and grass lined with feathers. Eggs, 3-7; white; .75 by .52.

The Tree Swallow is generally a migrant southward, but in the lower Wabash Valley and in northern Indiana it is a summer resident locally in suitable places. In some localities it is rare and in others very abundant. It doubtless formerly bred where the conditions were favorable throughout the State. Mr. E. R. Quick recalls having seen Swallows years ago in Franklin County, occupying holes in trees, in summer, which he now is satisfied were this species. They were also seen there as late as June 2, 1884. Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me that when he lived at Mt. Carmel, 111., some years ago, this Swallow "was one of the most abundant summer residents, decidedly the most numerous of the family, breeding in very large colonies in sloughs connected with the river, their nests being invariably built in aban- doned Woodpeckers' holes in dead stumps and trees. They were con- fined to the bottom lands. It» was particularly numerous immediately above the dam at the Grand Rapids, about two and a half miles above Mt. Carmel, where a great number of large trees had been killed by raising the water level following the completion of the dam. I have no reason to suppose it does not still breed there wherever there are suitable places."

It breeds along the Kankakee River, where it is reported from English Lake (Deane) and Porter County (Parker). Also in Dekalb County (Mrs. Jane L. Hine, Snyder). This species winters in num- bers regularly along the -Gulf Coast. It is the first Swallow to arrive at its breeding grounds in the spring, often appearing before the ice is out of the rivers and lakes, and the last to leave in the fall. How- ever, where it is only known as a migrant its appearance is very irregu- lar and it is usually rare, appearing nearly always later than it does at

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 997

its summer home farther north. They have been first noted at Brook- ville, April 1, 1889, and April 25, 1892; English Lake, March 18, 1894, abundant; Laporte, March 19, 1894, May 1, 1896; Chicago, 111., March 22, 1884, April 14, 1894. In the fall most of them leave by early September, but sometimes they remain later. They are recorded from Plymouth, Mich., September 3, 1894; Chicago, 111., September 28, 1894; Bicknell, Ind., September 4, 1895. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., notes them at Chicago, 111., as late as October 18.

Tree Swallow.

From its habit of building in holes in trees, being the only species that selects such sites, it is called "Tree Swallow." It has clung closely to its original nesting habit. Yet, occasionally, it is known to appropriate a Martin box, or to build under the eaves, or in some other favorable place about a building. We may expect them event- ually to change their nesting habit. They prefer to nest in the vicin- ity of water, but do not always do so.

Fourteen specimens examined had eaten 63 beetles, a number of which were weevils; 33 small dragon flies, 22 winged aphidse, or plant lice; 10 diptera, including ants and craneflies; 5 hymenoptera, 2 grass- hoppers and one spider (King, Geol. of Wis., I., pp. 515, 516). The habit of this species, as well as of the two Swallows last mentioned, of skimming the grain fields shows the insects infesting such places constitutes much of their food.

147. GENUS CLIVICOLA FORSTKR.

*241. ( "16). Clivicola riparia (LINN.).

Bank Swallow.

Adult. — Above, lustreless gray, with a band of same across the breast; remaining under parts, white; small tuft of feathers above the hind toe. Immature. — Tinged more or less with rusty or whitish.

Length, 4.75-5.50; wing, 3.70-4.25; tail, 2.10-2.25.

998 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST..

RANGE. — America, from Brazil to Labrador and Alaska. Breeds locally from southern United States north. Winters from coast of Gulf States south.

Nest, in hole which it excavates in a steep bank. Generally nest in colonies. Eggs, 4-7; pure white; .71 by .50.

Abundant summer resident, breeding in colonies wherever there are steep banks along streams or about ponds in which they can exca- vate holes for their nests. In more level localities they sometimes dig holes in railroad and other embankments, where they are built of sand. Where desirable nesting sites are lacking, the Swallows are wanting and are only seen during migrations.

Late in March or early in April, some years, they may be found about water or near a sandy or loamy bluff. Other years they are about three weeks later in arriving. Five of them arrived at Lafayette, March 20, 1897, and in 1896 the first were seen April 25. The first ar- rived at Brookville, April 3, 1884, April 27, 1893; at Bloomington, April 6, 1884; Greencastle, April 13, 1893, April 27, 1896; Edwards, April 18, 1896, April 21, 1897. At Chicago they arrived from April 20 to May 10 (Parker). Mr. D. C. Ridgley found them building a nest near Delphi, April 28, 1894. They have been noted breeding near Chicago, 111., June 17, 1894. The nests are placed at the end of galleries dug in the banks. Sometimes these excavations branch or have lateral passages, and in these two, or even more, pairs build nests.

When the young are old enough to leave the nest, they and the parents may be observed sitting on bushes or the limbs of brush along the stream. A favorite site is a telegraph wire. Where such are available, a little later, they may be found thickly strung along the wire associated with other kinds of Swallows. These Swallows have continued to nest in their old way. All other species found in the eastern United States have changed to a greater or less degree. Their white underparts, marked with a dark band across the breast, dis- tinguish them when on the wing from the Rough-winged Swallow^ which occupies similar locations. They leave through the month of August, being rarely found in September. Observed abundantly at Chicago, 111., August 4, 1896; Brookville, Ind., September, 1885, Sep- tember 1, 1886; Mr. E. R. Quick reported them from Brookville, Oc- tober 18, 1880. Its food consists of small flying insects, which it cap- tures while skimming the water or flying low over the meadows and grain fields.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 999

fl

Us. (iKNis STELGIDOPTERYX BAIRD.

*242. (617). Stelgidopteryx serripennis (And.).

Bough-winged Swallow. Synonym, BANK SWALLOW.

Adult. — Above, lustreless brownish-gray; quills and tail feathers, dusky-brown; below, light gray, whitish on belly and crissum; the edge of the wing supplied with small hooks, which are rough to the touch; no tuft of feathers above the hind toe. Immature. — With more or less of rufous tinge; lacking small hooks on the edge of wing.

Length, 4.75-5.50; wing, 3.70-4.25; tail, 2.10-2.25.

RANGE. — North America, from Panama to Connecticut, southern Ontario, Michigan, southern Montana and British Columbia. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from South Carolina and Mexico south.

Nest, in a burrow which it excavates in a steep bank, in openings in walls, in cavities about bridges and buildings and in old buildings; of grass or feathers. Eggs, 4-8; white; .75 by .53.

The Eough-winged Swallow is a summer resident throughout the State, frequenting principally such places as the Bank Swallow loves. It is, however, not so numerous as that well-known species. In the northern part of the State it is rare, and in many localities wanting. Because of the general lack of metallic lustre to the upper plumage, they are not usually distinguished. But this species may be known by its grayish throat and breast. While they breed together, excavat- ing burrows in the same bank, I have observed that the single holes away from the colony contained nests of the present species. They also nest in open joints in masonry, the foundations of buildings, mortises, holes in the sides of buildings and even within buildings, where the nest is placed on a beam. Dr. Rufiis Haymond was one of the first to call attention to the Rough-winged Swallow beginning to change its nesting habits (Field and Forest, Vol. I., 1876, p. 88; also,

E. Coues, Bulletin Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. I., 1876, p. 96, and American Naturalist, Vol. X., 1876, pp. 492, 493). The Bank Swallow has never attempted to find a better nesting site than a sandy bank.

I have found them mating as early as April 25, 1881. Prof. B. W. Evermann found nests nearly completed at Gosport, May 8, 1886. Dr.

F. W. Langdon says : "Of a dozen or more nests of this species, taken at Madisonville, 0., May 20-21, 1879, those from inland situations (along creeks and bridges) were complete in number (5 to 7) and well

1000 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

advanced in incubation; while those from river banks were, with one or two exceptions, incomplete, containing only from one to four eggs, which in all cases were fresh (Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., December, 1881, p. 338). Under the article on Belted Kingfisher, I have given Dr. Langdon's account of a burrow of each of these birds that was oc- cupied by Humble Bees.

The times of their migrations correspond with those of the Bank Swallow and, unfortunately, but few persons have distinguished them to note their movements carefully. They first arrived at Brookville, April 3, 1888, April 27, 1895; Terre Haute, April 15, 1888, April 19, 1890; Greensburg, April 27, 1895, April 28, 1894; Irvington, April 11, 1889; Bloomington, May 1, 1886; Chicago, 111., May 9, 1896. In addi- tion, they have been reported from Carroll County (Evermann); La- fayette, nests (Dr. E. Test); Knox County (Ridgway); Jefferson Coun- ty (Hubbard); Lake County (Coale); Wabash County, rare (Ulrey and Wallace). Their general habits are similar to those of the Bank Swal- low, and they are of the same utility as insect-catchers.

XLIII. FAMILY AMPELID^E. WAXWINGS, ETC.

a1. Plumage cinnamon-drab; black stripe across forhead and through eye; second- aries often tipped with red wax-like appendages. AMPELIS. 149

SUBFAMILY AMPELINJL WAXWINGS. 149. GENUS AMPELIS LINN^US.

a1. Wing over 4.00. A. garmlus Linn. 243

a2. Wing under 4.00. A. cedrorum ( Vieill. ). 244

243. (618). Ampelis garrulus LINN.

Bohemian Waxwing.

Adult. — With a conspicuous crest; forehead, stripe through the eye, chin and upper throat, black; general color, brownish-ashy, tinged with reddish on the front of crown; rump, upper tail-coverts and sec- ondaries, ashy; stripe on side of throat, and two short bands on wing, white; tips of outer web of most of the primaries, white or yellow; secondaries, with red wax-like tips; primaries, black; tail, blackish to- ward the end, but tipped with yellow; lower tail-coverts, cinnamon- rufous.

Length, 7.40-8.75; wing, 4.40-4.60; tail, 2.75-2.90.

RANGE. — Northern portions of northern hemisphere in America; south in winter, irregularly to Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1001

Colorado, Arizona and California. Breeds north of the United States.

Nest, in trees; of twigs and rootlets. Eggs, similar to those of Ampelis cedrorum, but larger; .96 by .68.

This large Wax wing is an irregular winter visitor to northern In- diana and casually farther south. I am informed by Mr. J. E. Beasley, of Lebanon, Ind., that about forty years ago (1856), when he was liv-

Bohemian Waxwings. Reduced.

ing in Indianapolis, one spring he took nineteen Bohemian Waxwings in one day near that city. They were in a flock and were flying for- ward and backward over White Eiver, catching insects after the man- ner of Flycatchers. ^

Mr. E. W. Nelson says they were unusually numerous in Cook County, 111., the winter of 1875-6, remaining in that vicinity until March 15, 1876 (Bulletin Essex Inst., Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 103). It was noted in northern Ohio in March, 1840; July 17, 1845; 1860 (Wheaton, Birds of Ohio, p. 295).

The winter of 1879-80 they appeared in Indiana, Illinois and Michi- gan in numbers. Prof. S. A. Forbes reported them from Villa Ridge, Pulaski County, 111., December 18, 1879 (Bulletin Nutt. Orn. Club,

1002 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Vol. V., p. 118). Dr. J. L. Hancock informs me that March 1, 1880, he shot two from a flock of eight that were feeding on mountain ash berries in Chicago, 111. March 30, 1880, over one hundred of these birds were killed at Whiting, Lake County, Ind., and taken to a Chicago taxidermist. They were seen by Mr. H. K. Coale. Specimens from that lot are in the collections of Mr. H. K. Coale, Mr. Geo. L. Toppan and my own. Mr. C. A. Stockbridge, in 1889, informed me that "About ten years ago" (perhaps the winter of 1879-80) "three specimens were shot near Fort Wayne. Two of these are in the col- lection of Prof. H. Duemling, at Fort Wayne and the third in my own." Mr. Stockbridge has very kindly placed his specimen in my col- lection. Prof. B. W. Evermann is certain he saw a, flock of a half dozen in the cedar trees in his father's yard, in Carroll County, several years ago (The Auk, January, 1889, p. 26). Messrs. Ulrey and Wal- lace say there is a specimen in the collection of Mr. M. L. Galbreath, at Collamer, that was taken near the Wabash County line (Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1895, p. 155). They are larger than the Cedar Birds, but resemble them in appearance and habits.

Mr. F. M. Woodruff, of Chicago, 111., writes me that several Bohe- mian Waxwings were killed January 1, 1896, from a flock of fifteen or twenty at Lake Forest, 111. Two days later another one was taken near the same place.

*244. (619) Ampelis cedrorum (VIKILL.).

Cedar Waxwing. Synonyms, CEDAR BIRD, CHERRY BIRD.

Adult. — Conspicuously crested; forehead, chin and stripe through the eye, black, the latter bordered above and the black forehead behind with white; lower eyelid and stripe on each side of the throat, white; general color, grayish-brown; tail-coverts and wings, ashy; tail, blackish toward the end and tipped with yellow; secondaries, and sometimes the tail feathery with red, wax-like tips; belly, yellowish; lower tail-coverts, white. Immature. — More grayish, with indistinct whitish streaks; chin, not black; belly, dingy whitish; no red, waxen tips.

Length, 6.50-7.50; wing, 3.60-3.90; tail, 2.30-2.60.

RANGE. — North America, Honduras and Jamaica to Labrador and fur countries. Breeds from Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Ken- tucky and Arizona north. Winters from Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Ontario south.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. . 1003

Nest, in tree, five to twenty-five feet up, or bush, in orchard, lawn, grove, etc.; of twigs, bark, leaves, etc., lined with grass and hair. Eggs, 3-5; bluish-gray, or stone-color, more or less distinctly spotted with black and dark-brown; .87 by .61.

Except during the breeding season, the Cedar Waxwings are gre- garious, wandering about the country in flocks, usually of six to twen- ty-five, sometimes of a hundred or more. They roam at will, being abundant or scarce in a locality as food is plentiful or scanty. They are resident throughout the State, but vary in numbers, being gener- ally most numerous northward in summer, from early May until October, and southward in winter and during the migrations.

Cedar Bird.

They are late breeders, nesting through June, July and August. "They share this late nesting season with the American Goldfinch. Cedar Waxwings are known as Cherry Birds from their frequent visits to the early cherry trees, and after the early cherries are gone they begin to think about nesting. ' The nest is usually placed in small trees, bushes and shrubs. They build in the fruit trees in our orchards and yards and in the shade trees along the streets of our towns.

Mr. L. T. Meyer informs me of taking its nest and five eggs in Lake County as early as June 1. Mr. J. 0. Snyder took a nest and four eggs in Dekalb County, June 27, 1885. I found young at Brook- vine unable to fly July 8, 1897, and a few weeks later— July 30— found another set of young barely able to fly. Eev. J. F. Clearwaters took a nest containing four fresh eggs near Michigan City, August

1004 REPORT *OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

14, 1891. It was built in a huckleberry bush, six feet up. Its outside diameter was 5.50 inches; inside, 5.00 inches; inside depth, 2.00 inches. It was composed of grass and small twigs, lined with grapevine bark, "old man" moss and lichens. In fall and winter wild fruit, berries and seeds form much of their food. In winter nothing attracts them so much as the hackberry (Celtis occidentalis ) . Some years, early in spring, they are found living upon redbuds. Prof. F. E. L. Beal re- ports that of 152 stomachs examined, animal matter constituted 13 per cent, and vegetable matter 87 per cent, of the food. Except a few snails, all the animal food was insects, most of which were noxious. Of the vegetable food, 74 per cent, was wild fruit or seeds, and 13 per cent, cultivated fruit, including raspberries and blackberries, which may or may not have been cultivated kinds. The Cedar Waxwing is shown to feed its young almost exclusively upon insects. Of cherries it eats only the early kinds, and them not so extensively as has been supposed. From the fact that its food is so varied, it possesses the power to become a valuable bird in an emergency which may be caused at any time by an insect outbreak. Prof. S. A. Forbes has shown that in an orchard infested with canker-worms, the most useful bird was the Cedar Bird, about 30 of which had apparently taken up their residence in the orchard and were feeding entirely on the worms. The number in each stomach, determined by actual count, ranged from 70 to 101, and it was usually nearly 100. These 30 birds were, therefore, eating the pests at the rate of 3,000 a day, or 90,000 for the month during which the caterpillar is exposed to their atta'cks (Kept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204).

They have a peculiar, lisping note, uttered in a monotone varying in pitch. As they sit among the branches of an Early Richmond cherry tree in early June, the note seems to be inhaled, and reminds me of a small boy who, when eating juicy fruit, makes a noise by in- halation in endeavoring to prevent the loss of the juice and then ex- claims, "How good!" As the birds start to fly, each repeats the note three or four times. These notes develop into a song as the summer comes on; a lisping and peculiar song that tells that the flocks are resolving into pairs as the duties of the season press upon them.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1005

XLIV. FAMILY LANIID^E. SHRIKES.

a1. Color above ashy to ashy-blue ; black stripes on sides of head. LANIUS. 150

150. GENUS LANIUS LINN.EUS. a1. Wing more than 4.25 ; feathers at base of upper mandible not black.

L. borealis Vieill. 245 a2. Wing under 4.25; feathers at base of upper mandible black.

bl. Above deep lead color; the upper tail coverts varying from near the color of back to nearly pure white. L. ludovicianus (LrNN.). 246.

245. (621). Lanius borealis VIEILL.

Northern Shrike. Synonym, BUTCHER BIRD.

Adult. — Above, bluish-gray, white on scapulars, upper tail-coverts, forehead and over eyes; wings, black; secondaries and short primaries, tipped with white and white patch at base of the primaries; ear-cov- erts, black; lores, grayish-black, the latter not meeting across forehead next to bill; a white crescent on lower eyelid; tail, black, the outer web of the outside feathers and the tips of some of the others, white; be- low, white, with wavy blackish cross bars; bill and feet, black. Im- mature.— Similar, but more brownish or buffy.

Length.— 9.25-10.75; wing, 4.35-4.60; tail, 4.50-4.75. '

EANGE. — Northern North America. Breeds from Hudson Bay north to Arctic Coast. South in winter to Virginia, Kentucky, Kan- sas, Colorado, Arizona and northern California.

Nest, of sticks, twigs, weeds, bark, grass and feathers; in low tree or bush. Eggs, 4-6; dull white, thickly spotted with light-brown and lavender; 1.10 by .80.

In southern Indiana the Northern Shrike is usually an irregular, rare winter visitor, though occasionally it is found in some numbers. Northward it is a tolerably common winter resident. It arrives from November 1 to 15, and remains an indefinite time, its length per- haps determined by the food supply. It sometimes leaves in Jan- uary or February and occasionally remains until the middle of March/ The spring dates are very uncertain. The Loggerhead Shrike is an early migrant and is often mistaken for this species. While some rare and obscure birds are carefully noted, and concerning them we have good reports; of other birds that are quite conspicuous, we lack accurate information. It would be of value to have observa- tions that shall distinguish between the Shrikes and give full infor- mation concerning the standing of each. The winter of 1880-81 this species was quite common at Brookville. The winter of 1885-6 it was numerous about Chicago, HI.

1006 REPOR^ OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Shrikes are commonly known as Butcher Birds. They live upon animal food; small birds, small mammals and insects being their main subsistence. Their life is one of continual warfare; a-preying upon others. While their bill is that of a rapacious bird, their feet are weak,

Northern Shrike. (Reduced.)

and they cannot hold their prey. For this reason they usually resort to thorn trees, where their victims are impaled upon thorns, some- times making quite an array of small birds, beetles and other food, reminding one of a butcher's rack filled with meat. They are very bold when pursuing their prey. I once watched a Shrike chase a Junco in and out among the trees, and about the buildings of my back yard, coming very close to me several times, until finally its per- sistence was rewarded by catching the frightened bird, which it car- ried off to a neighboring tree. It paid no attention to me. They have been known to kill pet birds in cages when they were exposed in the open air and to dash themselves against a window in the at- tempt to seize a bird that was in plain view through the glass. When food becomes scarce in the country they have been known to go to the cities and live principally upon English Sparrows. They in turn are sometimes preyed upon. Mr. E. J. Chansler informed me of one at Bicknell, November 25, 1894, that barely escaped capture by a Spar- row Hawk.

The Northern Shrike has been reported breeding in Indiana. That is a mistake. Its breeding ground is far to the north. The other species must have been mistaken for it.

*246. (622). Lanius ludovicianus LINN.

Loggerhead Shrike. Synonym, BUTCHER BIRD.

Adult. — Similar to L. "borealis, but smaller; lores and ear-coverts, deep black, the latter meeting across the forehead next the bill; upper tail-coverts and rump, sometimes white; below, white; sides, sometimes

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1007

grayish. Immature. — Tinged with brownish and buffy, marked with fine, wavy, dark crossbars; wings marked with buffy; black on sides of head, dusky.

Length, 8.50-9.50; wing, 3.75-4.10; tail, 3.65-4.25.

RANGE. — Eastern United States west to the Plains; from the Gulf of Mexico north on the Atlantic Coast to New Jersey and in the in- terior to the Great Lakes, Ontario and, east, along the south side of the St. Lawrence River to Maine. Winters from Missouri, southern Illinois and southern Indiana south.

Nest, low in tree or in bush, usually a thorn; of twigs, bark, grass and string. Eggs, 4-7; dull white, thickly spotted with light-brown and lavender; .97 by .73.

Summer resident, most numerous in central and northern Indiana, although in some localities elsewhere it is common. Resident some winters, at least, in the lower Wabash Valley. A specimen was taken at Mt. Canne!, 111., January 5, 1886 (Ridgway, Orn. of 111., I., p. 195).

In the northern portion of the State the specimens seem upon first notice to be the White-rumped Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus excubi- toroides (Swains.), but comparison of a series of birds shows that while many are light in color they fall between the two forms most nearly approaching the present species. The specimens from southern In- diana and into the middle of the State are darker and show at once to be this species. Few Shrikes breed south of the central part of the State. They frequent the more open, level land, making their head- quarters along hedges, about thorn trees, in which they build nests and especially preferring a telegraph line near such places. There it may be seen, a conspicuous bird in black, blue-gray and white, sitting high up, or far out, on some prominent limb or on a pole or wire, waiting for its food to pass by. Insects, and the smaller birds, mam- mals and reptiles fall prey to it, and like the Northern Shrike it im- pales them upon thorns.

They usually appear as migrants in March. Early and late first appearances extending over a number of years are as follows: Tai>- gier, March 7, 1896, March 21, 1895; SpearsriUe, March 13, 1894, March 28, 1895; Brookville, March 17, 1887, April 16, 1893; Greent- tmrg, March 21, 1896, March 24, 1895; Irvington, March 14, 1889; Petersburg, Mich., March 11, 1893, April 25, 1897; Chicago, 111., March 13, 1886, April 17, 189?.

As the woods are cleared away and hedges are planted, or thorn trees grow, these birds are appearing in new neighborhoods, and most everywhere in the more level portion of the State an increase in num- bers is noted. They sometimes breed in April. Mr. E. J. Chansler a n^et cofitaimBg six eggs at Bickneil, in April, 1897. Mr.

1008 KEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Koy Hathaway took a nest containing six well incubated eggs at "Red Key, April 28, 1895. The nest was on the limb of an apple tree in an old orchard, twenty feet up. It was composed of sticks, straws, grasses, weed stems, rags, twine, pieces of cornstalks; lined with chicken feathers. It was also used by the pair in 1894. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found nearly fully fledged young at Lafayette, May 15, 1890. They note some six or seven pairs breeding within three or four square miles adjoining that city that same spring. Prof. B. W. Evermann notes a set of six eggs taken at Pittsburg, May 10, 1884. Near Kichmond, a set of eggs was taken June 22, 1888 (H. N. Mc- Coy), and another, containing fresh eggs, June 6, 1890 (L. A. and C. D. Test).

Mr. L. T. Meyer, in remarking that they are prolific layers, says in the spring of 1886, in Lake County, the first laying of one of these birds was accidentally broken. It built another nest near by, and some boys broke the eggs. The third time it built in an orchard, and reared its young by the last of July. Early in August they begin to wander away from their breeding places, and frequently disappear from well known haunts in September. They have usually left the northern part of the State in October and most of the southern por- tion by November 1 to 15.

XLV. FAMILY VIREONID^E. VIREOS.

a1. Wings not shorter than tail ; outer toe longer than inner. VIREO. 151

151. GENUS VIREO VIEILLOT.

a1. Wing bars wanting; no conspicuous ring around eye. Subgenus VIREOSYLVA Bonaparte.

61. Primaries apparently 9, first obsolete.

c1. Wing over 3.00 ; beneath white. V. olivaceus (Linn.). 247

c2. Wing under 3.00; below mostly sulphur yellow.

V. philadelphicus (Cass.). 248

62. Primaries evidently 10; first well developed, one-half inch or more long; wing less than 3.00; below whitish; sides bufty.

V. gilvus (Vieill.). 249 a2. Wing bars conspicuous ; ring around eye distinct.

d1. Wing one-fourth or more longer than tail ; first primary very small, or apparently wanting; not one-fourth length of second. Subgenus LANI- VIREO Baird. el. Throat, breast, and ring around eye yellow.

V. flavifrons (Vieill.). 250 e2. Throat, breast, and ring around eye white.

V. solitarius (Wils.). 251

d2. Wing short and rounded, not one-fourth longer than tail; first primary two-fifths or more the length of second. Subgenus VIREO. /*. White below; sides yellow; ring around eye yellow.

V. noveboracensis (Gmel.). 252

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1009

Subgenus VIBKOSTLVA Bonaparte.

*247, (624). Vireo olivaceus (LINN.).

Bed-eyed Vireo.

Adult. — Above, olive-green; head, slate-gray; a distinct white stripe over the eye, bordered above by a dusky line; wings, not barred; below, white, sides of body lightly washed with olive; axillars and crissum, faintly tinged with yellow; iris, red.

Length, 5.50-6.50; wing, 3.10-3.30; tail, 3.15-3.30.

Note. — The larger size, dark stripe on each side of crown, and red eyes distinguish this species.

EANGE. — America, from Colombia and Trinidad over eastern North America to Labrador, the Mackenzie Valley and British Columbia. Accidental in Greenland. Breeds from Gulf States north. Winters from Florida south.

Nest, pensile, fastened by rim to a small horizontal fork, five to forty feet up; a light, thin structure of bark shreds, hornets' nest, grass and vegetable fibre, closely felted. Eggs, 3-5; white, with a few fine black and umber dots at the large end; .85 by .56.

The Eed-eyed Vireo is one of the most common birds of the wood- land. Especially is this true during the spring migrations, when many a one has, by reason of its inquisitiveness, fallen a victim to the collector's gun, and many another has revealed its identity by its inquiring tones, just in time to save its life. No bird in the woods is a greater nuisance to the collector than this Vireo. With the utmost care to avoid killing what- he does not want, some are certain to get in the way of the load.

Any spring morning after mid- April that is bright and balmy, or lowering and warm, the visitor to the woods may expect to hear a bird's voice coming from the branches above. It seems to say, "See it? See it? Who are 3rou? Cheer up." It is the Eed-eyed Vireo. He would know his caller and give some of his life of cheer to him and to all who come within these quiet forest aisles. There the sounds of man's busy^ world are shut out and Nature rules, as in pri- meval days, over all who submit themselves to her sway. The Eed- eyed Vireo's song is clear, musical and sweet. Its notes and actions are so inquisitive that one is disposed to regard it as an animated interrogation point.

The earliest record for the State is Greencastle, April 16, 1896. In 1894 it was not seen there until May 2. The following are other early and late dates when it was first seen: Brookville, April 17, 1896,

64— GEOL.

1010

REI>ORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

May 5, 1895; Bicknell, April 18, 1896, April 27, 1894; Bloomington, April 23, 1886, May 1, 1893; Lafayette, April 24, 1897, April 27, 1895; Sedan, April 21, 1896, May 5, 1889; Petersburg, Mich., April 28, 1888, May 10, 1893; Chicago, 111., May 6, 1895, May 9, 1896 and 1897. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., notes it as sometimes appearing there by May 1. I have observed them mating by May 7 (1886), and late that month and in June the nest may be found, suspended from the fork of a horizontal limb of a beech, maple or other long-limbed tree, usually from five to twenty-five feet from the ground. It is a beau-

Details of structure of Red-eyed Vireo. Natural

tiful, cup-shaped structure, built of various kinds of fibres and felted together with all sorts of material, chief of which seems to be leaves and hornets' nests. To the outside is glued mosses, lichens and vari- ous other decorations. Sometimes two broods are said to be reared. They usually leave through September, but sing almost as long aa they remain. I found them in full song September 10, 1897. The latest dates at which they have b'een noted in fall are Brookville, September 21, 1885; Bicknell, September 26, 1896; Lafayette, Sep- tember 29, 1894; Sedan, October 1, 1889; Chicago, 111., September 26, 1895; Warren County, September 25, 1897; Trafalgar, October 12, 1897. Mr. J. E. Beasley reports it from Lebanon, Ind., as late as October 23, 1894. It is one of a family of very beneficial birds. Prof. King examined 49 of these birds and found the principal food was 56 larvae, principally caterpillars; 30 insect eggs; 67 chinch bug»; 32 beetles, and 6 grasshoppers. But 14 had eaten vegetable food, which was probably all wild (Geol. of Wis., I., pp. 521, 522).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1011

*248. (626) Vireo philadelphicus (CASS.).

Philadelphia Vireo. Synonyms, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, BROTHERLY LOVE "VIREO

Adult. — Above, olive-green, the top of head gray or olive-gray; a white stripe over eye, but no dusky line above it. Below, greenish- yellow; iris, dark-brown. Immature. — Browner above. The exten- sive yellow below and the absence of the dusky line above the stripe over the eye serve to distinguish this species.

Details of structure of Philadelphia Vireo. Natural size.

Length, 4.75-5.40; wing, 2.50-2.75; tail, 1.90-8.20.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama to Assiniboia and Hudson Bay. Breeds from eastern Nebraska, central Indiana, New Hampshire and Maine, north. Winters in Central America.

Nest, pensile, suspended from forked limb, eight to ten feet from ground; of fine grass and birch bark. Eggs, 4; no apparent difference from those of V. olivaceus (Seaton, The Auk, Vol. II., 1885, p. 305).

The Philadelphia Vireo is generally a rare migrant, but in the northwestern part of the State, near Lake Michigan, it is sometimes rather common. It is also a rare summer resident. Mr. E. W. Nel- son found two pairs of these birds in a dense willow thicket, bordering Mazon Creek, in Illinois, about sixty miles south of Chicago, the first of July, 1874 (Bull. Essex Inst, Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 102). Mr. H. K. Coale took a single specimen in Starke County, Jnd., June 8, 1884. Prof. B. W. Evermann says it is a rare summer resident in Carroll and Monroe counties. In Franklin County it is very rare. Mr. Rolla Rockafellar took two specimens at Brookville, April 30, 1887, and I took it there in May, 1882, May 9, 1887, and May 23, 1883. It was observed at Spearsville, May 4 and 5, 1897 (Barnett); Green- castle, May 7, three, and May 11, 1892 (Earlle); Lake County, May 16, 1877 and 1880 (Coale); Cook County, 111., May 15, 1886 (Parker); May 19, 1877 (Coale); Petersburg, Mich., May 4, 1897 (Trombley). In the fall I found them at Brookville, September 21, 1885. They were noted at Cincinnati, 0., September 18, 1877, September 17,

1012 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1878 (Dury and Freeman); Lake County, Ind., September 25, 1875 (Coale); Chicago, 111., September 15, 1895 (Parker). This species has the size and general appearance at a little distance of the Warbling Vireo. No doubt it is often passed by because it is thought to be that bird. In the spring it is generally found, with us, in the denser woodland, where the Warbling Vireo never goes; but in the fall, in the trees, and among the bushes along streams, both species are some- times seen.

Mr. William Brewster says its song is nearly identical with that of the Eed-eyed Vireo. "The notes are generally pitched a little higher in the scale, while many of the utterances are feebler, and the whole strain is a trifle more disconnected." According to Dr. Jona- than Dwight, Jr., the speed at which the Eed-eyed Vireo utters its song is approximately twice that of the Philadelphia. Their food is principally insects.

•249. (627). Vireo gilvus (VIEILL.).

Warbling Vireo. Synonym, WARBLING GREENLET.

Adult. — Above, olive-gray, brighter on the rump, sometimes grayer on the head, wings and tail, with more or less distinct olive edgings; whitish stripe over the eye. . Below, white, breast sometimes tinged with greenish or huffy; sides slightly washed with olive; first primary very short, from a half inch to an inch long.

Length, 5.00-5.50; wing, 2.65-2.95; tail, 2.10-2.40.

Note. — The short first primary and the absence of the yellow lower parts serve to distinguish this species.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Mexico (Oaxaca) north to Manitoba and Hudson Bay. Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters south of the United States.

Nest and eggs similar to those of V. olivaceus, but usually placed higher. Eggs, .74 by .55.

The Warbling Vireo is the first of that family to arrive in southern Indiana, preceding the Eed-eyed a few days. It is first observed among the elms, cottonwoods and sycamores along streams, which are choice places for it at all times. A little later it appears in orchards and lawns, and even frequents the well-shaded streets of towns. Its presence is an- nounced by a beautiful song that comes from the top of some tall cottonwood, while the author often is invisible. Soon, however, an insect tempts him, and with a quick movement he collects it and

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1013

sings another song. Thus it is during its whole stay with us. It sings and works, morning, evening and mid-day, through the whole long summer. It is said it even sings when on its nest. It is a model of industry and cheerfulness. Its whole life while with us is spent doing good among the fruit and shade trees.

The earliest spring record is from Bicknell, where it was taken April 12, 1896, and the latest date of first arrival there is April 21, 1897. Other places their arrival has been observed as fol- lows: Brookville, April 13, 1897, April 29, 1882; Richmond, April 22, 1897; Lafayette, April 28, 1896, May 6, 1895; Sedan, April 17,

Details of structure of Warbling Vireo. Natural size.

1896, May 4, 1889; Angola, April 27, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 21, 1889, April 30, 1897. Mr. J. Gr. Parker informs me they usually arrive at Chicago, 111., May 1 to 10. I found them mating at Brook- ville, April 20, 1896, and nesting May 21, 1881. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found a nest containing three eggs near Lafayette, July 7, 1892. It was built in a willow, fourteen feet up, and out over the water. They usually leave late in August and early in September. They sing as long as they stay. Very late migrants are reported, as follows: Plymouth, Mich., September 15, 1894; Sedan, Ind., Septem- ber 18, 1892; Bicknell, September 12, 1894; Brookville, September 21, 1887.

Prof. King found that 16 Warbling Vireos had eaten 34 caterpillars, 5 beetles, 3 bugs, 5 flies, and 1 grasshopper (Geol. of Wis., L, p. 521). In an orchard infested with canker-worms Prof. Forbes found that 35 per cent, of their food was canker-worms (Rept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204).

Submenus LANIVIREO Baird.

*250. (628). Vireo flavifrons VIEILL.

Yellow-throated Vire*o. Synonym, YELLOW-THROATED GKEENLET.

Above, bright olive-green; rump, upper tail coverts and wing coverts, ashy; wings and tail, blackish, with two white bars crossing the for- mer; line from nostrils to the eye and ring around the eye, yellow. Below, throat and breast, yellow; other under parts, white.

1014 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Length, 5.00-5.85; wing, 3.00-3.20; tail, 2.00*2.30.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia and Cuba north over eastern United States to Newfoundland, Ontario and Manitoba. Breeds from Gulf of Mexico, north. Winters from Florida, south.

Nest, pensile; in fork of twig, three to thirty feet up; of fine bark, grass and spiders' webs, outside beautifully decorated with lichens. Eggs, 3-5; white, with spots of chestnut-brown, umber and black, chiefly at the larger end; .79 by .58.

Details of structure of Yellow-throated Vireo. Natural size.

Common migrant. Summer resident in some numbers northward, and more rarely southward. Breeds. Mr. Robert Ridgway reports it breeding in Knox and Gibson counties, where he says it frequents the luxuriant forests of the bottom lands. Mr. V. H. Barnett found a nest in an elm on the bank of a creek in Brown County, May 16, 1897. In the southeastern portion of the State it frequents wooded hillsides especially, where there is a considerable undergrowth. While it may breed there, I have no knowledge that it does. I found them paired at Brookville, May 4, 1886. Dr. F. W. Langdon notes that a few remain and breed about Cincinnati, 0., and Mr. A. M. Hadley reports it breeding near Richmond, Ind. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test report it breeding at Lafayette, and from there northward it appears to nest more numerously.

Dates of earliest and latest first arrival are as follows: Bloom- ington, April 17, 1886, April 20, 1896; Brookville, April 19, 1881, May 7, 1885; Spearsville, April 19, 1894, April 24, 1895; Richmond, April 22, 1897; Greencastle, April 25, 1895; Lafayette, April 26, 1897, April 28, 1895; Chicago, 111., April 21, 1895; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 5, 1889.

It has a "fine and peculiar song, commencing always with a clear and mellow queery, queery" It is quite different from that of either the Red-eyed or the Warbling Vireo. It has an alarm note that reminds me of that of a wren. I have only heard its song in the spring, though it is said to sing sometimes until early September.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1015

l

To me it seems the most sluggish of the Vireos. They begin their fall migration early in September, sometimes as early as the first of that month. Some years they are passing into October. The following are the latest dates I have: Plymouth, Mich., September 10, 1894; Chicago, 111., September 21, 1896; Lafayette, Ind., September 2, 1896; Bicknell, September 18, 1894; Brookville, October 13, 1887.

Of 21 specimens examined, 7 had eaten caterpillars, among them geometers; 7, beetles, among them weevils and buprestis; 3, grass- hoppers; 2, moths; 2, heteropterous insects, among them leaf-hoppers.; 3, dipterous insects (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 523). While they are with us, practically their whole food is insects.

251. (629). Vireo solitarius (WiLs.).

Blue-headed Vireo. Synonyms, SOLITARY VIREO, SOLITARY GREENLET.

Details of structi/re of Blue-headed Vireo. Natural size.

Above, top and sides of head and nape, bluish-ash; back and upper tail coverts, olive-green; wings and tail, blackish, edged with olive- green, the former crossed with two whitish bars; line from nostril to eye and ring around eye, white. Below, white; sides, . greenish- yellow.

Length, 5.00-6.00; wing, 2.90-3.00; tail, 2.10-2.20.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Guatemala and Cuba north to Hudson Bay and Mackenzie Eiver (Ft. Simpson). Breeds from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan, north. Winters from Florida, south.

Nest, pensile; in bush, five to eight feet up; of bark and" fibres, outside often decorated with lichens. Eggs, 3-4; white, wreathed with chestnut or black spots about the larger end; .79 by .55.

Tne Blue-headed Vireo is a regular migrant; some years it is com- mon, others rare. In the Whitewater Valley they frequent the wooded hillsides and upland woods, where they seem to prefer the undergrowth rather than the trees. In southern Indiana they arc

1016 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

found from April 23 to May 7, and in the northern part of the State from April 29 to May 14, and occasionally to May 26. In the fall they first appear northward September 1, and sometimes linger in the southern part of the State until October 10. The earliest and latest dates of first appearance in spring are as follows: Brookville, April 23, 1892, May 7, 1885; Richmond, April 26, 1897; Bloomington, April 28, 1895, May 9, 1892; Carroll County, May 10, 1884; Lafayette, May 14, 1892; Sedan, May 11, 1888; Petersburg, Mich., April 29, 1888, April 30, 1897; Chicago, 111., May i, 1896, May 23, 1896, May 26, 1894. They were last noted in fall at Sedan, September 22, 1889; in Lake County, September 18, 1888; Chicago, 111., September 17, 1896; Brookville, Ind., October 5, 1886; Greencastle, October 10, 1890. I have no knowledge of its breeding in Indiana. During the migrations, I have found them quiet and shy. They are, however, more active than the Yellow-throated Vireo. I have never heard its song, though it is said to sing during the migrations. Dr. T. M. Brewer says its song is "a prolonged and very peculiar ditty, repeated at frequent intervals, and always identical. It begins with a pleasant warble, of a gradually ascending scale, which at a sudden pitch sud- denly breaks down into a falsetto note. The song then rises again in a single high note and ceases/'

"One specimen of three examined had eaten two caterpillars, one bee- tle and a hymenopterous insect" (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 523). The spring of 1897 I took some lice from a specimen of V. solitarius and sent them to Prof. Herbert Osborn, Ames, Iowa. He informs me that they are a species of Docopliorus, belonging to the communis group. This is the first record he had of it from a. Vireo.

Subgenus VIREO Vieillot.

*252. (631). Vireo noveboracensis (GMEL.).

White-eyed Vireo.

Adult. — Above, bright olive-green, including crown; rump, brighter; a slight ashy gloss on the cervix; below, white, the sides of the breast and belly, the axillars and crissum, bright yellow; a bright yellow line from nostrils to and around eye; lores, dusky; two broad, yellowish wing bars; inner secondaries widely edged with the same; bill and feet, blackish plumbeous; eyes, white.

Length, 4.50-5.00; wing, 2.35-2.50; tail, 1.90-2.10.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, 'from Rocky Mountains, Hon- duras to Minnesota and New England. Breeds throughout its United States range and in the Bermudas. Winters from Florida southward.

BIKDS OF INDIANA.

1017

Nest, in thickets, second-growth and swampy places along streams; oblong, bag-shaped, depending from a horizontal forked twig of tree or bush near ground (1 to 4 feet, rarely 8 feet); composed of moss, cocoons, bark, grass, lichens; lined with fine strips of bark. Eggs, 3-5; white, speckled with reddish-brown and dark purple; .72 by .54.

Details of structure of White eyed Vireo. Natural size.

4

The White-eyed Vireo is a summer resident throughout most of Indiana. It is common in suitable localities in the southern part of the State, generally northward it is more rare, and in the north- western part, particularly about Lake Michigan, it seems to be want- ing. It frequents thickets, brier patches, undergrowth in more open woods and the tangle about ravines in the rougher part of the State. It is seldom found far from water, and appears to be most often noticed about the edges of the denser growths, where it makes its home. While the greater number of persons do not know it, and it would be a strange bird to them, it is probable that those who are ac- quainted with it overestimate its numbers. They are often heard, but many birds whose voices we seldom hear are more numerous. They are irregular in their distribution, and every copse where they are found shelters one pair, and only one. When the bird discovers an intruder it comes to meet him. First flying to some opening where it can get a good look at him unperceived, it next makes itself known by a sharp "click," which is surprising in its suddenness. This is followed by a peculiar, jerky song, uttered with an alternating emphasis and repeated over and over again, as the fidgety little green bird is alternately seen and heard among the bushes close by the path. Mr. Eidgway says the boys in southern Illinois have interpreted its song as "chick'ty-beaver, lim'ber, stick," with special emphasis on the first syllable of each word. In Bermuda the natives say its notes are "ginger beer, quick!" Its song is heard in the morning and at mid- day; it sounds on bright and dark days alike, and continues, with sometimes a slight interruption in midsummer, from the day of its

1018 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

arrival in the spring, through humid periods and droughts, to the time of its departure. September 14, 1897, it was heard singing as plainly as in June. In early springs they are usually distributed to our north- ern limits before the first of Maj^ and more tardy seasons they are sometimes two weeks later. At Brookville their first appearance was noted April 21, 1896, May 11, 1882; at Bicknell, April 19, 1896, April 25, 1895; Spearsville, April 25, 1895, May 4, 1897; Greencastle, April 27, 1892, May 2, 1894; Lafayette, April 28, 1894, May 11, 1897; Waterloo, April 25, 1897. I found them paired May 2, 1884. Their nests vary in material according to location. Almost any available kind of material that can be worked in is used. Even fragments of newspapers are frequently worked in. For that reason Wilson called this bird the "Politician." They are built at the ends of horizontal forked twigs, from which they hang as purse-like structures to receive the most valuable possessions of their makers. Mr. Nehrling says: "The average length of the nest 'is 4.50 inches, the width at the rim 2.25 inches and somewhat wider toward the middle. The interior is about 2.00 inches deep, the opening 1.75 inches wide. At the time when the female begins to lay, the nest looks rugged and unfinished, and small branches of lichens hang down from it. The work is com- pleted by the male, which labors assiduously to embellish and orna- ment the exterior."

They have been noted in the fall at Brookville, September 20, 1886; in Warren County, September 12, 1897; at Sedan, September 27, 1889.

Like the other members of its family, its food while with us is principally insects, notably in its season, the larvae of the canker- worm. When in the south in winter it supplements its insect diet with palmetto berries and other wild fruit.

XLVI. FAMILY MNIOTILTID^E WOOD WARBLERS.

a1. Bill depressed, broader than deep at base ; rictal bristles distinct ; bill notched at tip ; length 5.50 or less.

61. Lower parts yellow ; throat sometimes more or less black. SYLVANIA. 162

62. Lower parts without yellow in our species. SETOPHAGA. 163 a2. Bill not depressed, without distinct hook or notch at tip; rictal bristles, if

present, scarcely reaching beyond the nostrils. c1. Size small; length let* than 6.50; bill slender, nearly cylindrical.

dl. Hind toe with claw as long as naked portion of tarsus in front; color

black and white; no yellow. MNIOTII/TA. 152

f/2. Hind toe with claw much shorter than naked portion of tarsus in front.

e1. Middle toe with claw much shorter than naked portion of tarsus in

front; or wings barred with white (Dendroica dominiea)\ or outer tail

feathers shortest (Geoiklypis trichas).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1019

f1. Gape without apparent bristles; bills very acute.

HELMINTHOPHILA. 1-56 f2. Gape with distinct bristles. gl. Tail blotched with white, or inner webs of tail feathers brigh

yellow.

A1. Back blue with gold spot; throat and legs yellow; bill acute, notch wanting. COMPSOTHLYPIS. 157

h2. Coloration otherwise; bill not acute, plainly notched.

DENDROICA, 158 q2. Tail without white or yellow.

il. Length 5.50 or more; white beneath with dark streaks.

SEIURUS. 159 t2. Length less than 5/0; yellow beneath, not streaked.

GEOTIILYPIS. 160

c2 . Middle toe with claw about equal to naked portion of tarsus in front. j1. Tail feathers partly white; head and lower parts bright yellow. PROTONOTARIA. 153

j2. Tail feathers without white.

k1. Bill much compressed ; culmen straight, with a ridge at base; top of head pale brown. HELINAIA. 164

k2. Bill not much compressed, culmen gently curved, base not ridged ; top of head buff with two black stripes.

HELMITHERUS. 155

c2. Size large, more than 7.00; bill stout, much compres ed, without notch or bristles; tail longer than wing. ICTERIA. 161

152. GENUS MNIOTILTA VIKILLOT.

*253. (636). Mniotilta varia (LINN.).

Black and White Warbler. Synonyms, BLACK AND WnitE CREEPER, BLACK AND WHITE CREEPING WAHBLER.

Adult Male. — Entirely black and white in streaks, except on the belly, inner webs of tail feathers with more or less white; black on top of head, in front, below and behind eye; a white stripe through the middle of crown; one over the eye and one on each side of throat; throat, black; wing, with two white bars. Female and Immature. — Duller, and throat white.

Length, 4.55-5.50; wing, 2.60-2.90; tail, 1.95-2.25.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia and Venezuela over Eastern United States to Mackenzie Valley (Ft. Simpson). Breeds from Gulf States northward. Winters from Florida and Gulf Coast southward.

Nest, on ground against a bush or tree, or under a root, stone or bush; composed of leaves, grasses, strips of rotten wood; lined with hair, moss, rootlets or fine grass. Eggs, 5, rarely 4; white or creamy- white, speckled and spotted with chestnut, bay, hazel, cinnamon, rufous or lavender-gray, most abundant near large end, where often arranged in wreath; .69 by .54.

1020 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

First to arrive among the warblers of the woodland is the Black and White Warbler. While the Myrtle Warbler may be found along the willow thickets some years before it comes, and the attractive song of the Sycamore Warbler sound from the tall, white trees above, they are not in the woods. There, particularly in the drier woodland, the well-known song of this symphony in black and white is borne to one's ears, but it requires sharp eyes to distinguish its form among the lights and shadows of the corrugated bark of the tree trunks. Persistence will be rewarded, and this warbler will reveal himself, a creeper with motion and habits that remind one much of a Nuthatch. The early arrivals are males. If they are very early the females may not come for ten days or more. Then both are very common most

Head of Black and White Warbler. Natural size.

years until early or late May, depending upon whether the observer is located north or south. A few always breed throughout the State. Then, in August, the migrants begin to return, and they are again common until late September and occasionally well into October. The first arrival at Brookville in 1882 was April 3d, in 1893, May 5. Other early and late spring dates of first arrival are: Bloomington, April 7, 1893; Eichmond, April 17, 1897; Greensburg, April 18, 1896, April 27, 1895; Lafayette, April 18, 1896, May 6, 1894; Sedan, April 16, 1896, May 6, 1889; Chicago, April 17, 1886, May 9, 1894. I have observed them mating at Brookville, April 30, 1894. Its call is a sharp chip — a regular Warbler's call. The song is diligently poured forth at all hours of the day during migration. It sounds something like, "easy-easy-easy-easy-easy," the word repeated four to six times in a drawling monotone. It varies, however, in volume, being at times uttered very low and again sounding loud and distinct, carrying plainly a long distance.

The song season continues well into June. Mr. Bicknell says they sing again for a short season in mid-August. Nests with eggs may be found on the ground in retired woodland late in May and in June.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1021

They are usually cleverly hid and quite difficult to find. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test took a nest with 6 eggs at Lafayette, April 30, 1897.

Migrants usually begin to return late in August. The following dates note the first appearance: Chicago, August 27, 1895; Lafayette, August 28, 1897; Greensburg, August 30, 1894. The latest fall dates are as follows: Plymouth, Mich., September 10, 1894; Chicago, 111., September 26, 1893; Lafayette, September 12, 1896; Greensburg, September 3, 1894; Lake County, Ind., September 11, 1881; Warren County, September 16, 1897; Brookville, September 6, 1896.

A very late date is October 12, 1878, when Messrs. Dury and Free- man took it at Cincinnati. As an index to their food while here, I give the l^Uowing: Of seventeen specimens examined, three ate 5 ants; 2, 21 caterpillar?, 20 of which were small, measuring worms; 3, 4 moths; 3, 5 diptera; 6, 16 beetles; 2, 7 heteroptera; 1, a caddis fly, and 1, a small snail (Physa). Two had eaten 101 insect eggs, which were probably contained in insects eaten by the birds (King, Geol. of Wis., pp. 499, 500). Much of their food is very small insects, a great deal of those kinds that live upon forest trees and also trees of the orchard and lawn, which they sometimes visit.

153. GEVUS PROTONOTARIA BAIRD.

*254. (637). Protonotaria citrea (BODD.).

Prothonotary Warbler. Synonym, GOLDEN SWAMP WARBLER.

Adult Male. — Entire head, neck and lower parts, except cris- sum, .rich orange yellow; crissum, white; back, olive-green; wings, rump and tail, bluish-gray; tail feathers, except middle pair, with white on inner web and tipped with dusky. Adult Female. — Similar, but colors not so bright; more white below.

Length, about 5.00-5.50; wing, 2.90-3.00; tail, 2.25.

EANGE. — East North America, from Panama and Cuba to Nebraska, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Casual in Maine, New Brunswick and Ontario. Breeds from Gulf of Mexico to Virginia, northern Indiana and Michigan. Winters south of United States.

Nest, in a natural cavity or excavation, in a tree or stump, often willow standing in or near water; composed of moss, roots, hair, leaves, plant fibre. Eggs, white, creamy or drab, generally glossy, more or less blotched and spotted with cinnamon, chestnut or gray (the latter often indistinct). Number, usually 6, often 5-7; rarely 3, 4 and 8. Eggs rounded ovate; .79 by .60; .62 by .54; average .70 by .57.

1022 REPORT OF STATE UEOLOGIST.

The Prothonotary Warbler is locally a summer resident and is in some places common. Its route of migration is up the Mississippi River to the Ohio, where a large number turn off to ascend the latter stream. Others keep on up the Mississippi, some leaving it at the Kaskaskia, the Missouri and the Illinois rivers, which they ascend a greater or less distance, while others continue along the main stream, ascending as far as Davenport, la. As they move along the Ohio they spread over the lowlands of southern Illinois. The Ohio Valley, above the mouth of the Wabash River, is unattractive to these swamp- loving birds, and they turn aside at the latter stream, ascending it to its source and crossing over into Ohio, where they have been found breeding at St. Mary's Reservoir, and to the vicinity of Cleveland, where it has been identified. It also occurs throughout the Kankakee River Valley in this State, and reaches the vicinity of Chicago, 111., southwestern Michigan to Elkhart, Lagrange, Dekalb and Steuben counties, Ind.

The first account of its occurrence in Indiana was published by Mr. William Brewster in the Bulletin of the Nutthall Ornithological Club, 1878, p. 153, and details of a visit to the haunts of these birds in Wabash County, 111., and Knox and Gibson counties, Ind. In 1884 Mr. H. K. Coale found it common at Davis Station, Starke County, and about the same time took a specimen on the shore of Lake Michi- gan in Lake County, Ind. These observations have been supple- mented by many notes which show that about the swamps, cypress ponds and sluggish streams of the lower Wabash Valley, in some parts of the Kankakee Valley, notably at Water Valley, English Lake, Davis Station, Kouts and locally in Lagrange County,- it is common and breeds abundantly. Mr. J. W. Byrkit has taken o::e specimen near Michigan City. Mrs. Jane L. Hine and Mr. J. P. Feagler have seen it in Dekalb County, and Hon. R. Wes. McBride took it in Elkhart County. Prof. B. W. Evennann has taken it in Carroll County (The Auk, Vol. VI., pp. 2(5, 27. Mr. Ghauncey Juday reports it from Monroe County, where a specimen was taken at Har- rodsburg, April 26, 1895.

Mr. J. E. Beasley took it at Lebanon, Boone County, May 23 and 29, 1894. In the remainder of the State, east and south of the valley of the Wabash River, it is practically unknown. The only two records are one given by Ur. Loucks in the publication referred to, upon the authority of Mr. J. H. Hitt, of Indianapolis, from Newcastle, where he mentions one nest having been found, and one specimen taken by Mr. E. L. Guthrie at Adams, Decatur County, and identified by Mr. John W. Shorten, of Cincinnati. In May, 1891, Mr. H. W.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1023

McBride made a trip by boat from Pleasant Lake, Steuben County, following Pigeon Creek to its mouth, thence down the St. Joseph Kiver to Elkhart, Ind. He passed through parts of Steuben, Lagrange and Elkhart counties, and St. Joseph County, Mich. May 9, 1891, he saw the first Prothonotary Warbler, a male, about five miles west of Angola. No others were seen in that county until the 13th of the month, when they were found breeding abundantly along the creek in Lagrange County, about six miles west of Lima, Except Red- starts and Cat Birds, they were the most common bird in that locality, actively engaged in nest building, over a stretch of territory two miles long. In a distance of about a half mile by the creek, he found eight nests without leaving his boat, none of which were quite completed. For about five miles then none were seen, although the character of the country and timber was the same. The nests were all in old Wood- peckers7 holes in stubs over the water, and were composed of rootlets, grass and moss. He mentions one male taken which had a patch of orange-red surrounding the base of the bill. They were next found May 14, in Mattville Township, St. Joseph County, Mich., and for a distance of three and a half or four miles from White Pigeon were to be heard or seen all the time. Then no more were observed. They were located in colonies in low, damp, heavily-timbered country.

They arrive early in spring. Mr. Brewster noted them in Wabash County, 111., and Knox County, April 19, 1878, and apparently all had arrived April 27. Mr. Ridgway noted the first in Knox County, Ind., April 18, 1881. Mr. A. H. Kendrick noted the first arrival at Ells- worth, Vigo County, April 10, 1896; Davis Station, May 11, 1884, more common May 18, 1884 (Coale). First arrival Elkhart County, April 16, 1891; Frankfort, April 20, 1896, common April 27, 1896; Waterloo, April 29, 1896 (Feagler); Steuben County, May 9, 1894.

When they first arrive they are silent and keep to the top of the small trees. Before they begin to be seen commonly about the water they commence singing. At a distance the song sounds much like the notes of the Solitary Sandpiper, but nearer at hand it resembles, "peet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet," uttered in a ringing, penetrating tone at a rather high pitch. This sounds through the swamps morning, noon and night. Mating begins soon after arrival, and then comes searching for Woodpeckers' holes, natural cavities, and other suitable nesting places in stumps and dead trees. In such places the nest is built, and almost always in or over water. The fe- males construct the nest and incubate the eggs. After they are com- pleted a few days elapse before laying begins. An egg is laid daily

1024 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

until the set is complete. It is said generally to rear two broods a season. The period of incubation is given at ten days to two weeks. The male supplies the female with food, but after the young are hatched it requires the combined efforts of both parents to keep them supplied with food, generally insects. Mr. Loucks mentions one nest that contained ten eggs, and thinks more than one bird must have laid them. In the southern part of the State they sometimes have full sets of eggs in April, but in its more northern homes it seldom has a complement before late in May. Mr. Eobert Eidgway found a nest and four fresh eggs near Mt. Carmel, 111., April 27, 1878. May 13, 1891, Mr. H. W. McBride found no completed nests in Lagrange County, Ind. May 28, 1896, Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., found two nests containing young, and one with fresh eggs, along the Kankakee River, near Kouts. May 31, 1885, Mr. Coale found nests containing fresh eggs at Davis Station. At the same place, June 8, 1884, he found four nests with eggs partly incubated, and a week later, June 15, he found young out of the nests.

The localities they select for summer homes are of their own choos- ing, and we do not understand the rule they apply or the reason for their choice. Often in one locality they are common, while another, near by it, may be passed over and no Prothonotaries frequent it. They are not usually known. The uninviting places they seek are not commonly frequented by men other than naturalists, and the birds do not wander from the precincts of their retreats. They may, therefore, be very abundant in a swamp and be absolutely unknown to the in- habitants of the neighboring farms. When the young can fly and care for themselves, perhaps in July, they begin to become less notice- able. Fewer and fewer their numbers grow, until finally the last have passed away, retracing their steps of the preceding spring. The latest record I have is September 3, 1884, when a bird of the year was taken by Mr. Coale at Davis Station.

154. GENUS HELINAIA AUDUBON.

*255. (638). Helinaia swainsonii AUD.

Swainson's Warbler.

Adult. — Above, crown and nape, reddish-brown; rest of upper parts, including sides of neck, olive; rump, wings and tail, tinged with brownish; buffy or whitish stripe over the eye; below, creamy; sides, olive, or grayish. Young, First Plumage.— Wings and tail, like adult, but other upper parts, including crown and nape, also throat and breast, dull cinnamon-brown.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1025

Length, 5.55; wing, 2.80; tail, 2.00; bill, .65 by .74.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, West Indies and Mexico, north to Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Probably breeds through- out its United States range. Winters south of United States.

Nest, in bush or canes, near ground or water (2 to 5 feet); of dry leaves, lined with pine needles and dry moss. Eggs, 3, rarely 5; white, very rarely, faintly marked; .74 by .56.

Much interest attaches to Swainson's, just as there does to Bach- man's Warbler, on account of its history. Both birds were discovered by Rev. John Bachman, near Charleston, -S. C., the former in 1832, the latter the year following. Swainson's Warbler remained almost unknown for forty years. Up to 1873 but three additional specimens appear to have been noted. That year Mr. N. C. Brown found it at Coosada, Elmore County, Ala. It was found later in Louisiana and Texas. In 1878 it was identified by Mr. Robert Ridgway in Knox County, Ind., where he says it breeds (Bulletin, Nutt. Orn. Club, 1878, p. 163; Dm. of 111., I., pp. 121-123). It has since been determined to be a not uncommon summer resident in the vicinity of Charleston, S. C., where a number of its nests have been found. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne and Mr. Wm. Brewster have given accounts of its occurrence there (The Auk, Vol. II., 1885, pp. 65-80; Ibid, pp. 346-348). Mr. Brewster tells us it is a swamp-inhabiting bird, frequenting a peculiar kind of swamp. The favorite locality is called locally "pineland gall." He says : "Four things seem indispensable to its existence, viz. : water, tangled thickets, patches of cane and a rank growth of semi-aquatic plants." Its song consists of a series of clear, ringing whistles, the first four uttered rather slowly and in the same key, the remaining five or six given more rapidly, and in an evenly-descending scale." In general effect it recalls the song of the Water Thrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) .

It is very loud, very rich, very beautiful, while it has an indescrib- ably tender quality that thrills the senses after the sound has ceased. This Warbler is a sluggish bird, and is noted as being unsuspicious, or even inquisitive, retiring and, save when singing, very quiet. In all this it is directly the opposite of its near relative, the Worm-eating Warbler. It appears to nest indiscriminately in bushes in water, along the borders of streams or ponds and on high, dry land at some distance from water.

65 — GEOL.

1026 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

155. GENUS HELMITHERUS RAFINKSQUB.

*256. («39). Helmitherus vermivorus

Worm-eating Warbler.

Head of Worin-eating Warbler. Natural size.

Adult. — Head, black; a broad stripe through the middle of the crown, and one stripe over the eye, buff; a black stripe from eye back- ward; other upper parts, olive-green; wings, sometimes brownish; be- low, buff, lighter on the throat, belly and crissum. Immature.— More buffy below; head, with black more or less replaced with brown. * Length, 5.00-5.75; wing, 2.65-2.90; tail, 1.90-2.20; bill, .60-.65; tar- sus, .70.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Yucatan and West Indies to Connecticut, Indiana and Nebraska; casually to Maine and Mich- igan. Breeds throughout' its United States range. Winters south of United States.

Nest, in woods, dense grown with underbrush, at foot of tree or bush under overhanging bank, stone or root; made of dried leaves, lined with (hair moss, Pa. and N. C.) grass, horsehair. Eggs, 4, 5, 6, rarely 3; white or creamy- white, speckled and spotted, generally thick- est at larger end, but not always, with chestnut, hazel, lavender-gray; .68 by .55.

The Worm-eating Warbler not many years ago was ' considered a rare bird in Indiana, but since its habits are better known it is -found to be over the southern portion of the State, at least in suitable places, a common summer resident. Its home is among the denser wood- lands, especially in rough country, on hillsides and in ravines, where "down timber" and underbrush is plentiful. In the Whitewater Val- ley in such localities it is one of the most abundant woodland species. No bird in its haunts exceeds it in numbers, unless it be the Oven Bird (Seiurus aurocapillus). In the lower Wabash Valley it is com- mon. Prof. B. W. Evermann notes it as not common in Monroe County; rare in Vigo County, and does not give it in his list of Birds of Carroll County. He took a nest and three eggs at "Pine Hills," in Montgomery County, May 30, 1887. It is not common in Brown

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1027

•

County (Bariu'tl). On the wooded hillsides and in the ravines along Sugar Creek in Parke and Montgomery counties I found it common in May, 19 and 20, 1887. At Lafayette it is not common, but breeds (L. A. and C. D. Test). In Dekalb County Mr. H. W. McBride found it tolerably common and breeding in May, 1890. It has also been noted rarely in that county in the vicinity of Waterloo by Mr. J. P. Feagler; at Sedan, by Mrs. Jane L. Hine. Mrs. Hine also observed it one sum- mer (June 4) at Fish Lake, Steuben County. It has even crossed the line into Michigan, where it is noted as rare in Lenawee and Hillsdale counties (Cook, Birds of Michigan, p. 128).

In the northwestern portion of Indiana, beyond the Wabash River, I do not know of its occurrence, yet it has been taken on the shore of Lake Michigan at AYaiikegan, 111., above Chicago, May 21, 1876 (Bulletin, Essex Inst., Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 98). Since 1879 I have noted its arrival at Brookville almost every spring. The earliest date it was first seen is April 17, 1896; the latest, May 3, 1882. It has been very hard to obtain data as to its movements. However, the following dates give the reported first appearance from the places and years named: Knox County, April 24, 1881; Bloomington, April 25, 1885, May 4; 1886: Spearsville, April 25, 1895, April 29, 1894; Lafayette, May 8, 1897, May 21, 1892; Waterloo, May 3, 1896. I have observed them mating by April 26, 1881, and as late as May 18, 1883, but am inclined to think some years they begin earlier then the first named date. They proceed at once to nest building. Mr. E. R. Quick found a nest five miles south of Brookville June 3, 1882. The locality is similar to that usually occupied, so I let the discoverer tell of it: "It (the nest) was situated on a densely wooded hillside, on the almost perpendicular bank of a gully, and was overhung by the base of a small shrub. It was composed of dried leaves and lined with fine shreds of bark of the grapevine. When driven from the nest, the bird refused to leave the vicinity, but with distended tail and fluttering wings moved round «ie at a distance of a few feet> until I called a companion, on whose appearance she flew away. The nest contained two addled eggs and one half-fledged young. The eggs were about the size of those of the summer Yellow Bird (D. cestiva), with diameter proportionately greater. They are pure white, dotted every- where with light reddish-brown, most thickly at the larger end" (Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1882, p. 94).

Prof. W. S. Blatchley took a nest and six fresh eggs, and one of the Cowbird, near Bloomington, May 12,^1886. The nest was at the base of a clump of ferns, and was composed of the leaves of "Maiden Hair" fern. The next day Prof. B. W. Evermann took a nest from a similar

1028 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

•

location, containing five of the owner's eggs and two of the Cowbird. I have a young bird not able to fly that was taken near Greencastle. It very probably breeds wherever it is found in the State.

In 1886 I found young, July 1, at Brookville. The song very much resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow (S. socialis), and to the casual listener is not distinguishable from that bird. It is well to remember that whenever one hears the song of a "Chippy" in our denser woods it is not that bird, but a Worm-eating Warbler. Its song ceases about the middle of July. After it ceases singing and the young are able to care for themselves, they begin to leave. Their numbers keep on growing less and less until the last are usually gone late in August.

The Test brothers have found it at Lafayette as late as August 24, 1896., and I observed it at Brookville September 3, 1883. Its name has been given it from its habit of eating worms. It is a, diligent searcher after grubs and other larvae under the bark and among the decaying wood of limbs, fallen trees, rotting logs and other forest wreckage found lying upon the ground. The site of a "wind fall'' is a favorite spot with them. And they are not averse to catching the insects along any old worm fence that passes through the woods. If one keeps quiet they are willing to come quite near to him, even upon the same log he is using for a seat. They move by hops, and I am always thinking' of the motions of a Black and White Warbler as I see them, now going along a log and then going around it and under it, often when it would seem the hole was too small to permit the bird's body to pass through. They are very diligent and keep occupied all day long, but the time of greatest activity is in the morning and evening. When disturbed it often flies into a bush or even from twenty to forty feet up in a tree, and after a period of quiet waiting, during which it remains motionless, if nothing further disturbs it, the rattling, chipping song is uttered again and again. Presently it ceases and flies to its former hunting ground, uttering several vigor- ous, sharp "tchips," -which very much resemble the call-note of the Oven Bird.

156. GENUS HELMINTHOPHILA RIDGWAY.

a1. Wing varied with white and yellow.

61. Wing with large yellow patch ; beneath not yellow.

H. pinus (Linn.). 257

62. Wing with two white bands; beneath bright yellow.

H. chrysoptera (Linn.). 258 a . Wing not varied. •

c1. Under tail coverts and more or less of under parts yellow.

d1. Under parts bright yellow. H. ruficapilla ( Wils.). 259

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1029

d2. Under parts greenish yellow, sometimes streaked and obscure.

H. celata (Say.). 260 c2. Under tail coverts and more or less of under parts white.

H. peregrina(Wils.). 261

*257. (641). Helminthophila pinus (LINN.).

Blue- winged Warbler. Synonym, BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER.

Adult Male. — Head and entire lower parts to the erissum, bright yellow; crissum and under tail-coverts, white; a black stripe from bill through the eye; rest of body above, olive-green, brighter on the rump: wings and tail, blue-gray; the former with two white bars, the latter with three outer pairs of tail feathers marked with white on the inner web. Adult Female. — Only the front part of crown yellow; the streak through the eye dusky instead of black.

Length, 4.65-5.00; wing, 2.40-2.50; tail, 2.00-2.10.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Nicaraugua north to Massa- chusetts, southern Michigan and southern Minnesota. Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters from Mexico south.

Nest., on ground in clearing or second growth, generally at foot of bush, among sprouts, or in bush one foot up; made of leaves, grape- vine bark, lined with fine grass or hair. Eggs, 4-5; white, finely and usually sparsely spotted with brown and black; .60 by .48.

This species seems to complement the one last mentioned. Their range is nearly identical. This frequenting the clearings, more open woodlands and pastures grown up with bushes, briers, weeds and sprouts; the other the dense forest. They arrive at the same time. Each is a great insect eater. Each has a peculiar song that, when once identified, can always be distinguished. The Blue-winged Warbler shows its bright colors in the bright sunlight of the open woods, while the Worm-eating Warbler's duller colors harmonize with the shades and shadows of the dark forest. In southern Indiana its favorite quarters are on the partially wooded hillsides, where there are many bushes. The stroller through such places late in April will often be saluted with a peculiar, rasping, stridulating effort, technically termed a song, that is not pretty, yet so strange as to demand his whole atten- tion. The author is usually among the branches frequently in the top of a tree. Mr. F. M. Chapman well interprets this song. He says: "As a rule, it consists of the two drawled, wheezy notes, 'sw? e-chee' the first inhaled, the second exhaled. A less common song uttered later in the season is, wee, ch'i-ch'i-ch'i -ch'i-chur, and is sometimes accompanied by peculiar Icik notes (B. E. N". A., p. 347). This is

1030 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

uttered in August (The Auk, July, 1884, p. 211). The earliest one reached Brookville April 17, 1896, but one year the first one was not seen until April 30 (1884). " Earliest and latest first arrivals for other points are: Brown County, April 23, 1895, April 29, 1894; Bloomington, April 27, 1886; Greeiicastle, April 27, 1895, May 7, 1892; Richmond, April 24, 1897; Carroll County, May 4, 1885, May 10, 1884; Wabash, May 1, 1894; Sedan, April 26, 1896, May 11, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., May 10, 1897. The last mentioned place is one of the few places in southern Michigan where it has been taken, and there it is rare. Mr. B. F. Gault has taken one specimen — the only one ever reported from Cook County, Illinois.

They are generally common in suitable places in southern Indiana, and locally, farther north, are found in some numbers. But usually in the northern half of the State it is rare or, at least, not common.

However, it is said to be increasing in numbers there, and is prob- ably extending its range and usually breeds wherever found.

It begins mating some springs by April 18 (1896) and continues as late as May 8 (1887). Mr. W. 0. Wallace says they frequent open thickets in Wabash County. The spring of 1892 he found a nest on a small bush about a foot from the ground. The nest was built by the female while the male sat on a bush near by and sang his odd little song. The nest was destroyed by cattle. Prof. B. W. Evermann found a nest with young just ready to fly in Carroll County in July, 1879 (The Auk, January, 1889, p. 27). After the young are reared they seem to leave their haunts, in southern Indiana, at least they ap- parently associate together in small numbers, perhaps a family remain- ing together, and seek open woods or thickets that are more moist than their breeding grounds. They depart for the south usually in August and September, but have been known to remain until late October. June 20, 1892, and a few days later, Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test saw several each time near Lafayette. July 28 to August 6, 1894, Mr. J. 0. Dunn, of Chicago, found them very common in the bushy woods about Bass Lake, Starke County. Mr. J. E. Beasley saw nine October 22, 1894, at Lebanon. This" is the latest I have ever known it to be taken with us. In addition to the localities noted, it is reported from Allen County by Mr. C. A. Stockbridge.

This species, too, is an insect-eater. It not only lives upon the forms found close to the ground, but gleans among the bushes and even at times the smaller trees. I have often observed it about Buck- eye trees of considerable size when they were in bloom, and I thought they were attracted by the insects about the flowers. This species is very fond of spiders, larvae and beetles.

J'.IKDS OF INDIANA. 1031

*258. (642). Helminthophila chrysoptera (LINN.).

Golden-wing-ed Warbler. Synonyms, BLUE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, GOLDEN- WINGED SWAMP WARBLER.

Adult Male. — Forehead and both rows of wing-coverts, and some- times edges of secondaries, yellow; a black patch from bill backward, covering ear-coverts; throat, black; a white stripe over the eye and one on each side of throat; rest of upper parts, blue-gray, sometimes tinged with olive-green; below white, ashy on the sides; three outer pairs of tail feathers with the inner webs, partly white. Adult Female. — Black on throat and sides of head dull gray.

Length, 5.00; wing, 2.45-2.65; tail, 1.90-2.25.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia over eastern United States to Michigan, Minnesota, South Ontario and Vermont. Breeds from South Carolina along the mountains, New Jersey and Indiana north. Winters south of United States.

Nest, of dead leaves, stubs of bark, grass stems; lined with fine fibres; on or near ground, usually at base of bush or tuft of grass in dense, partly cleared growth of woods or bushy field. Eggs, 4-5, some- times 6; white, or creamy- white; speckled chiefly, sometimes entirely, at the larger end, occasionally forming an indistinct wreath of burnt umber, russet, chestnut and lilac-gray; .63 by .49.

The Golden-winged Warbler is one of the most attractive of the genus. Its beauty, generally irregular appearance and peculiar song render it always a bird to be sought. Throughout the State it is a migrant, and in the northern part of the State where the conditions are favorable— where marshes and bogs in bushy or wooded land are found — it breeds, at places, in some numbers. It is not abundant at any place, and its numbers are, doubtless, decreasing. Wheaton tells us, with the exception of the Orange-crowned Wrarbler it is the rarest of the genus found in Ohio. In the Whitewater Valley Mr. Quick and I have found it to be very irregular. Some years none were found, others it was very common. Usually, however, a few were found. The spring of 1881 it was quite numerous. There they fre- quent the sugar, oak and hickory woods on and near the hill tops. We never found them in the river valleys. It has never been observed there, in fall. In the lower Wabash region it would seem to be a com- mon migrant.

Mr. Robert Ridgway says it is "a common species during the spring migration in Wabash County, Illinois, and in adjacent counties of Indiana, and is hardly, if at all, less rare in fall." He has also found

1032 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

it breeding in Richland County, Illinois (Orn. of 111., I., pp. 127, 128). In the northern part of the State it is also a common migrant. At Davis Station, Starke County, Mr. H. K. Coale found them very com- mon and breeding, the spring of 1884. The males were first seen, and were common May 11. That day he shot four and saw others. May 18 they were also numerous. Then he shot a female — the first seen.

Mrs. Jane L. Hine has found them commonly in Dekalb County. There, she says, it is a regular summer resident. Almost every large swamp has its pair. Their notes may be heard almost constantly in the spring. She reports them as breeding, but notes they are becoming less commonly seen. In Monroe County, Michigan, it formerly bred quite commonly. Mr. H. W. McBride found a pair building their nest in Springfield Township, Lagrange County, about May 12, 1891.

Early and late dates of first arrival in Indiana are: Brookville, April 29, 1879, May 11, 1885; Richmond, April 22, 1897; Greens- burg, May 7, 1893; Bloomington, May 4, 1886; Camden, May 6, 1885; Lafayette, April 24, 1897; Terre Haute, May 17, 1890; Sedan, April 27, 1896, May 8, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., May 2, 1892, May 10, 1893; Plymouth, Mich., April 30, 1896, May 18, 1893; Ann Arbor, Mich., May. 12, 1889; Chicago, 111., May 9, 1885. In the fall they are very irregular in their movements, also. Some years they disappear the latter part of August, others in September, and again the late movers remain in the vicinity of their breeding grounds into October. The following are some dates of last fall records: Plymouth. Mich., August 20, 1894; Lafayette, Ind., present August 30, September 12, 1895; Warren County, September 14, 1897 (Barnett); Chicago, 111., August 30, 1895. Prof. E. L. Moseley informs me that several were seen at Grand Rapids, Mich., October 4, 1886.

"Their peculiar, drawling, lisping song is sure, even if I have not heard it for several years, to strike my ear upon entering the woods where one is singing. It consists of four syllables, zee-zee-zee-zee, slowly brought forth, with a peculiar, vibratory effort. When singing, they are usually most lively and wildest; sometimes leading the col- lector a long chase, as they quickly cover considerable distance? in the woods. At other times, when not singing, they are occasionally rather tame. However, as I have usually found them quite well up in the trees, they cannot be said to compare in ease of approach with the last species. In addition to the records of its breeding in Richland County, 111., given by Mr. Robert Ridgway (Orn. of 111., L, p. 127), Mr. A. C. Poling has found it nesting in the Mississippi bottoms in that State. There it frequents the lowlands, covered with £rass. with an occasional bush or grove of trees, and all the nests found were

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1033

placed above the ground. In Ohio, Dr. Wheaton records its breeding in the vicinity of Columbus. In that State it prefers swampy places and nests on the ground, frequently under the broad leaf of the skunk cabbage" (B. of 0., p. 243).

259. (645). Helminthophila ruficapilla (WiLs.).

Nashville Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, plain olive-green; head and sides of neck, grayish; a white ring around the eye; crown, with a concealed chestnut patch; under parts, bright yellow, whitening on the middle of the belly; wings and tail without white. Adult Female and Immature. — Similar, but colors duller; chestnut on crown, less distinct or want- ing.

Length, 4.20-5.00; wing, 2.30-2.45; tail, 1.85-1.90.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Guatemala north to Labra- dor and Hudson Bay region (Cumberland House), west to Kocky Mountains. Breeds from northern Illinois and Connecticut north. Winters in Mexico and Central America.

Nest, in open woods that generally are wet; on ground, in tuft of grass, depression at base of tree or bush; of grass and moss, sometimes pine needles, lined with hair or fine roots. Eggs, 4, sometimes 3 and 5: white or creamy- white, speckled with gray, cinnamon, hazel, vina- ceous or lilac (reddish-brown, Davie); .59 by .48.

The Nashville Warbler is usually rather a rare migrant. At times, however, it is common in one locality or another. Dr. Brayton says, upon the authority of Mr. Nelson, it is a "very common migrant in Lake County and also a rare resident" (Birds of Ind., p. 103). It was rather common in Franklin County May 5-11, 1882; also in 1885. Prof. Evermann found it common in Carroll County, May 4-7, 1885. Mr. Alden M. Hadley reports it abundant in Wayne County, April 24 to May 10, 1897. In Monroe County it was rather common, April 27 to May 1, 1886 (Evermann, Blatchley). Mr. 0. W. Wallace says it has been very abundant at times at Wabash, arriving as early as April 28. Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me it was not rare in Lake County in 1871, and Mrs. Hine says it was very common in Dekalb County the spring of 1889. About Chicago they are reported as rare migrants. I have but one record from there in recent years. They arrive some springs in southern Indiana by April 15, and in the extreme northern part of the State by April 29. I do not know that in late years it has been observed within the State after May 11 (1885), though it some- times lingers in southern Michigan until May 25. The earliest first

1034 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

arrival at Brookville (and in the State) is April 15. 1SST; the latent, May 5, 1882. The earliest it has been noted in the spring at Rich- mond is April 24, 1897, when it remained to May 10; the latest first arrival was April 28, 1888. The following other dates give, respec- tively, the earliest and latest date of first arrival: Bloomington. April 27, 1886; Moore's Hill, May 10, 189,3; Spearsville, May 5, 1897; Peters- burg, Mich., May 9, 1889, May 18, 1893, while both in 1892 and 1893 it was noted until May 25; Terre Haute, May 3, 1890; Sedan, April 29, 1896-7, May 8, 1892. I have usually found them in more open sugar woods, where they generally kept high in the trees. Mr. Wal- lace, while he generally finds them in the tree tops, has taken it in an orchard, and once in an open blackberry patch. Mr. J. A. Allen says: "Its song so much resembles that of the Chestnut Warbler that it might readily be mistaken." Minot says it sounds like, "wee-see-wee- see, wit-a-wit-a-wit." The first part of this reminds one of the song of the Black and White Warbler. To me, the song has a peculiar, vibratory, wheezy sound that recalls some of the peculiar sounds of other members of the family. It has not been reported as nesting in Indiana, but it is given by Mr. Nelson as breeding in northeastern Illinois, and Mr. Philo W. Smith, Jr., records its breeding in Fulton County, 111. (Bay State Oologist, Vol. I., May, 1888, p. 44).

Like the other members of this genus, it is a great insect eater, busily searching among the foliage of the trees it frequents. Two specimens contained 4 small caterpillars and a few fragments of insects (Prof. King, Geol. of Wis., p. 500).

260. (646). Helminthophila celata (SAY.).

Orange-crowned Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, olive-green, dulled with ashy, brighter on the rump; a concealed patch of orange-rufous on the crown; yellowish ring around eye; wing, without white markings; inner webs of tail feathers, with white edgings; below, whitish washed with yellowish and ashy. Adult Female. — Orange and rufous crow;n, less distinct or wanting; tail feathers, with no white. Immature. — Lacking the orange-rufous crown patch; wings, with two whitish bars; rins; around eye, white.

Length, 4.60-5.30; wing, 2.31-2.52; tail, 1.92-2.10.

RANGE. — North America, ' from Mexico northward over eastern United States, Rocky Mountains to mouth of Yukon and Mackenzie River; rare north of Virginia, east of Alleghany Mountains. Breeds from Utah north through Rocky Mountains. Winters south of United States.

Hi;;:,

Nest, on ground, under low bush; of gras-. and leavr-. fl'/gs, 4-5; white, marked with spots and hlotehes of reddish-brmvn and purplish- slate; .63 by .49.

This is the rarest bird of its genus in Indiana, and is only known as a migrant. L'sually it is very rare; often it is entirely wanting for years together, and very rarely it is seen in some numbers. I have found it in Franklin County but four times in nineteen years — April 29, and one day in May, 1SSO. May 9, 1885, and May 5, 1889. On the next to the last date it was tolerably common in a sugar wood, on a hillside near Brookville, in company with Nashville Warblers. In 1871. Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me, it was not rare in Lake County. In that county, also, Mr. H. K. Coale obtained a specimen, May 16, 1877, and two days later one in Cook County, 111., not far away. The next record I have from Cook County is of a specimen taken by Mr. C. A. Tallman, May 16, 1897. In a bush on the edge of a woods at Wabash, May 15, 1892, one was taken by Mr. W. 0. Wallace, and one was obtained by Mr. A. M. Hadley at Richmond, May 1, 1897. Sev- eral specimens have been taken in Marion County (Brayton). It has also been reported from Knox and Gibson counties (Ridgway), Vigo County (Evermann), Carroll County (Sterling), Dekalb County (H. W. McBride). They return in the fall in September. Dr. Wheaton heard it sing and describes its effort as a "loud, emphatic and rather monotonous song, resembling as nearly as I can describe the syllables, 'chicky-tiek-tick-tick-tick;' this song was louder and more decidedly emphasized than that of any member of the genus with which I am acquainted" (Birds of Ohio, p. 244). Mr. Ernest E. Thompson says "it has a loud song-like chip-e-chip-e, chip-e, chip-e, chip-e" (Proc. IT. S. N. M., Vol. XIII., p. 616).

261. (647). Helminthophila peregrina (WiLs.).

Tennessee Warbler.

Adult -Mule.— Above, olive-green; head and neck, ash-gray, with no colored crown patch, but with a dusky stripe through the eye and an indistinct white stripe over and a white ring around the eye; wings and tail, with no white; below, white. Adult Female.— Similar, but with the crown tinged with greenish, and lower parts, especially on the sides, with yellowish- •olive. Immature. — Head and all upper parts, olive-green; lower parts, washed with olive-yellow; lower tail coverts, white.

Remarks. — The adults of this and the two preceding species may be distinguished with ease; immature birds, however, are frequently con-

1036 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

fused. The Nashville is distinctly yellow on the breast and under tail- coverts; the Orange-crowned is pale greenish-yellow, with dusky streaks, and yellow under tail-coverts; the Tennessee is pale greenish- yellow, without streaks, and with the under tail coverts white. (Chap- man, B. E. N. A.).

Length, 4.50-5.00; wing, 2.40-2.75; tail, 1.60-1.85.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia north over United States, east of Rocky Mountains to Hudson Bay, Mackenzie Valley (Ft. Simpson). Breeds from Minnesota, northern New York and Massachusetts, north. Winters from Cuba and Central America, south.

Nest, on ground, of grass, moss and bark strips, lined with fine grass and hair. Eggs, 4; white, marked with reddish-brown about the larger end; .60 by .50.

The Tennessee Warbler is a migrant, regular and usually abundant in fall; much less numerous and frequently rare in the spring. In fall, they may be found almost everywhere, but are most common about bushy ravines, brier patches, overgrown fencerows, and weed- patches. In spring it is found in woodlands. At Bloomington, both Profs. Blatchley and Evermann thought it less numerous than the Nashville Warbler. The last named gentleman made a similar report on its occurrence in Carroll County. These estimates, I presume, refer to its occurrence in the spring. In Franklin County I have found it fully as numerous as the Nashville, in spring, though, like that species, some years it is rare and others apparently wanting.

This species is late in arriving and seldom appears before the 1st of May. The following records give the earliest and latest record of its first appearance in spring, and indicates its comparative abundance: Brookville, April 20, 1884, not common, May 17, 1882, rare; Bloom- ington, April 27, 1886, rare, May 3 to 10, 1890, common; Chicago, 111., May 4, 1895, rather common, May 21, 1896, common; Petersburg, Mich., May 15, 1888, rare. In Illinois, Mr. Ridgway gives it as an abundant migrant, both spring and fall. Like the last mentioned species, it breeds far north. The present species is a bird of eastern North America, extending west only to the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Ridgway says: "It seems to be far more numerous west of the Alle- ghanies than eastward of that range, in which respect it is like the Philadelphia Vireo and several other migratory birds, which can scarcely be considered as more than stragglers in the Atlantic States" (B. of 111., I., p. 130). Mr. Thompson says: "Its song begins with a note like chipiti, chipiti, repeated a dozen or more times with increas- ing rapidity, then suddenly changed into a mere twitter" (Proc. IT. S. N. M., Vol. XIII., p. 616). In the fall the Tennessee Warblers

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1037

begin to reach the northern part of the State the very last of August, and sometimes have nearly reached the Ohio River by the end of the first week in September. Then they pass leisurely for five or six weeks, being found almost up to the middle of October. The follow- ing give the dates of earliest appearance and last record, respectively, for the fall: Chicago, 111., August 31, 1895, October 9, 1896; Lake County, Ind., September 3, 1884; September 28, 1879; Greencastle, Ind., September 15, 1890; Greensburg, present September 22 to Oc- tober 11, 1896; Bicknell, September 8, 1896, September 19, 1894; Brookville, September 6, 1886, October 13, 1882. At this time of the year they may be seen associating with Sparrows and Redpoll Warblers in the more open ground, and, when in the woods, with Wilson's and Nashville Warblers. Some autumns they are very abundant. While they, on the whole, are quite destructive to insects, yet in the fall there are two habits that are against this little green Warbler. It some- times eats the fruit of the Poison Vine (Rhus toxicodendrori), and becomes a distributor of its seeds; the other is a habit it has formed of puncturing grapes. This has been reported to me on several occa- sions, but I have never seen it myself. Prof. King also refers to it. He examined 33 stomachs. Two had eaten 2 very small hymenoptera (probably parasites); 7, 13 caterpillars; 3, 15 diptera; 6, 13 beetles; 3, 42 plant lice; 3, 35 small heteroptera, and 1, 11 insect eggs (Geol. of Wis., I., pp. 501, 502).

157. GENUS COMPSOTHLYPIS CABANIS.

a1. Size smaller, bill longer. C. americana (Linn.). 262

a2. Size larger; bill shorter. C. americana usnese Brewst. 263

*262. (648). Compsothlypis americana (LINN.).

Parula Warbler. Synonym, BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER.

Male in Spring. — Above, blue, back with golden-brown patch; throat and breast, yellow, with a rich brown or blackish patch, the former sometimes extending along the sides; belly, eyelids, two wing bars and several tail spots, white; lores, black; upper mandible, black; lower, flesliTColored. Female in Spring. — With the blue less bright; back and throat patches not so well defined. Immature. — With these patches obscure or wanting, but always recognizable by the other marks and very small size. "Averaging slightly smaller, but with a

1038 Ri-:miiT OF STATK GEOLOGIST.

longer bill. Adult Male. — With more yellow on the under parts and less black or blackish on the lores and malar region; the dark collar across the jugulum, narrow, obscure, often nearly wanting; the chest, pale, diffuse russet, without obvious markings'7 (Brewster).

Length, 4.12-4.95; wing, 2.20-2.40; tail, 1.60-1.85.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Guatemala and West Indies to District of Columbia, southern Illinois and southern Indiana. Breeds from sou\h Atlantic and Gulf Stat<->. eagt of Texas, north. Winters from Florida, southward.

\i-st, of long moss (Tillandsia) woven together, lined with feathers and soft materials. Eggs, 5; white, speckled and spotted, almost wholly at larger ends, with lilac and bright reddish-brown; .69 by .47.

Hitherto all the Parula Warblers of eastern North America have been classed as this form. In the Auk for January, 1896, Mr. William Brewster has separated them, giving to the birds breeding in the northern United States and Canada the sub-specific name usnece, and assuring us that the type of Linnaeus' species was a southern bird, and therefore the birds from that region should retain the above name. He says, in his collection are apparently typical examples of this form, from Mt. Carmel, 111. Mr. Robert Ridgway writes me: "The breeding bird of the lower Wabash Valley, and probably other ex- treme southern or southwestern parts of the State (Indiana), is true C. americana." There is no record of its having been taken farther north or even elsewhere in the State. In 1881, Mr. Ridgway says they arrived in Knox County, April 18 (Bull. N. 0. Club, Vol. VII., No. 1, 1882).

He has also informed us that it nests in Knox and Gibson counties. From there it breeds southward throughout its range, usually building in the draperies of the beautiful "Spanish moss" (Tillandsia).

Possibly the strange nest found by Mr. Otto Widmann, near St. Louis, may have belonged to this bird. In 1885 he found the nest of a Parula Warbler in a bunch of light drift material — straw, grass, dry leaves, etc. — left by a freshet, attached to the end of the branch of a birch tree overhanging the water.

In structure this nest is similar to other nests of this bird, with the exception that the straw and leaves take the place of the lichens and mosses. Mr. H. Nehrling saj's the song of the Parula consists of "wiry, rather shrill, notes, sounding like chin-rin-in-ruh."

OF INDIANA. 1039

263. ( — ) Compsothlypis americana usneae. BREWSTER.

Northern Parula Warbler.

Averaging slightly larger, but with a shorter bill.*

Adult Male. — With less yellow on the under parts and more black or blackish on the lores and malar region; the dark collar across the jugulum, black or blackish, broad and conspicuous; the chest, mottled or spotted with rich brownish-chestnut.

BREEDING RANGE. — New England, New York and westward along the northern tier of States; northward into the Maritime Provinces and Canada (Brewster), Colorado (?). Winter range, possibly same as last.

Nest, on both live and dead trees, from near ground to fifty feet high; in bushes in swamps; of bunches of Usnea moss, lined with same, a little wool or grass. Eggs, 4, occasionally 3 and 5, rarely 6 or 7; white, or creamy- white, more or. less distinctly speckled and spotted with reddish-brown and lilac; markings generally thickest near large end, around which they often form a wreath; .64 by .47.

This bird has been separated from the typical southern form by Mr. William Brewster (see The Auk, January, 1896, pp. 44-46). It includes those birds which breed to the northward of the Ohio Valley — excepting the lower part — and perhaps north of the District of Columbia.

We do not know the exact limits of the breeding range, nor can the winter range of each of the two races be determined. As the south- ern bird nests among the festoons of "Spanish moss" (Tillandsia), the present birds prefer to nest in bunches of "Old Man" moss (Usnea). Wherever there is damp woods, where this moss grows commonly, these birds may be looked for through the summer. Mr. Robert Ridgway writes me of this form in Indiana, that birds breed- ing in the extreme northern part of the State are probably C. a. usnece. He says both P. americana (breeding birds) and C. a. usnece (mi- grants) are in the United States National Museum, from Vincennes and Wheatland. A small collection of Parula Warblers was sent to Mr. Brewster for examination. He writes: "Most of your skins appear to be intermediate between americana and usnece. Several of them have bills nearly as in the former, but the coloring is about half-way between the two. Two or three are apparently usnece, and were, no doubt, migrants." He tells me those breeding in Michigan in the

*NOTE.— Except the breeding time, nothing is yet determined as to the range of either form. Likewise, in t^e absence of measurements, I can not give them. Therefore, the range, except in breeding season, and measurements, given above, cover both forms.

1040 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

region in which he has collected are C. a. usnece. It seems, then, that in the State are to be found the typical southern f ' nn, as sum- mer residents, in the lower Wabash Valley; the typical northern form, as migrants, at leas,t, and birds intermediate between them — these latter possibly breeding. A few birds remain through the sum- mer, and Mrs. J. L. Hine says it breeds in Dekalb County, but, so far as I know, none have been found breeding. In Laporte County it is a summer resident (Byrkit). It was taken June 3, 1888, by Mr. Kuth- ven Deane, at Englsh Lake; in Putnam C:.7.inty, July 2, 1889, by Mr. J. F. Clearwaters. Mr. Charles Dury fruncl them near Cincinnati, July 18 and 31, and August 27, 1879. Dr. Wheaton speaks of them breeding in northern Ohio, possibly south of Columbus (B. of Ohio, p. 239), and Prof. Cook says it occasionally breeds in Michigan (B. of Mich.). Mr. Nelson ncces that it breeds rarely in northeastern Illi- nois. I have, for the present, referred all records north of Knox County to this form. They appear within the State, most seasons, in the latter half of April, and migrants seldom linger after the middl.e of May. I have found the first arrivals at Brookville as early as April 25 (1881), and as late as May 16 (1884). They have been observed at Bloomington as early as April 21 (1885), and April 27 (1886); at Terre Haute, April 24, 1890, May 3, 1887; Lafayette, April 28, 1893; Carroll County, May 4 to May 10, 1885; Wabash County, May 2 to 10, 1892; Sedan, April 29, 1897, May 4, 1894; Lake County, May 24 and 26, 1894.; Chicago, 111., May 9, 1886, May 15, 1895.

Even when they arrive early they are usually mating. I have seen them so engaged as early as April 25. They are as variable in numbers as they are in the time of arrival. Some years they are com- mon, and others, quite rare or wanting. Usually when they are com- mon they arrive early, and again a few or even a single representative will be seen late in the migrations. I have always found them in the heavier woodlands, where they frequent the higher tree-tops, preferably maple, elm and oak. Their habits remind one of those of a Titmouse, but they are more active. Occasionally they utter a pe- culiar song, ending in a peculiar little screech. It is the same as that given under the last species. Its food consists of small insects, includ- ing flies and various other winged forms, spiders and caterpillars, which they are very industrious in gathering from the unfolding leaves and inconspicuous flowers of the trees they frequent. In fall, the return journey is made in August and September. The latest dates when it was seen are: Chicago, HI., September 15, 1885, Sep- tember 23, 1895; Cincinnati, 0., August 27, 1879, September 28, 1878; Lake County, September 18, 1881.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1041

158. GENUS DENDROICA GRAY.

a1. Bill slender, very acute; gonys slightly concave near tip; notch wanting or very indistinct. Subgenus PERISSOGLOSSA. Baird. D. tigrina (Grael.). 264 a2. Bill conical; gonys convex;, notch distinct.

ft1. Tail feathers edged with yellow; plumage chiefly yellow.

D. sestiva (Gmel.). 265 b%. Tail feathers blotched with white.

c1. Primaries with white blotch near bases; no wing bars.

D. ceerulescens (Gmel.). 266 c2. Primaries without white blotch. d1. Wing bars, if present, not white.

e1. White below; crown and wing patch more or less yellow.

D. pennsylvanica (Linn.). 270 e2. Yellow below. fl. Sides rejldish Mreaked ; crown chestnut.

D. palmarum (Gmel.). 278 /2. Sides black streaked.

g1. Back olive with reddish spots. D. discolor (Vieill.). 279

g2. Back ashy. J). kirtlandi Baird. 276

d2. Wing bars or wing patch white. A1. Kump yellow.

11. Crown clear ash; yellow and streaked below.

D. maculosa(Gmel.). 268

12. Crown with yellow spot; white and streaked below.

D. coronata (Linn.). 267 h2. Rump not yellow.

j1. No distinct yellow anywhere.

kl. Crown, blue or greenish, like the back.

D. rara (Wils.). 269 k2. Crown not blue or greenish.

11. Crown black, much streaked.

D. striata (Forst.). 272

12. Crown and throat chestnut; buffy below.

D. oastanea (Wils.). 271 j2. More or less yellow or orange.

m1. Crown with orange or yellow spot; throat orange or yellow. D. blackburnise (Gmel.). 273

m2. Crown bluish or yellowish ; not as above.

n1. Throat black (sometimes obscured by yellow tips to feathers) ; outer tail feather white edged.

D. virens (Gmel.). 275 n2. Throat yellow.

o1. Back blue gray; cheeks black.

D. dominica albilora Ridgw. 274 o2. Back yellowish olive; cheeks the same color.

D. vigorsii (And.). 277

66— GEOL.

1042 IiKi'oirr OF STATI: <;I:OLO<;I>T.

ANALYSIS OF PERFECT SPRING MALES.

Tail feathers edged with yel'ow; head yellow ».«//<•«.

Tail feathers blotched with white; a white spot at base of

primaries • • cwulescens.

— no white spot at base of primaries, (a)

(a). Wing bars not white. Below, white; sides chestnut- streaked, crown yellow ... penmykanica.

—yellow; sides reddish-streaked, crown reddish . . palmar um.

— black-streaked; above, ashy kirtlandi.

— olive, reddish-streaked . . . discolor.

(a«). Wing bars white (sometimes fused into one large patch) (b) (b). Crown blue, like the-back; below, w-hite, sides and breast

streaked . ... rara.

— chestnut, like the throat; below and sides of neck,

buffy tinged . . . ... . * Costarica.

— clear ash; rump and under ports yellow, breast and

side--1, black -streaked f> uculoxn.

blacken, willi median line orange-brown, like the

auriaulars; rump, yellow . fif/riim

— perfectly blfck; throat not black; no yellow ; feet flesh

color striota.

— with yellow spot; throat flame-color ; rump not yellow blackburnic'.

— white; rump and sides of breast yellow coronata.

(bb). Crown otherwise; throat black; back, olive; crown like

back virens.

— yellow; back, o'ive; no black or ashy on head . v-igorsii.

— ashy blue ; cheeks black ; eyelids white dominica albilora.

DIAGNOSTIC MARKS OF WARBLERS IN ANY PLUMAGE.

Wing bars and belly yellow. discolor.

Wings and tail dusky, edged with yellow cestiva.

Wing bars yellow and belly pure white pennsylvanica.

A white spot at base of primaries (which is almost never

wanting) ... arndescens.

Throat definitely yellow ; back with no green ; belly white . dominica albilora. Bill extremely acute, perceptibly curved ; rump (generally)

yellow ... . . tigrina.

Rump, sides of breast and crown more or less yellow ; throat

white . . coronata..

Wing bars white ; tail spots oblique, at end of two outer

feathers only . . . ... vigorsii.

Tail spots at middle of nearly all the feathers ; ruinp and belly

yellow . . macidosa.

Wing bars brownish; tail spots square at end of two outer

feathers only : . . . palmarnm.

Wing bars not very conspicuous ; whole under parts yellow ;

back with no greenish kirtlandi.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. -

Tail spots at end of nearly all the feathers; no definite yellow

anywhere . . rara.

Throat, breast and sides black; sides of head with diffused

yellow; outer tail feather white, edged externally . n/v/<s.

Throat yellow or orange ; crown with at least a trace of a cen- tral yellow or orange spot; outer tail feather white edged externally. . l>tac/J>u/-/t

Bill ordinary, and with none of the foregoing special marks- *//•<«/»(, or

Subgenus PKRISSOGI.OSSA Baird.

264. (650). Dendroica tigrina (GMEL.).

Cape May Warbler.

Adult Male. — "Bill ury acute, conical and decidedly curved; back, yellowish-olive, with dark marking??; crown, blnck; abdomen and tail coverts, yellow; rump, rich yellow; an orange-brown ear patch; a black loral line; under parts, yellow; streaked with black on breast and sides; large white p^itch on the wings; three pairs of large white tail blotches. Female. — Similar, but lacking distinctive head markings; small wing patch and tail blotches; under parts, paler; bill and feet, black." (Nehrling, N. A Birds).

Length, 4.70-5.65; wing, 2.85; tail, 2.15.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from West Indies to Hudson Bay Territory. Breeds from Maine, northern Michigan and Minne- sota, north. Winters in West Indies. Resident in Jamaica.

Nest, in coniferous trees, on tip of large limb, pendent; of evergreen twigs, grass or vines, fastened with spider's web, and lined with horse- hair. Eggs, 4; dull white, slightly ashen, irregularly dotted and spotted, usually most about larger end, with yellowish, reddish-brown and lilac; .67 by .49.

The Cape May Warbler is generally considered a rare bird every- where. While this is true, and some years it is altogether absent, there are years when it is common and even abundant. In Indiana it appears as a migrant, perhaps more numerous in fall than spring. Its peculiar distribution is very interesting. It generally breeds farther north than the United States, yet, like the Myrtle Warbler, it is a resident in Jamaica and Hayti, where they breed among the mountains. With us, they appear with the later Warblers, seldom arriving before April 25, and usually after May 1, and some years re- maining until the close of the latter month. The dates here given explain the early and late first arrivals: Bloomington, April 24, 1885, 1886, remained to May 5, 1886; Brookville, May 4, 1886, and' 1892, May 6, 1897; Madison, May 23, 1888; Knox County, May 9, 1885; Terre Haute, May 4, 1887, May 11, 1890; Indianapolis, May 7, 1878;

1044 KKPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Carroll County, May 8, 1885, May 22, 1883, May 29, 1894; Lafayette, April 28, 1896, May 21, 1895; Sedan, April 27, 1896, May 15, 1897; Chicago, 111., May 4, 1895, May 13, 1886. In the fall they sometimes begin to reappear late .in August, and are slowly passing southward through September, a few lingering until well into October. They appeared in the vicinity of Chicago, 111., August 29, 1895, and re- mained until September 14. The next year they came August 20, and were seen September 21. In 1896, also, they appeared at Greensburg, Ind., September 22, and did not all leave until October 12. They were noted in the vicinity of Cincinnati, September 7, 1877, and Sep- tember 22, 1878. The spring of 1885 they were very common in Knox County. On May 9, Mr. Eidgway took five specimens. In May, 1892, they were generally common throughout the State. Mr. J. E. Beasley, of Lebanon, says they were more common than he ever knew them. They were passing for three or four weeks, and he saw them almost every day he was out, but never more than two or three. Simi- lar reports came from Lafayette, Greencastle, Wabash and Brookville. The spring of 1896 they were common near Chicago, remaining until May 27. That fall, also, they were very common in that vicinity, and were reported as being abundant at Greensburg, Ind. The fall of 1895 they were tolerably common near Chicago. In some localities they are said to frequent the tops of tall trees. Some years with us they are found upon the drier uplands, among the oak woods, where they usually keep among the lower branches or upon the high bushes and smaller trees. They- are not very active, but keep persistently hunting insects. At other times, we find them among our orchards, even coming into towns, where they occupy themselves catching insects among the foliage and about the blossoms of all kinds of shade and fruit trees. May 6, 1897, at noon, I observed a Cape May Warbler among the cedar and apple trees in my yard at Brookville. It was very deliberate, but very industrious. The apple trees were in full bloom. It went over them from lowest limb to topmost branch, apparently visiting most of the blossoms. If it caught an insect every time it appeared to, it must have taken hundreds. Even the warm mid-day sun did not stop its work, and its little song only sounded the clearer when those of many other birds had ceased. Its notes seemed to ran like a-wit a-wit a-wit a-wit a-wit, each pair of syllables repeated five times with moderate rapidity and in the same tone, with no inflection. To me it sounded louder a hundred feet off than it did at one-fifth that distance. This may have been due to the sound having been reflected by a building where I stood at the greater distance. At one time associated with it on the same tree

BIRDS OF INDIANA. H>1.~>

were three Baltimore Orioles. Each did its utmost in insect catching, and for a time none of them had time to sing; they were too busy at the noonday meal. From reports received, others have had similar experiences with this bird. Prof. King examined four specimens taken between September 6 and 22. With the exception of one ant, all the food they had eaten was beetles. One stomach contained ten beetles. These Warblers are very beneficial, and their efforts on behalf of the farmer and fruit grower entitle them to his regard and care. In the fall they often frequent thickets, brier patches, overgrown fence-rows, and weedy roadsides, after the manner of Tennessee and Red-poll Warblers.

Subgenus DENDROICA Gray.

*265. (652). Dendroica sestiva (GMEL.)-

Yellow Warbler. Synonyms, SUMMER WARBLER, SUMMER YELLOW BIRD.

"Adult Male. — Entire lower parts and head, pure, rich gamboge- yellow; breast and sides, boldly striped with rich chestnut or orange- brown; wings and tail, dusky, every feather edged with yellow; upper parts, olive-green, sometimes streaked with dusky; bill, dark, horn blue; feet, brownish. Female. — Paler yellow, the chestnut-rufous stripes, dull, few or wanting entirely" (Chapman).

Length, 4.50-5.25; wing, 2.35-2.65; tail, 1.80-2.10.

RANGE. — America, excepting southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, from Guiana and Ecuador to Bering Sea and the Arctic Coast. Breeds from northern Mexico, north. Winters from Mexico, south.

Nest, in crotch of bush or low tree in rather open situation; of bark shreds, vegetable fibre, grass, moss, wool, hair and plant down, neatly and compactly woven together. Eggs, 4-5; bluish- white, spotted and blotched with different shades of brown; .70 by .50.

The Yellow Warbler is one of our best known and most abundant summer residents. It anives as the buds on the apple trees are bursting into bloom. It is no unusual thing to awaken a warm spring morning, after a few days of cold weather, and find that in the night the grass has grown markedly, the naked limbs of the apple trees are clothed in green and decked in flowers. One can almost see things grow. While gazing upon the changed scene, a bit of bright yellow flits among the apple boughs and says "we-chee, chee, chee, chee-wee." It is the Yellow Warbler. The warm spell has quickened his move-

1046 JiKL'OKT OF >

ments and brought back a friend of other days. Mr. E. M. Kindle say* it arrived in Brown County April 4, 1884. Its first appearance, early and late seasons, are as follows: Brookville, April 11, 180?, April 24, 1884; Bicknell, April 15. 1894; Greencastle, April 19, 1896, April 25, 1893; Muncie, April 21, 1894, April 24, 1893; Carroll County. May 4, 1885, May 8, 1884; Dekalb County, April 21, 1896, April 27, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., April 18, 1896. May 1. 1893, 1895; Chicago, 111., May 1, 1895, May 8, 1897.

It will be observed that the first arrivals of this bird, like that of a number of others, is earlier in eastern Michigan than in Chicago. However, the bulk of the migrants arrive at the same Michigan places but a day or two ahead of Chicago. Some years the weather condi- tions are such that bird? move forward over a great stretch of country with nothing to retard them. Other years, they advance and halt and again go forward, making their general advance very slowly. In 1896, the first Yellow Warbler was seen at Brookville April 16. The same day five were seen at Frankfort. That day the advance was noted at Plymouth, Mich., to be followed by others next day. April 18 a great bird wave appeared, bringing multitudes of Yellow Warblers to Brookville and Frankfort. They practically extended across the length of Indiana in two days. On the other hand, the first arrival reached Brown County in 1894, April 4; Brookville, April 20; Muncie, April 21; Greencastle, April 24; Waterloo, April 21?; Plymouth, Mich., April 28; Wolf La.ke, Ind., May 5. They begin mating very promptly when the females arrive, which is usually a few days later than the coming of the males. I have recorded mating April 21, 1887, and have found them nest-building May 2 (1886).

In 1883 I saw a nest with eggs May 19, and in 1882, May 23. test- ing continues through May and the most, of June. The nests are most often built in orchards and lawns and in the smaller trees fringing streams. The Yellow Warbler is one of the most common victims of the Cowbird, but she has learned to outwit the parasite. When the Cowbird's egg is found in her nest, she has been known to cover it with another nest, and occasionally with a second, making three nests, one on top of the other. In the two lower ones are buried the Cow- bird's eggs. Mr. E. R. Quick has such a nest, taken near Brookville, in the spring of 1878. After the young are able to fly with ease, these birds begin to desert the orchards and lawns. One by one, they disappear through July and early in August, until very few are left. Their disappearance is so gradual that few there are who note their going. No more unsatisfactory records are at hand of the fall migra- tion of any birds than of this one. While some years most of them

BIRDS OF INDIANA. in i;

cease singing and disappear in July, sometimes a few ivmain until early September. In 1894 the last were noted at Plymouth, Mich., and Greensburg, Ind., the same day, September 3.

It is very valuable in destroying the insects infesting the trees, shrubbery and gardens on our farms and about our homes. Among other forms, they are known to eat larvae, beetles, wild bees, moths, flies, bugs, sp'iders and myriapods. Those taken in Prof. Forbes' well- known orchard infested with canker-worms were found to have made sixty-six per cent, of their food of these worms. Dr. A. K. .Fisher also says they feed extensively upon the larvaa of elm beetle-.

266. (f>54). Dendroica cserulescens (LINN.).

Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, uniform dull, dark blue, sometimes with a few black streaks on the back; below, pure white; the sides of the head to above the eyes, a narrow strip across the forehead, chin, throat and sides of body, black; a white spot at base of the primaries; wings and tail, more or less edged with grayish-blue, the latter with a white patch on the inner web of each tail feather, except the middle pair. Adult Female. — Entirely different; above, dull olive-green, more or less shaded with blue; below, whitish or buffy, tinged with yellow; sides of head, dusky olive; the eyelids and a more or less dis- tinct stripe over the eye, whitish; recognized by the white patch at base of primaries, which is, however, smaller than in male; spots on tail feathers also smaller or wanting.

Length, 4.70-5.50; wing, 2.50-2.45; tail, 2.05-2.25.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Guatemala and West Indies to Labrador. Breeds from Connecticut, New York, southern Ontario and Minnesota, north. Winters from southern Florida, south.

Xcsi, of strips of bark, grass and rotten wood, held together and lined with rootlets and bark; in upright fork of bush or sapling, 6 inches to 2 feet off ground. Eggs, 3-5; white or pinkish-white, marked with lilac and brown, most thickly at larger end; .69 by .52.

Although in some localities in the State this is considered a rare species, yet that, I am confident, is because of the year when the observations were made. In southwestern Indiana, and in other local- ities where records have been kept for a series of years, the Black- throated Blue Warbler is generally a common migrant, though some years it is rare, and others, apparently, wanting. Still, however, birds have their preferences, and there are doubtless localities where it is not often found.

1048 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

It is not among the early Warblers to arrive, seldom appearing before the first week in May, and is then found for a week or ten days. The earliest record I have of its first appearance is from Anderson, where Mr. C. P. Smith took it April 24, 1897. At Brookville it appeared April 26, 1881 and 1891, while in 1884 none were noted until May 14, which was the latest date I have ever seen them. It first appeared at Wabash April 27, 1892; Greensburg, May 4, 1895, May 7, 1893; Sedan, May 1, 1895, May 6, 1896; Lafayette, May 5, 18&3, May 8, 1892 and 1897; Petersburg, Mich., May 3, 1897, May 5, 1888; Chicago, 111., May 3, 1895, May 8, 1896.

While they may occasionally remain until the middle of May (Leb- anon, Ind., May 16, 1894), throughout the State, in the vicinity of Chicago, they are sometimes found until near the close of the month (May 26, 1897, May 28, 1894). In the Whitewater Valley I have found they habitually frequent the upland woods, sometimes finding their way into orchards, but generally, if I want to find them, I go among the upland beeches, hickories, oaks and sassafras. There they frequent the lower branches or the taller undergrowth. They then occupy themselves chiefly with the insects on the tree trunks and larger branches.

The males are conspicuous, but the females are rarely seen. I have known them to come into towns and be found among the fruit and shade trees. They are very unsuspicious, permitting one to ap- proach closely and watch their movements. They make many mo- tions, but not great progress. As they move among the branches, the tail is slightly spread and carried on a level with the back.

Sometimes they seem songless, again every little while the song sounds forth. This may be expressed by the syllables tswee-tswee- tswee-tswee; usually four, occasionally but two or three, uttered close together with a stridulating effect, all in the same tone, with a slight rising inflection at the end of the last syllable. At a distance it sounds like to-zee-zee-zee-e.

In the vicinity of Brookville I generally find them common. They were particularly so in the springs of 1885, 1887, 1892 and 1897. The fall of 1893 it was probably the most common Warbler there (Ulrey and Wallace). In 1892 they were very common at Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test). In 1897 they were common in Dekalb County (Mrs. Hine). About Chicago they are often common, and were notice- ably so in the springs of 1895, 1896 and 1897 (Blackwelder, Tallman). They begin to appear throughout the State some years, on their return journey, late in August, and remain until October 1, or, rarely, 9. The following dates will indicate this more explicitly: They arrived

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1049

at Chicago August 24, 1896, September 4, 1895; at Cincinnati, 0., August 30, 1897; Brookville, Ind., September 3, 1893; Warren County, September 11, 1897. Last noted in Chicago, October 3, 1895 and 1896; Lake County, Ind., October 3, 1875, September 28, 1879; Lafayette, October 2, 1895; Sedan, October 9, 1894; Brookville, Octo- ber 5, 1887. Sometimes in fall they are very common, just as they are in spring. Prof. King examined six of these birds, and all had eaten insects; one, two ants; five, beetles, and one, two caterpillars (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 503).

267. (655). Dendroica coronata (LINN.).

Myrtle Warbler. Synonyms, YELLOW-RUMP WARBLER, YELLOW-CROWNED WARBLER.

Head of Myrtle Warbler. Natural size.

Adult Male. — Above, bluish-ash, streaked with black; under parts, white; the fore part of breast and the sides, black, the feathers mostly edged narrowly with white; crown, rump and sides of breast, yellow; cheeks and lores, black; the eyelids and a superciliary stripe, two bands on the wings, and spots on the outer three tail feathers, . white. Fe- males.— Of duller plumage and browner above. Autumnal and winter birds are very much duller and more obscurely colored, the upper parts of an umber cast, with the streaks almost obsolete; the black of the breast wanting, or but just indicated, and the yellow patch on crown almost concealed by the brown tips to the feathers; and those on side of breast quite dull (0. of 111., Vol. I., p. 140).

Length, 5.00-6.00; wing, 2.75-2.85; tail, 2.20-2.30;

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama and Greater An- tilles to Arctic Coast, Greenland. Breeds from northern New Eng- land, Ontario and Minnesota, north. Winters from southern New England and Indiana, south. Resident in Jamaica,

Nest, of grass, fibres, vegetable down and feathers, compactly woven; in forest and coniferous scrub, on bush or tree, 5 to 10 feet from

1050 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

ground. Eggs, 4-5; white, creamy^ white or bluish- white, marked often about larger end with wreath of dark brown spots; .68 by .52.

The Myrtle Warbler is an abundant migrant, generally found in flocks, and is an irregular winter resident north to Brookville, Greens- burg and Bloomington. The winters of 1882-3, 1886-7, 1891-2, 1894-5 they remained at Brookville, and, in addition, at Greensburg the winter of 1896-7 (Shannon), and at Bloomington the winter of 1885-6 (Ever- mann). Their winter range does not seem to be limited by the degree of cold, for some of our colder winters, when the thermometer registers below zero, they remain, and warmer winters are not ob- served. In winter they seek the protection of ravines, where thickets are, and of evergreens, even about residences and in towns. There they remain very close through the colder months. In February or March, as soon as a succession of warm days appears, they begin to move about to some extent, over the area of winter residence. I have never found one of them before April, where they did not sometimes winter. As the weather gets warmer, the numbers continue to in- crease up to the line of winter residence, possibly by reason of those a little farther south pushing north. Then in late March and early April they frequent the thickets fringing our streams. The migra- tions are very uniform. They do not really occur outside their winter homes until a number of other Warblers have arrived in southern Indiana, but every year they occur about the same time, and they usually move forward and possess the land at once; two, or at most a few days, sufficing to cover the State. One year is pretty much a repetition of others, and reference to 1897 will illustrate that point. They were first seen at Richmond, just beyond the known winter range, April 22. April 24 they appeared at Anderson, Cannel, Lafayette and Chicago, 111., and April 25 they reached Petersburg, Mich. The dates next given axe earliest and latest record of first arrivals: Greensburg, April 13, 1896, April 28, 1885; Greencastle, April 13, 1894; Richmond, April 22, 1897, April 29, 1890; Wabash, April 15, 1892, April 17, 1894; Lafayette, April 24, 1897, April 26, 1892; Sedan, April 24, 1894, April 29, 1897; Laporte, April 15, 1894, April 18, 1896; Chicago, 111., April 12, 1884, April 27, 1897; Peters- burg, Mich., April 21, 1889, May 1, 1893.

When they arrive in force, they are found in almost all kinds of places, even in the dense woodland, high up in the trees, where they were not before found.

"Their song," Mr. Ridgway says, "is somewhat like that of the Ye] low Warbler, but is more of a warble and sweeter in tone. Their loud tchip and plain yellow markings, especially the yellow rump,

BIBDS OF INDIANA. 1051

distinguish them." Other Warblers linger later than they. Most of them are gone from southern Indiana before May 5, though I have record for Brookville May 7, 1892, and from Greensburg, May 14, 1893 (Shannon). By the latter date they have generally passed our northern border. A few, some years, linger longer, especially about the lower end of Lake Michigan. Prof. Evermann found them in Carroll County May 22, 1883; Chicago, May 17, 1897 (Tallman); Wolf Lake, Ind., May 30, 1894 (Parker).

In the fall they begin to return the middle of September, and promptly spread across the State, remaining with us, frequenting woods, thickets and weed patches, even stubblefield overgrown with rag weeds, often associating with other Warblers and Sparrows. The first arrivals prefer the woods, and later they are noticed about the fields and orchards. The earliest of fall arrivals at Chicago is Sep- tember 15, 1896; at Bicknell, Ind., September 18, 1894; Brookville, September 23, 1887. The last record from Chicago is October 3, 1896; Lake County, Ind., October 2, 1881; Carroll County, October 5, 1878; Lafayette, October 27, 1894; Brookville (where they did not winter), October 29, 1887.

The food of these Warblers is almost entirely insect food, and the fact that they are found during their visits in almost every conceivable situation, catching insects, renders them objects especially worthy of our regard. Of 21 of these birds examined, one had eaten a moth; two, twenty-one caterpillars, mostly measuring worms; five, fourteen flies; fifteen, forty-eight beetles; one, four ichneumons; one, a caddis fly; one, a spider, and one, fifteen tipulid eggs (King, Geol. of Wis., L, p. 503). The results of Prof. Forbes' investigations show £he same kinds of foods.

268. (657). Dendroica maculosa (GMKL.).

Magnolia Warbler. Synonym, BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER.

Male in Spring. — Back, black, the feathers more or less skirted with olive; rump, yellow; crown, clear ash, bordered by black in front to the eyes, behind the eyes by a white stripe; forehead and sides of the head, black, continuous with that of the back, enclosing the white under eyelid; entire under parts (except white under tail coverts), rich yellow, thickly streaked across the breast and along the sides with black; the pectoral streaks crowded and cutting off the definitely bounded, immaculate yellow throat from the yellow of the other under parts; wing bars, white, generally fused into one patch; tail spots,

1052 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

small, rectangular at the middle of the tail and on all the feathers except the central part; bill, black; feet, brown. Female in Spring. — Quite similar; black of back reduced to spots in the grayish-olive; ash of head washed with olive; other head markings obscure; black streaks below, smaller and fewer. Immature. — Quite different; upper parts, ashy-olive; no head markings whatever, and streaks below want- ing, or confined to a few small ones along the sides, but always known by the yellow rump in connection with extensively or completely yellow under parts (except white under tail coverts), and tail spots near the middle of all the feathers, except the central. Length, 4.35-5.00; wing, 2.25-2.45; tail, 1.85-2.05.

Head of Magnolia Warbler. Natural size.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama and West Indies to Hudson Bay. Breeds from New Hampshire and northern Mich- igan, northward. Winters from Mexico and Bahamas, southward.

Nest, of twigs, weeds and grass, lined with fine rootlets; low in conifers. Eggs, 3-5; creamy-white, spotted or blotched with light and dark brown and lilac; .63 by .48.

The Magnolia is one of the most attractive of the Warblers. It is usually reported a common migrant in the Whitewater Valley. I have not found it so, yet in the more level and less drained portion of the State, they are reported oftentimes common. They are among the later kinds to arrive, rarely as early as April 21, and usually appearing after May 1. They linger in the southern part of the State some years until after the middle of the month, and along the northern border, in the vicinity of Lake Michigan, occasionally until the end of the month.

The following are the earliest and latest dates at which they were seen in the fall migrations: Brookville, first seen May 2, 1882, last seen May 16, 1884; Greensburg, May 4, 1893, May 16, 1894; Carroll County, May 4, 1878, May 24, 1883; Wabash, May 5, 1892; Carmel, April 24, 1897; Lafayette, May 13, 1893, May 14, 1892; Sedan, May 10, 1894; Lake County, May 18, 1885, May 30, 1894; Chicago, 111., May 1, 1895, May 30, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., May 11, 1888, May

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1053

24, 1893. They come when vegetation is well advanced and the trees well in leaf. They prefer the more open woods and thickets, and there among the higher bushes, and lower branches of the trees, they quietly do their work. They are modest, retiring birds, though very striking in color and carriage. As they move leisurely about, with the tail partially erect and the feathers spread, the white patches on their inner webs are plainly visible. Its song, which is sometimes heard, is said by Mr. Langille to be "a loud, clear whistle, which may be imitated by the syllables 'chee-to, chee-to, chee-tee-ee,' uttered rapidly, and ending in the falling inflection." I have generally found them in maple woods, often near streams.

In the fall the advance migrants appear about.the lower end of Lake Michigan the latter part of August, and sometimes reach the Ohio Eiver almost as soon. Some years their stay is short; others, they re- main a full month, departing the last days of September. They ar- rived in Cook County, 111., August 31, 1895, August 21, 1896; at La- fayette, August 24, 1896; at Cincinnati, 0., August 28, 1879. The last fall occurrences were at Chicago, 111., September 27, 1895; Lafayette, September 26, 1896; Lake County, Ind., September 25, 1875, Septem- ber 28, 1878, September 18, 1881. As with all this group of birds, this is very destructive to insects. Prof. King examined 17 specimens: Three had eaten four hymenoptera, among which were two ants; one, a moth; six, 17 caterpillars; six, 15 diptera, including two tipulids; six, 12 beetles, and one, 2 larvae (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 505).

*269. (658). Dendroica rara (Was.).

Synonym, DKNDROICA C.KKULKA (Wils.).

Cerulean Warbler. Synonym, BLUE WARBLER.

Male in Spring. — Azure-blue, with black streaks; below, pure white; breast and sides, with blue or blue-black streaks; two white wing bars; tail blotches small but occupying every feather, except, perhaps, the central pair; bill, black; feet, dark. Female and Young with the blue glossed with greenish, and the white soiled with yellowish; a yellowish eye ring and superciliary line (Mcll wraith, p. 365).

Length, 4.00-5.00; wing, 2.40-2.70; tail, 1.70-1.90.

RANGE. — America, from Bolivia north, over eastern United States to northwestern New York, southern Ontario, southern Michigan and Minnesota, west to Nebraska.

Rare east of Alleghanies. Breeds from West Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri, northward.

1054 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nest, 20 to 50 feet high, 5 to 15 feet from body of tree, saddled to horizontal limb. Material, shredded bark of trees and vines, grass and vegetable fibre, lichens and spiders' webs on outside and lined with fine bark and grass. Eggs, 4-5; size .64 by 50; greenish-white, bluish- white or creamy, spotted with reddish-brown, russet and lilac chiefly at the larger end.

The Cerulean Warbler is a summer resident over most if not all of our State. In some localities it appears to be rare or wanting, and from others it has only been~reported as a migrant. In southeastern, and I have no doubt in general, through the rougher land of southern Indiana, this is the most common tree-inhabiting warbler, both during the migrations and in summer. It is common and breeds throughout the lower Wabash Valley at least to Terre Haute and in Carroll County (Evermann). I have no doubt it does also in the picturesque Sugar Creek region in Parke and Montgomery counties, where we found it common May 19 and 20, 1887. At Brookville it breeds com- monly. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test have noted it several times at Lafayette, once as late as May 30 (1892), but have not found its nest. It is tolerably common in Dekalb and Wabash counties, where it probably breeds. At English La.ke it is rare, but one pair being re- corded from there, May 20, 1888. Mr. J. G. Parker found a female with two young but a few days out of the nest along the Kankakee River near Kouts, Ind., sixty miles from Chicago, June 29, 1895.

In southern Indiana they usually arrive the last half of April, and by May 10 are often spread over the State. The following dates give earliest and latest dates of first arrival: Brookville, April 19, 1889, May 5, 1893; Monroe County, April 27, 1886; Carroll County, May 5, 1884, May 21, 1883; Wabash, May 4, 1892; Muncie, May 6, 1888; Lafayette, April 24, 1897, April 27, 1892; Dekalb County, April 24, 1891, May 12, 1892; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 10, 1893; Plymouth, Mich., May 3, 1891 and 1896, May 18, 1893. * The maJes precede the females by from one or two days to a week, and always outnumber them greatly. At once, upon the arrival of the females, the season of courtship begins. I have observed them mat- ing as early as April 26, and by the first week in May their time is largely occupied ii: choosing a mate. All does not go smoothly, how- ever, for frequently more than one of the beaux has a very decided fancy for a particular belle. There is a meeting between the rivals, and frequently the battle is long and severe. So engrossed do they become at times that they fall, fighting, to the earth, unheeding every- thing around them. At this time the male is using his utmost effort to sing his sweetest songs. When he first came, his song was, zee-zee-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. • 1055

zee-e-e, the last syllable, sometimes the third, sometimes the fourth, trilled. It was not loud and shrill, but distinct, carrying to a consid- erable distance. It reminds me some of the songs of the Helmintho- -philas, approaching nearest to that of H. chrysopiera, and bears some resemblance to that of the Cape May Warbler. The song, however, changed. In eight to twelve days it was tweet-tweet-twet-twee-ee, ending with a trilling or twanging effect on a rising scale. At times, a part or the whole of the first song is added to this more pleasing effort. Within twelve to fourteen days after arrival, the differences have all been settled, all are happily married, the honeymoon has begun, and the most thrifty pairs are housebuilding. The Cerulean Warblers are, typically, birds of the treetops. Save when crouching in some sheltered valley, to escape a raw wind, I have seldom found them elsewhere than among the limbs of the tall maples, hickories and elms. There they spend their time, obtain their living from the many insects that infest the foliage, flowers and bark, and build their nests. The nests I have found were usually forty to sixty feet high, on top of a, horizontal limb. The male evidently exhausted his strength in his efforts to overcome rivals and to show his attentions to his favorite. He now is not able to assist in building the nest. His wife does that, and he sings while she works.

May 6, 1897, I found a female so busily engaged' nest-building that she had not time to stop. Evidently she had a time contract, and the limit was about up. She gathered fibres, spiders' webs and other building material from the bushes and brush piles all around me, and carried them to the horizontal limb, about fifty feet high, on an oak, some two hundred feet away. She scarcely had time to deposit her load, when she flew back for more material. I watched her a long time and was surprised at the great energy she exhibited. In southern Indiana, the eggs are laid the latter part of May, and the young are out of the nest the last half of June. About that time the song ceases.

In July, most of them leave, some lingering through August, occa- sionally even to the first of September. The latest dates I have are: Lafayette, August 22, 1892; Vermillion County, August 22, 1897; Plymouth, Mich., August 15, 1894, September 1, 1892.

While they are with us they frequent the wooded hillsides and the upland woods, as distinguished from the immediate river valley. They are not associated in flocks, but are evenly distributed through woods of the proper character. Their habits are such as make them of great service. Often, from among the high limbs of a tree, one will be seen to dart out and, flycatcher-like, seize flying insects; among the smaller

1056 • REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

twigs and about the blossoms, they are like Vireos, examining both sides of every leaf, and the inside as well as the outside of every blossom; on the large limbs, they may be often mistaken for the Black and White Warbler, such adepts are they as creepers. Having all- these traits, they are excellent general-purpose birds, as insect- catchers.

*270. (659). Dendroica pennsylvanica (LINN.).

Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Head of Chestnut-sided Warbler. Natural size.

t

Adult Male. — Upper parts, greenish-yellow, streaked with black; crown, yellow, bordered with white, then enclosed in black; sides of head and under parts, pure white; lores, with a line through the eye and one below it, black; a conspicuous chestnut-brown stripe on the sides, starting in a line with the black mustache; wing and tail feathers, dark brown, edged with bluish-gray; wing bars, white, gen- erally fused in one large patch. Female. — Similar, but less highly colored; black on head obscure, and chestnut streaks thinner and fewer (Nehrling, Pt. V., p. 215). Immature. — Different; above, con- tinuous light olive-green; below, white; ring around eye, white; no black on head; sometimes a chestnut streak on the side; wing bars, clear yellow. The clear, yellow wing bars and white under parts dis- tinguish birds in this plumage.

Length, 4.60-5.25; wing, 2.40-2.65; tail, 1.95-2.10.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama to Manitoba, On- tario and Newfoundland. Breeds from northern New Jersey, Illinois and the Alleghany Mountains, in Georgia, north. Winters from Ba- hamas and eastern Mexico, south.

Nest, in fork of bush, three to eight feet up, of bark shreds and grass, lined with plant down and hair. Eggs, 4-5; creamy- white, with markings of reddish and dark brown, chiefly wreathed about the larger end; .65 by .49.

A common migrant most years, but sometimes rather rare. In the extreme northern part of the State it is a summer resident; Laporte

. BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1057

County (Byrkit). Dr. A. W. Brayton says it "breeds sparingly in the north of the State." It is reported as breeding in Monroe (Trombley), Wayne (Alexander), Kalamazoo and Ingham counties, Michigan (Cook, B. of M., p. 132). It also breeds in northern Ohio, northern Illinois, and Mr. Robert Ridgway has found it in the breeding season as far south as Richland Qounty, Illinois. They arrive a little later in spring than some of the species I have noted. While occasionally seen as early<as April 24 (1881), usually they appear southward after May 1, and northward between May 5 and 10. First arrivals early and late years are: Knox County, April 24, 1887; Brookville, May 2, 1881, May 9, 1875; Carroll County, May 4, 1885, May 22, 1883; Wabash, April 28, 1892; Lafayette, April 27, 1892; May 16, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., April 28, 1889, May 11,' 1893; Chicago, May 2, 1896, May 17, 1886. The latest I have taken it at Brookville is May 12, 1882. At Lafayette it has been taken May 28, 1892, and at Chi- cago, May 30, 1894. This Warbler is found in the Whitewater Valley, on the wooded hillsides and uplands. There it ranges from the ground to the tallest treetops, preferring the lower growths, in the heat of the day often seeking comfort and quiet in a cool thicket or a brush pile near the ground. As they move through the trees the wings are often partially raised and the tail somewhat elevated, indi- cating alertness and attention to its duties as one of the entomologists of our native forests. Where they make their summer homes they spend their time about the borders of woods and in second-growth timber. In New England, where they breed, they are said to frequent the more open woods and thickets away from cultivation. In Ontario, Mr. Mcllwraith says it rears two broods. Its song somewhat resembles that of the Summer Warbler, but, once known, may readily be distin- guished. Samuels says it consists of the syllables 'che-'che-che-'che-e-e, and he mentions also a rattling cry, at times, which he compares to the alarm note of the Maryland Yellow-throat (B. K. K, p. 232).

In the fall they are more numerous than in the spring. While in spring the markings readily aided in determining the species, the im- perfect markings in fall tend to confuse the novice. They are among the first migrants to appear in 'our latitude, sometimes arriving soon after the middle of August. While most of them leave before the last of September, they sometimes remain until after the 1st of October (October 3). In 1896- they first appeared at Lafayette August 18, and none were seen after August 27; whereas, in 1894, they had re- mained until September 4; Warren County, September 15, 1897; at Brookville, September 9, 1886; at Chicago, 111., September 24, 1895,

67— GEOL.

1058 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

and in Lake County, Ind., September 18, 1881, and October 3, 1875. In Wayne County, Michigan, they were last noted August 30, 1894.

They are said to eat canker-worms, flies, ants, caterpillars, tipulids, beetles, plant lice and grasshoppers.

271. (660). Dendroica castanea (WiLs.).

Bay-breasted Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, ashy-olive, thickly streaked with black; crown, chestnut-red; forehead and sides of head, black; wing bars, white; outer tail feathers with white patches at the tips; below, throat and breast chestnut-brown, lighter than the crown; rest of lower parts, buffy-white. Adult Female. — Above, olive, streaked with black, with less chestnut on the crown; below, with the chestnut fainter, some- times only traces of it. Immature. — Above, light olive-green, more or less streaked with black; wings and tail marked much as in the adult; below, whitish, tinged with buffy; under tail coverts, with buffy tinge; sides of breast not streaked. Closely resembles immature of D. striata, which see.

Length, 5.00-6.00; wing,*2.75-3.00; tail, 2.15-2.25.

RANGE. — America, from Cplombia north to eastern North America, Hudson Bay and Labrador; west to Iowa and Missouri. Breeds from northern Michigan and Maine,, north.

Nest, in coniferous trees, in low woods, 5 to 20 feet up; of evergreen twigs, grass and lichens, lined with feathers and hair. Eggs, 4; bluish- green or bluish-white, spotted with brown, sometimes forming wreath about large end; .70 by .50.

The Bay-breasted Warbler is usually a very rare migrant in spring and is much more common in fall. Some springs it is wanting en- tirely, and many times, when present, but a single or, at most, a very few individuals will be seen in comparison with the numbers of other species that prefer the same woods. They arrive a little later than the Chestnut-sided. These two Warblers are always associated in my mind because the first specimen of each I shot were taken almost at the same hour, one spring morning, when almost all birds were new to me. They were new discoveries to a boy, to whom the high branches above became filled with flitting wings and a repetition of t-sep notes that plainly told of a world among the treetops, peopled by beautiful forms, unknown to the common run of mankind, who, though they have eyes and ears, neither see nor hear the inhabitants of that land. Their sight has not been quickened to see the unseen, nor their ears attuned to nature's harmony. She speaks not to them, because they

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1059

have no communion with her. These associations, these discoveries, that come to each one of us, are a part of life that mean nothing to any one save the individual concerned. To him they are much, for they are a part of his being — an experience in the unfolding of his powers that has been translated into consciousness.

They seldom reach our State before the first of May, the earliest record being from Knox County, April 30, 1881. They generally pass northward before the middle of May, by which time they have ap- peared throughout the northern counties, where they linger occa- sionally until May 20 or 25.

First appearances, early and late seasons, are: Brookville, May 2, 1884; May 12, 1882; Bloomin£ton, May 4, 1886, Carroll County, May 4, 1886, May 5, 1884, 1885; Terre Haute, May 10, 1890; Lafayette, May 5, 1893, May 10, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., May 10, 1893, May 14, 1892; Chicago, 111., May 3, 1895, May 15, 1897. They do not remain long, but pass rapidly through, the last remaining at Moore's Hill, Greencastle and Lafayette until May 13, 1893; Carroll County, May 22, 1883; Chicago, 111., May 24, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., May 18, 1892.

In 1881, Mr. Ridgway found them -very common for a few days in Knox County. In 1871, Mr. Aiken tells me they were rather common in Lake County. They were very common in Carroll County from May 5 to 20, 1885 (Evermann). They seem to have been generally ob- served in 1893 and were reported tolerably common that year at Greencastle, Lafayette and Moore's Hill. I have never heard it sing. Mr.' Maynard says its song begins like that of the Blackpoll and has a terminal warble similar to that of the Redstart. To Mr. Langille's ear, it bears no resemblance to either, "but is a very soft warble, some- what resembling the syllables tse-chee, tse-chee, ise-chee, fse-chee, tse- chee, but far too liquid to admit of exact spelling."

In habits, the Chestnut-sided Warbler and this appear to me much alike. This bird I have not found among the higher foliage of trees, preferring the lower branches and exhibiting a preference for the groves and more open woods rather than the denser forest. It is rather sluggish in its movements, as it assists in gleaning among the leaves and branches, the insect population of the trees in our pastures and more open woodland. In fall, they begin to appear early in Septem- ber, and, while the greater part leave that month, some occasionally remain until late October. The earliest fall arrival in Lake County is September 2, 1883. They were last seen there September 28, 1879, October 3, 1875. Similar records show they arrived at Brookville September 7, 1886, were last seen October 9, 1879; at Lafayette, ar-

1060 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

rived September 11, 1894, departed September 21, 1895; at Greens- burg, Ind., last seen September 25, 1897; Cincinnati, 0., arrived Sep- tember 4, 1879; the fall of 1878 they were common until October 1, and the last departed October 20. In Indiana, they are much more regular in appearance, as well as more numerous, in the fall, sometimes being very abundant. The falls of 1894 and 1895 they were common at Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test). Prof. King notes that nineteen ate 7 ants, 7 lepidoptera, 6 diptera, 15 beetles, 6 leaf hoppers and 1 dragon fly (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 497).

In the fall, when so many of these birds are in immature or im- perfect plumage, it is very difficult to distinguish such birds from the next species. This species (castanea) is white below, tinged with buffy or creamy-buff, especially on the flanks, while the next species (striata) is clear, pale yellowish below. Dr. Langdon gives the f o^ lowing notes on distinguishing characteristics of these fall birds: "A comparison of specimens of both species shows that the chin, or feathered space between the forks of the lower mandible, is consider- ably wider in castanea than in striata, arguing a greater width ot base of bill in the former species. The bill of castanea is generally the larger in every way, but its. greater width at base is especially evi- dent" (Jour. Gin. Soc. N. H., L, 1879, p. 171).

272, (6-rt). Dendroica striata (KORST.).

Black-poll Warbler.

Adult Male. — Crown, deep black; other upper parts, grayish, streaked with black, the wings with two white bars; lower parts, in- cluding lower tail coverts, pure white; sides of throat, streaked with black, meeting on the chin. -Adult Female. — Above, dull olive-green, everywhere streaked with black; beneath, whitish, tinged with yellow, the sides, and sometimes the sides of throat, with dusky streaks. Immature. — Above, brighter olive-green, not so distinctly streaked; below, more yellowish, sides not streaked; lower tail coverts, pure white.

Length, 5.00-5.75; wing, 2.80-2.90; tail, 2.05-2.25.

Note. — It is almost impossible to distinguish the immature plu- mages of this species and D. castanea. However, with close attention to three characters, they may be distinguished when other means fail. In D. striata, (1) the lower tail coverts are pure white; (2) the color- ing of the lower parts is decidedly yellowish; (3) the sides of the breast are unstreaked. In D. castanea, (1) the lower tail coverts are buffy; (2) the coloring of the lower parts is buffy; (3) the sides of the breast are often indistinctly streaked with dusky.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1061

EANGE. — America, from Colombia over eastern United States to Labrador, Alaska and Arctic coast; west to Rocky Mountains. Breeds from northern New England, northward. Winters from Cuba, south- ward.

Nest) in spruce trees, from ground to 10 feet up; of grasses, roots, lichens and spruce twigs, lined with grass and feathers. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 3; white, sometimes with creamy, grayish, greenish or pinkish tinge, marked with some shade of gray, usually olive, and usually spotted and speckled with burnt umber, russet or drab, heaviest at larger end; .71 by .50.

Head of Black-poll Warbler. Natural size.

The Blackpoll Warbler is usually the last of the tree warblers to arrive, and also, at times, is among the last to depart. It is an irregu- lar migrant, generally rather rare, but some years common; usually most common in fall. They rarely reach our southern borders by April 27 (1888), but it is usually near the 10th of May when they should be expected, and at times much later than that. Whenever they come they often remain until after May 20, and, in the northern part of the State, occasionally until the last of the month. When these birds appear, some of the earlier Warblers have passed through. Their arrival is, to me, always a matter of note. I love to hail a bird whose business each year carries it half around the earth. Their deliberate ways are characteristic. It matters not whether it is in making their long journey from the Equator to the Arctic Circle, to build their home and rear their young, or in making a trip through the boughs of a maple tree, to gather insects for the morning meal — there is the same deliberation as though there was a studied effort to have every motion count. They seem to me directly opposite in char- acter to the Black-throated Blue Warbler, which makes many mo- tions for every stroke. Early and late first arrivals are: Vincennes, April 27, 1888; Bloomington, April 28, 1885; Terre Haute, May 4, 1887; Greensburg, May 6, 1895; Brookville, May 9, 1897, May 23, 1883; Lafayette, May 6, 1894, May 12, 1893; Richmond, May 19,

1062 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1897; Carroll County, May 21, 1883, 1885; Francisville, May 9, 1896; Lake County, May 16, 1897; Chicago, May 11, 1895, May 20, 1894.

Last spring records: Madison, May 23, 1888; Richmond, May 21, 1897; Lafayette, May 29, 1892; Lebanon, May 30, 1894; Lake County, May 30, 1894; Brookville, May 24, 1897. The spring of 1897 they were common at Brookville and Richmond; that of 1895 and 1896, in the vicinity of Chicago, 111.; 1890, at Greencastle, Ind.; 1888, at Petersburg, Mich.

AVhen with us, in spring, the males greatly outnumber the females. They are found in all kinds of woodland, at varying heights among the trees, but generally not very near the ground. Sometimes they visit the orchard and lawn, seeming to prefer evergreen trees. I have found them in ravines, among low bushes, uttering a chip now and then, while busy looking for food. Its song is the syllable chi, re- peated five or six times — ch,i-chi-chi-chi-cM. The notes are staccato and are of equal length; the first is usually low, then rising until the two next, the last of which is loudest, the final one being lower than they. This is often uttered for a considerable time, with only a slight interval, punctuated by a chip between songs. Again, but occasionally will its song be heard, and there will be great breaks in the music. Often, when the foliage has become too dense to see the birds among the trees, this queer, pleasing melody will sound forth and tell us the author is in no haste to take his leave. In fall they return, to be- come a puzzle to the student of birds. The plumages of the young- and females of this species and of the fall and. immature specimens of castanea so nearly match that at times a serious question arises as to their identity. Under the last species has been indicated how they may be distinguished. At this season they may be observed, at times, following the custom of some .other Warblers and frequenting the fencerows, roadsides and weedy stubble. They first appear about the lower end-of Lake Michigan late in August. The bulk pass through in September, but some are at times found into early October. First and last dates when they were noted in the fall indicate the extent of their autumnal visits: Chicago, 111., August 25, 1885, September 21, 1896; Lake County, Ind., September 2, 1883, September 25. 1875; Sandusky, O., last, October 4, 1896; Brookville, September 21 to Oc- tober 13, 1883; Greencastle, September 28, 1890. Their numbers are greater in fall, and some years they are abundant. They were common at Brookville in the fall of 1883; at Bicknell, September 6 to 17, 1894; in the vicinity of Chicago, August 25 to September 5, 1885, and 29 to September 21, 1896.

BIRDS OF IXDIAXA. 1003

Four specimens were examined by Prof. F. H. King. They had eaten a caterpillar, 3 beetles and, it was estimated, 13 other insects. They are also said to eat canker-worms.

273. (<J62). Dendroica blackburniae (GMEL.).

Blackburnian Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, including wings and tail, black; wing patch, white; back, variegated with white; several lateral tail feathers, mostly white; crown spot, eyelids, line over the eye, throat and breast, bril- liant or flame color, contrasting beautifully with the black surround- ings; sides, streaked with black. Female. — Black of upper parts re- placed by brownish-olive, with black streaks; flame color replaced by yellow; two white wing bars. Immature. — With the markings still paler, almost buffy, the crown patch very faint; above, brownish.

Length, 4.25-5.50; wing, 2.50-2.80; tail, 1.90-2.10.

RANGE. — America, from Ecuador north over eastern United States, etc., to Labrador; west to Manitoba, Utah and New Mexico. Breeds from South Carolina north along the Alleghany Mountains, and Mas- sachusetts and Minnesota, northward. Winters from Bahamas and eastern Mexico, southward.

Nest, in pine or hemlock tree, 8 to 60 feet from ground, 10 feet out from trunk, on horizontal limb; of hemlock twigs, rootlets, bark, pine needles, moss, loosely woven, lined with horsehair, feathers and grass. Eggs, 4; greenish- white, spotted and blotched everywhere, but most thickly at larger end, with different shades of .purple and brown, almost black in some instances; .69 by .51.

This beautiful warbler is a regular migrant, varying, as all the Warblers do, in numbers. They are generally common, some years abundant. This is one of the second earl}'' Warblers, coming as the maples and elms are putting forth small leaves, and while the hickories and oaks are still bare. They frequent trees, usually spending most of their time among the higher branches, but at times with other Warblers, busying themselves lower down among the foliage. They are generally associated with Black-throated, Green and Chestnut- sided Warblers. The earliest record I have of its spring arrival at Brookville is April 15, 1887, the latest May 7, 1875 and 1892. For the following places: Richmond, April 22, 1897; Greensburg, April 27, 1885, May 14, 1893; Greencastle, May 6, 1873; Bloomin'gton, April 21, 1885, April 27, 1886; Carroll County, April 28, 1885; Lafay- ette, April 29, 1803, May 8, 1897; Waterloo, April 30, 1897; Chicago, 111., April 29, 1886, May 18, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., May 5, 1889, May 16, 1888.

1064 REPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

. The dates at which they were last seen in spring are Brookville, May 11, 1882; Richmond, May 19, 1897; Carroll County, May 24, 1883; Lafayette, May 21, 1892; Lake County, May 30, 1894. Their breeding ground begins not far north of us, and from the time the last ones leave until the first fall migrants appear, with their faces turned the other way, is but a few weeks less than three months. They may even be found breeding in this State, as they are reported to have bred in Kalamazoo County, Mich. (Cook, B. of M., p. 133).. They begin to arrive from the north after the middle of August — Chicago, August 21, 1886; Cincinnati, August 30, 1877; Vermillion County, Ind., August 19, 1897 (Barnett); and through the next month or six weeks are to be found frequenting the same kinds of woods they did in spring. Usually all have passed by October 1, .but they are some- times to be found after the middle of that month. (Brookville, October 14, 1889; Cincinnati, October 18, 1879). They are the first of the migrating Warblers to arrive in numbers in the fall, and although the brilliant colors of the spring have been replaced by plainer hues, they may be recognized. At that season, they are usually much more numerous than they are in spring. As they return in the fall, they are silent, having lost the song they sang the preceding spring. Mr. Minot likens that song to the syllables wee-see-wee-see, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, the latter notes ascending in the scale until the last one becomes shrill and fine. In summer he says it sings, wee-see-wee- see-wee-see (wee-see-ick). Their food consists of beetles, caterpillars, ants, bugs, crane flies, ichneumon flies, and other insects (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 504). They pass southward to their winter quarters, where great numbers of the brighter birds fall victims of the plumage gatherer. They are found in this northern land again, but not freely flitting among the greening trees, now showing their beautiful throats, then singing their queer little songs, but as articles of adornment, with other native birds. Their appearance upon the apparel of our women serves as a continual reminder of what a fearful offering of life the great Goddess of Fashion yearly demands at our hands. Upon her altars are sacrificed annually -an innumerable host of man's good friends, the insect eating birds.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1065

*274. (663«) Dendroica dominica albilora RIDGWAY.

Sycamore Warbler. Synonym, WHITE-BROWED, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER.

Adult. — Sexes alike; above, blue-gray, the back not streaked; a line over eye, yellow in front; white behind; sides of neck and two wing- bars, white; forehead, sides of head and sides of neck and streaks on sides of body, black; throat, yellow; other lower parts, white.

Length, 4.50-5.50; wing, 2.50-2.65; tail, 2.00-2.25; bill, .45-.4S.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Honduras; north in Mis- sissippi Valley to Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia and Ohio; east to North Carolina. Breeds from Texas and Mississippi, north. "Winters from lower Rio Grande Valley, south.

Nest, in fork, far out on a high limb, usually of a sycamore.

The Sycamore Warbler is a common summer resident along the streams of .southern Indiana, where timber containing sycamore trees is found It is very common, particularly in the spring, along the White- water River as far up as Brookville. There, but few ascend the east fork of that stream, and it is consequently rare at Richmond, while it is common along the west fork to Laurel, and has been taken at Conners- ville. It is common up the Wabash Valley to Park and Montgomery Counties, where I found it May 19 and 20, 1887, along the Valley of Sugar Creek, and to Carroll County; also up the White River Valley to Indianapolis. Higher up the Wabash they are rare and, perhaps, in some places, of accidental occurrence. They have been reported during the breeding season from Greencastle (Hughes, Earlle), and Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test), where they are rare, as they also are at Ft. Wayne (Stockbridge). They range north into Michigan, where, in Monroe County, they were reported tolerably common to 1887, but are now "rare (Trombley), and to the vicinity of Detroit. They also cross Ohio, being tolerably common as far as Columbus (Wheaton), and are found near Cleveland (Forest and Stream, Vol. VI., 187% p. 300). They have not been found in the Kankakee Valley, or north of it, in this State, yet it ha.s been noted rarely in northern Illinois. The coincidence of the range of this species with that of the Cerulean Warbler is notable. Yet they occupy entirely different ground, thus complementing each other. The Sycamore Warbler does not depart from the vicinity of streams, even following small creeks, along which sycamores grow, for quite a distance towards their source. They seem to prefer these trees, spending much time among their highest branches, but they may also be found among all the trees fringing waterways, sometimes quite near the ground, and

106(5 REPORT OF >

often axe seen among our orchards, lawns, and even the shade trees along the streets of towns in the valleys. They never enter the wood- land. There, on the contrary, the Cerulean Warbler prefers to make his home, especially among the woods of the hillsides and uplands. The song of the Sycamore Warbler, as I catch it, is as follows: Twit, che-e, che-e, che-e, che-e, che-e, che-d. This is about its usual length. The first syllable is abrupt, with rising inflection, then, after a slight pause, the remainder is uttered at the same pitch until the last syllable, which ends sharply with a slight rise in tone. The whole song is very unique. Its notes are clear' and distinct, and it is pitched in such a key that it may be heard under favorable circumstances over a quarter of a mile. They arrive very early in spring, being one of the very first Warblers to attract one's attention, and they usually become very common at once.

Its longer flights much resemble those of the Chipping Sparrow. Its shorter ones, as with quivering wings it beats rapid strokes when moving from 'limb to limb, remind one of the movements of the Kingbird.

The dates of early and late first arrivals are: Brookville, April 3, 1882, April 27, 1895; Knox County, April 17, 1881; Bloomington, April 14, 1886; Terre Haute, April 14, 1888; Richmond, April 16, 1888; Greencastle, April 22, 1893, May 7, 1892; Lafayette, April 25, 1896; Carroll County, April 20, 1884, May 9, 1883; Wabash, April 28, 1892; Petersburg, Mich., April 17, 1889, April 28, 1893.

Evidently they push on without delny to their most northern breed- ing places. I have noted them mating April 22 (1881) and May 19 (1882) I obtained a specimen containing an egg ready to be laid. I found no description of its nest. Late in summer they may be seen among the orchards more than in the spring. I have never observed one at Brookville later than September 25, but in the northern part of the State and in Michigan the}7 have been reported in October. I am under obligations to Mr. Jerome Trombley, of Petersburg, Mich., for the interesting account of his experience with this bird here given. It may be sought under similar conditions in northern Indiana:

"The Sycamore Warbler is a ra.re summer resident in Monroe County, Mich. It is the first of the Warblers to arrive in the spring, appearing here some years as early as the 20th of April. The Louisi- ana Water Thrush, another species of the same family, however, ar- rives about the same time, if not earlier. The favorite haunts of the Sycamore Warblers are in the wooded bottom lands along Raisin River, confining themselves principally to the tops of the huge syca- more tre^s which skirt the banks of the stream. They very rarely

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1007

descend lower than 25 or 30 feet from the ground. I have shot these birds when they were at a height of 90 feet, and appeared from below not much larger than Humming-birds, but their creeper-like habits render them easy of identification. The constant habit of remaining at such heights, coupled with extreme restlessness, make them one of the most difficult species to secure.

"The song is quite loud and spirited, and can easily be heard and distinguished at a distance of 300 or 400 yards. Some authors state the song resembles that of the Indigo Bunting. By others it is likened to that of the Black and White Warbler, or to the Pine Warbler's. The fact is, according to my experience, the song is a very character- istic one, and bears no resemblance to anything I have ever heard the above mentioned birds utter. It may be expressed by the sylla- bles, tee-o, tee-o, tow-tee, accented on the syllable tee, with a rising inflection on the final syllable. The song is repeated at intervals of 10 to 15 seconds, and kept up for an hour or more. They remain but a few moments feeding or singing in the same tree, but are off to another, and after making the rounds of several trees, will perhaps be back in the first tree at the end of 15 or 20 minutes. My greatest desire in regard to this interesting little bird has been to secure a nest and its complement of eggs, but am sorry to say that, so far, I have been unsuccessful.

"I can therefore say but little of the nesting habits. For three or four successive years, I searched long and diligently, examining the tree tops, as well as I could from the ground, hoping to discover a nest, and had come to the conclusion that I would never succeed. Fortunately, on the 10th of May, 1880, I chanced to see one of these birds alight on the trunk of a tree, with building materials in its bill. In a few moments it flew to the top of a large sycamore, and then near the end of a small horizontal branch, where at last I had the pleasure of locating the long looked-for nest. I estimated the height from the ground to be somewhere between 60 and 75 feet, and on the end of a branch 20 feet from the trunk. The branch would not bear a weight of over fifty pounds, and with trunk of the tree 7 feet in diameter at the base, the first limb being 40 feet from the ground, I made up my mind that this nest was simply unattain- able, except by extraordinary means. The next day I returned, and, with the aid of a good field-glass, I discovered that the nest looked as if nearly completed, and the birds were at work, apparently, putting in the lining. It was placed in the fork made by two smaller branches springing up from the branch on which the nest rested. I was unable to determine the materials which composed the nest, which appeared

1068 EEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

about the size of that of the Cerulean Warbler. The identity of this nest was ascertained beyond a doubt. A good view was had of the female when first seen carrying the materials for building; also on the next day with the glass, while she was at work on the nest. The well-known song of the male was heard in the vicinity all the while that nidification and incubation was going on.

"The above article was written several years ago for a friend, who desired me to give him some information from my observations of the family of Warblers in this locality. I have been able to add but little of interest since in regard to the Sycamore Warbler. As the timber is being cut from the bottom lands, they have become much rarer than formerly. I am not positive that I saw more than a single bird this year, 1897.' In the swamps, away from the river, where sycamores grow plentifully, I have sometimes come across a few of these birds, and I believe they nested there, as they were seen or heard as late as July. This species departs for their winter habitat along the last of September, or the first of October, as I have never been able to detect their presence later than the 10th of October.

275. (667). Dendroica virens (GMEL.).

Black-throated Green Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, bright olive-green; wing, crossed by two white bars; line over the eye and side of face, gamboge-yellow; chin, throat and breast, deep black; belly, white. Adult Female. — Similar, but black markings more or less broken by yellow or whitish. Imma- ture.— Similar to female; black markings almost replaced by yellow.

Length, 4.35-5.40; wing, 2.40-2.55; tail, 1.90-2.05.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama and Cuba, north- ward to Hudson Bay, straggling to Greenland and Europe. Breeds from South Carolina, northward along the Alleghanies. Common, northern Ohio and northern Illinois and Michigan, northward. Win- ters from Cuba and Mexico, southward.

Nest, in woods, usually on horizontal branch of coniferous bush or tree; 2 to 50 feet up; of bark, grass, twigs, fibres, feathers; lined with down. Eggs, 4; white or creamy- white, spotted with burnt umber or russet, and purplish-gray, usually arranged in wreaths about larger ends; .64 by .48.

The Black-throated Green Warbler is a very common migrant. Few among the Wood Warblers, perhaps none, are as well known as this. It comes after the earliest ones have renewed their acquaintance, and is one of several that seem to be associated at this season. It spends

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1069

its time here among the larger trees in woodland, both wood pastures and forests. There among the foliage, from lowest limb to topmost bough, it may be found, in company with Blackburnian and Chestnut- sided Warblers. Occasionally they are found among the orchard trees. They arrive southward from April 22 to May 8, and about the north- ern boundary May 1 to 10. Early and late dates are Brookville, April 26, 1881, 1886, and 1893, May 8, 1882; Greensburg, April 26, 1893, May 13, 1894; Lafayette, April 27, 1892, and 1893, May 6, 1897; Car- roll County, April 28, 1885, May 5, 1894; Sedan, April 24, 1894, April

Black-throated Green Warbler. Natural size.

30, 1896; Lake County, May 11, 1884; Chicago, 111., May 1, 1896, May 6, 1886; Petersburg, Mich., May 2, 1888, May 9, 1897. If they arrive early, they usually remain from one to two or three weeks, but if they are late coming they pass through rapidly. The latest date for southern Indiana is May 13, 1894 (Greensburg); for northern Indiana, May 24, 1879 (Lake County). Some unusual records have been made by Messrs. Dury and Freeman at Cincinnati, 0. The earliest arrival is April 22, 1878, and he noted them there July 23, 1879, and says: "They were somewhat common about July 30, 1879" (Journ. Cin. Soc. N. H., July, 1879).

It breeds in Michigan, south to Montcalm and Kent Counties (Cook, B. of Mich., p. 134), and has been reported as breeding in northern Illinois (W. W. Cooke), and northern Ohio (Wheaton). Its song is very peculiar, and cannot be mistaken for that of any other bird. Mr. John Burroughs has expressed its notes- by three straight lines:

1070 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

In fall they are abundant, frequenting every kind of woodland from second-growth to virgin forest. While they are changed some in appear- ance from the previous spring, they may readily be recognized. They first appear, a few of the vanguard, late in August, and remain until after October 1. First arrivals: Vermillion County, August 23, 1897; Lafayette, August 27, 1896; Lake County, September 2, 1883; Wabash, September 11, 1892; Brookville, August 29, 1887. Last records: Lake County, October, 1881; Chicago, October 5, 1894, and 1895; Lafayette, October 5, 1895; Brookville, October 8, 1884, and 1885. The Black-throated Green Warbler is the most even in its dates of migration of any of the genus. This is distinctly shown when one examines a series of dates, running over a number of years. Their food is practically the same as all of the family— large numbers of insects. Prof. King found that of twelve specimens examined, one had eaten a moth; three, seven caterpillars; three, eleven beetles; and one, two diptera; one, six larvas, probably caterpillars, and one a heteroptera (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 502). Prof. Forbes has ascertained they eat hymenoptera, caterpillars and curculios. Their woodland habits, and also those of other species, while beneficial, are not so noticeably of value as they would be if they frequented our fruit and shade trees more. Doubtless, with the lessening of our wooded area and the increase of acreage in orchards, they will more and more be found there.

276. (670). Dendroica kirtlandi BAIRD.

Kirtland's Warbler.

Adult. — Above, bluish-gray; back, more brownish and streaked with black; lores and narrow frontal band, black; no white wing bars; a white spot on each eyelid; below, pale yellow; sides of throat and of body streaked with black. Adult Female. — Similar, but paler.

Length, 5.30-6.00; wing, 2.60-2.90; tail, 2.25-2.50.

EANOE. — From Bahamas, northwest over southeastern United States, migrating through eastern part of Mississippi Valley and west- ern Lake region. Breeding range unknown. Winters in Bahamas.

Nest and Eggs, unknown.

Kirtland's Warbler is a very rare bird, known from but a few locali- ties in the United States as a migrant.

The first specimen known from Indiana was taken at Wabash, by Mr. W. 0. Wallace, May 4, 1892.

Mr. Wallace says: "I took it in a thicket. It was alone, there being no other birds in the near vicinity of it. It seemed to be an

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1071

active fly-catcher, not having the motions of the other Dendroicce, being less active. It would dart off after an insect and then return to the same perch." Mr. Wallace has kindly placed this specimen in my collection.

Mr. Wallace took another specimen May 7, 1895. He says: "Early in the morning I heard a bird singing in the thicket of plum trees near the house. The song was strange to me, and consisted of a loud, ringing note, repeated three times in quick succession. The song bears considerable resemblance to that of the Great Carolina Wren, and also suggests that of the Maryland Yellow-throat. It is loud and rather musical. I. did not go to look for it at once, but as it continued singing for some time, I finally got my gun and went to look for it. It had flown over into the orchard then, but soon returned to the plum thicket, an$ was constantly uttering its peculiar note. Had it not been for its loud and peculiar song, I should have pro- nounced it a Canada Flycatcher. Its song sealed its fate. After watch- ing it catch insects and listening to its song for some time, I backed off and shot it. Imagine my surprise when I held in my hand my second Kirtland's Warbler."

The species was described from a specimen taken by Dr. Kirtland near Cleveland, 0. The following are the reported records of it« occurrence:

1. At sea, off Abaco, Bahamas, by Dr. Samuel Cabot, second week in October, 1841.

2. Near Cleveland, 0., by Dr. J. P. Kirtland, male, May 15, 1851. Type specimen.

3. Near Cleveland, 0., by E. K. Winslow, female, June, 1860.

4. Near Cincinnati, 0., by Charles Dury, male, first week in May, 1872.

5. Ann Arbor, Mich., by A. B. Covert, female, May 15, 1875.

6. 7. Eockport, Cuyahoga County, 0., by Wm. and John Hall, May, 1878.

8. Andros Island, Bahamas, by Charles B. Cory, female, June 9, 1879.

9. Ann Arbor, Mich., by A. B. Covert, female, May 16, 1879.

10. 11. Cleveland, 0., reported by Dr. Langdon, male and female, May 4, 12, 1880.

12. Battle Creek, Mich., male, May 11, 1883, now in United States National Museum.

13. St. Louis, Mo., May 8, 1885, Otto Widmann.

14. Spectacle Eeef, Mich., May 25, 1885, Wm. Marshall. Struck the light at Spectacle Eeef lighthouse..

1072 EEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

15. Near Dublin Gap Springs, Pa., June 25, 1885, Prof. H. J. Koddy. He says: "Saw one with family/7

16. St. Helena Island, S. C., April 27, 1886, Walter Hoxie. Ee- ports seeing others.

17. Near Fort Meyer, Va., September 25, 1887, Wm. Palmer. Another seen a week later.

18. Ann Arbor, Mich., April or May, 1888, female, by Mr. Knapp.

19. Chester, S. C., female, October 11, 1888, L. M. Loomis.

aO. Near Minneapolis, Minn., May 13, 1892, male, H. M. Guilford.

21. Wisconsin, Dr. P. E. Hoy. Eeported seen.

22. Wabash, Ind., May 1, 1893, W. 0, Wallace.

23. Wabash, Ind., May 7, 1895, W. 0. Wallace.

In addition, it has been reported by Mr. C. S. Maynard, but I do not have the references at hand.

The winter home of this rare and narrowly restricted species is apparently the Bahama Islands. It has been taken most commonly during the spring migrations, near Cleveland, 0., and Ann Arbor, Mich. It has never been taken in the interior of the United States during the fall migrations. The summer home of this Warbler would seem to be northern Michigan and Wisconsin, or north thereof, and possibly in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The line of its spring movements seems to be a narrow route from the Bahamas past the western end of Lake Erie toward Lake Superior. Perhaps the return migration may be over the same route, but it is possible this may be, in the whole or in part, farther to the eastward, passing down the coast after it reaches the Atlantic.

Its distribution is very remarkable. Yet there seems to be an effort on the part of other species to follow a line remarkably similar to that noted. From the northwest into South Carolina, even to the coast, there seems to be a migration route analogous to this. Along it would seem to move, in a southeasterly migration, such forms as Brewer's Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Le Conte's Sparrow, Prairie Horned Lark, typical plains forms.

*277. (671) Dendroica vigorsii (Auo.).

Pine Warbler. Synonym, PENS-CREEPING WARBLER.

Adult Male. — Above, bright olive-green, more or less dulled by ashy; wings and tail, grayish; two wing bars, whitish; stripe from bill to eye and ring around eye, yellow; below, yellow, sides indistinctly streaked with dusky; lower tail coverts and more or less of the belly,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1073

whitish. Adult Female. — Above, dull olive-gray, more or less tinged with olive-green; wings and tail as in male; ring around eye, yellowish; below, whitish, shaded more or less with grayish, the throat and breast showing yellow.

Length, 4.95-5.60; wing, 2.70-3.00; tail, 2.10-2.45.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, west to Plains; from the Baha- mas north to New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba, Breeds throughout most of its range. Winters from North Carolina and southern Illinois, south.

Nest, in pine trees, 20 to 80 feet from ground, on horizontal limbs, 2 to 12 feet from trunk; of grapevine bark, closely woven, often with cocoons on outside. Inside lined with fine grass, horsehair and feath- ers. Average nest, 1.70 outer depth, 2.80 outer diam.; 1.45 inner depth, 1.55 inner diam. Eggs, 4-5; grayish or bluish-white (rarely pinkish-white), spotted distinctly and obscurely with chestnut and lilac-gray, often forming wreath at larger end; .70 by .53.

As its name indicates, this is a bird- of the pines. But a name does not always mean what it says. Among the Helminthophilas is a pinuSy which, perhaps, is so named because it never is found about the pines. Likewise, and among this, a Prairie Warbler that does not inhabit the prairies. Then, too, our joyous little Goldfinch, bub- bling with pleasant emotions that involuntarily come forth as it rides the waves of the wind currents, has been burdened by the sorrowful name tristis. *

In Indiana, the Pine Warbler is generally found as a rare migrant, though the spring of 1879 it was rather common. In a few localities, preferably where pines are native, a few spend the summer. Mr. J. W. Byrkit informs me it is a summer resident near Michigan City. Mr. E. W. Nelson says: "The first of July, 1874, I found a large num- ber of these birds, with young just old enough to follow their parents, in the 'Pinery/ and presume they nest there regularly" (Birds N. E. 111., p. 100). Dr. A. W. Brayton further adds: "Nelson found both old and young in the pine barrens, Lake County, where they undoubt- edly bred regularly" (Proc. Ind. Hort. Soc., 1879, p. 108). Mr. Robert Rldgway informs me of its breeding in Knox and Gibson counties. It may be found to breed wherever native pines are found, as it is known to breed nearly throughout its range at different dates; the season beginning in South Carolina in March and in Manitoba in June.

It is among the early migrants, arriving some years by the middle of April, and not lingering where it does not breed after early May.

68— GEOL.

]i»M . BEroRT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

They arrived at Brookville, April 15, 1879 and 1882, May 3, 1883; Knox County, April 19, 1881; Kichmond, April 25, 1897; Lafayette, April 27, 1892, April 29, 1893; Carroll County, April 29, 1885; Wa- bash, April 27, 1894, April 30, 1892; Michigan City, April 24, 1884. At all these places, except as first mentioned, they are very rare. The latest dates reported are May 1, 1892 (Lafayette); May 1, 1897, May 3, 1883 (Brookville). In the Whitewater Valley they frequent the wooded hillsides, where sugar maple is the prevailing timber. In such places, usually high up among the branches of the sugar trees, I have often found them. At times they nimbly flit from twig to twig among the unfolding leaves; again they pursue the habits of a creeper, reminding one of the Sycamore or Black and White Warbler, when insect hunting along the larger limbs and about the trunks of trees. Often they arrive before the leaves have burst the buds, and then they play creeper to perfection. In spring, when they are with us, they have a Sparrow-like song. This has been compared to the song of the Chipping Sparrow, of .a Junco, to the trill of the Swamp Spar- row, and to the well-known chant of the Field Sparrow. At any rate, it is a Sparrow's trill that comes to one from the highest boughs of the maple woods, where no Sparrow ought to be. In fall they only utter a chip as they pass southward, in September and October. The following are records of their fall appearance: Lake County, September 8, 1874; Warren County, September 15 and 16, 1897, September 25, 1878; Brookville, October 12, 1885; Eichmond, Octo- ber 15, 1887. They eat some seeds, but principally insects, including both those that infest pines and deciduous trees and those that fre- quent the branches as well as the foliage.

278. (672). Dendroica palmarum (GMEL.).

Palm Warbler. Synonym, RED-POLL WARBLER.

Adult. — Above, dull olive-brown; crown, chestnut, a yellow stripe over the eye; back with indistinct streaks; rump, olive-green; wings, edged with olive-gray, not barred; below, yellowish, bright yellow on throat and under tail coverts; rest of under parts, washed with whitish and streaked with brown; two outer tail feathers with large white spots, sometimes a small one on the third. Immature.— Chestnut of crown, faint or wanting; line over eye and ring around eye, whitish; below, dull buffy, slightly tinged with yellow and streaked with dusky; lower tail coverts, yellow.

Length, 4.50-5.50; wing, 2.35-2.65; tail, 2.05-2.45.

OF INDIANA. 1075

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico and Greater Antilles, north through the interior of the United States, between Alleghany Moun- tains and Great Plains, to Mackenize Valley (Ft. Simpson). Rare on Atlantic Coast. Breeds far north. Winters from South Atlantic and Gulf States southward.

The Palm Warbler occurs only as a migrant in Indiana. In the western and northwestern parts of the State — the original prairie region — it is very common, often very abundant; much more numer- ous in spring than in fall. There it frequents the open fields, the fence rows and the roadsides, and to the naturalist, at least, is a very familiar bird. Throughout the southeastern half of our State it is of irregular occurrence, never abundant, and seldom, if ever, really common. From most places it is reported as rare, not common, or tolerably common. There it frequents thickets and fence rows, open fields and woods, bem°' found at times in the deepest forests. In the woods it usually is seen among the bushes and lower limbs of trees, not over twenty feet high, but I have taken it at twice that height.

In the Whitewater Valley, some years it is very rare, and I have never found it common. In its migrations it not only seems to prefer the prairie district, but appears there earlier than farther to the east- ward. In Illinois and western and northwestern Indiana the same year they appear earlier than in the southeastern part of the State, arriving in the vicinity of Chicago often as soon, or sooner, than at any station one hundred and fifty to three hundred miles southeast of there. In 1897 they were first seen near Chicago April 17, and were abundant April 24. In 1896 they were first seen at Chicago April 11 and again April 12, while in Indiana they were not seen until April 17. In 1895 Chicago reported them April 21, the same date they were observed two hundred miles southeast of there. At Greensburg the earliest and latest dates of first appearance in spring are April 17, 1896, April 23, 1894; Spearsville, April 21, 1895, April 25, 1897; Vigq County, April 24, 1888, April 30, 1889; Bloomington, April 22, 1885, May 6, 1885; Carroll County, April 21, 1885, May 8, 1884; Brookville, April 24, 1889, May 5, 1887; Lafayette, April 24, 1897, May 6, 1892; Francisville, April 19, 1896; Chicago, 111., April 11, 1896, April 28, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., May 1, 1888, May 5, 1889. . They usually leave southern Indiana about May 5 and the northern part of the State a week later, but they may occasionally be found southward until near the middle of the month and north- ward ten days later than that. They were last reported at Greens- burg May 14, 1894; Richmond, May 16, 1897; Terre Haute, May 8,

1076 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

1889; Petersburg, Mich./ May 18, 1888; Chicago, 111., May 26, 1895. I have only heard its song a few times, from those that were in the woods. It is not loud, but attracts one's attention, as the four notes come from the little singer, who keeps time by the motions of his tail. Their tails are always in motion, and in this they remind one of the Wagtails and Phoebe.

The Palm Warbler is quite an adept at insect catching, often catch- ing them on the wing as a Flycatcher does. "Of eight specimens examined, one had eaten a small hymenoptera; one, five small moths; one, three di'ptera; two, thirteen beetles, and one five plant lice" (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 506). In the fall they begin to return about the middle of September, and linger well into October. They may some- times remain into November, as they have been noted in the vicinity of % Columbus, 0., November 7 (1874) (Wheaton), and even in the southern part of the State through December, or possibly, in favor- able winters, remain all winter, as it has been taken at Cincinnati, December 24, 1878 (Dury and Freeman). The following early dates give earliest arrival and late dates last departure: Wabash, September 10, 1892; Warren County, September 23, 1897, September 26, 1897; Chicago, 111.,* September 13, 1895, October 11, 1896; Lake County, Ind., October 2, 1881; Brookville, September 14, 1897, Octboer 13, 18.87.

279. (673). Dendroica discolor. (VIEILL.).

Prairie Warbler.

Adult Male. — Above, olive-green, the back spotted with reddish- chestnut; forehead, a line over eye and spot below the eye, yellow; spot in front of eye and stripe under eye, black; wing-bars, yellowish; below, yellow; sides, streaked or spotted with black; lower tail-coverts, buffy. Adult Female. — Similar, but duller and less distinctly marked. Immature. — Above, more brownish; no wing-bars; few or no chestnut spots on the back or black spots upon the sides.

Length, 4.25-5.00; wing, 2.10-2.30; tail, 1.90-2.10.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Central America (?) and West Indies to Wisconsin, Northern Michigan, Mackinac Island and Massachusetts, west to Kansas and Nebraska, Breeds locally through- out most of the range. Winters from Florida south.

Nest, deeply cupped and compact; of soft fibres, grasses; lined with fine grasses or hair; in second-growth, scrub-growth and thickets and in crotch or fork of vine or tree, two to seven feet high. Eggs, 4-5; white, creamy-white, greenish- white, dotted or blotched, some all

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1077

over and others at large end, where usually wreathed with chestnut and burnt umber; .64 by .47.

The Prairie Warbler is a rare migrant and summer resident. It has not yet been ascertained to breed within the State. Mr. Robert Ridgway has noted it in Knox and Gibson counties, but is uncertain that it breeds. He found it in the former county, April 15, 1881, and met with it frequently afterward that same spring. The late Mr. C. H. Bollman took a specimen near Bloomington, April 26, 1885. Mr. W. 0. Wallace took it at Wabash, May 2, 1892. Mr. J. E. Beasley took two near Lebanon, April 29, 1892, and more recently received a female killed June 14, 1896, at English Lake. The latter, and one of the former, are in the State Museum at Indianapolis. It is reported rare throughout Illinois; but one record is given of its occurrence in Wisconsin; and in Ohio it is a rare migrant in the southern and cen- tral part, and a summer resident in the northern part of that State. Dr. F. W. Langdon notes it as rare near Cincinnati in May, and Messrs. Dury and Freeman obtained a specimen there May 5, 1879 (Gin. Soc. K H., I., 1879, p. 172; Ibid, July, 1879). Dr. A. W.- Bray- ton informs me of its occurrence at London, Ky., in June, 1878, and the late Mr. C. W. Bickham reported it from Nelson County.

In Michigan it is found as a rare migrant and summer resident north to Mackinac Island. Its nest and -eggs were taken in Ottawa County, May 26, 1879 (Bulletin N. 0. C., Vol. IV., p. 186). It is very particular as to its summer home, selecting places suited to its taste, and sometimes breeding in numbers in a very small area, They frequent old clearings, bushy fields and pasture land, and sometimes orchards. There their shyness makes them very inconspicuous objects, save to the person whose ear catches their peculiar song, beginning low and gradually growing louder, resembling the syllables, wee-wee- chee-chee-chee-chee. I have no fall records, nor has it ever been found in the Whitewater Valley.

159. GENUS SEIURUS SWAINSON.

a1. Crown orange brown with a black stripe on each side; no superciliary stripe.

S. aurocapillus (Linn.). 280 a2. Crown color of back; a long superciliary stripe.

61. Below whitish, lightly streaked ; bill over one-half inch long.

S. xnotacilla (Vieill.). 283 b2. Below yellowish, heavily streaked ; bill not over one-half inch long.

c1. Line over eye buffy ; size smaller. S. noveboracensis (Gmel.). 281 c2. Line over eye lighter; size larger.

S. noveboracensis notabilis (Grinnell). 282

1078 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

*280. (674) Seiurus aurocapillus (LINN.).

Oven Bird.

Synonym, GOLDKN-CUOWXKI) THKI-'SH.

Head of Oven Bird. Xatural size.

Adult. — Crown, orange-brown, bordered with, two black stripes; no superciliary line; above, bright olive-green; below, pure white, thickly spotted with dusky on breast and sides; a narrow maxillary line of blackish; under wing-coverts, tinged with yellow; a white eye ring; legs, flesh color. Sexes alike. Young. — Similar (Mcllwraith, p. 374).

Length, 5.40-6.50; wing, 2.75-3.00; tail, 2.00-2.25.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama north to Labrador, Hudson ,Bay and Alaska. Breeds from Kansas, Virginia and moun- tain region of South Carolina northward. Winters from Florida and Mexico south.

Nest, of leaves> grasses, fibre, bark; lined with finer material of the same kind; on ground, in woods, often more or less roofed over. Eggs, 3-5, rarely 6; white or creamy- white, sprinkled, usually heaviest, and forming wreath about the larger end with hazel or chestnut or lilac- gray; .80 by .60.

The Oven Bird is so called from the dome-covered, oven-shaped nest it builds. It is known, also, as the Golden-crowned Thrush, from the "old gold" stripe along the center of its crown. It is a common summer resident in the denser woodland of the State. It frequents such land as the Worm-eating Warbler likes — the cool, dark shades of the quiet forest, where amid the thick undergrowth, the fallen trees and broken limbs man nor anything that belongs to him comes to disturb its life. -There among the thick carpet of leaves it builds its nest, and just beneath the upper layer the moist, black, humus contains a bountiful supply of choicest food, a reward for very little effort. Throughout the rougher land of southern Indiana, where much forest remains but little disturbed, so far as conditions are con- cerned, the Oven Bird is very abundant. The rapid destruction of our forests, the burning over of bushy woods and the browsing of live

• . BIRDS OF INDIANA. ln;t)

stock in woodland is all having an effect in lessening the numbers of these birds and other congenial neighbors of theirs who survive as remnants of the forest population of bygone days. They arrive in southern Indiana from April 14. to 30, and in the vicinity of Lake Michigan from April 17 to May 15. The following dates show early and late arrivals at several points: Brookville, April 14, 1883, April 30, 1884; Knox County, April 18, 1894, April 20, 1881; Lafayette, April 29, 1892, 1893 and 1894; Frankfort, April 20, 1896, May 8, 1894; Sedan, April 21, 1896, May 1, 1889; Wabash, April 27, 1892; Chicago, April 17, 1897, May 15, 1886; Petersburg, Mich., April 25, 1897, May 1, 1893.

Who among that select company that is permitted to visit the woods in early spring has not, after a walk over ravine and up hill, along some little, worn path, found his breathing hard and his pulses beat- ing fast from the exertion, and sat down upon a log to rest? All is quiet. From some distance come birds' sounds. The song of the Cardinal, the rattling of the Carolina Wren and the hammering of the Red-bellied Woodpecker; but they come faintly to the ear.

Suddenly, from near at hand, comes the song of a bird that has not been heard since last summer. It is startling in its sudden interjec- tion into the quiet, and its ringing notes arouse the listless auditor from the thoughts of the distant to attention to the near-by singer. John Burroughs has expressed what it seems to say in a way that all who have heard it will recognize. He describes it as "a sort of accel- erating chant. Commencing in a very low key, which makes him seem at a yery uncertain distance, he grows louder and louder, till his body, quakes and his chant runs into a shriek, ringing in my ears with peculiar sharpness. This lay may be represented thus: 'teacher, TEACHES, TEACHER, TEACHER, TEACHER/ the accent on the first syllable and each word uttered with increased force and shrill- ness."

The song is that of the Oven Bird. By it he has announced his arrival. During the mating season it is often preceded by from two to four chips. There is also another rarer an^ very different song. When they first arrive it is not difficult to see the bird and note its movements. A little later, when the leaves have darkened the woods, they are* hard to recognize unless they sing, and are often difficult to distinguish from the usually abundant Worm-eating Warbler. The high bearing and graceful carriage of the Oven Bird as it walks over the ground or along a log, and the confident attitude it strikes when it begins to sine, strike the eye as forcibly as its song does the ear.

1080 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST^

There is another song, called the air song, which is said to be uttered in the evening while it floats in the air above the treetops of the forest.

They are often found mating the first week in May. I found the nest and eggs May 13, 1882, at Brookville, and Prof. Evermann found a nest with a full set of eggs May 28, 1883, in Carroll County. The nest is a curious structure, an interesting object of bird architecture, in which the Cowbird also likes to lay her eggs.

They usually cease singing in June, sometimes extending it until July 23, Mr. E. P. Bicknell tells us. He also says they have a second song period, the extreme dates of which are August 9 and September 5. In July and August, if the season is dry, they leave the drier woods and many of them seem to disappear at that time, though all through the latter month, and occasionally in September, and even early in October, they may be met with singly or in little flocks, mak- ing their way southward. The following are the latest records of their occurrence at the places named: Chicago, 111., October 12, 1895; Sedan, Ind., October 1, 1889; Lafayette, September 27, 1895; Greens- burg, September 25, 1897; Trafalgar, September 26, 1897; Bicknell, October 3, 1894; Brookville, October 15, 1889.

While they live largely upon insects, particularly through the spring and summer, they also eat many seeds. "Eight out of ten specimens examined had eaten seeds; one, three caterpillars, and one, three beetles" (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 507). They have also been found to eat ants, spiders, small snails and berries.

*281. (675). Seiurus noveboracensis (GMEL.).

Water Thrush. Synonyms, WATER WAGTAIL, SMALL-BILLED WATER THRUSH.

Adult. — All the upper parts, olive; stripe over eye, yellowish; below, pale sulphur-yellow, brightest on the abdomen; thickly spotted on throat; remaining under parts, except lower belly and lower tail- coverts, streaked with olive-brown.

Length, 5.00-6.00; wing, 3.00-3.10; tail, 2.25-2.40; bill, from nostril, .3S-.38.

EANGE. — America, from Venezuela and Guiana over the eastern United States, chiefly east of Mississippi Eiver, to the Arctic Coast. Accidental in Greenland. Breeds from northern Illinois and northern New England northward. Winters from Gulf States south.

Nest, on ground, under bank or the upturned roots of a tree; of leaves, moss and grass, lined with fine grass and rootlets. Eggs, 4-6; white, with reddish-brown and lilac markings; .75 by .57.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1081

The Water Thrush, is generally a rare migrant; however, some years in the Wabash Valley one form of it is common. It is a rare summer resident northward, where it breeds. About Chicago they are reported as common every year (Tallman, Blackwelder). They are rare in the Whitewater Valley, where only a few specimens have been taken. They are rare in Carroll County .(Evermann), Wabash (Ulrey and Wallace), Lake County (Parker), and tolerably common in 1893 at Greencastle (Earlle). Just how far these records refer to the present species is uncertain. The prevailing form in western Indiana seems to be D. n. notabilis, though Mr. Ridgway has both forms from Knox County. It is probable that the same is true wherever it is reported as common. Over eastern Indiana, and other places where Small-billed Water Thrushes are rare, the present species is possibly the most mimerous, although notdbilis is also found as far east as the White- water Valley. The fact probably is that the species under considera- tion is rare throughout Indiana, Mr. Nelson has reported it breeding near Chicago; Mr. E. C. Alexander, in Wayne County, Mich., and Hon. E. Wes. McBride, in Dekalb County, Ind.

Prof. F. H. King examined seven of these birds, which had eaten 6 diptera, 6 beetles, 3 orthoptera, 1 dragonfly, 1 hair worm, 14 snails and some pedicels of moss (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 498). This, possibly, should be under the next species.

They pass south in August and September. Chicago, August 19 to September 30, 1896.

This Warbler, for such it is, some winters remains in favorable localities just south of us, and pushes northward into the lower coun- ties of our State very early in April, the advance guard reaching our northern borders from April 20 to May 1., They remain from three to four weeks and then pass north.

They have been taken at Bloomington as early as April 3 (1885), remaining that year until April 21, and the first arrivals in 1886 did not arrive there until April 17. April 3, 1893, it was reported from Greencastle; April 7, 1895, and April 29, 1893, from Lafayette; April 18 'to May 3, 1896, from Greensburg; April 28, 1896, from Sedan; May 4, 1893, from Petersburg, Mich. About Chicago it has been reported as early as April 20, 1896, and as late as May 15, 1897. They were common at Bloomington the. spring of 1885 (Bollman), April 17, 1886 (Williamson), and the spring of 1888 (Evermann). Mr. Euthven Deane informs me they were also common the spring of 1888 at English Lake. They have been reported tolerably common at Lafayette the spring of 1895 and 1896, and as not common there the springs of 1893 and 1897. Prof. W. P. Shannon reports them toler- ably common at Greensburg the spring of 1896.

1082 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

282. (<>7.vO- Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis (KIDGWAY).

GrinnelTs Water Thrush..

•

Similar to last species, but larger, darker above; stripe over eye and lower parts more whitish.

Length, 5.50-6.00; wing, 3.05-3.25; tail, 2.25-2.50; bill, from nos- tril, .40-.50.

RANGE. — America, from northern South America, western United States from Indiana to California, and north into British America. Casual on Atlantic coast from northern New Jersey. Winters from Gulf States southward.

This western form of the Small-billed Water Thrush is found throughout Indiana as a migrant and possibly as a rare summer resi- dent in the northern part of the State. It appears to be the common form in the lower Wabash Valley, and in the vicinity of Chicago, 111. Mr. Ridgway writes me that "Water Thrushes from the Mississippi Valley are very puzzling, but a large majority appear to be referable to notabilis." One specimen that I sent him for examination from Brook- ville, and two collected by Prof. W. S. Blatchley at Terre Haute, he refers to this form. Mr. Ridgway took three adult males May 4 and 6, 1885, at Wheatland, Knox County, numbered, respectively, 104,998, 104,999, 105,000, U. S. Nat. Mus. Register. He says he has also taken it in Wabash and Richland counties, 111., and there are specimens in the collection of the National Museum from Warsaw, 111. They have specimens from Wheatland and Vincennes representing both S. nove- loracensis and S. n. notabilis. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., says this is .the common form of Water Thrush in the vicinity of Chicago. Mr. F. M. Woodruff informs me that Dr. J. A. Allen, to whom he submitted some specimens from the vicinity of Chicago for examination, con- siders them typical notabilis. Mr. W. adds all the specimens I have from northern Indiana are this form.

Migrating birds of this and the last species remain with us in spring after the Large-billed Water Thrushes are breeding. They arrive early in April and pass north late in that month, returning in August and September; Brookville, August 13, 1881; Chicago, September 9, 1885.

*283. (676). Seiurus motacilla (VIETLL.)

Louisiana Water Thrush. Synonym, LARGE-BILLED WATER THRUSH.

Adult. — Entire upper parts, olive; white line over eye; below, creamy- white; sides and lower tail-coverts, buff; sides and breast, but not the throat, streaked with black.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1083

Length, 5.75-6.40; wing, 3.20-3.25; tail, 2.20-2.35; bill, from nos- tril, .40-.45.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama and Antilles north to Massachusetts, New York, Michigan and Minnesota. Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters from Mexico and West Indies south.

Nest, bulky; of dead leaves, often muddy or partly rotted; lined with grasses, rootlets, weed stems, feathers or hair; near water, in woods, or on ground, under bank, stone or among roots. Eggs, 5, sometimes 4 or 6; white, creamy- white, ra.rely pinkish-white; markings heaviest at larger end, where they often form a wreath; more or less marked with lilac-gray and speckled and spotted with chestnut, russet, cinna- mon-rufous, hazel or vinaceous; .76 by .60.

The Large-billed Water Thrush is a summer resident, common in suitable localities southward, but less common northward. This bird frequents woodlands along streams and about ponds, first appearing late in March or very early in April. It is the first migrant among the Warblers — for both it and the other Water Thrushes are Warblers and only Thrush in name. The visitor to such localities as it seeks is struck by the loud, forcible, metallic chink, repeated again and again by a bird which has flown from the banks of a little creek to the horizontal limb of a neighboring elm. Between chinks there seem to be just as many beats of its tail, for, as it walks along the limb in a stately manner there is a regular wagging of its tail up and down, and this habit has given it one of its names (Wagtail). But a moment it stays in sight, and then, bowing gracefully, it flies up the creek some distance, and its loud, peculia.r song comes ringing through the glen, marking it to the ear as plainly as its tail motions do to the eye. The song, a beautiful, wild, way- ward effort, is not always sung from the perch, but frequently is ren- dered while in flight. I have never known it to sing from the ground. There is another song, which Audubon declared was fully equal to that of the Nightingale. They have first reached Bicknell as early as April 2, 1897, and April 12, 1896; Wabash, April 2, 1892; Blooming- ton, April 4, 1886; Brookville, April 10, 1895, April 27, 1885; Terre Haute, April 11, 1888; Lafayette, April 20, 1895, May 12, 1894; Sedan, March 30, 1896, April 22, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., April 10, 1892, April 27, 1889; Chicago, April 17, 1886. They are not common as Bluebirds and Jaybirds are common, but in the places they like they are found. Every woodland stream, or spring, or pond, throughout southern Indiana is frequented by them, and the more suitable the condition?, the greater the number. In the northwestern part of the

1084 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

State, perhaps, including the Kankakee Valley, they are rare. Beyond that stream they are rare.

I have one record from Lake County, May 24, 1879 (Coale). I also have a record of it from the Kankakee, near Kouts, June 27, 1895 (J. G. Parker, Jr.). They are common in the Wabash Valley, north to Parke anil Montgomery counties, where I found them build- ing at Shades of Death and Pine Hills, May 19 and 20, 1887; and Lafayette (Test). In Dekalb county it is tolerably common (Mrs. Hine), and at Petersburg, Mich., it is common (Trombley). It breeds in suitable localities wherever it is found. They are sometimes paired when they arrive, and, while I have never taken the nest, I have found, in specimens, eggs ready to be laid, April 21 (1882), and May 7 (1881). Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test report a nest, with three eggs, taken at Lafayette, May 25, 1893. Mr. Jesse Earlle took a nest containing two well incubated eggs at Greencastle, May 7, 1894, and the spring of 1878 Mr. William Brewster found them very common in Knox County, and found three nests, one May 6, containing six eggs; another May 8, containing four fresh eggs; a third, May 12, containing five young birds nearly able to -fly.

In July, when the dry summer weather begins, they leave the smaller streams, which are drying up, and seek other localities that are watered. As stream after stream and pond after pond becomes dry, the small number of these birds remaining find food about the stronger streams and ponds fed by springs that have resisted the drouth. By late August or early September most of them have left. I found the latest straggler at Brookville, September 21, 1885, and Mr. E. J. Chansler noted one at Bicknell, Ind., September 24, 1894. They un- doubtedly remain much later than that about the sloughs and ponds of the lower Wabash region.

160. GENUS GEOTHLYPIS CABANIS.

a1. Wing much longer than tail ; first quill nearly or quite the longest.

Subgenus OPOROKNIS Baird.

61. Head with black; under parts yellow. . G. formosa (Wils.) 284

b2. Head without black; crown and throat ashy. G. agilis (Wils.). 285

a2. Wing not longer than tail ; first quill shorter than fourth.

Subgenus GEOTHLYPIS. c1. Male, forehead and sides of face black; female with head plain.

d1. Ashy border behind the black on head; belly and sides buffy whitish.

G. trichas (Linn.). 287 d2. White or grayish border behind the black on head ; belly yellow.

G. trichas occidentalis Brewst. 288

c2. Head and throat ashy, darker on breast which in male is sometimes quite blackish. G. Philadelphia (Wile.). 286

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1085

Subgenus OPORORNIS Baird.

'284. (677). Geothlypis formosa (WiLs.).

Kentucky Warbler.

Head of Kentucky Warbler. Natural size.

Adult Male. — Above, olive-green; top of head, black; ring around eye and. stripe from it to the bill, yellow; an irregular black stripe from bill, below and behind the eye, running down on to the neck; below, entirely yellow. .Adult Female. — Similar, but black crown, marked with gray. Immature. — Similar to female, but black patches indis- tinct or replaced by dusky.

Length, 5.00-5.85; wing, 2.55-2.80; tail, 1.90-2.20; tarsus, .80-.90.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama and -West Indies to Connecticut, southern Michigan and Iowa. Breeds throughout its United States range. Winters from Mexico and Cuba, south.

Nest, on ground, at base of or between forks of a bush in second- growth timber and thickets, along watercourses; material, leaves, lined with pine rootlets. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 3 or 6; white or creamy-white, speckled and spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with rufous, vinaceous and lilac-gray; .77 by .57.

The Kentucky Warbler is a summer resident over the southern two- thirds of the State. In Knox County, and presumably from there southward, throughout the lower Wabash Valley, it is "one of the most abundant of the summer residents" (Ridgway, Bull. Nutt. 6rn. Club, 1882, p. 20). Mr. 'Ridgway says, in southern Illinois, "as far north as Wabash, Lawrence and Richland counties, it is even more abundant than the Golden-crowned Thrush, though- the two usually inhabit different locations, the latter preferring, as a rule, the dryer upland woods, while the present species is most abundant in the rich woods of the bottom lands" (Birds of 111., I., p. 166). In the White- water Yalley, where there are no bottom woods to speak of, they are found in the same dark, damp woods, and, in addition to the present species, is found along spring banks, wet places and streams in the deeper woods. They are common up the Wabash Valley to Terre

1086 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Haute (Evermann and Slonaker); Parke and Montgomery counties, in the former of which I found a nest, containing one fresh egg, on the ground, on the side of a ravine at Shades of Death; Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test). They are rather common at Bloommgton (William- son, Blatchley); Greencastle (Earlle, Jenkins); Morgan County (Had- ley); Moore's Hill (Hubbard), and Spearsville (Barnett). I have found them rather common to the southern boundary of Fayette County, in the Whitewater Valley. They have been reported from Dunreith (Pleas), and as rare at Lebanon ( Beasley). Two specimens were taken three miles southwest of Indianapolis, in May, 1878 (Dr. A. W. Bray- ton). They are quite common in the vicinity of Cincinnati (Dury and Freeman, Journ. Cin. Soc. Xat. Hist., 1879). The farthest north its range has been extended in this State is Gibson Station, where, Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me, several specimens were taken in May, 1871. It has, however, been taken in Michigan (Cook, B. of M., p. 136). They arrive from April 17 to May 16. In some localities most of them disappear by the middle of July, while at other places they are reported common until the last of August, and occasionally remain until October.

Extreme dates of their arrival are: At Bloomington, April 17, 1886, May 7, 1892; Knox County, April 20, 1881; Brookville, April 20, 1896, May 16, 1884; Terre Haute, April 28, 1889, May 5, 1888; Spearsville, April 29, 1895; Moore's Hill, May 1, 1893; Lebanon, April 26, 1894; Lafayette, May 6, 1893, May 8, 1892. I have observed them mating at Brookville, May 16, 1884. They were found breeding near Bloomington, May 6, 1886 (Evermann), where young were noted just out of the nest, June 4, 1886 (Blatchley). August 2, 1897, I found an old bird feeding a young one in a thicket along a quiet wooded stream near Brookville.

As it occurs, walking upon the smoother ground, it reminds one much of the Golden-crowned Thrush in its actions. It carries its body evenly balanced, apparently, and the equilibrium is only main- tained with much difficulty by using its tail as a balance, causing that appendage to bob up and down. Hopping about a steep, springy bank, it reminds one of the Worm-eating Warbler, as it climbs over roots, sticks and logs, now disappearing from view in a hole beneath the roots, then behind a log, here stopping to peck at an insect, and there turning over the leaves.

Where a little stream trickled out of the glacial till, it finds much food that attracts it. Occasionally, even, it would seize an insect in the air, after the manner of a Redstart. As it moves about it occa- sionally utters a tchip, and more rarely sings its song, which at other

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 108 :

times it renders persistently. This song, Mr. Ridgway says, ''recalls that of the Cardinal, but is much weaker/7 Mr. Chapman says: "It is a loud, clearly whistled performance of five, six or seven notes — tur-dle, tur-dle, tur-dle — resembling in tone some of the calls of the Carolina Wren" (B. E. N. A., p. 369). At Lafayette, they appeared <jommon until August 29, 1894, when it was last seen (L. A. and C. D. Test). Mr. J. E. Beasley reports six from Lebanon, October 11, 1894.

285. (678) Geothlypis agilis (WiLs.).

Connecticut Warbler.

Adult Male. — "Olive-green, becoming ashy on the head; below, from the breast, yellow, olive-shaded on the sides; chin, throat and breast, brownish-ash: a whitish ring round the eye; 'wings and tail, unmarked, glossed with olive; under mandibles and feet, pale; no decided mark- ings anywhere. In Spring Birds, the ash of the head, throat and breast is quite pure, and then the resemblance to Geothlypis philadel- phia is quite close" (Coues).

Length, 5.20-6.00; wing, 2.65-3.00; tail, 1.90-2.20; tarsus, .75-.90.

RANGE. — America,, from northern South America through eastern United States to Ontario and Manitoba. Breeds north of LTnited States. Winters south of United States.

Nest, in a depression in the ground, of fine grass. Eggs, 4; white, with a few spots of lilac, purple, brown and black about the larger end. (Thompson).

The Connecticut Warbler is, in general, a very xare migrant in In- diana. I have met with it three years out of nineteen at Brookville. May 22-25, 1882, I found -it rather common there, frequenting brush piles, tangled fencerows, the edges of thickets and of woods, where their habits seemed to h~ ^uch like those of the Maryland Yellow- throat, except they are much more shy. When they are found in a rick of brush, they move along within the brush, pile after the manner of a Wren, and it is impossible to dislodge them or even to obtain more than a quick glimpse of them at short range, until the end of the windrow is reached, and they fly close to the ground in the nearest pile or thicket. Along the edge of a thicket or wood they sometimes expose themselves in the weeds and grass, but upon the approach of anything strange they dart into the tangle of vines, briers and shrub- bery, from which it is Impossible to flush them.

Mr. Robert Eidgway found them not common in Knox County, about the middle of May, 1881. They frequented the borders of swamps, and when surprised, disappeared among the button bushes

1088 REPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

(Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VII., June, 1882). Mr. I. M. Woodruff observed several specimens in the bushes along the shore of Wolf Lake, near Sheffield, Ind., in May, 1889, where he obtained a speci- men, May 13, 1894. 'Mr. Ruthven Deane informs me they were quite common at English Lake, May 4, 1891. That is the earliest date at which they have been- noted in the State. Although Mr. Nelson re- ported it a rather common migrant in the vicinity of Chicago, more recent observers have not found it so. They usually arrive after the middle of May, and pass northward toward their breeding grounds toward the close of the month. They were noted in Carroll County, May 21, 1883, and 1885, and at Terre Haute, May 17, 1890 (Ever- mann); May 12, 1888 (Blatchley); Bloomington, May 18, 1885 (Boll- man). In Lake County, a specimen was found among the bodies of many kinds of small birds 'that had perished in a storm on Lake Michi- gan, and been cast up by the waves on the shore, May 24, 1891 (Coale). In the fall, they reach northern Indiana early in September, and some- times remain until the latter part of the month. They were found in Lake County, September 5, 1880, and September 25, 1875 (Coale).

Mr. W. 0. Wallace obtained one specimen in thick woods near Wabash, September 13, 1892. Mr. Ernest E. Thompson found its nest in a log near Carberry, Manitoba, June 21, 1883. I have given a description of it above. The ordinary song suggests the syllables, beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher-leecher. "It is somewhat like the song of the Oven-bird, but different in being the same pitch throughout instead of beginning in a whisper and increasing the em- phasis and strength with each pair of notes to the last." It also has another song, nearly resembling the syllables, fru-chapple, fru-chapple, fru-chapple, whait, which is uttered in a loud, ringing voice (Proc. U. S. N. M., Vol. XIII., 1890, pp. 621, 622).

When with us I have never heard it singing.

Subgenus GEOTHLYPIS Cabanis.

286. (t>79). Geothlypis Philadelphia (WILS).

Mourning- Warbler. Synonym, PHILADELPHIA WARBLER.

Adult Male. — Above, plain olive-green; the head, and sides of the neck, bluish-gray; a black spot in front of eye; eyelids, blackish; wings, and tail, unmarked; below, throat and breast, black, the feathers more or less bordered with ashy; other under parts, yellow. Adult Female. — Similar, with head smoky-gray, more or less tinged with olive; the throat, pale yellowish -gray; eyelids, and an indistinct mark behind the eye, yellowish.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1089

Length, 4.90-5.75; wing, 2.15-2.55; tail, 1.80-2.25.

RANGE. — America, from Colombia over eastern United States to British Provinces; casually to Greenland. Breeds from Nebraska, On- tario and New York, north. Winters from Mexico, southward.

Nest, in outskirts of woods or thickets, near ground; of weedstalks, leaves and bark, lined with fine black rootlets or hair. Eggs, 3-4; creamy-white, blotched and spotted with reddish-brown and lilac, often chiefly arranged in more or less distinct wreath around larger end; .71 by .56.

The Mourning Warbler is a rare migrant. Occasionally there will come a few years when it is more common in some locality. From the Whitewater Valley there is but a single record. They arrive some years by May 6, and occasionally may be found until June 1. In the latter part of May they are sometimes found associating with Geoth- lypis agilis. Mr. Robert Ridgway says, at Wheatland, they "became suddenly very common, May 6, 1881" (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1882, p. 20). Mr. F. M. Woodruff informs me that he saw several in May, 1889, in the bushes along the shore of Wolf Lake, near Sheffield, Ind. They were in company with G. agilis. He also collected two in Cook County, 111., on the ridge between Hyde and Wolf lakes, near the Indiana line, May 29, 1894. It seems to have been rather common at Bloomington, the spring of 1885. The late Mr. C. H. Bollman re- ported it May 16, 17 and 27. Mr. W. 0. Wallace says they were rather common at Wabash, in open thickets, in the spring of 1892.

Mr. H. K. Coale informed me that Mr. Geo. F. Clingman shot a specimen in Lake County, June 1, 1879. This specimen was sent to the British Museum, where Prof. R. B. Sharpe identified it as Geothlypis macgillivrayi (Aud.) (Cat. Birds, Brit. Mus., Vol. X., p. 365). Mr. Coale and Mr. Ridgway are both of the opinion that the specimen is undoubtedly 0. Philadelphia. From all southeastern In- diana, including the Whitewater Valley, there is but one record of its occurrence — Brookville, May 7, 1881. It was taken at Terre Haute, May 10, 1887, and May 22, 1890; and in Carroll County, May 21, 1885 (Evermann); at Waterloo, May 8, 1890 (H. W. McBride); Peters- burg, Mich., May 17, 1888 (Trombley); Manchester, Mich., May 20, 1893 (L. W. Watkins). It has been reported from Allen County (Stockbridge). It may possibly be found to breed within this State, though I have no account of its having done so. Mr. Ridgway has found it along the borders of Fox Prairie, Richland County, 111., early in June, 1871. They may have been late migrants, however (Orn. of 111., I., p. 170). Mr. Oliver Davie says: "It has been found nesting

69— GEOL.

1090 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

in Illinois, south of latitude 39 degrees" (K and E. of N. A. B., 1889, p. 382). Mr. Walter Faxon says its song, as most often heard, "re- sembles the syllables thur-ree, thur-ree, thur-ree. (Sometimes the repe- tition was four times instead of three)." To this was sometimes added a refrain; at others, the song was different. They also sing an aerial song. Their habits, in some respects, are similar to those of the Mary- land Yellow-throat, but they are not so quick-motioned, and are to be found at times more up in the bushes or even the low limbs of trees. They pass south in August and September. Prof. W. W. Cooke says: "It has been found nesting in Illinois even south of latitude 39 de- grees" (Bull. No.. 2, Div. of Economic Ornithology, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 258).

*287. (681). Geothlypis trichas (LINN.).

Maryland Yellow-throat.

Head of Maryland Yellow-throat, male. Natural size.

Adult Male. — Above, plain olive-green; a black band, bordered be- hind with grayish-white, from the ear coverts along the side of neck, through the eye and across the forehead; no markings on wings or tail; throat and breast, rich gamboge-yellow; belly, sides and flanks, dull yellowish-white. Adult Female. — ISTo black about head; below, less yellow; sides, somewhat brownish. Immature Male. — With, black markings more or less restricted; young birds, resembling the females, but browner above.

Length, 4.40-4.65; wing, 1.90-2.20; tail, 1.85-2.20; bill, .3S-.42; tarsus, .71-.80.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama, eastern Mexico and West Indies to Labrador and Ontario. Breeds from Georgia. north. Winters from South America and Gulf States, south.

Nest, in thicket, often near water, swamp, on or near ground, in grass, sedge, reeds or bush; of leaves or grass, lined with grass and horsehair. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 3 or 6; white or creamy- white, variously speckled, spotted and sometimes lined with russet, burnt umber or

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1091

chestnut, purplish, lilac-gray or vinaceous and Mack, principally con- fined to larger end^.TT by .5S, .(il by .50. .{;;} by .IS: jivrrairc, .67 by .52.

Common summer resident throughout the State, where it frequents the tall grasses, sedges and shrubbery about the swamps and damp places and along the valleys of streams. The first migrants arrive from April 15 to 27, southward, and from April 19 to May 17, northward. The males come first, and, while most of them seek their favorite tangles and low thickets, some wander away to the hillsides and uplands. They have been recorded as first arriving at Bicknell, April 17, 1896, 1897; Greencastle, April 17, 1896, April 28, 1894; Frankfort, April 17, 1896, May 16, 1895; Wabash, April 15, 1893; Brookville, April 18, 1883, 1896, May 5, 1882; Greensburg, April 18, 1896, April 28, 1894; Sedan, April 19, L889, April 30, 1887, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 5, 1889, 1897; Chicago, 111., April 27, 1896, May 17, 1884. Their characteristic voice betokens their coming. It is distinct and penetrat- ing and carries to quite a distance. The song reminds one of one of the well known utterances of the Carolina Wren (T. ludovicianus), but the difference is easily recognized, and, with care, one can not be deceived. It may be said that all songs are not alike. There is quite a difference in them, when close to the singer, but- when one is some distance away, a note may be missed, and the song would be recorded on the memory without it. The* common interpretation of the song of the Maryland Yellow-throat is wichity, wichity, wichity. I find many of them, sometimes all in a locality, saying wit-ti-chee, wit-ti- chee, wit-ti-chee. It sounds plainly at a distance of twenty feet. A call that came to me from three hundred feet away was plainly wi-chee, wi-chee, wi-chee, wi-chee, uttered in a fine, clear voice. After June their voices are not so commonly heard. Though they drop out of the sounds of the neighborhood, they are not entirely gone, for one is heard now and then, perhaps as long as they remain.

I have found them paired by May (1885) and often with full sets of eggs by the latter part of that month. Prof. B. W. Evermann found a nest, with five fresh eggs, in Carroll County, May 22, 1883, and June 12, 1880, found young able to fly. Sometimes they rear two broods. In August they begin to leave and often are gone by the middle of September. Other years they remain until October. The latest dates from the following places are: Sedan, Septembr 16, 1894; Brookville, September 10, 1885; Bicknell, October 5, 1896; Warren County, September 25, 1897; Greensburg, October 10, 1896.

Mr. E. E. Quick has in his collection a three-story nest of this bin!.

1092 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

taken near Brookville, Ind. Two additional nests were built upon the original structure, burying beneath each the egg of a Cowbird (Molo- thrus ater). Thus it outwitted the detestable parasite, and in the third nest deposited her complement of eggs. Similar nests have been found elsewhere, showing that this was not an individual peculiarity, but others of its kind had experimented along the same line.

Prof. F. H. King examined eleven specimens, which he found had eaten 22 case-bearing caterpillars (Coleophora ?), 5 other larvae (2 of them caterpillars), 6 small dragon flies, 3 moths, 3 dipterous insects, 3 very small hymenopterous insects, 3 beetles (among them a squash beetle), 3 spiders, 2 small grasshoppers, 1 leafhopper, 2 hemipterous insects, and 2 insect eggs (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 508). As a result of such examination as has been made, it seems that the prevailing Yel- low-throat in Indiana is the Maryland — this bird. Mr. Robert Ridg- way informs me that the Maryland Yellow-throats in the Smith- sonian collection from Indiana (Wheatland and Vincennes) are either true 0. trichas, or else that form approaching G. t. occidentalis. More recently I have sent him a series of Yellow-throats, containing speci- mens from Indiana, northern Illinois, Jamaica and the Valley of Mexico. All of these, after comparison, he decides to refer to G. trichas. He adds: "The Mississippi Valley birds and those from Mexico (valley) are in reality intermediate between trichas and occi- dentalis."

*288. (681a). Geothlypis trichas occidentalis BREWSTER.

Western Yellow-throat.

Similar to G. trichas, but averaging larger; the lower parts, yellow and not part whitish.

Length, 4.75-5.85; wing, 2.10-2.40; tail, 2.15-2.40; bill, .40-.45: tarsus, .75-.S3.

RANGE. — Western North America, from Central America and west- ern Mexico over western United States to Manitoba and British Co- lumbia, east to Illinois and Indiana.

Nest and Eggs as in last species.

The Western Yellow-throat is a summer resident, like the last, wherever found. I am informed by Mr. Eliot Blackwelder and Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., that this is the prevailing form in Cook County, 111., and the last named gentleman says it is the same in Lake County, Ind.. where he has taken specimens at Liverpool. Mr. Parker says it is abundant in low ground bordering our marshes and along the banks of our creeks and rivers. Arrives May 1 to 15. It is possible that the form inhabiting the prairie districts may be found to approach more closely to this bird.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1093

161. GENUS ICTERIA VIEILLOT.

289. (683). Icteria virens (LINN.).

Yellow-breasted Chat.

Head of Yellow-breasted Chat. Natural size.

Adult. — Size, large; above, olive-green; black spot in front of eye; ring around eye and stripe to nostril, white; below, throat, breast and edge of wing, gamboge-yellow; white stripe on sides of throat; belly and under tail coverts, white. Adult Female. — Similar, but colors less bright; grayer markings, less distinct.

Length, 6.75-7.50; wing, 2.90-3.35; tail, 2.90-3.35.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Costa Rica over eastern United States to Massachusetts, southern Ontario and southern Min- nesota, west to Plains. Breeds from Gulf States, north. Winters from Mexico, south.

Nest, in thickets, second or scrub-growth, in solitude; on brier bush or sapling, 2 to 5 feet up; of leaves, grapevine bark or grass; long and bulky. Eggs, 63 sets — 9 of 3, 53 of 4> 1 of 5; white, often glossy, spotted and blotched in different patterns, sometimes wreath around one end, with different shades of red and brown, and often lilac; .92 by .63.

The Yellow-breasted Chat is a common and well known summer resident in the southern half of the State, and locally even farther north. In the northern half it is usually not common, becoming less numerous as one approaches the northern boundary, where it is, most places, usually rare. It breeds throughout its range in this State. They are common at Richmond (Hadley), Anderson (Smith), and Lafayette (Test Bros.); tolerably common at Frankfort (G-here) and Laporte (Barber); not common at "Wabash (Ulrey and Wallace); rather rare in Carroll County (Evermann); rare in Allen County (Stock- bridge), Dekalb County (Hon. R. W. McBride), Starke County (Deane), Elkhart County (H. W. McBride).

Prior to 1893 it was almost unknown in the northwestern portion of the State, and the same may be said along the northern State line in

1094 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

both Indiana and Michigan. Hitherto there had been but one record from Lake County, but Prof. E. L. Moseley saw one at East Chicago, Ind., July 2, 1893. July 13, 1894, Mr. F. M. Woodruff took a nest at Grand Crossing, Cook County, 111., and on the 17th saw two birds at Sheffield, Ind. He also informs me that Mr. Geo. K. Cherrie saw two and took one at Hyde Lake, June 16, 1896, probably in Indiana. There seems to have been a considerable extension of their numbers northward in 1894. It was taken at Ann Arbor, Mich., the spring of 1894 (L. W. Watkins); at Petersburg, Mich., two were taken May 3, and two May 17, 1894; two nests were also found. It had not been tafcen before since 1877 (J. Trombley). One was seen at Cedar Point, near Sandusky, 0., June 23, 1894, and another at Huron River, twelve miles south of Sandusky, July 10, 1894. They arrive in southern In- diana from April 23 to May 4, and those found farther north reach there, generally, after the latter date. The first arrivals were noted at Bicknell, April 23, 1897, April 27, 1894; Brookville, April 24, 1897, May 4, 1882; Moore's Hill, April 29, 1893; Spearsville, April 27, 1895, April 29, 1894; Greensburg, April 25, 1896, April 30, 1895; Greencastle, May 2, 1894, 1895, May 9, 1896; Wabash, May 10, 1892.

KYery one who is acquainted with brier patches, thickets and bushy clearings, knows this bird. If they do not know its name, they know it as the bird which fills the thicket with such sounds as no other bird ever dreamed of. It is more often heard than seen. Were it not that occasionally its yellow breast comes into view, we should think it but a voice among the bushes. They axe great ventriloquists. Often a person unacquainted with their habit will look long in the direction from which the sound seems to come and not see the author, who is elsewhere. They have quite a variety of notes, which, with their strange antics, render them the most interesting summer birds among the bushes. At mating time they devote much time to aerial evolu- tions, which are always interesting because of their oddity, but at times become exceedingly ludicrous. While performing these various evolutions they give voice to a multitude of strange sounds, that seem to come from here, there and everywhere, except the throat of the odd and awkward bird descending towards the clump of bushes near by. The late Dr. J. M. Wheaton gives the following excellent expres- sion of his feelings regarding this bird:

"When migrating, no bird is more shy and retiring than the Chat. They skulk along silently in thickets, along the banks of streams, or on the edges of upland woods. But no sooner has pairing been effected than their whole nature seems changed, and the silent bird becomes the noisiest of the wood. His shyness gives way to an audacity that is

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1095

surprising. If he discovers the approach of a human being, even at a considerable distance, he prepares to resent the intrusion; and, giving three short, loud whistles, very low in tone, as a warning, he advances toward him, all the while careful that he should be heard and not seen. Then follows a medley of sputtering, cackling, whisper- ing and scolding note's, frequently interspersed with loud whistles, and continued as the bird runs, hops or flies in the deepest thicket, with a pertinacity which knows no fatigue. He tells you that your gun won't shoot, that it is a flint-lock, that your ramrod is broken, that you shot it at a buzzard, that you haven't got a gun; that you are a, bald-headed cripple; that there is a horrid suicide in the bushes, and a big snake and a nasty skunk; that your baby is crying, your house is afire and the bridge broken down; that you have missed the road to the reform farm, and that the poor house is over the creek, and he calls the clogs; says that you have gone to seed; go west and grow up with the country; that you are taking up too much of his valuable time, that you must excuse him for a moment.

"During all this time he remains invisible, or, at most, his black eye and mask, or golden breast, appear for a moment as he peers at you from the tangled branches of the brambles, or flashes from branch to branch, dancing an accompaniment to his fantastic notes. At the last he suddenly appears on the top of a bush, not ten feet from you, makes a profound bow with a derisive whisk of his long tail, exposes his immaculate white crissum and dives again into the deepest thickets. You take a long breath and wipe your face, and he returns to the assault from the rear. Should you move on, he follows, and if you approach, he retires, and, keeping at a respectful distance, he laughs defiance, shouts mockery and tantalizing sarcasm. He is a fear- ful scold, and it is no wonder the inside of his mouth is black. But this is when he knows that he has the advantage. Sometimes he may be surprised, as he sings in the upper branches of a tree. He then sits motionless, continuing his song as if unaware of any intrusion upon his privacy, arid so resonant and varying are his notes that they con- fuse the ear as to the spot from which they come, while his yellow breast so completely harmonizes with the green leaves and sunlight that he is with difficulty discovered. It is to his rapid and sonorous notes, quick motions or perfect quiet, with harmonious surroundings, that he owes the reputation for ventriloquism which he has obtained; and it may be said of his reputation for mimicry that he has no need to borrow notes from any other bird, and does not knowingly do so. Before the breeding season is over it becomes as silent as during the spring migration, and leaves for the south as stealthily as it came."

1096 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

They sing until the young leave the nest, usually from the latter part of June until the middle of July; and then, for a time, the family keeps together.

After the singing is over, the only note heard is the single note, chat, from which the Yellow-breasted bird takes its name.

I have found them mating April 27, 1885, and found a nest, with eggs, May 25, 1882. June 11, 1892, Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found two nests near Lafayette. Each contained four eggs, and in ad- dition had two "eggs of the Cowbird. They usually leave in September — Brookville, September 7, 1886; Bicknell, September 27, 1894 — but occasionally remain much later. I shot one, December 1, 1881, when it was feeding upon pokeberries, from which its plumage was stained.

Two excellent accounts of the Chat are given, one by Dr. Coues — Birds of Colorado Valley — the other by John Burroughs, in "Wake Robin."

162. GENUS SYLVANIA NUTTALL.

a1. Tail feathers blotched with white. S. mitrata (Gmel.). 290

af. Tail feathers dusky, not blotched with white.

61. Above plain olive green ; male with blue black patch on crown.

S. pusilla(Wils.). 291

62. Above plumbeous gray; crissum white ; male, crown, forehead and sides of throat spotted black. S. canadensis (Linn.). 292

*290. (684). Sylvania mitrata (GMEL.).

Hooded Warbler.

Adult Male. — Head, neck and throat, deep black; a gamboge-yellow band across the forehead and along the side of head, including the eye and the ear coverts; other upper, parts, olive-green; other lower parts, bright yellow; three or four pairs of outer tail feathers, with white markings; wings, unmarked. Adult Female. — Similar, but usu- ally with less black on head. Immature Male. — Varying from the decided black markings of adult male to almost no black; the yellow, however, conspicuous. Immature Female. — Lacking black markings.

Note. — It seems evident that it requires three years for this Warbler to attain perfect plumage; therefore, specimens will be found at dif- ferent seasons in different stages of color development.

Length, 5.00-5.70; wing, 2.50-2.75; tail, 2.20-2.40.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Panama and West Indies to Massachusetts, southern Ontario, southern Michigan and southern Wisconsin, west to Kansas. Breeds from Texas and North Carolina, north. Winters south of United States.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1097

Nest, in woods, low bush or tree, three feet up; in wet swamp, one foot up; of bark, moss, vegetable fibre, leaves and grasses, lined with the finer material. Eggs, 4, rarely 3 or 5; white or creamy- white, often quite glossy, marked with specks and spots of light to dark reddish- brown and lilac. The markings principally at larger end, where they sometimes form wreaths; .70 by .51.

The Hooded Warbler is generally a rare summer resident. How- ever, in the lower Wabash Valley it is said, in some places, to be com- mon. On the contrary, in the northern part of the State, it is very rare. Everywhere it is more numerous during the migrations. They arrive, in spring, from April 16 to May 16. They were first noted at Greensburg, April 16, 1896; at Bloomington, April 20, 1885, May 8,

Head of Hooded Warbler. Natural Size.

1886; Knox County, April 25, 1881; Spearsville, April 30, 1894; Brookville, April 30, 1881, May 16, 1884; Carroll County, May 5, 1885; Sedan, May 15, 1889; Chicago, 111., April 28, 1884. They fre- quent woods in which there is a dense undergrowth, being found •among the bushes and lower branches of the trees. There they are quite active, especially when mating begins. The male goes singing through the bushes and flitting from branch to branch of the over- shadowing trees, singing its song, and all the while opening and closing its tail, exposing the white of the feathers. An insect comes within easy range, the song stops suddenly, the tail remains closed, the insect is caught, and then the song and the peculiar motions of the tail are resumed. The song, as given by Mr. Langille, is "che-reek, che-reek, che-reelc, chi-di-eef the first three notes with a loud fell-like ring, and the rest in very much accelerated time and with the falling in- flection/'

It also has another less common song and a peculiar chip. Dr. Ray- mond reported it as a summer resident in Franklin County (Ind. Geol. Kept., 1869, p. 217), but it must be rarely such, for I have not found it at that season. Dr. F. W. Langdon has noted it as a summer resi- dent in the vicinity of Cincinnati (Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., July,

1098 REPORT OF STATK GEOLOGIST.

1880; p. 123). Mr. Robert Ridgway says, in Knox County, it is "rather common in deep woods, but much less so than in the vicinity of the cypress swamp farther south" (Bull. Nntt. Qra. Club, Vol. VII., 1882, p. 20). He writes me they breed in Knox and Gib- son counties. In another place he says: "In all rich, damp woods, both in Illinois and Indiana, I have found the beautiful Hooded Warbler a more or less common species. In the woods of Knox and Gibson counties, Indiana, immediately opposite Mt. Carmel, it is par- ticularly abundant, so much so, in fact, as to be one- of the most char- acteristic species" (111. Orn., I., pp. 174, 175). Prof. B. W. Evermaiin reports it not common in Vigo County. On the contrary, they were quite common in the valley of Sugar Creek, in Parke and Montgomery counties, May 19 and 20, 1887. At Bloomington, Mr. G. G. William- son found a nest of this species in a bush, containing six young. May 26, 1886. It seems to occur there regularly. It is reported from De- catur (Shannon) and Brown (Barnett) counties. Mr. X. II. Coale ob- tained one at Davis Station, Starke County, May 31, 1885, but pre- viously, May 24, 1879, had recorded it from still farther north. On the latter date he found the shore of Lake Michigan, in Lake County, lined with the bodies of many small birds that had perished in the lake during the recent storm. The record of its destruction was before him, and among the bodies of the victims he found a Hooded Warbler. In Dekalb County, Mrs. Jane L. Hine has noted it a few times, twice in October. The last time was October 5, 1893. They begin to leave in August, and through September and early October -they are vagrants, changing their homes as whim or necessity dictates, but all the while working back towards the south. Dr. Langdon found it at Cincinnati, May 4, and Messrs. Dury and Freeman, May 30, 1879. It was taken at Wabash, September 13, 1893; at Bicknell, September 16, 1894; at Lebanon, four were seen, October 20, 1894, and it was observed at Brookville, October 20, 1884.

Their habit of taking their insect food upon the wing has been noted by all observers, though they doubtless also take other insects.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1099

291. (685). Sylvania pusilla (Was.).

Wilson's Warbler.

Synonyms, GREEN BLACK-CAPPED FLY-CATCHING WARBLER, BLACK-CAPPED YELLOW WARBLER.*

Adult Male. — Crown, glossy blue-black; stripe over eye and across forehead, yellow; other upper parts, bright olive-green; below, clear yellow: wings and tail, with no white markings. Adult Female. — Similar to male, but crown patch usually less conspicuous, sometimes wanting. Immature.— With no black on head.

Length, 4.25-5.10; wing, 2.15-2.35; tail, 2.05-2.25.

RANGE. — North America, east of Pacific coast, from Panama to Labrador, Alaska and Siberia, . Breeds from Nova Scotia, Ontario, Minnesota and along Rocky Mountains from Colorado, north. Win- ters from eastern Mexico, south.

Nest, in damp woods, on ground; of leaves and grass, lined with fine .grass or hair. Eggs, 4-5; white or creamy- white, speckled with red- dish-brown, pale lavender or lilac-gray.

Wilson's Warbler occurs throughout the State as a migrant. Usu- ally, in the spring, they are rather rare, but are more common in the fall. This reverses the migratory period with the Connecticut Warbler, which is almost unknown in fall west of the Alleghanies, but is common on the Atlantic coast. Like that species, Wilson's Warbler arrives late in spring, usually after May 10, and remains until the close of that month. The earliest Indiana record is, Bloomington, May 8, 1886. Other dates where it was first observed in spring are: Greensburg, May 13, 1894; Richmond, May 16, 1897; Terre Haute, May 10, 1890; Carroll County, May 18, 1885; Lafayette, May 12, 1892, May 13, 1893; Sedan, May 10, 1894; Lake County, May 18. 1895; Chicago, 111., May 6, 1886, "last seen May 30, 1894. About the lower end of Lake Michigan they are sometimes not uncommon (Parker). They were tolerably common at Greensburg in May, 1894, being last noted May 29 (Shannon); at Greencastle, in 1893, where eight were noted May 13 (Earlle); at Sedan, May 20, 21 and 22, 1890 (Mrs. Hine). They have been also noted from Wabash, the spring of 1892, and there is a specimen in the State Museum at Indianapolis, from Boone County. Prof. F. H. King notes that one was killed in Wisconsin by a cold wave in May, 1882. I found one in May, 1887, with a number of other lifeless birds on the shore of Lake Michigan, where they had been cast up by the waves after losing their lives in a storm.

1100 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

It frequents the undergrowth of woodlands and the wooded borders of streams, in spring, but in fall it is often found frequenting the same ground with Tennessee Warblers, weedy woods-pastures and more open woodland, and even bushy fencerows. They are quite active, taking much of their insect food upon the wing. Nuttall says their song sounds like 'tsh-'tsh-tsh-'tshea.

292, (686). Sylvania canadensis (LINN.).

Canadian Warbler. Synonym, CANADIAN FLY-CATCHING WARBLER.

Head of Canadian Warbler. Natural size.

Adult Male. — Above, gray; wings, brownish; forehead and crown, spotted with black; stripe from bill to eye and ring around eye, yellow; below, yellow; lower tail coverts, white; a black streak on each side of throat, united by a row of black spots across the breast; wings and tail, not marked with white. Adult Female. — Similar, but the mark- ings less distinct. Young. — Similar to female, but black marks want- ing; breast, streaked with dusky.

Length, 5.00-5.75; wing, 2.50-2.65; tail, 2.20-2.40.

EANGE. — America, from Ecuador north over the eastern United States to Labrador and Manitoba. Breeds from Massachusetts, Penn- sylvania, Ontario and Minnesota, north. Winters from Mexico, south.

Nest, in woods or low growth, on the ground, in a depression or among roots; of leaves, dry weed stalks, roots and hair. Eggs, 4-5; white, finely marked with dots and small spots of brown, purple and reddish, in varying shades; rufous and rufous-brown, heaviest at larger end; .68 by .51.

The Canadian Warbler is a tolerably common migrant, varying in numbers with the years. It is usually much more common, sometimes even abundant, in fall. It rarely arrives before May 1, and often re- mains until the last of that month. Like the other two species of this genus, which are less common than this, they frequent low situa-

BIRDS or INDIANA. 1101

tions, bushes and underbrush, seldom going higher than the branches of short-bodied trees. This species frequents the edges of woodlands and thickets along streams and on waste land. There they may be found industriously catching insects, taking most of them on the wing. Its song may be heard about its haunts morning and even- ing. It is a characteristic voice that instantly draws one's attention to it. Often it has called me away into some little thicket in a woods pasture or among the low, drooping limbs of some unpromising look- ing beech trees in the edge of heavy timber. Those which seem the most unpromising places to men are often attractive to birds. Several times, as I can recall, the best take of the day or the season was found in some uninviting spot, to which I was drawn merely incidentally.

Mr. Earnest E. Thompson notes its loud and striking song as rup- ii-che, rup-it-che, rup-it-chitt-it-Utt" The earliest spring record is from Knox County, where Mr. Robert Ridgway took it, April 18, 1881. It has been first noted in spring at Bloomington, April 27, 1886; Brookville, May 2, 1881, May 16, 1884; Richmond, May 16, 1897; Lafayette, May 16, 1897; Carroll County, May 12, 1885; Wa- bash, May 10, 1892; Starke County, May 11, 1884; Lake County, May 9, 1877, May 16, 1880; Chicago, 111., May 1, 1886, May 18, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., May 11, 1888, May 16, 1893. May 21, 1892, one was caught in the office of Purdue University, at Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test). They have remained at Greencastle until May 26, 1895; at Spearsville, May 24, 1894; Lafayette, May 25, 1893; Carroll County, May 24, 1883; Chicago, 111., May 30, 1894; Petersburg, Mich., June 1, 1893. When they return in the fall they are songless. They arrive some years late in August and most of them pass through early in September, though one occasionally lingers into the beginning of Oc- tober. They were tolerably common about Chicago, August 26 to September 5, 1895 (Blackwelder), and were common near Cincinnati the last of August and the first of September, 1879 (Dury and Free- man). The last fall note at Sedan is September 7, 1889; at Lafayette, September 4, 1894; Warren County, September 12 and 15, 1897; Lake County, September 18, 1881. Prof. E. L. Moseley informs me he ob- tained a specimen at Sandusky, 0., October 2, 1896.

It has not been found in this State later in summer than the dates ^iven above. Prof. W. W. Cooke, in his. report on Birds of Michigan in the Mississippi Valfey for 1884 and 1885, says it has been known to breed in northern Illinois. I do not know of its breeding farther south in Michigan than Bay City, where Mr. N. A. Eddy took a nest and four eggs, June 2, 1885 (Cook, B. of M., p. 138).

Prof. F. H. King examined three specimens and found they had eaten flies, a hymenopterous insect, beetles and larvae.

1102 UK PORT OF STATE GEOLOCI

163. GENUS SETOPHAGA

*293. (687). Setophaga ruticilla (LINN.).

American Redstart. Synonym, KEDSTART.

Adult Male. — Above, and throat and breast, lustrous black; bases of all the quills, except the first and last, salmon; bases of all the tail feathers, except the middle pair, salmon; sides of breast, vermillion- red; belly, white, tinged with reddish; bill and feet, black. Adult Fe- male. — Above, olive-green; below, throat and breast, brownish- white; the salmon and red replaced by yellow; spot in front of, and ring around, eye, grayish- white. Young. — Similar to female. This species requires three years for the male to acquire full plumage; consequently they are to be found in all stages between the immature and perfect plumage.

Length, 4.75-5.75; wing, 2.40-2.55; tail, 2.30-2.45.

EANGE. — America, from Ecuador and West Indies to Hudson Bay and Mackenzie Valley (Ft. Simpson); rarely west of Eocky Mountains. Breeds from North Carolina and Missouri, north.

Nest, in fork, on limb of tree or sapling, 6 to 20 feet up; of bark shreds, grass and weeds, lined with hair or plant down. Eggs, 3-5; white, greenish-white or bluish-white, spotted, mostly at larger end, with brown and lilac; .63 by .48.

The American Eedstart is one of the characteristic birds of the woodland. Wherever there are woods, it may be found at the proper seasons. It is generally common, and in the northern part of the State is abundant. In some of its .habits it much resembles the Hooded Warbler. Instead of keeping near the ground, it frequents all kinds of woody growth, from lowest bush to tallest tree. While it makes its home among the dense forest, at times it may be found in little fring- ing woods or shaded glens, and, during the spring migrations, it occa- sionally comes into the orchards. Its song, as given by Nuttall, is 'tsh, tsh, tshee, tshet tshe, tshea, varying to that of the Yellow Warbler, which he interprets as 'tsh, 'tsh, 'tsh, tshitshee. It is a wandering min- strel, giving its song free as air for all who are in the woods. It does not skulk; it is not shy, but, through the bushes at one's feet or through the branches overhead, it pursues its way, now seizing a cater- pillar, then chasing a moth or dashing into a Swarm of gnats or flies. Its wings are carried partly open, its eye is active, its tail opens and closes, showing with each movement its beautiful coloration — a fan of salmon and black. The name little fantail would be an appropriate one for it.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1103

Its habits combine those of the Five a tellers and the Warblers, and the wingless insects upon the trees are in as much danger as are the flies beneath the shade. Among other insects, they are known to prey upon ichneumon flies, moths, caterpillars, beetles, leafhoppers (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 510).

Sometimes it arrives in spring by April 15; again it does not appear before May 5, while, in the northern part of the State, it may be ten days later than those dates. At Richmond it arrived April 15, 1897; at Brookville, April 20, 1896, May 5, 1893; Bloomington, April 21, 1885, May 12, 1886; Greensburg, April 29, 1897, May 8, 1893; Frank- fort, April, 16, 1896, May 2, 1894, and 1895; Lafayette, April 29,1897, May 8, 1893; Sedan, April 30, 1894, May 7, 1889; Petersburg, Mich., April 24, 1897, May 14, 1893; Plymouth, Mich., April 30, 1896, May 6, 1894; Chicago, 111., May 2, 1896, May 17, 1897. The year 1896 they arrived unusually early. In 1893 their movements were early in the southern part of the State, and very late northward. The year 1895 was medium early. I have seen them begin to pair by May 4 (1882), and May 15, of the same year, I found a nest. Prof. Evermann notes a nest and eggs from Carroll County, June 13, 1883, and Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found a nest and four eggs in an elder bush, 6 feet up, at Lafayette, June 15, 1892. The nests usually are placed from ten to thirty feet high in the fork of a limb. In the northwestern part of the State they are very numerous and may be found breeding in almost every patch of oak timber of any size.

Although so numerous as to be a nuisance to the collector, so often are they in front of his gun when it is discharged during the Warbler season, it is a source of pleasure to him who likes to study their busy life; they are unknown to the average person, as are the inhabitants of the planet Mars, for to him has not been given the power of seeing. But some years even the initiated notice their absence, for their num- bers, for some reason, are very few. In 1886 Prof. W. S. Blatehley noted their extreme scarcity at Bloomington. The spring of 1894 they were very rare. None were found that year at Lafayette (Test) ; they were unusually scarce at Sedan (Mrs. Hine); but one was seen at Greensburg (Shannon); and but two were reported from Bicknell (Chansler). In August they begin to move. Their numbers are in- creased by those from the north, and through September they are found, with other migrants, making their journey southward — a time of feasting and good-fellowship. The first heavy frosts bid them de- part, and they are gone. The latest records I have are: Greensburg, September 16, 1894; Bicknell, September 4, 1895; Lafayette, October 3, 1896; Sedan, October 11, 1889; Chicago, 111., October 1, 1895.

1104 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

XL VII. FAMILY MOTACILLID^E. WAGTAILS.

a1. Tail shorter than wing; usually much streaked below. ANTHUS. 164

164. GENUS ANTHUS BECKSTEIN. Subgenus ANTHUS.

294. (697). Anthus pensylvanicus (LATH.).

American Pipit. Synonym, AMERICAN TITLARK.

Bill and foot of American Pipit. Natural size.

Adult. — "Points of wings formed by the four outer primaries, the fifth being abruptly shorter; hind claw, nearly straight, nearly or quite equal to its digit; above, dark-brown, with a slight olive shade, most of the feathers with dusky centers; eyelids, line over eye, and under parts, pale buffy or ochrey-brown, variable in shade; breast and sides of neck and body, thickly streaked with dusky; wings and tail, black- ish; inner secondaries, pale-edged; one or more outer tail feathers, wholly or partly white." (Mcllwraith).

Length, 6.00-7.00; wing, 3.20-3.50; tail, 2.65-2.83.

BAKGE. — North America, from Guatemala and Bermudas to Arctic- Ocean. Breeds from Colorado, above timber line on mountains, and Labrador, north. Winters from southern Illinois and Nevada, south.

Nest, of grass and moss, on the ground. Eggs, 4-6; whitish, almost hidden by thick specks of brown; .78 by .57.

The Titlark, familiar to every plowman in early spring, is one of those birds that frequent the wet fields in flocks and give forth a mellow pee-de, pee-de, as they rise and when on the wing. They arise from the meadow and frequently fly a long distance, or ascend to a great height, and, after various evolutions, return almost to the spot from which they started. One who is acquainted with their call can recognize them by it as they pass overhead, even when they are out of sight. While sometimes a few individuals, or a few pairs, are asso-

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1105

elated together, they are generally found in flocks of from twenty to SL hundred birds, frequenting meadows, open pastures, fields, prairies and the shores of lakes. They are abundant migrants, and in the southern part of the State may occasionally be winter residents. They have been reported from southern Illinois in winter. In southern Indiana they appear in force some years as early as March 3. Al- though they move about a great deal, they make slow progress north- ward. They were first noted at Brookville, March 3, 1893, and April 19, 1889; at Spearsville, March 6, 1894; Wabash, March 16, 1894; Lafayette, April 1, 1892; Richmond, April 22, 1897; Kouts, April 15, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., April 24, 1896, May 2, 1893; Chicago, 111., April 25, 1896. The latest spring records are Eichmond, May 4, 1897; Spearsville, May 10, 1894; Wabash, May 15, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., May 24, 1892. Sometimes before they leave, in the spring they begin mating.

Late in September they become common about the lower end of Lake Michigan, remaining until well into October and sometimes into November. They were present in Cook County, 111., from September •36 to October 3, 1896; from September 28 to October 19, 1895. The latest records I have are as follows: Liverpool, Ind., October 18, 1895; Chicago, 111., November 3, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., October 20, 1892. At English Lake, Ind., November 16, 1892, hundreds of Tit- larks were seen rushing along in flocks of twenty to a hundred, over the marshes (Deane).

XL VIII. FAMILY TROGLODYTIDJE. WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

•a1. Eictal bristles well developed; wing 3.50 or more. 61. Tail longer than wing.

c1. Bill not shorter than middle toe .without claw ; our species brown above.

HARPORHYNCHUS. 167 c2. Bill decidedly shorter than middle toe without claw.

d1. Tail partly white. MIMUS. 165

d2. Tail with no white. GALEOSCOPTES. 166

•a2. Kictal bristles not evident; bill not notched; wing less than 3.50.

el. Back strpaked lengthwise; outer tail feathers reaching little beyond

the tips of lower tail coverts. CISTOTHORUS. 170

«2. Back not streaked lengthwise ; outer tail feathers reaching decidedly

beyond the tips of longest lower tail coverts.

f1. Lower mandible curved downward; back without crossbars; super- ciliary streak distinct. THRYOTHORUS. 168 f2. Lower mandible straight; back with more or less distinct cross- bars; no distinct superciliary streak. TROGLODYTES. 169

70 — GEOL.

1106 UK PORT OF STATE (ii-:o LOCUST.

SUBFAMILY MIMIN.E. THRASHERS. 165. GENUS MIMUS BOIE.

-295. (703). Mimus polyglottus (LINN.).

Mockingbird.

Mockingbird. (Judd.— Year Book, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895, p. 415.

Adult. — Above, ashy-gray; below, whitish; wings and tail, blackish, the former with two white wing-bars and large white spot at base of primaries, latter with one or three outer feathers more or less white; bill and legs, black.

Length, 9.00-11.00; wing, 4.10-4.90; tail, 4.50-5.75.

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico (Tehuantepec), and Baha- mas, regularly to southern Indiana, Maryland and Colorado; rarely to Massachusetts, Maine, Ontario, northern Illinois and Wyoming. Resi- dent, and breeds throughout its u-ual range.

Nest, of twigs, weeds and grass, lined with grass and roots; in bush or tree, often in thicket or orchard; sometimes in corner of fence. Eggs., 4-6; pale greenish-blue, spotted with chocolate and yellowish- brown, often mostly grouped at larger end; .97 by .,69.

The Mockingbird is well known in song and story, but as a native bird, to most of the people of Indiana, it is unknown. Other birds are called by its name, sometimes with a qualifying term. The Cat- bird is called the Carolina Mockingbird, the Brown Thrashers, the Brown or English Mockingbird, though why English, I cannot imagine. These birds are classed with our famous bird because of their musical ability, but the Loggerhead Shrike is often called Mock- ingbird because in its flight it somewhat resembles that species. Often the present bird is called the Southern Mockingbird.

l>nn>s OK INDIANA. 1107

In the lower Wabash Valley it is a resident, at least north to Terre Haute, but is much more common in summer. Elsewhere in the southern half of the State, it is a rare summer resident, and farther north it is of accidental occurrence, extending even into Michigan. There they develop the migratory habit, passing a little further south usually in winter, although some of them seem to become vagrants, wandering at that season in the opposite direction. In the south- eastern part of the State it has been reported as breeding at Guilford, Dearborn County (Hughes). Dr. Raymond noted its occurrence in Franklin County (Ind. Geol. Kept.,- 1869, pp. 219, 220), and June 29, 1880, 1 obtained young scarcely able to fly, within the corporate limits of Brookville. In Monroe County they breed, but are rare (Blatchley, Evermann), while in Vigo County they breed commonly (Kendrick). They seei~ to range farther north in numbers in the prairie districts of Illinois and western Indiana than farther eastward. In addition, they have been reported as breeding in the following counties : Posey (Elliott); Knox (Ridgway, Chansler), Gibson (Ridgway), Floyd (Yeno- wine). Prof. Blatchley found it in Vigo County, February 14, 1888, and Prof. Evermann in the same county in January. Mr. H. K. Coale informs me he found one in Starke County, January 1, 1884. They have also been reported from the following counties: Brown, March 10, 1892 (Barnett); Putnam, 1888 (Clear-waters); Cass, Logansport, spring of 1881 (Prof. E. E. Fish); Hamilton, May 13, 1897 (Brokaw). Prof. E. L. Moseley reports one from Sandusky, 0., May 20, 1893, and Mr. C. H. Morris has written me fully of a pair nesting on the rail of a fence near McConnelsville, 0., in June, 1896. He says there were also two other pairs in the same neighborhood.

Mr. Morris tells me the yming were taken from the nest and put into a cage and left exposed. The parents fed them, and four days after they were taken began building a new nest, also on the fence, some thirty yards from the first. They also continued to care for the young in the cage.

When they appear in a new locality for the first time, their remark- able voices soon attract attention. They sing by day and also on moonlight nights; on the wing as well as in the trees. There are * other birds that far exceed it in melody and surpass it in sweetness, but as a mocker it is without a peer. At morning or evening, from the top of a tree, a fence stake, or a wheat stack, it begins its mar- velous imitations. It may begin with the notes of a Bobwhite, then follow with the song of a Carolina Wren, and succeed these with recognizable productions of the Whip-poor-will, Robin, Wood Thrush. Phcebe, Cardinal, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Flicker. It seems to

1108 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

have practiced on nearly all the bird songs and calls in the neighbor- hood and confidently undertakes their reproduction. The Mocking- bird prefers the neighborhood of residences, the vicinity of orchards, groves and trees along fences. Sometimes it builds in vines about houses. When a pair take up their residence about a farm-house, they are valuable in assisting in keeping predaceous birds away. They are great fighters. No Hawk or Crow can come about the premises with- out a conflict. They are also valuable as insect destroyers. Through- out the breeding season and, in fact, all summer long, they live chiefly upon insects. Prof. Forbes noted that sixty per cent, of those he examined consisted of orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, etc.). They also had eaten spiders, harvestmen, beetles, including curculios, bugs and ants.

There was no evidence that they had eaten fruit (Bulletin No. 3, 111. S. Lab., N. H., pp. 415, 416). Fifteen specimens examined by Mr. Judd were principally taken in autumn and winter, when the proportion of vegetable food is the greatest. Of this food they had eaten "the skin and pulp of some large fruit, together with seeds or berries of sumac, smilax, black alder, poison ivy, Virginia creeper, red cedar, pokeberry, mulberry and bayberry. The animal food consisted wholly of spiders and insects. Among the latter were ants, caterpil- lars, beetles and grasshoppers" (Year Book U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1895. pp. 415, 416).

166. GKNDS GALEOSCOPTES CABANIS.

*296. (704). Galeoscoptes carolinensis (LINN.).

Cat Bird.

Adult. — Above, dark slate-color; somewhat lighter below; crown of head and tail, black; wings, but little shorter than tail; under tail- coverts, dark chestnut.

Length, 8.00-9.35; wing, 3.45-3.75; tail, 3.70-4.25.

EANGE. — E. North America, from Panama and Cuba north to Brit- ish Columbia and Saskatchewan; rare west of Eocky Mountains. Breeds from Gulf States north. Winters from Illinois south.

Nest, in bush or low in tree; of twigs, bark, grass, leaves, strings and rags. Eggs, 4-5; bluish-green; .98 by .75.

The Catbird is too well known a summer resident to require an account of its habits. He goes little farther south than our southern boundary, as it is sometimes a winter resident in southern Illinois. Every boy who lives in the country or ranges the fields near some small town knows this plainly-clad, many-voiced bird, and can give a

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1109

good account of its doings. He can tell of his own prejudice against it, which is but an expression of a general antipathy to this familiar bird. Why this is so, I am sure I cannot tell, for the Catbird is deserving of respect and good treatment.

They frequent swamps, thickets, bushy ravines and similar places in the less settled localities, but are most abundant where the country is more thickly populated, frequenting gardens, orchards, briers, vine- yards, lawns, and even coming into our towns.

The Catbird is not a poor singer. Many are the utterances he makes, ranging from his mewing call among the hedges to his ecstatic love song from the top of a neighboring tree.

Cat Bird. (Judd.— Year Book, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895, p. 407.)

Its notes have attracted many a singer and made of him an admirer. My good friend, Prof. W. H. Venable, of Cincinnati, 0., has been an appreciative auditor and has fitly pictured him in verse, a most diffi- cult task, which he has satisfactorily accomplished.

When the first ones arrive after the winter is past, they frequent the thickets, hedges and small fruit bushes, and are songless. They appear some years in southern Indiana before the end of March, but generally it is well into April before they are seen, and near the end of that month before they reach the Michigan boundary. The year of 1896 some of them arrived in the southern part of the State at an unprecedentedly early date. But the migration of the greater num- ber was stayed until near the usual time. That year they appeared

1110 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

at Ellsworth, March 26; at Dunreith, March 30; Greensburg, April 1. and Sandusky, 0., April 11. They, however, were not noted at La- fayette until April 26, at Laporte until April 25, or at Chicago until May 2. In 1893 the first one was -noted at Brookville, April 20; at G-reensburg and Moore's Hill, April 26; Sandusky, 0., May 6; Laporte, May 8.

In the Wabash Valley they move earlier than in the southeastern portion of the State. The severe storm of May 20 and 21, 1883, de- stroyed many. They begin mating not long after arrival. Prof. W. P. Shannon found a nest begun April 30, 1896, and another pair began their home next day. The latter nest was completed and one egg laid May 13. An egg was laid daily. I have found its nest and eggs May 23 (1883), and Prof. Evermann found one in Carroll County, May 21. I found young just able to leave the nest July 24, 1896. After nesting they cease singing, usually towards the end of June or early in July. While with us they vary their diet. At times they eat many insects, and again they live largely upon vegetable food. Of 213 stomachs examined by Mr. Sylvester D. Judd, 44 per cent, of their contents was insects and 56 per cent, vegetable food. Ants, beetles, caterpillars and grasshoppers constituted three-fourths of the animal food, the remainder being made up of bugs, miscellaneous insects and spiders. One-third of the vegetable food consisted of such fruits as are culti- vated, though they may have been of wild growth, strawberries, rasp- berries and blackberries. The rest was mostly wild fruits, including cherries, dogwood, sour gum, elderberries, greenbrier, spice berries, black alder, sumac and poison ivy (Year Book U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1895, pp. 406-411). The Catbird, while it eats much fruit, does much good. The fruit season is not long, while the insect crop is abundant throughout all its stay with us. (Also see Forbes' Bulletin No. 3, 111. State Mus. of K H., pp. 107-118; King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 477.) After the song season is past, attention is not drawn so much to this inhabitant of tangled thickets, which grow more rank and impene- trable to man, yet yield an increasing supply of such food as Catbirds like. In September they begin to leave, but still some are found well into October. Brookville, October 4, 1884; Greensburg, October 11. 1894.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1111

167. GRNUS HARPORHYNCHUS CABANIS. Subgenus METHRIOPTRRUS Reichenbach.

*297. (705). Harporhynchus rufus (LINN.).

Brown Thrasher.

Synonyms, BROWN THRUSH, TAWNY THRUSH, BROWN MOCKINGBIRD, FRENCH MOCKINGBIRD, ENGLISH MOCKINGBIRD.

Brown Thrasher. (Judd.— Year Book, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895, p. 412.)

Adult. — Above, rufous; wings, with two white bars; below, white, .tinged more or less with buff, streaked with dark brown, except on the chin and middle of the belly.

Length, 10.50-12.00; wing, 4.10-4.60; tail, 5.00-5.75.

KANGE. — Eastern North America, from eastern Texas and Florida north to Maine, Ontario and Manitoba. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from Illinois and Virginia south.

Nest, in bush or vine, low down, sometimes on ground; of sticks, leaves and rootlets. Eggs, 4-5; greenish or soiled white, more or less covered with reddish-brown dots; quite variable in pattern; 1.03 by .80.

Common summer resident, doubtless some years remains in the extreme southern part of the State all winter, as, perhaps, the last mentioned species also does more rarely. Both occasionally winter in southern Illinois. The Brown Thrasher is a shy and retiring inhabi- tant of thickets and bushy land, therefore is liable to be overlooked before its season of song begins. In its migration it skulks along

1112 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

through close cover, apparently moving earliest in the river valleys. In the Wabash Valley it migrates earlier than elsewhere. The earlier arrivals seek the greater expanses of the valley where there is alike shelter from cold winds and considerable exposure to the sun. There they may be found sometimes from one to two weeks earlier than in nearby neighborhoods. In the extreme southern part of the State they appear in March; in the middle, usually from March 17 to April 1, and in the extreme northern portions, usually from April 1 to 15. There is a difference of about a month between the arrivals at Bick- nell, Ind., and Chicago, 111., and Petersburg, Mich. The Brown Thrasher was observed at Hanover, February 25, 1897, by Prof. Glenn

Head of Brown Thrasher. Natural size.

Culbertson. This is the earliest it has. been noted in the State. It was reported from Bicknell, March 8, 1894, and March 28, 1895: Spearsville, March 17, 1894, March 31, 1895; Greencastle, March 22. 1894, April 3, 1893; Brookville, March 24, 1894, April 18, 1881: Richmond, March 30, 1897; Lafayette, March 25, 1893; Laporte, April 1, 1893, April 15, 1894; Dekalb County, April 11, 1896, April 20, 1895; Chicago, April 11, 1896, April 28, 1894; Petersburg, Mich.. April 7, 1889, 1893, April 20, 1897.

The spring of 1894 they migrated very early, while in 1893 they moved late over the southern portion of the State, but pushing north- ward rapidly made early records there. I have observed them mating by March 31 (1884), and sometimes it is kept up until April 23 (1889). Years when they arrive at, or after the average time, they seek at once the old quarters occupied by them no one knows how many years. Those arriving after April 1 are usually paired.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1113

There, upon the topmost limb of honey locust, elm, or oak, the male at once begins a serenade. In the early morning and at late afternoon he mounts his favorite perch and sings by the hour. This song period does not last long. After courtships are over they are heard less and less, until in June they become rare and finally cease. I have found their nest containing eggs at Brookville by April 29 (1881), and Prof. Evermann reports one in Carroll County, May 4, 1885. Usually, they build their nest in a bush in a retired place. I knew a pair to occupy a sweetbrier bush at the side of a well-traveled public road year after year.

May 28, 1897, I saw a nest which was found built on the ground by Mr. C. D. Test, near the site of old Post Ouiatanon, below Lafayette. It was in a rye patch at the foot of a stool of rye, and contained four eggs. He informed me that he and his brother had once before found a nest built on the ground. From there southward in this State I have never heard of a nest being built on the ground. Yet farther north, in the old prairie region, and in Michigan, such nesting sites are not rare.

Mr. Sylvester D. Judd reports an examination of 121 stomachs of the Brown Thrush showed 36 per cent, of vegetable and 64 per cent, of animal food. The latter was practically all insects. Half of them were beetles and the remainder mostly grasshoppers, caterpillars, bugs and spiders. Eight per cent, of its food was small fruits, such as are cultivated, while of grain, perhaps obtained from scattered kernels, but the trifle of 3 per cent, was found. The Brown Thrasher stands its trial with the judgment "useful bird" written on the records (Year Book II. S. Dept. Agr., 1895, pp. 411-415). (As to food, see also Forbes' Bulletin No. 3, 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., pp. 118-127.) Prof. Forbes found in an orchard infested with canker-worms that this bird made 23 per cent, of its food of those insects (Kept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1891, p. 204). Generally they are reported to have left in September, or early October, but some continue with us until November, and possibly longer.

The latest records are from Hillsdale, Mich., September 15, 1894; Plymouth, Mich., September 20, 1894; Chicago, October 2, 1895; Lafayette, September 14, 1895, October 8, 1894; Brookville, October 25, 1894; Greensburg, November 3, 1894; Warren County, September 25, 1897.

1114

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

SUBFAMILY TROGLODYTIN^E. WRENS. 168. GENUS THRYOTHORUS VIEILLOT.

a1. Tail not longer than wings, its feathers all brown with fine black bars.

Subgenus THRYOTHORUS. T. ludovicianus (Lath.). 298

a2. Tail longer than wings, its feathers mostly blackish, the middle one grayish, barred. Subgenus THRYOMANES Sclater. T. bewickii (And.). 299

Carolina AVren. Subgenus THRYOTHORUS.

*298. (718). Thryothorus ludovicianus (LATH.).

Carolina Wren. Synonyms, GREAT CAROLINA WREN, MOCKING WREN, LARGE WOOD WREN.

Exposed portion of the bill shorter than the head. Above, reddish- brown, most vivid on the rump; a whitish streak over the eve, bor- dered above with dark brown; throat, whitish; rest of under parts, pale yellow-rusty, darkest toward the under tail-coverts, which are conspicuously barred with black; exposed surface of wings and tail (including the upper coverts), barred throughout with brown, the outer edges of tail feathers and quills showing series of alternating whitish and dusky spots; legs, flesh-colored. (B. B. and R.)

Length, 5.25-6.00; wing, 2.18-2.50; tail, 1.80-2.35.

RANGE. — Northeastern Mexico and United States east of Plains; north to Nebraska, southern Michigan, southern Ontario and Con- necticut. Resident throughout its range.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1115

, in woods and thickets, in hollows and cavities in logs, stumps, and trees, or in and about buildings; of grass, straw, moss and leaves. Eggs, 4-6; white or creamy-white, sometimes pinkish, thickly spotted, principally about the larger end, with reddish-brown; .75 by .58.

The Carolina Wren is the largest Wren in the eastern United States. It is an abundant resident in southern Indiana, decreasing in num- bers from there northward in some localities, notably the northwestern and the east central portion of the State, almost or entirely wanting. •Northward in some places they are only reported as stragglers or sum- mer residents, while elsewhere they also occur in winter. They are abundant north, at least to Knox (Chansler) and Franklin counties, where they are, if any difference, more numerous in winter. They are common as far as Terre Haute (Blatchley) and rather common at Bloomington (Blatchley), and Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test); quite frequent in Morgan County (A. M. Hadley). They are rare at Eich- mond (E. Test), Spearsville (Baxnett), Greencastle (Clearwaters), Wa- bash (Wallace), Carroll County (Evermann), and Michigan City (Byr- kit). They have heretofore been rare in Dekalb County, but Mrs. Hine informs me they are increasing in numbers, and are found both winter and summer, and breed.

At Petersburg, Mich., Mr. Jerome Trombley noted one bird in May, 1889, and he said he had seen but one other bird in a period of fifteen years; and in 1892 a pair nested there. There is a general increase in their numbers and extension of their range. May 19, 1887, I found them in Parke County. Mr. V. H. Barnett reports them tolerably common in Vermillion and Warren counties in August and September, 1897. The winter of 1895-6 for about four weeks from February 27 to March 24, 1896, these Wrens seemed to all be absent, about Brook- ville. Other years they have stayed through the severest weather, even perishing from cold. January 4, 1884, I found one frozen. They frequent both town and country. Ten to fifteen years ago this was the House Wren of the Whitewater Valley. They nested more often about houses and outbuildings than in thickets, brush piles, fence cor- ners and fallen timber. Now it is changed. Bewick's Wren has ap- peared upon the scene and has became the domestic Wren.

They remain paired throughout the year, and the breeding season appears to extend almost the year around. I have known them to begin singing February 3 (1892), and mate at once. March 1, 1889? I found them house-hunting. In 1884 a pair built their nest in a fleece of wool that hung on the back porch of my house, within two feet of the door. The nest was begun March 13, was almost finished March 19, contained one egg March 23; the fifth and last egg was

1116 EEPORT or STATE GEOLOGIST.

laid March 29. The bird began sitting March 30; four eggs were hatched April 11, and the young left the nest April 25. '

Mr. G. E. King informs me of a pair that two successive years nested in the winter in a box beneath a shed adjoining his drug store in Brookville. Both years he examined the nest. They had four eggs about December 1, 1895. The same site had been used the three preceding springs.

The Carolina Wren has several songs. It is a noisy bird at all times of the year, and one or another of its efforts may be heard any day that is bright and cheerful, and even at times when the clouds are dark and lowering this energetic little fellow would whistle good cheer into one's cheerless feelings.

Kurs-t is its common exclamation. Whee-o-now, wliee-o-now, or Jew- Pet-er, Jew-Pet-er, may give some idea of the elements of its best- known song. This bears some resemblance to the song of the Mary- land Yellow-throat. It also has a rendering with four notes, which a little boy once interpreted: "kick-er moth-er, Tcick-er mother." Again, its notes seem to say, sweet-heart, sweet-heart, reminding one somewhat of the louder whistling of the Cardinal. He is just as active as he is tuneful, and will not stay long in the neighborhood without making himself known. A large part of the food of this bird is insects and spiders. It searches logs, stumps, fences, among the bushes of gardens and yards, wood piles, outbuildings, everywhere diligently looking for insects. Mr. E. E. Quick told me of a pair of the birds that frequented his premises a few winters ago and became very tame. In January he was splitting some honey locust logs and the Wrens, which sat within three feet of him, would hop down among the sticks when they were split and pick out the larvae that infested them.

Submenus THRYOMANES Sclater.

*299, (719). Thryothorus bewickii (Auo.).

Bewick's Wren. Synonyms, LONG-TAILED HOUSE WHEN, LONG-TAILED WREN.

Adult. — Above, dark cinnamon-brown; tail, long, middle feathers, grayish, barred with black; 'outer feathers, black, marked with whitish; rump, with concealed white spots; secondaries only, barred with black: line over the eye, white; below, ashy.

Length, 5.00-5.50; wing, 2.05-2.25; tail, 2.10-2.40.

BANGE.— Eastern United States, from Texas and Georgia to eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, southern Michigan, southern Ohio. Eare east of the Alleghanies, where it occurs north

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1117

to Maryland and Delaware. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from southern Illinois south.

Nest, almost anywhere about buildings, fences, brush piles, logs, etc.; of grass, straw, sticks, etc. Eggs, 5-9; white, sometimes pinkish, with fine specks of reddish-brown and lavender; .67 by .50.

Bewick's Wren is a common summer resident throughout the greater part of southern Indiana and in the lower Wabash Valley, at least, north to Knox County, is a resident, though much rarer in winter. They frequent to some extent, fence rows, more open timber land, thickets and orchards, but in many localities outside the breeding range of the House Wren have become the "House Wren." At Brook- ville they now occupy that position, which was held formerly by the Carolina Wren, and nest about buildings and fences, woodpiles, in short, in all such places as a Wren would select. The recent extension of the range of this species is notable. In 1879 Dr. Wheaton announces it had not been authentically reported from Ohio (Birds of 0., p. 230); it was unknown to him that Mr. Chas. Dury took it that year at Cincinnati. It was almost wholly unknown in Franklin County, Ind., until recent years. In 1869 Dr. Bufus Haymond had seen but a few specimens. None were noted from that year until 1877, when Mr. E. E. Quick identified several specimens. From that date to 1881, an occasional one was seen. Since the last mentioned year, however, when they became common, they have been annually increasing in number, and now they are abundant. The spring of 1897, I found six pairs breeding in an area of one-half mile by a mile, .in Brookville. Up to 1890 it had reached Vigo and Putnam counties, where it was rather common, and had been reported from Marion County. North of the points named it was unknown.

It was first noted at Lafayette in 1890, where a pair bred (Dr. F. C. Test), and they became common in 1892 (L. A. and C. D. Test). They were first reported from Wabash in 1891, and were common in 1894 (Wallace). One was seen at Springport, Henry County, April •?!), 1894 (Williamson). They were first reported and said to breed at Petersburg, Mich., May 15 and 16, 1894. They were still rare there in 1897 (Trombley). The first record from Bichmond, Ind., is in the spring of 1897, and it is given as rare (Hadley). I believe they are extending their winter residence northward, and beyond that limit the date of their spring migration is becoming earlier. They were not observed at Brookville from 1877 to 1888 before April 1, but in 1889 they appeared March 1, and were common by March 7. Since then they have generally appeared in March. They usually arrive wherever, found in this State before the middle of April. They mate

1118 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

soon after arrival, in fact, some rears arrive mated. I have seen them looking for a nest site March 25 (1897). Prof. Shannon found a nest, containing one egg at Greensburg, April 12, 1896., and I have found young just out of the nest early in July. They return every night to roost in the nest after they are able to fly. The period of incubation is fourteen days. They persistently return to the same nesting place. Mr. John Wright, of Bartholomew County, told me of a pair that nested on an old mantel in a deserted house three years in succession. The first two years they built in a tin can, but the third year, that having been removed, they built on the mantel. Mr. E. R. Quick informs me in 1897, at his house, a pair nested and reared their first brood of six in a gourd. The second set of 5 eggs were laid in a ball of twine in a binder. Then the female was interrupted. She laid another set of six in the gourd first occupied; with these were put the five found in the binder, and out of the eleven were hatched eight young, making a total of fourteen young hatched by one pair of Wrens in a season. The same careful observer in the spring of 1891 found a pair building a nest in the drawbar of a freight car. which was standing on a siding at Brookville. Their songs were heard at Brookville March 30, 1896, and in 1897 continued until August 30. In fact, one sang a few notes October 14, 1897, which is the latest I have found them in the fall. They have a finer rattling note than that uttered by the Carolina Wren. The common alarm note is plit. It has several songs, all accompanied by a greater or less num- ber of stridulations. I give a few attempts to interpret its songs. But I must confess that often the attempted interpretations by others convey no meaning to me. One song I have written chip, chip, chip, te-da-a, te-dee; another, cheep, cheep, che-we-e-e-e. A third song sounds something like whee-to-weet, a-her, che-chee; while one of its most famil- iar efforts seems to be expressed by chick, click, for me-<>, for you. They, too, are great insect catchers.

169. GENUS TROGLODYTES VIEILLOT.

a1. Wings folded not reaching end of tail. Subgenus TROGLODYTES. 61. Above umber brown ; back usually indistinc^y barred.

T. sedon Vieill. 300 6a. Above grayish brown ; back usually distinctly barred.

T. aedon aztecus Baird. 301 a2. Wings folded reaching nearly or quite to end of tail.

Subgenus ANORTHOTJRA Kennie. T. hiemalis Vieill. 302

I)[i;i)s OF INDIANA.

1119

Subgenus TROGLODYTES.

'300. (721). Troglodytes aedon (VJEILL.).

House Wren. Synonym, SHORTS-TAILED HOUSE WREN.

House Wren. (Judd.— Year Book, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895, p. 417.)

Adult. — Above, umber-brown, the head darker, rump and tail decid- edly rustjr; back usually with indistinct dusky bars (sometimes entirely wanting); wings and tail, distinctly barred; rump with concealed white dot; an indistinct stripe over the eye; sides of head, whitish; below, whitish or grayish, often shaded with brown; sides and under tail coverts, barred with dusky.

Length, 4.25-5.25; wing, 1.90-2.15; tail, 1.72-2.08; bill, .4G-.52.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Gulf Coast to Maine and Ontario, west to Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Texas. Breeds from central Indiana, central Illinois, southern Ohio and District of Colum- bia, north; also in Florida. Winters chiefly south of lat. 35°.

Nest, preferably about buildings, in a hole or box. Eggs, 7-9; white, thickly spotted with reddish-brown; .65 by .50.

The House Wren is known over much of southern Indiana only as a migrant, and there may be found in thickets, along fences, about

1120 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

drift piles or the fringing vegetation of our streams. They are com- mon summer residents, and breed at Richmond, Connersville, Indian- apolis, Spearsville, Greeneastle, Sullivan, Terre Haute, Wheatland and Vincennes. North of that line, except in the extreme northwestern part of the State, they breed commonly, but south of it rarely nest. Mrs. Hine informs me they first appeared in Dekalb County in 1883,. and are now common. In some parts of the State it is local in distribution. I know of two instances where they nested at Brook- ville, and Prof. Evermann informs me they are rare summer residents at Bloomington.

Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me that this is the species occurring in the vicinity of Wheatland and Vincennes, where Bewick's Wren is also found commonly, but at Mt. Carmel, 111., this species does not occur, and its place is taken by Bewick's Wren. In general they may be said to breed north of the range of the latter species. They are said to winter north to southern Illinois, and may possibly be found at that season along our southern border. They migrate a little later than the last mentioned species. The earliest date at hand is from Brookville, March 11, 1887; the latest at that station, April 28, 1883. At Spearsville, they appeared March 14, 1897, March 29, 1895; Vigo County, April 2, 1896, April 6, 1897; Sedan, April 13, 1894, May 4, 1895; Laporte, March 31, 1896, April 4, 1894; Chicago, 111., April 27, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 24, 1897, May 5, 1888. They rear two broods in a season. In selection of nesting sites and in many of their habits they are similar to the last mentioned species. These are much more persistent birds. At times it seems that no amount of discouragement will turn them from their plans. Mr. A. H. Ken- drick informs me of one which persistently attempted to build its nest in a pump spout at Edwards. He also tells me of another one that built her nest in the air shaft of a coal mine, but the eggs did not hatch. The reason he suggests is that they were chilled by the cold air blasts. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test found them building April 29, 1892. Mr. J. 0. Snyder reported one breeding April 20? 1886, at Waterloo. On the other hand, I found them breeding at Brookville, July 3, 1888. The song begins soon after arrival, and Mr. Bicknell says it is sometimes continued until August. It is dif- ferent from that of the other Wrens, yet the listener is impressed when he first hears that no bird other than a Wren could sing such a song. It is very sprightly, consisting of a few loud notes, followed by an exceedingly melodious trill. The decision of those who have studied its foods is that the House Wren is entirely beneficial. Mr. Sylvester D. Judd says of 52 specimens examined, 92 per cent, of their food

BIRDS OF INDIANA.

was insects and their allies, and only 2 per cent, was vegetable (Year Book U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1895, pp. 416-418). It pays to put up boxes and other nesting sites for these and other friendly birds. They are thus encouraged to build about homes and gardens and in orchards, where their usefulness is greatly increased. They leave in September, but occasionally linger into October. In 1894 the last one was ob- served at Plymouth, Mich., September 19; at Hillsdale, Mich., Sep- tember 26; Warren County, Ind., September 11, 1897. In 1886 they were found migrating at Brookville, September 8, and in 1897 one was seen as late as October 5. Mr. Ridgway notes that, in a pair observed, nest building occupied 12 days; egg laying, 8 days; incuba- tion, about 14 days, and 14 days later the young left the nest (B. of 111., L, p. 96).

301. (7216). Troglodytes aedon aztecus BAIRD.

Western House Wren.

Similar to T. aedon, but "above rather grayish-brown, the rump and tail slightly more rusty, and the back and rump generally very distinctly barred ^jith dusky (very rarely plain)" (Ridgway). Averag- ing larger.

Length, 4.25-5.25; wing, 2.00-2.25; tail, 1.85-2.12; bill, .45-.5S.

RANGE. — Western North America, except Pacific Coast, from Mex- co (State of Vera Cruz) to Manitoba and Great Slave Lake; east to Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana. Winters from Texas, south.

Nest and eggs similar to the last.

The Western House Wren ranges into northwestern Indiana and, perhaps, other portions of the State, where there were originally prairies, and is there a summer resident. It seems to be especially attracted to prairie districts. Mr. Ridgway notes this form from Illinois also, where he tells me the House Wrens he has seen from the prairie region — Richland County, about thirty miles west of Vin- cennes, the vicinity of Chicago, etc. — are this form, while at Mt. Carmel, 111., and Vincennes, Ind., the House Wrens are the eastern form. Farther north in Indiana, where the country is more opn, he should expect to find azlecus.

Specimens from Vigo County are of the eastern form.

Mr. F. M. Woodruff, of Chicago, informs me that two pairs hiken near Hammond, Ind., June 4, 1897, were submitted to Prof. J. A. Allen for examination. He writes they agree with T. ce. aztecus, even comparing them with specimens from Arizona. The birds were nest- ing in an old stump within fifty yards of the electric street car line,

71— GEOL.

1122 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

about half way between Hammond and Roby. Specimens from north- western Indiana, also from farther south along the western border of the State, are desirable, in order that the limits of the range of this form may be determined. Doubtless in some localities both forms will be found.

Suhgenus AXORTHURA Rennie.

302. (722). Troglodytes hyemalis VIEILL.

Winter Wren. Synonym, BUNTY WEEN.

Winter Wren.

Adult. — Deep brown above, darkest on the head, brightest on the rump and tail; obscurely waved with dusky, and sometimes with whitish also; tail like rump; wings, dusky, edged with color of back, and dark barred; several outer primaries also whitish barred; a super- ciliary line and obscure streaks 'on sides of head and neck, whitish; below, pale brown; belly, flanks and under tail coverts, strongly barred with dusky (Mcllwraith).

Length, 3.50-4.12; wing, 1.75-2.00; tail, 1.15-1.40.

RANGE. — Eastern North America. Breeds from mountains of North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa, northward. Win- ters from Indiana, Illinois and Ohio, south to* the Gulf States.

Nest, in dense woods, about logs or overthrown trees; a ball of moss, lined with feathers or fur. Eggs, 5-7; white, with reddish-brown spots; .69 by !50.

The Winter Wren is a common migrant, and over the southern half of Indiana, at least, is a winter resident. It frequents all sorts of places — woods, thickets, bushy fence rows, dark ravines, and even at times orchards, outbuildings and woodpiles. I have seen both this

BIKDS or INDIANA. 1123

and the Carolina Wren about my woodhouse at the same time. There are four Wrens, then, that are seen about our homes. The larg^e reddish-brown one — the largest one we have — is the Carolina Wren. The dark brown, slim, long-tailed one is Bewick's Wren. The dark brown, slim, short- tailed one is the House Wren, and the little bunty Wren that apparently has almost no tail is the Winter Wren.

They begin to arrive from their breeding ground, a little farther north, in September. Over most of the northern part of the State they are almost or entirely wanting during the coldest months, but farther south they are to be found all winter, some years- scarce, some years common. They are reported as winter residents as far north aa the following places : Brookville, Moore's Hill, Greensburg, Blooming- ton, Greencastle, Carroll County. It probably sometimes winters in Wabash County (Ulrey and Wallace, I. A. S., 1895, p. 158). They arrived at Chicago, 111., September 28, 1896, and the latest date reported is October 12, 1895. At Sedan, Ind., they arrived September 19, 1894, and were seen there November 6, 1889. They were noted at Lafayette September 13, 1894, which is the earliest appearance in the State. They arrived at Warren County, September 22, 1897; at Brookville, October 8, 1885; at Greensburg, October 7, 1894; at Bick- nell, October 3, 1894; at Bloomington, October 4, 1885. The last record in the spring from Bicknell is April 16, 1881; Greensburg, April 2, 1895; Brookville, April 16, 1881; Bloomington, April 18, 1885; Sedan, April 11, 1894; Lafayette, April 21, 1897; Irvington, April 29, 1889; Eichmond, May 5, 1897.

This Wren has been found breeding in Ohia (Wheaton); in Mich- igan (Cook); Ontario (Mcllwraith), and Illinois, where Mr. H. A. Klein says he took a nest near Polo (W. W. Cooke, Bird Mig., Miss. Valley, p. 273).

Prof . Evermann thinks it breeds in Carroll County (The Auk, Jan., 1889, p. 29). They are quiet usually. The only sound heard with us is a cJiurr. But at their breeding grounds they sing a pretty song. They are most often seen when one is quiet, about a pile of river drift, a stone wall in a thicket, a windfall in the forest, the exposed tree roots and fallen brush along a ravine. There the little investi- gator may be seen diligently looking for its meal. This it expects to make up of insects, and it has selected a spot where they may be found with least effort.' Ants, caterpillars, beetles, dragon flies, moths, spiders, flies and larvae have been found forming their food.

1124 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

170. GENUS CISTOTHORU5 CABANTS.

a1. Bill about half as long as head; no white stripe over eye.

Subgenus CISTOTHORUS. C. stellaris (Licht.). 303

a2. Bill slender, about as long as head ; a conspicuous white stripe over the eye. Subgenus TELMATODYTES Cabanis. C. palustris (Wils.). 304

Subgenus CISTOTHORUS.

303. (724). Cistothorus stellaris (LIGHT.).

Short-billed Marsh Wren.

Adult. — Bill very slender, less than a half inch long; "dark brown above; crown and middle of the back, blackish, nearly everywhere conspicuously streaked with white; below, buffy- white, shading into pale brown on the sides and behind; wings and tail, barred with blackish and light brown; flanks, barred with dusky; throat and mid- dle of belly, whitish" (Mcllwraith).

Length, 3.75-4.50; wing, 1.72-1.90; tail, 1.58-1.70; bill, .40.

RANGE. — North America, east of Plains, from Gulf States to south- ern New Hampshire, Ontario and western Manitoba. Breeds locally throughout its range. Winters from Gulf States, south.

Nest, in wild grass, 12 to 18 inches in height, or on ground; placed 8 to 10 inches from top of grass; globular, hole in side, made of dried grass, lined with down of cat-tails or other plants; the grow- ing grass so woven over and around it that it is hard to see. Eggs, 5-8; white, unmarked; .63 by .45. Two broods.

The Short-billed Marsh "Wren is a migrant and summer resident. It breeds in restricted localities, where the marshes are suitable, and in places is found in some numbers. It is much more numerous in the northwestern portion of the State. They have been found breed- ing in Putnam County. In the Whitewater Valley I have only found it once. September 22 and 23, 1879, I saw several and took two specimens from a swampy hollow about three miles from Brookville. Mr. Ruthven Deane informs me a nest of this species, containing eggs, was taken by an employe of their club at English Lake, the spring of 1889. In the collection of Mr. G. Fream Morcom, Los Angeles, Cal., is a -set of five eggs of this Wren taken at Davis Station, Ind., June 3, 1887. Mr. L. A. Test, of Lafayette, has received an egg of this kind from Mr. B. F. Beekman, who took it from a nest near Brunswick, Lake County, in the summer of 1893. Three nests were found in the rank grass along a small ditch when they were making hay. I am indebted to my friend, Mr. B. T. Gault, of Glen Ellyn, 111., for the following very carefully prepared notes on the Short-billed

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1125

Marsh Wren: "This spring (1889) I made the following observations on the Short-billed Marsh Wren: June 3, several were noted in the grassy marshes near Sheffield, Ind., and two adult birds were taken that day. I was at first attracted by their song, which is altogether different from that of C. palustris.

"In the manner of delivery it forcibly reminds one of the song of the Dickcissel (Spiza americana), although, of course, it was not near as loud. They were quite shy, but would allow one to approach within forty or fifty feet of them, when they would dart down into the thick grass, from which it was almost impossible to dislodge them. The specimens that I secured were shot from small bushes on the edge of marsh, these being the favorite stands occupied by the males in song. Their stomachs contained the remains of small beetles and other insects; testes were greatly swollen.

"Nine (9) birds in all were, seen and heard that day, and which no doubt were nest building. On June 14, I again visited the same locality. Some new and last year's nests were found, and three or four pairs were apparently nesting there. Like all Wrens, I found them to have a very irascible disposition, and they scolded me con- tinually while I was nest hunting. My efforts, however, to secure eggs were unsuccessful.

"Several old nests examined were found to be lined with pieces of wasps7 nests, bog moss and vegetable substances. June 28, I visited the marsh again, and soon I learned to my regret that I had overlooked the nests containing eggs on my last visitation (June 14), but which at that period even would have been of little use to me, considering the advanced state of eggs and their extreme fragility. I found in their stead that at least one brood had hatched, one young a day 'or two from the nest being taken. Another was discovered, but which succeeded in getting away from me in the thick, rank grass. It was quite a while before I successfully located these little fellows, although they were chipping around, seemingly within a foot or two of me, for some time, and at least a half hour was consumed in the search before I was fully rewarded with the capture of one. Two (2) new nests, evidently prepared for the second brood, were found, and a piece of shell from one egg just hatched was picked up in an adjoining marsh the same day. This species is a clever creeper in the dense grass, and is able to iriove around at a lively rate without showing itself" (Jan. 18, 1892).

Mr. C. E. Aiken writes me that he found them in the marshes bor- dering sloughs in Lake County in May, 1871.

1126 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Dr. J. L. Hancock informs me it was noted at Hammond, April 9, 1887, by Mr. Graham Davis. Mr. H. K. Coale has twice reported it from Lake County: May 9, 1877, and July 4, 1881. July 24, 1894, Mr. Alexander Black obtained a pair of these birds from among the sedge about an old mill pond, near Green castle. From the actions of the bird, he suspected a nest. The next day he found a nest after some search. It was built in a bunch of grass about eighteen inches above the ground. The nest was made of grass blades worked into the form of a ball, and was covered with the "saw grass" blades which had been .drawn and fastened upon the nest. There was a small opening in the side. The nest was freshly built and contained no eggs. From July 24 to September 6; several young Marsh Wrens were taken there, some of them just able to fly. On the last date mentioned, he and Mr. Jesse Earlle found a nest and one addled egg. Once before, during migration, these, birds had been taken in that county.

Mr. J. R. Slonaker reports it from Yigo County, May 8, 1889.

Mrs. Jane L. Hine noted it April 24, 1888, from Dekalb County.

Subgenus TELMATHODYTES Cabanis.

*304. -725) Cistothsrus palustris (WiLs.).

Long-billed Marsh Wren.

Adult. — Bill over a half inch long; "dark brown above; crown and middle of the back, blackish, nearly everywhere conspicuously streaked with white; below, buff y- white, shading into pale brown on the sides and behind; wings and tail, barred with blackish and light brown; flanks, barred with dusky; throat and middle of belly,, whitish" (Mc- II wraith).

Length, 4.25-5.50; wing, 1.80-2.12; tail, 1.60-1.90; bill, .54.

RA^GE. — Eastern jSTorth America, from eastern Mexico north to Massachusetts, Ontario and Manitoba; west to Rocky Mountains. Breeds locally from Gulf coast, north. Winters from South Carolina, south.

Nest, an oblong ball of marsh grass, sometimes plastered with mud, attached to reeds, usually above the water, lined with fine grass or vegetable down. Eggs, 6-10; chocolate-brown, sometimes marked with darker brown; .66 by .46.

The Long-billed Marsh Wren is an abundant resident wherever there are marshes. Elsewhere it is only a migrant and is rarely seen.

Throughout the northern part of the State, and along the Waba-sh Valley, wherever there are suitable localities, it breeds in numbers.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1127

I do not know that it has been found elsewhere breeding in southern or central Indiana. Along the Whitewater Valley I have occasionally seen it among the bushes fringing the streams, and even creeping about among the river drift that had accumulated in piles from some pre- vious freshet. They are reported to occasionally winter as far north as southern Illinois. In Indiana, the earliest date I have is from Terre Haute, April 12, 1890. At Brookville I have taken it April 27, 1887, and May 10, 1885. At Bloomington it was noted May 13, 1886; Richmond, May 17, 1897; Dekalb County, May 12, 1890, May 20, 1897; Chicago, 111., April 15, 1886, May 26, 1897.

They have nothing to draw them aside in their migration. We see only the occasional straggler which falls by the way. The bulk press on to their breeding grounds, where also they get their favorite food. Therefore, the probability is that, could we carefully observe their favorite grounds, we would find they arrive as early, possibly earlier than the scattered data along the route shows. They breed among the sedges, grasses of marshy places and among the reeds in shoals in lakes. They are not confined to restricted localities, where a small company breeds, but are generally distributed among the marshes and about the lakes. They often build quite a number of nests and only occupy one. Mr. J. Graf ton Parker says: "Hardly one nest in twenty contains eggs. The birds must build many nests before laying, as the nests are much more plentiful than the birds." This observation is a common one, though the number of false nests varies. Usually from six to a dozen have been found, where I have examined them, to one that was occupied. Mr. E. W. Nelson says: ""While the female is incubating, the male is constantly employed upon the construction of several unfinished nests, until often a pair may boast the possession of a dozen unoccupied tenements" (Bull. Essex. Inst., Vol. VIII., 1876, p. 97). The last of^May I have found their nests in Fulton County, apparently completed, but containing no eggs. Mr. Ruthven Deane has found them breeding abundantly at English Lake in June and July. He has also noted them building August 4, 1889. They raise two and possibly three broods in a sea- son. They have been also reported as breeding in the following counties: Lake, Laporte, Dekalb, Kosciusko, Knox and Gibson (Ridg- way), and Vigo (Evermann). The return migration occurs in Sep- tember and October. They were last recorded from Hillsdale, Mich., September 24, 1894; Cincinnati, 0., September 21, 1879; Chicago, 111., October 19, 1895; Lake County, Ind., October 16, 1896, and Mr. Deane has found them at English Lake as late as October 27.

1128 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

They have a scraping, scolding note that is most familiar to those who intrude upon their haunts, but also sing a little song that the casual visitor does not recognize.

Mr. Bicknell says they cease singing early in August, but have an- other song period in September or October.

XLIX. FAMILY CERTHIID^E. CREEPERS.

a1. Characters same as family. CEBTHIA. 171

171. GENUS CERTHIA LINN.EUS.

Head, foot and tail feather of Brown Creeper. Natural size.

305. (7:6). Certhia familiaris americana (BONAP.).

Brown Creeper.

Adult. — JBill about the length of the head; above, dark brown, with a slightly rufous shade, each feather streaked centrally, but not abruptly, with whitish; rump, rusty. Beneath, almost silky white; the under tail coverts with a faint rusty tinge; a white streak over the eye; the ear coverts streaked with whitish; tail feathers, brown centrally, the edges paler yellowish-brown; wings with a transverse bar of pale reddish-white across both webs (B. B. and R.).

Length, 5.00-5.75; wing, 2.40-2.70; tail, 2.30-2.90.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Gulf States, north. Breeds from Minnesota, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Maine, north.

Nest, under loose bark of dead tree; of lichens, usnea, moss, feath- ers, grass and rootlets. Eggs, 5-6; profusely spotted with bright brown; .60 by .48.

The Brown Creeper is a very common migrant throughout the State. It is an irregular winter resident in all parts of the State, being much more regular and some winters common southward. In the northeastern part of the State it is- known to breed, and may be there a rare resident. At any rate, there its winter range and breeding range meet.

This Creeper is colored so near the markings on the trees .that few people see it, and to most persons it is a rare bird. When its piping

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1129

notes are known, one realizes that before he was often in a woods peopled with interesting birds, but beyond occasionally seeing one fly from one tree to another, he did not know of their presence. They usually fly from a higher to a lower place; from some distance up on one tree to near the ground on another, and then begin creeping over the trunk, sometimes ascending in an approximately straight line, often climbing spirally, going several times around the tree in making the ascent. Mr. William Brewster says of their song at breeding time: "Their notes are varied and warbling, and somewhat confused; some of them are loud, powerful and unsurpassingly sweet, others are more feeble and plaintive. Their song usually ends with their accus- tomed cry, which may be represented by cree-cree-cre-ep" Their songs we do not hear in southern Indiana, but in March and April, during the spring migration, and in October, when they return, we hear their well-known calls. I found them industriously hunting and ut- tering their cry October 19, 1896. In the fall they sometimes asso- ciate with those little mixed parties of Chickadees, Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers and other chosen spirits, but often then, as they usually do in spring, very often associate themselves with little flocks of Golden-crowned Kinglets. I never saw so many birds of these two species as I did April 12, 1897. The woods were alive with them. They were everywhere. Their tiny voices made music in all parts of the forest growth. In one thicket, where I stood quietly for a few mo- ments to watch the passing of the little birds, I observed at the same time three Brown Creepers on a small tree and six Golden-crowned Kinglets among the bushes, all within thirty feet of me, and very tame. The 'greater number of them are migrants with us. They begin to appear about the middle of September some years, and most have passed by the latter part of October. They have been reported, as making their first appearance at Chicago, 111., September 13, 1895; Cincinnati, 0., September 21, 1897; Warren County, September 15, 1878; Lafay- ette, Ind., October 2, 1896; Sedan, October 5, 1889; Greensburg^ Sep- tember 27, 1896; Brookville, October 6, 1884.

In the spring, through the last half of March and early .April, they are frequently very common. Some of them linger until the last of that month or even into May. They have been noted at Brookville as late as April 21, 1890; Greensburg, April 2u, 1895; Cincin- nati, Ohio, April 27, 1879; Sedan, April 23, 1889; Lafayette, May 3, 1893. At Bloomington it has been noted as late as May 30, 1888, by Mr. G. G. Williamson. Hon. R. Wes. McBride has given the following account of its breeding in Steuben County: -"In my notebook I find the following, under date of May 8, 1882:

1130 REPORT OF STATE G EG LUG j ST.

•Brown Creeper: taken near Golden Lake", Steuben County, Indiana. Nest in crevice, where the bark had started from a dead tree, about 4 feet from the ground, in a swampy tract in "Crane Town." Xest com- posed of sticks, bark and feathers. Six eggs, beauties. Incubation commenced. Embryos half developed/ I have a very distinct recol- lection of the matter. The 'Crane Town' referred to in the matter is a heronry which we were exploring. The water was high, and we were in a boat. I placed my hand against a tree to push the boat past it, when the bird flew off the nest, which was within a few inches of my hand. The bird remained near me until after I had secured the eggs and examined the nest. The appearance and characteristics of the Brown Creeper are so marked that it could hardly be mistaken for any other bird. I could not possibly be mistaken in its identifica- tion. In addition to this, the location and construction of the nest and the eggs themselves are all typical and characteristic.

"Another nest and set of eggs were taken in May, 1883, at Fox Lake, near Angola, by my sons, Charles H. and Herbert W. The identifica- tion in this case was as satisfactory and unmistakable as in the other. Since that time, while I have frequently seen them during the breed- ing season, both in Steuben and Dekalb counties, I have found no other nests."

Mr. H. W. McBride thinks it also breeds in Dekalb County. It has been found breeding in about the same latitude in Monroe County, Mich. (Cook, B. of M., p. 145), and Mr. Otto Widmann found its nest and eggs in Missouri, the spring of 1895.

It has been found, in winter, tolerably regularly in the following counties of southern Indiana: Franklin, Decatur, Brown, Monroe and Knox. Some winters it is found also in Tippecanoe, Carroll and Wa- bash counties. The winter of 1896-7 they remained in the vicinity of Chicago and were reported from Kouts and Miller's, IncL by Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., and they remained the winter of 1889-90 at Sedan, Dekalb County, where they were observed by Mrs. Jane L. Hine. They also have been noted in Michigan at all seasons (Cook, B. of M., p. 145).

Their principal food is insects, particularly those species affecting the trunks of trees. Among other things, they have been found to have eaten beetles, bugs, other insects, spiders, pine seeds and fungi.

BIROS 01 INDIA N.\. 1131

L. .FAMILY PARID^E. NUTHATCHES AND TITP.

a1. Bill long and slender, the lower mandible .slanting upward; tail short.

Snl (family Sn*n.\.-K. SITTA. 17 '2 (il . Hill short and stout ; tail long. Subfamily PAIMN.K. PAR us. 173

Srr.FAMiLY SlTTIN.lv NTTIIATCUKS.

172. (iKM s SITTA LINN. EUS.

a1. White below. S. carolinensis Lath. 306

i'2. liiisty brown below. S. canadensis Linn. 307

*306. (727). Sitta carolinensis. LATH.

White-breasted Nuthatch. Synonyms, W 1 1 ITK- BELLIED NUTHATCH, CAROLINA NUTHATCH, TOMTIT.

Adult Male. — Above, bluish-gray; crown, glossy black; secondaries, marked with black, the quills with some white; side of head, stripe over the eye and most of the lower parts, white; the lower tail coverts, partly rufous; tail, black and white. Adult Female. — Similar, but top of head, dark gray, black behind.

Length, 5.25-6.15; wing, 3.50-3.75; tail, 1.95-2.20.

EANGE. — Eastern North America, from Georgia and Texas north to New Brunswick, Ontario and Minnesota; west to Kansas. Eesident throughout most of its range.

Nest, in natural or artificial hole in tree or stub, 4 to 90 feet up; of hair, fur, feathers, moss, bark or lichens. Eggs, 8, sometimes 5 or 7, rarely 9 or 10; white, creamy- white, pinkish-white, spotted with chest- nut, hazel or vinaceous, and distinctly or obscurely with lilac-gray; markings heavier at larger end; .72 by .56. Often two broods.

The Carolina Nuthatch is a common resident throughout Indiana. In the extreme northern portion of the State, they are fewer in num- bers during the winter. All that season they are to be found, keeping company with Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers, Jun- cos and Tree Sparrows. An interesting group, moving about for the sake of food and enjoying each other's company. They are to be found at this season almost everywhere, clambering over fences and creeping about trees, as often with the head down as otherwise, dili- gently searching for insects, which had thought they had found secure winter retreats. The energy with which the Nuthatch hunts and the vigor with which it pursues an insect, often pounding like a Wood- pecker to detach a piece of bark or break through into a burrow, shows that even those who think themselves safe are sometimes deceived. Their work, like that of the Brown Creeper and the Ked-breasted

1132 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Nuthatch, is to keep in subjection the host of insects that infest the trunks and limbs of trees. The}' have a large contract on hand and are kept continually busy. Their call is yank, yank, which may be heard at most seasons, being almost or wholly wanting in late summer. In spring they vary this with a monotonous calling, which they may think is a song. Mr. F. M. Chapman gives it as a "tenor hah-hah-hah- hah — sounding strangely like mirthless laughter."

In April, after the mixed company has broken up,, each member to attend to business of his own, the Nuthatches become more retiring, and frequent the woods, groves, thickets and timber in the river bot- toms, where, in holes in snags, stumps, trees, fenceposts, etc., they nest. Sometimes they make homes about our orchards, and Mr. L. F. Meyer tells me of a nest in Lake County, built in a house which was occupied by a family having ten children. Prof. F. H. King exam- ined 25 specimens; 14- had eaten 32 beetles; 1, 2 ants; 1, 2 caterpillars; 1, 2 grubs of a beetle; 1, a spider; 1, a chrysalid; 1, small toadstools; 5, acorns; 1, corn (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 486). This beneficial species should be carefully protected and encouraged. Placing suitable nest- ing sites about country homes will doubtless lead them to seek these if they are in retired places, as the area of woodland, year after year, diminishes.

*307. (728). Sitta canadensis LINN.

Bed-breasted Nuthatch. Synonym, RED-BELLIED NUTHATCH.

Adult Male. — Smaller than last; above, bluish-gray; crown, glossy black; stripe over eye, white; black stripe through the eye; secondaries, not marked with black; below, rusty or ochraceous; throat, white; tail, black and white. Adult Female. — Similar, but crown and stripe through the eye, dark-gray.

Length, 4.12-4.75; wing, 2.60-2.85; tail, 1.58.

RANGE.— North America, from Gulf States north to Hudson Bay Territory. Breeds from Virginia (in the Alleghany Mountains), Maine, northern Michigan and Manitoba, northward. Winters from Minnesota and northern Michigan, southward.

Nest, in a hole excavated in an old, well rotted snag, 4 to 35 feet up; of chips, lined with finely shredded bark or fine grass. Eggs, 3-6; rosy- white, thickly dotted or speckled with reddish-brown, sometimes very pale; markings mostly at larger end; .60 by .47.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a bird of very irregular and peculiar distribution. It is usually a rather common migrant late in April and

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1133

early in May, and again in September. Sometimes, however, it will be found migrating early in March, and will be abundant in October. Other years, it will occur locally as a rare winter resident, not only as far north as our northern boundary, but still farther north in Illi- nois— Lake Forest (Parker), and on beyond to Palmer, on the upper peninsula of Michigan, where, Mr. 0. B.% Warren informs me, it is a permanent resident. It also sometimes breeds in Indiana. Dr. A. W. Brayton has so reported it from the northern part of the State, and Prof. B. W. Evermann found young just able to fly in Carroll

Head of Red-breasted Nuthatch. Natural size.

County, in August, 1878. About Brookville I have found them, some years, quite common between April 30 (1885) and May 15 (1879). Then they frequent the denser woodland and may be readily recog- nized either by sight or sound. Their drawled, nasal utterance is quite different from that of the larger species, just mentioned. It has been expressed by Mr. F. M. Chapman as yna, yna. It has been taken during the spring migrations at Lafayette, March 13, 1897, May 4, 1897; English Lake, March 18, 1894; Greensburg, March 29, 1896, May 9, 1893; Spearsville, April 11, 1897; Bloomington, April 21, 1885; Carroll County, May 3, 1883, May 7, 1885; Richmond, May 16, 1897.

In the fall they have been noted at Chicago, 111., August 25, 1886; Lafayette, Ind., August 30, 1895, October 31, 1896; Wabash, Septem- ber 15, 1891; Cincinnati, 0., September 15, 1878; Bicknell, October 11, 1895. They were found wintering at Greensburg the winter of 1896-7 (Shannon); at Bloomington, the winters of 1882-3 and 1885-6 (Blatchley); Spearsville, 1894-5 (Barnett); Lafayette, 1895-6 (Test); Waterloo, 1888-9 (H. W. McBride); Cook County, 111., 1894-5 (Parker), and were very abundant there the winter of 1866-7 (Aiken).

Their habits are much similar to those of the last mentioned species. Like it, they are great creepers and are diligent insect hunters.

Tim JvF.porrr OK STATE GEOLOGIST.

SIBIAMII.Y PARINJE. TITMICE.

17:;. (U;sus PARUS LTXN.KUS.

a1. Head crested. Subgenus LOPHOPHANES Kaup. P. bicolor Linn. 308

a2. Head not crested. Subgenus PARUS.

A1. Tertials and greater wing coverts without distinct whitish edgings; wing

under 2.50. ^- carolinensis Aud. 310

b-. Tertials and greater wing coverts with distinct whitish edgings; wing usu

allv over 2.50. ^ atricapillus Linn. 309

Subgonus LOPHOPHANES Kaup.

*308. (731). Parus bicolor LINN.

Tufted Titmouse. Synonyms, PETER-PETER, SUGAR BIRD.

Adult. — Conspicuously crested; above, ashy; forehead, black; below, whitish; sides, brownish.

Length, 5.65-6.50; wing, 3.05-3.45; tail, 2.80-3.15.

RANGE.— Eastern United States north to Connecticut Valley and southern Michigan; west -to central Texas and Nebraska.

Nest, in Woodpecker's hole, or natural cavity in stump or tree, 2 to 60 feet from ground, generally 5 to 30 feet; of leaves, bark, moss, hair, feathers, and sometimes snake skin; loosely constructed. Eggs, 5-6, sometimes as many as 9; white or creamy- white, speckled and spotted, often heaviest near larger end, with hazel, rufous, chestnut or vinaceous, and sometimes lilac; .71 by .54.

An abundant resident in southern Indiana and north, at least in the Wabash Valley, to Parke, Warren, Carroll, Tippecanoe and Wa- bash counties. Northward, in many localities, it is rare, and about the southern end of Lake Michigan it is apparently wanting. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me it is not uncommon at Kouts, Ind., 60 miles southeast of Chicago, 111., where he took a specimen, November 23, 1894, and a pair, December 10, 1896.

In the northern part of the State and in Michigan itls irregular in its occurrence. Some places it appears occasionally as a straggler in fall, winter or spring; other places, it is a summer resident, disappear- ing in the fall and returning in the spring. In other localities it is present, some years, the year found, and others only in summer. It, however, through our northern counties, seems to be increasing in numbers, and in some places, where it was only seen occasionally cer- tain seasons, has become a permanent part of their bird life. Prior to 1890, the only record I had from Starke County was from Mr. H. K. Coale, who found a pair there, January 1, 1884. At English Lake,

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1135

however, since 1890, Mr. Deane has met with them a number of times at almost all seasons, and it would seem to be resident. In 1887, Mrs. Jane L. Hine informed me it was very rare in Dekalb County, and had only been observed in autumn. They continued so until the winter of 1890-91, when they began to increase. Some winters they remained and others they disappeared. It is now tolerably common there, and breeds. It also breeds in Elkhart County, where a nest was taken, June 13, 1891, containing seven young birds (McBride, Proc. I. A. S., 1891, p. 167). It was very common near Peru in Oc- tober, 1893, where it is probably a resident (Dunn). Mr. Elwood Pleas informs me that it is a tolerably common resident at Dunreith,

Head of Tufted Titmouse. Natural size.

Henry County. April 14, 1894, he found one impaled on a thorn — evidently the work of a Shrike. It is also a rather abundant resident at Richmond, where it breeds (Dr. E. Test, A. M. Hadley). Mr. G. G. Williamson reports it from Muncie, 'November 22-, 1896. Mr. V. H. Barnett says it is common and breeds in Vennillion and Warren counties. Dr. A. W. Brayton, of Indianapolis, has a beautiful albino of this species.

The Tufted Titmouse frequents all kinds of woodland. In summer, it prefers the quiet of the denser forest or of the trees along the river bottoms. In winter they go wherever their companions go, or, rather, they lead the company where they will. Through woods, thickets, tangled ravines, along the old worm fence, into the orchard, then among the garden shrubbery. Their loud whistle sounds peto, peto, peto, peto, and when one comes upon them to see what is the matter, the Downy Woodpecker calls quit, quit. This Titmouse utters de-de- de-de, and thus reminds one by nis call of his relationship to the Chick- adees. The warm, sugar-making days of early spring, they proclaim

1136 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

their happiness throughout all the woods, and the sugar-makers know them then as "Sugar Birds." I have observed them mating as early as April 8 (1887), and have found them nest-building May 16 (1884). The nest is usually in a hole in a tree, snag, fencestake or post. Messrs. Dury and Freeman found an unusual nest, May 25, 1878, near Cin- cinnati, 0. A Tufted Titmouse selected as its breeding place the discarded nest of some large bird, in the top of a tall sapling. The bird had deposited six eggs (nearly hatched when found) on a layer of dry grass, which nicely lined a large hole which she had excavated in the side of the rough structure (Journ. Gin. Soc. N. H., 1879). The Tufted Titmouse is not only a hunter of insects over the trunks and among the limbs of trees, .but it examines the ground and explores the rank shrubbery. It also visits the orchards, and sometimes makes its home there. There it is very busy about the blossoms, leaves and fruit, not only gathering insects for itself, but also to supply the wants of its young.

Subgenus PARUS Linnaeus. •

*309. (735). Parus atricapillus LINN.

Chickadee. Synonym, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE.

Adult. — Above, plain grayish; crown and throat, deep black; greater wing coverts, distinctly edged with whitish; sides of head and neck,, and other lower parts, white, the latter buffy on the sides; tail and wing, usually about equal in length.

Length, 4.70-5.75; wing, 2.50-2.75; tail, 2.50-2.*75.

RANGE. — Northeastern North America, from North Carolina (in Alleghany Mountains), Missouri, southern Illinois, northern Indiana and Virginia to Labrador and Ontario. Breeds almost to the southern limit of its range.

Nest and Eggs, similar to those of P. carolinensis.

Abundant resident in the northern part of the State; common win- ter resident for a little distance south of the area where it is a resident. Not often seen in the southern part of the State, and then only as a winter visitor. In the absence of a series of specimens it is impossible to define the limits of the range of this species southward, or of the next bird northward. However, to most persons, they appear to be the same bird; and, as their habits are practically the same, the only ones who will regret this lack of detail will be the naturalists. This Chickadee is a common resident in Lake County (Parker); Dekalb County (Mrs. Hine); Tippecanoe County (Test); Starke County

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1137

(Coale, Deane); Wayne County (Hadley). In Carroll County, it is the most common form (Evermann). In Wabash County, it is an abundant winter resident (Ulrey and Wallace); and in Monroe County it has also been noted in winter (Evermann, Blatchley). I have never taken it in Franklin County.

The note of this species is lower and more slowly given than that of Carolinensis. It consists of three notes, which sound like chick-a- dee, or as others say, te-derry. At other times they call day, day, day.

Chickadee.

Twelve specimens examined by Prof. King had eaten 14 larvas (10 of which were caterpillars), 13 beetles, 2 spiders, 5 insect eggs, some other insects, and a few seeds (Greol. of Wis., I., p. 484). They are also very destructive to leaf-rolling caterpillars, tent caterpillars, and other noxious forms also.

Prof. Forbes found those that frequented an orchard infested with canker-worms made 75 per cent, of their food of those insects (Kept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204).

*310. (736). Parus carolinensis AUD.

Carolina Chickadee.

Adult. — Similar to P. atricapillus, but tail decidedly shorter than wing; greater wing coverts, not distinctly edged with whitish. Length, 4.25-4.60; wing, 2.40-2.60; tail, 2.10-2.50.

72— GEOL.

1138 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

BANGE.— Southern United States, north to New Jersey and central Indiana; west to Texas and Indian Territory. Resident throughout its range.

Nest, in cavity in tree, stump, post or rail, usually not over 10 feet up; of grass, bark shreds, feathers and hair. Eggs, 5-8; white, speckled with light reddish-brown, markings heaviest at larger end; .57 by .45.

The Carolina Chickadee is an abundant resident throughout south- ern Indiana, where it replaces the last mentioned form. This bird ex- tends, at least in the Wabash Valley, two-thirds of the way across the State. In Carroll County, both forms are found resident, but this is least common. Doubtless they occasionally are found north to our northern limit. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me he has a specimen taken at Lake Forest, 111., December 12, 1890.

The Chickadee proclaims itself by its note, ckicka-dee-deb, which is louder than that of the Blackcap. They also have a call — day, day —very similar to the last species, and a two-note utterance that sounds something like hey-de, hey-de.

I have seen them mating, March 31 (1884), and full sets of eggs are sometimes found late in April and early in May. The following description of a nest taken at Richmond, Ind., May 12, 1889, by Mr. H. N. McCoy, from a hole six inches deep in a fence rail lying against a fence, is characteristic both as to nest and location in localities where worm fences are commonly found. Xest: outside diameter, 3J inches; inside diameter, 2 inches; depth, If inches; lower part, green moss; up- per part, vines, bark, cowhair and a little wool, all woven together closely. Contained 6 fresh eggs. Another favorite nesting place is in a dead willow stub, along a stream. In those and the dead trunks of other soft-wood trees they can readily excavate a nest. A hole made by a Downy Woodpecker is often handy, and they promptly occupy it. In winter they use excavations made by themselves and other birds as protected quarters, and there keep snug and dry, though, with the weather below zero and no fire, we may express our sorrow for the poor little mite. On the morrow, however, he is still able to sing his merry song. Their food is similar to that of the last mentioned species. Often they may be seen clinging to the blossom end of a large apple, inspecting it for larvae, and when they are found, drawing them forth. It likes the worm, and, if it gets it, is willing to leave to the farmer the apple.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1139

LI. FAMILY SYLVIIDJE. KTNGLETH AND GNATCATCHERS.

a1. Front of tarsus witli transverse scales at extreme lower portion only; wings longer than tail; tail without white ; nostrils concealed Itv small leathers.

Subfamily Ki:(,ri.i\.i:. Ri:<;ULUS. 174

a2. Front of tarsus covered witli transverse four-sided scales; wings not longer than tail; tail more or less white.

Subfamil PoLiornLiN/K. POLIOPTILA 17o

RKGl L1N.K. KIN<;LMTS 174. GENUS REGDLUS CUVIEB

a1. Nostril hidden by a single small feather; crown with a black stripe on each

side. Subgenus RK<;CJ,I s. R. satrapa Licht. 311

a2. Nostril with a tuft of small bristle-like feathers; crown without black stripes.

Subgenus PiiYLLouASiVEi s Calmnis. R. calendula Linn. 312

311. (748). Regulus satrapa. LICIT r.

Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Adult Male. — Above, olive-green; brighter on rump and wings; crown, yellow, with an orange center and a black stripe on each side; forehead and stripe over eye, whitish; beneath, dull whitish. Adult Female. — Similar, but lacking the orange center in the yellow crown.

Length, 3.15-4.55; wing, 2.10-2.25; tail, 1.60-2.00.

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico (State of Vera Cruz) north, at least to Labrador. Breeds from North Carolina, in Alleghany Mountains, and Massachusetts, north; also south along the Rocky Mountains into Mexico. Winters from Indiana, Illinois and Massa- chusetts, south.

Nest, in evergreen, 6 to 60 feet up; of mosses and lichens, lined with bark fibres, fine rootlets and feathers. Eggs, 9; creamy- white or cream, sprinkled with numerous markings of wood-brown and occasionally a few of lavender; .55 by .44. (Brewster).

The Golden-crowned Kinglet is an abundant migrant in early spring and late fall. Over the southern half of the State, at least, they are irregularly rare winter residents. They begin to arrive about the southern end of Lake Michigan sometimes as early as September 17, and the first arrivals are found in the southern part of the State such a season by October 8. The year 1896 was one of early fall mi- gration. That year they arrived at Chicago, September 17; at Bick- nell, October 8; and Greensburg, October 9. Prof. E. L. Moseley informs me that thousands of Creepers and Kinglets must have been in Sandusky, 0., October 2, 1896, the first pleasant morning after a long nocturnal storm.

1140 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

They usually pass south through October,, though sometimes they remain in our northern counties well into November, and perhaps, favorable seasons, all winter. They were noted at Chicago, 111., No- vember 1, 1896 (Bollman), November 28, 1883 (Parker); Sedan, Ind., November 5, 1894 (Hine); Lafayette, November 21, 1895, where they probably winter (Test). Prof. Evermann thinks it probable a few remain all winter in Carroll County. They are reported as winter residents from Brookville; Bicknell (Chansler); Greensburg (Shan- non); Bloomington (Evermann, Blatchley); and Wabash County (Ulrey and Wallace). Prof. Cook reports it as occasional, in winter, in Michigan (B. of M., p. 148).

Golden-crowned Kinglet.

The migrants usually begin their return journey in March, and are very numerous the latter part of that month. They may be found any place, often associated with Brown Creepers and more rarely with one of those social groups of Titmice, Chickadees, Downy Wood- peckers and other companionable birds. The bushes beside a stream are as attractive as the thickets along a deep ravine; the evergreens about our homes, even in towns, are visited as well as the native growth of red cedar; the garden shrubbery and trees in the orchard are sometimes their feeding ground, but not so often as the brush piles and more numerous trees of the dense woods. At all times they have a little tinkling note, but as April comes on, their song begins. Mr. H. K. Coale has interpreted it as "te-tze-tze-tze." This is much elabor- ated when they reach their breeding grounds. It is very similar to that of the Brown Creeper. Sometimes they, appear in the greatest abundance. April 12, 1897, 1 found both these little birds and Brown

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1141

Creepers in such numbers as I never saw before. They were every- where— in woods, thickets, orchards and dooryards — and all in full song.

Spring migrants were noted at Greensburg, March 21, 1894; Rich- mond, March 26, 1897; Laporte, March 23, 1893; Chicago, 111., March

23, 1894. Usually they reach northern Indiana about April 1, and leave between the middle and last of the month. The latest spring records at hand are: Brookville, April 24, 1884; Greensburg, April

24, 1895; Richmond, April 27, 1897; Lafayette, April 29, 1893; Chi- cago, 111., May 5, 1894, and Miss H. E. Colfax observed it in Porter County, June 8, 1884. Their food is entirely insects. Many of- these it takes on the fly, and others are obtained about the trunks and limbs of trees. They are full of energy, which is utilized from dawn till dark. They put in full time and- are all the time doing useful work. "Of 9 specimens examined, 2 had eaten 12 small diptera (flies etc.); 3, 9 small beetles; 1, 5 caterpillars; 1, a small chrysalid; and 3, very small insects, too fine to be identified" (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 482).

312. (749). Regulus calendula (LINN.).

Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

-Adult Male. — Above, olive-green, brighter on the rump; crown, with a patch of vermillion-red in the center; no black stripes on each side; below, dull whitish. Adult Female. — Similar, but with crown patch smaller or wanting. Immature. — Similar, but with no crown patch.

Length, 3.75-4.60; wing, 2.20-2.30; tail, 1.85-1.9tfr

RANGE. — North America, from Mexico (Valley of Mexico) north to the limit of trees within the Arctic Circle. Breeds from Colorado, in the higher mountains, and Oregon, northern Michigan and Quebec, northward. Winters from southern Illinois, South Carolina and Texas, south.

Nest, in evergreen, 10 to 20 feet up, semi-pensile, quite bulky; of bark, moss, weed fibres, spider webs, lined with feathers. Eggs, 8; dirty cream-color, darker sometimes, faintly spotted at the larger end; .55 by .43.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a common migrant, as a rule, arriving and remaining later than the last species in the spring and arriving and departing earlier than in the fall. However, in the fall, they occur together, and more frequently associated than in the spring, and the difference in time is not so much noted. In the southern part of the State they are very rare winter residents. They have been noted, in winter, in Monroe County by Profs. Evermann and Blatchley. This

114^ REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

Kinglet is less hardy than the other species and winters farther south. Sumichrast mentions specimens in the collection of Sr. Botteri, from Orizaba, Mexico (La Naturaleza TomO, V., p. 241), and I have^ found them in numbers in the Valley of Mexico. They begin to return to southern Indiana, May 30, and reach the extreme north of the State some years by April 11. They are most numerous tire latter part of that month, when the bulk passes northward.

Some, however, are usually "seen after May 1. These are mostly in immature plumage. I always associate them in my mind with the blooming of the apple trees, about which they are often seen. The following are some early and late records, showing the extremes of the period of spring migration: Greensburg, March 31, 1895; May 6, 1893; Brookville, April 6, 1883, May 9, 1885; Spearsville, April 3, 1895, April 26, 1894; Richmond, April 12, 1897, May 1, 1897; La- fayette, April 1, 1893, May 9, 1894; Sedan, April 11, 1889, May 4, 1889, and 1894; Laporte, April 11, 1896; Chicago, 111., April 13, 1896, May 12, 1895; Petersburg, Mich., April 14, 1897, May 15, 1888.

Miss H. E: Coif ax reports it from Michigan City at the unusually late date, June 8, 1884.

When with us they have, like the Rub}'-crown, a squeaky note — ti — often coupled, two or three together. When many are in company, And not too close to 'the listener, there is a peculiar tinkling effect. At the latter part of their spring visit they occasionally favor a strolling bird-lover with their love song. Of this song, which few have heard, and known the author, Audubon said: "When I tell you that its song is fully as sonorous as that of the Canary bird, and much richer, I do not come up to the truth, for it is not only as powerful and clear, but much more varied and pleasing."

Their habits, in general, resemble those of the Golden-crowned Kinglet at the same season, except they seem to keep in little com- panies more to themselves, and are not so frequently associated with the other birds; and they frequent more often the higher limbs of trees, often being seen, a tiny mite, about the topmost boughs of some tall forest tree. This species is not so numerous as the former one, and appears to be more numerous* in fall than spring. They occa- sionally arrive in autumn as early as the beginning of September. Usually, however, they are most numerous the latter part of that month and in October. At Chicago, 111., they were noted, September 3, 1895, and last fall date is October 20, 1894; Lake County, Ind., September 11, 1881, September 25, 1875; Sedan, September 25, 1894, •October 11, 1894; Lafayette, October 26, 1895; Brookville, October 8, 1885, November 11, 1894.

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1143

The orchards, shade trees, small fruit farms and woods are visited by these Kinglets, too, and they do much to decrease the number of the insect population there. "Of 7 specimens examined, 2 had eaten 4 small caterpillars; 3, 5 beetles; 1, an ant; 1, a chalcis fly; and 2 bits of insects not identified (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 482). It has been said they ate the blossoms, of maple, pear, apple and other fruit trees. Eecent investigations have shown no evidence of this. It is probable they were observed when they were engaged, as they often are, catch- ing insects about the blossoms, and were wrongly judged and then misrepresented. Mr. E. R. Quick has published the following interest- ing note concerning 'it:

"On October 16, 1879, a Ruby-crowned Wren took up its abode in a barroom, in Brookville, where it remained until the 25th, flying about amongst the often noisy patrons of the establishment; and, though it was caught and handled, to thoroughly identify 'it, this sum- mary proceeding did not cause it to leave, although the door stood open during the entire day. During its stay it subsisted on flies, which it very expertly captured, returning to its perch to eat them in the manner of the flycatchers. Toward the latter part of its sojourn it became so much accustomed to its strange quarters as to sally out from its perch by lamplight after insects attracted by the light. It finally took its departure without apparent cause, probably to resume its southward migration" (Journ. Cin. Soc. N, H., July, 1880, pp. 121, 122).

SUBFAMILY POLIOPTILIN.E. GNATCATCHERS. 175. GENUS POLIOPTILA SCLATER.

*313. (751). Polioptila caerulea (LINN.).

Blue-gray G-natcatcher.

Adult Male. — Above, blue-gray, bluer on the head, lighter on the rump; forehead and line over the eye, black; ring around the eye, whitish; below, whitish; tail, black, three outer feathers with white. Adult Female. — Similar, but lacking black streak across forehead and over the eye.

Length, 4.05-5.50; wing, 2.00-2.20; tail, 2.05-2.20.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from Guatemala and West Indies to New York, Ontario, southern Michigan, northern Illinois. Acci- dental to Maine and Minnesota, west to Nebraska and western Texas. Breeds from Gulf coast, north. Winters from Florida, south.

Nest, in woods, 10 to 50 feet up, in fork or saddled on horizontal limb of tree; of moss, fibre or spiders' webs, covered with lichens;

1144 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

lined with vegetable down, feathers and fine grass; deep. Eggs, 4-5; greenish or bluish-white, spotted and marked with different shades of brown; .57 by .44.

The Blue-gray Gnat catcher is a summer resident; very abundant southward, and in some localities is rare or wanting. They are very irregular in their migrations. Some years they appear in southern Indiana late in March, and others, not until a month later. Some seasons, in one locality, they appear very early, and in others, quite late; 1893 and 1896 were years of early migration in southern Indiana,

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. JNatural size.

and 1897 was a medium season. At Greencastle they only arrived one other year as late as they did in 1896, and the earliest is in 1897, which is also the earliest record for the State for that year. It would seem they present an instance of migration per saltum', indeed, it is probable that all migration is by leaps, the later comers passing ahead and becoming the van, and then, in turn, being passed by the others; and that here we have a good illustration of it. Early and late dates of first appearance at Greensburg are, March 27, 1896, April 15, 1894; Bicknell, March 28, 1897, April 10, 1894; Brookville, March 31, 1884, April 29, 1895; Greencastle, April 6, 1893, April 20, 1895, 1896; Lafayette, April 4, 1897, April 29, 1893; Sedan, April 16, 1896, May

, 1894; Chicago, 111., April 15, 1896, May 4, 1894, 1895; Petersburg, Mich, April 20, 1889, May 5, 1897. They are common, at least, north to Richmond (A. M. Hadley), Anderson (C. P. Smith), Wabash (W.

. Wallace), Tippecanoe (L. A. and C. D. Test), and in Vermillion

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1145

County (V. H. Barnett). In Carroll County they are rather common (B. W. Evermann); at Waterloo it is common (F. P. Feagler); Sedan, tolerably common (Mrs. J. L. Hine). It is rare in Allen County (C. A. Stockbridge), and has been reported from Starke County, and breeds (G. Fream Morcom, H. K. Coale); Porter, summer resident (J. W. Byrkit); Lake, breeds (G. F. Clingman). In Cooke County, 111., it is not common and breeds (C. A. Tallman, Elliot Blackwelder).' It is common at Hillsdale, Mich. (C. L. Cass), and tolerably common at. Petersburg (Jerome Trombley). I found them at Brookville, paired, April 4, 1884, and they are usually mated when they arrive. April 18, 1882, four days after arrival, they were building. The earliest completed nest I have seen was April 21, 1883, seven days after they were first seen. A set of eggs was noted, May 10, 1881. I have found young as late as July 9 (1886). Mr. E. E. Quick has found, at Brook- ville, June 4, two well-incubated eggs in a nest which he thinks was begun May 21 (Langdon, Cat. Birds, Vic. Cin., 1877, p. 2). Prof. B. W. Evermann obtained full sets of eggs, May 17, from two nests which were commenced May 5. He thinks they were completed and the first egg laid May 12 (The Auk, January, 1889, p. 29). The nest is one of the most beautiful pieces of bird architecture to be found with us. It resembles the nest of the Ruby-throated Humming-bird, but is much larger. Indeed, it seems from the outside too large for the size of the bird, but the cavity is comparatively small, and in order to sit within it the bird has to erect her head and tail — apparently a very uncomfortable position. The nest is composed of fine fibres and spider webs, and the outside is covered with lichens. It is placed in the fork or saddled upon a limb of a rough-barked tree in the more open woods. When completed, owing to its resemblance to a lichen-covered knot, it is hard to find. While the birds are building it — for both share in the work — they are very industrious and often pay little attention to a visitor. At other times they spy him when afar off, and, like the Tufted Titmouse, jontinue noisily to pay him attention while he is in the vicinity. The female is the chief architect. Every little while during the course of the construction, she settles herself into the nest and, pressing her breast against the inside wall, stretches her neck over the side, reaching with her bill as far towards the base as pos- sible, and presses it together and works it into shape. Often she works half way around the nest, apparently with much effort and taking great pains. She uses her bill in forming the nest as a potter uses his fingers in shaping the plastic clay. Nests are usually placed 25 to 60 feet from the ground.

1146 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The ordinary note is something like .tszee-tszee-tszee, with occasional squeaks and clucks. Their call has been compared to the Catbird's note and their low, harmonious song — the love song — which is a* pleasant surprise to one who hears it for the first time, to a minature of the Catbirds' well-known production.

The song, Dr. A. Le Moyne gives as: " 'Twing-twing-twing-twing, ree-ree-ree-ree,' first half rising scale, latter descending, followed by the low jumble of warbles, which defies any representation."

They become quiet in July, and after that do not attract so much attention. The following month most of them leave, a few lingering until after the beginning of September. It has been last noted at Brookville, September 6, 1896; in Vermillion County, September 6, 1897; Hillsdale, Mich., September 9, 1894; Chicago, 111., August 31, 1895.

They are restless, active little birds, which we see first when they come and last before they leave, among the thickets of the more open woodland. Soon after their arrival they are to be seen among the trees, and their peculiar notes, lack of shyness, incessant activity and long tail with outer white tail feathers, are all marks that attract atten- tion.

The one who named this little fidget named it well. Its life is spent in catching small insects, mostly on the fly. In the course of its journey through the woods it seems to be half the time in the air. It keeps its eye upon the intruder, but is determined that he shall obtain a good idea of its expertness in catching gnats and of its ability to gracefully handle its long tail. It performs remarkable gyrations, and accompanies them with the opening and folding of its long tail. Every dart it makes for an insect is followed by a snap of the bill that is the announcement of the end of one small life, and bears to the ears of the observer an emphatic attestation of the bird's ability.

LII FAMILY TURDIDJE. THRUSHES. SOLITAIRES, SIOSECHATS, BLUEBIRDS, ETC

a1. Wings and tail with no blue; wing less than four times as Jong as tarsus. 61. Tail without white at base.

cl . Tail less than three times as long as tarsus ; breast spotted. TURDUS. 176 c2. Tail more than three times as long as tarsus; breast in adult not spotted. . MERFLA. 177

il with basal portion white; plumage entirely without spots in adult.

. SAXICOLA.

« . \\ing and tail with blue; wing more than five times as long as tarsus.

SIALIA. 178

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1147

MiLY TURDJN^E. THRISHES.

17«>. GKXUS TURDUS LIN a1. Color brown above.

/>'. Tail brighter than back. T. aonalaschkae pallasii (Cab.). 319

/;2. Tail not brighter than hack.

r} . Sides spotted ; head, in adnlt, brighter t han back. •

T. mustelinus Gmel. 314 c2. Sides not spotted; color uniform above..

(/'. Above light tawny brown ; throat spots not darker than back.

T. fuscescens Steph. 315 d'2. Above russet olive; throat spots darker than back.

T. fuseescens salicicola Ridgw. 316 a2. Color above olive.

el . Ring around the eye and sides of head and breast huffy.

T. ustulatus swainsonii (Cab.). 318

<•-. No huffy ring around eye; sides of head grayish; breast lighter; throat white. T. aliciee Baird. 317

Subgenus HVLOCICHLA Baird.

7^5) Tiirdus mustelinus GMEL.

Wood Thrush.

Iic;!il of Wood Thrush. Natural sizo.

Adult. — Above, cinnamon-brown, brighter and more rufous on the crown, more olive on the tail; beneath, including the sides, white, the breast and sides marked with roundish spots of black. Immature. — With the upper parts spotted and streaked with yellowish fulvous.

Length, 7.50-8.25; wing, 4.10-4.50; tail, 3.00-3.30 (Ridgway).

RANGE. — North America, from Honduras and Bermudas over the eastern United States to Maine, Quebec and Minnesota; west to Kan- sas and North Dakota. Breeds from Georgia and southern Missouri north. Winters from Texas and Florida south.

Nest, on horizontal branch or fork of low tree or sapling, '6 to 15 feet up; of mud, leaves, weeds and twigs, lined with fine rootlets. Eggs, 2-5; greenish-blue; 1.00 by .75.

1148 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

The Wood Thrush is a common summer resident. Throughout the denser woodland its ringing metallic notes may be commonly heard from its arrival in spring until July and occasionally into August. Its well-known call, e-o-lie, is one of the features of our forests that is passing with the clearing of the land. The nourishing of the magic ax has wrought greater changes than seemed possible to our childish mind by the wave of a fairy's wand. I recall deep woods, from which comes the notes e-o-lie, that have disappeared, and from the fields that mark their site is borne the sound of the rattle of the mower, the tinkle of the sheep bell, or the song of the Dickcissel. The song of the Wood Thrush is one of the most beautiful in the forest.

They usually appear in southern Indiana after the middle of April and are common before May 1. Towards our northern boundary they arrive one year with another near May 1, and are common from the 10th to the 15th of that month. The year 1897 gives us a remarkably early record— about two weeks earlier than they ever were reported. At Edwards, Vigo County (A. H. Kendrick), they were noted April 3; at Brookville, April 5. It was noted at Hillsdale, Mich., April 8, 1884 (C. L. Cass). Hitherto, the earliest record at Brookville and in the State was April 15, 1887, and the latest first arrival, May 3, 1882. They have first been noted at Bicknell, April 21, 1897, April 23, 1895; Lafayette, April 23, 1897, April 29, 1893; Sedan, April 28, 1896, May 3, 1895; Laporte, May 1, 1894, 1896; Petersburg, Mich., April 27, 1888, May 5, 1897; Chicago, 111., April 28, 1896, May 11, 1895. At Brookville they have been seen mating April 27 (1894), where I have found them nesting as late as July 8, 1886. Prof. B. W. Evermann found a nest with eggs at Bloomington, May 6, 1886, and in Carroll County found full sets May 24, 1883. The nest is placed in a bush or sapling just beyond my reach, generally from eight to fifteen feet from the ground. Like the Robin, the Wood Thrush uses considerable mud in nest building, and its eggs resemble those of that bird, but are smaller.

They are largely insectivorous. Prof. S. A. Forbes found that 72 per cent, of their food was insects, and the greater part of them ground-inhabiting forms. Twenty per cent, of their food was fruits, much of which they obtain from their haunts. In April and May, during the migrations, insects formed 84 per cent of their food. Ants formed 15 per cent.; diptera, principally craneflies and wire-worms, 12 per cent.; lepidoptera, one-third of them cut- worms, 13 per cent.; beetles, 18 per cent. (Bulletin No. a, 111. S. Lab. N. H., pp. 127-129). It is probable with a little encouragement the Wood Thrush could be induced to come into our orchards, fruit gardens and "about the

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1149

shrubbery of larger farm yards. In fact, it has: been noted as so doing in the east (King, Geol. of Wis., I., p. 474). While it would probably demand its toll in fruit, yet it would grind therefore an enormous grist of insects. They begin to leave in August, and often are not seen after the first of September, while other falls they occur after the first of October. The latest record from Brookville is Sep- tember 7, 1886; Lafayette, September 15, 1894; Sedan, October 15, 1894; Cincinnati, 0., October 7, 1877; Warren County, September 20, 1897. While some remain on our southern border, others go as far south to winter as Honduras (Biol. Cent. Am. Aves., Vol. I., p. 9).

*315. (756). Turdus fuscescens STEPH.

Wilson's Thrush. Synonym, VEEBY.

Adult. — Above, uniform light tawny-brown; below, white; breast, buffy, it and sides of throat marked with wedge-shaped spots of about the same color as the back, often arranged in more or less regular rows; sides of belly slightly grayish.

Length, 6.45-7.75; wing, 3.75-4.15; tail, 2.70-3.30.

RANGE. — America, from Brazil over eastern United States to New- foundland and Manitoba. Breeds from North Carolina along the Alle- ghanies, Pennsylvania and Indiana northward. Winters from Florida southward.

Nest, on ground or near it, loosely constructed of dry leaves, bark shreds, grass and weeds; no mud. Eggs, 3-5; grayish-blue; rarely marked; .85 by .67.

Wilson's Thrush is chiefly a rare migrant, but occurs occasionally as a summer resident and breeds. Some places common. In Franklin County it is one of the rarest birds. But two specimens have been taken in twenty years; in Carroll and Monroe counties it is not very common, and from many localities where there are active collectors it has never been reported. Dr. F. W. Langdon gives it as "a rare migrant in April in the vicinity of Cincinnati" (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., January, 1879, p. 169).

It is usually found late in April and early May, but 'has appeared as early as April 9 and remained southward until late in May. Mr. Robert Ridgway informs me it breeds in Knox and Gibson counties, and in Dekalb County Mrs. Jane L. Hine said "it will average toler- ably common. Abundant in a very few localities, as about the bush and willow-grown bottom land of Stony Lake." In 1897 she informs me they are becoming rare. It possibly breeds in other localities

1150 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

throughout the State. Mr. Ridgway noted their arrival in Knox County, April 21, 1881, and they were observed toward the last of May (Bulletin N. 0. C., I., January, 1882, p. 19). Mr. W. 0. Wallace noted their arrival at Wabash, April 27, 1894, where they were still found in June. The earliest record from the State is that noted by Prof. B. W. Evermann from Carroll County, April 9, 1885 (The Auk, January, 1889, p. 29). The following additional dates of first arrivals are given: Brookville, April 28, 1897; Spearsville, April 29, 1894, May 6, 1895; Moore's Hill, May 1, 1893; Bloomington, May 13, 1886; Lafayette, April 29, 1893, April 30, 1892; Richmond, May 7, 1897; Sedan, April 26, 1896; April 28, 1889, 1897; Laporte, May 1, 1894; Chicago, 111., April 29, 1886; Petersburg, Mich., April 26, 1889, 1897, May 2, 1893.

Of these localities they are reported as common from Richmond, Sedan, Laporte and Petersburg, Mich. Mr. Coale formerly found it .a rather common migrant in the vicinity of Chicago, but of late years it seems to be very rare. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., thinks it is a rare summer resident there. At its breeding places it has the reputa- tion of being one of the most famous woodland songsters. At times it sings far into the night, and has now the name of "Nightingale." All its notes are said to be "clear, bell-like, resonant, distinct, yet soft and of indescribable sadness." Mr. Ridgway says 'their song con- sists of an indescribably delicate, metallic utterance of the syllables, ta-weeT-ah, ta-weel'-ah, twil'-ah, twil-ah, accompanied by a fine trill that renders it truly seductive. While they are with us, as migrants, we do not hear their famous song. Their food is largely insects. Prof. King found that of eight he examined, seven ate 2 ants, 9 beetles and one harvestman, and one ate raspberries, and two, dogwood berries (Geol. of Wis., I., p. 471). They begin passing south in August, and most have gone early in September, but some occasionally linger until October.

The latest record at Sedan is September 7, 1889; at Cincinnati, 0., September 1, 1879, and at Lafayette, Ind., they were moderately com- mon October 2, 1894.

316, (756</). Turdus fuscescens salicicola (RIDGW.).

Willow Thrush.

Similar to T. fuscescens, but above, russet-olive; chest, very pale buff with broader wedge-shaped markings of Drown darker than the back.

Length, wing, 3.80-4.25; tail, 2.70-3.30.

BIRDS o? INDIANA. 1151

RANGE. — America, from Brazil north over interior region, between Utah and Mississippi River to British Columbia. Accidental in Illi- nois, Indiana and South Carolina.

Nest and eggs, similar to those of last species.

This western form of Wilson's Thrush is of rare or accidental occur- rence during the migrations about the lower end of Lake Michigan. Mr. H. K. Coale obtained a specimen at Chicago, 111., September 16, 1877. It was submitted to Mr. Robert Ridgway, who verified the identification. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., informs me that he took a male of this form at Grand Crossing, 111., April 29, 1886, and two at Liver- pool, Ind., May 5, 1894. • «

317. (757). Turdus aliciae BAIRD.

Gray-cheeked Thrush. Synonym, ALICE'S THRUSH.

Adult. — Above, uniform olive; whitish ring around eye; sides of head nearly uniform grayish; below, white, the throat and upper breast often tinged with bright buff, the sides of the former and all the latter with triangular dark-grown or blackish spots; the sides washed with ashy, sometimes tinged with brownish.

Length, 7.00-7.75; wing, 3.75-4.40; tail, 2.95-3.40.

Note. — This species is slightly larger and more plainly grayer on sides of head than T. ustalatus swainsonii.

RANGE. — America, from Columbia over eastern United States to Labrador and Alaska; also eastern Siberia. Breeds from Labrador and Hudson Bay north. Winters in Central America and southward.

Nest, in woods, in low bush, 2 to 7 feet up; of moss, strips of bark, old leaves and grass. Eggs, deep green, marked with russet-brown spots; .92 by .67.

The Gray-cheeked Thrush is generally not a common migrant in Indiana.

Some places it is very rare and others it at times is common. In the Whitewater Valley it is very rare. I, myself, have never seen a specimen in Franklin County. Prof. Evennann does not give it from Carroll County, but says it is a* common migrant in Monroe County (Hoosier Naturalist, May 1, 1887, p. 145). At Spearsville it is toler- ably common, where it has been noted April 14 and 15, 1894, April 3 to 10, 1895, and May 5, 1897 (Barnett); and at Lafayette, not very common (L. A. and C. D. Test). Mr. Robert Ridgway has this to say regarding its occurrence in Kn ox County in the spring of 1881: "The exact date of the arrival of this species was not noted, but was

1152 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

somewhere near the 20th of April. During the last week of April and the first three weeks of May it was very common, perhaps more so than any of the other small Thrushes. Specimens were shot May 23, and others were observed as late as the 28th of that month, the date of my departure" (Bulletin Nutt. Orn. Club, January, 1882, p. 19). Prof. B. W. Evermann has found it common in Vigo County. Prof. W. S. Blatchley noted them at Bloomington, May 1, 1886. Mr. Charles Barber notes it as abundant at Laporte, April 10th to 12th, 1892, and Mr. C. E. Aiken informs me that he has found it common in Lake County, May 2, 3 and 4, 1894. Mr. J. G. Parker, Jr., says it is a not uncommon spring and fall migrant near Chicago, 111. He has noted it between May 13 (1886) and May 20' (1896), and in Sep- tember. Messrs. L. A. and C. D. Test saw twelve at Lafayette, Sep- tember 4, 1895, and note it May 12, 1892. Mr. Alden M. Hadley took specimens which are in the collection at Earlham College, at Richmond, September 16 and 19, 1896. Messrs. Dury and Freeman noted them at Cincinnati, 0., September 16, 1879, and Dr. F. W. Langdon has observed it in that vicinity "rather common early in October, feeding on the berries of the sour gum" (Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., January, 1879, p. 169).

Their habits appear to be substantially the same as the Olive-back's. They frequent the same localities, eat similar food, and are often found together. This species seems to be more solitary, and more retiring in its habits than the other.

Prof. Forbes found 'that the food of ten specimens of this Thrush shot in May consisted of five per cent, mollusks, chiefly succinea and Helix labyrintJiica; ninety- three per cent., insects, almost half of these being ants, of which each bird ate forty-three per cent. Fifteen per cent, of their food was caterpillars; nine per cent., craneflies; eighteen per cent., coleoptera, one-half being aphodidce, and the re- mainder, wire-worms, curculios and plant beetles. Almost none of its food is beneficial elements (Bulletin No. 3, 111. State Lab. N H p 130).

318. (758«). Turdus ustulatus swainsonii (CAB.).

Olive-backed Thrush. Synonym, SWAINSON'S THRUSH.

Adult.— Above, uniform olive; ring around eye and light feathers on head, buff; below, throat and upper breast, buff, the sides of the former and all the latter spotted with triangular dark-brown or black- ish spots; other lower parts, white, spotted next the breast with ashy and washed on the sides with ashy, sometimes tinged with brownish. Length, 6.35-7.55; wing, 3.80-4.10; tail, 2.80-3.10.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1153

KANGE. — America, from Brazil and Ecuador over eastern North America (west to Great Basin) to Labrador and Alaska. Breeds from Pennsylvania, in the Alleghanies, southern Sierra Nevadas, moun- tains of southern New England and Manitoba northward.

Nest, in woods in bush, small tree or hollow stump, 5 feet up; of rootlets, bark, grass, moss, lined with finer material. Eggs, 3-5; pale blue, spotted chiefly at larger end with reddish-brown, sometimes forming wreath about larger end; .93 by .70.

The Olive-backed Thrush is a common migrant. It is possible it breeds rarely in the extreme northern portion of the State.

Dr. A. W. Brayton says it is a rare summer resident in the north of the State (Ind. Birds, 1879, p. 95).

Some springs they arrive in southern Indiana by April 23 and reach the northern part of the State by April 28. Usually, however, it is about the first of May when they are seen southward, and a week or ten days later before they reach our northern boundary. Most of them pass through in from one to two weeks after they arrive, but individuals are found along our northern border until near the end of May.

It is. well to note that this, the Gray-cheeked and Wilson's Thrushes, are late migrants compared with the Wood Thrush and Hermit Thrush. They have been noted at Brookville, April 26, 1883, May 8, 1882; Eichmond, May 23 and 24, 1897; Greensburg, May 1 to May 22, 1894; Spearsville, May 4 to 18, 1895; Wabash, May 1 to 5, 1893; Bloomington, May 9, 1893; Lafayette, May 12, 1892; Laporte, April 10, 1893, 1894, May 1, 1893; Sedan, May 6, 1896, May 16, 1889; Chi- cago, 111., the earliest date of arrival is April 28, 1896, and they were noted .there May 26, 1897.

The Olive-backed Thrush is found in all kinds of woodland> where either singly or in small groups they spend much time upon the ground, where they obtain their food. t When surprised they fly upon the lower branches of a tree or bush, usually getting behind a limb or tree trunk out of view, but sometimes simply turning the back to the intruder and then sitting motionless. Often when frightened from this perch they fly wildly away with a flight almost as erratic as that of Wilson's Snipe.

Prof. Forbes examined eleven of these Thrushes taken at different seasons and found 62 per cent, of their food was insects and 35 per cent, fruits. Of the insects, ants constituted 17 per cent; caterpillars, 12 per cent.; beetles, 18 per cent.; craneflies, 4 per cent. Of the fruit eaten 27 per cent, was wild grapes.

73-GEOL.

1154 Ki-i'ORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

In spring their food is like that of the last-described species. The large number of ants, caterpillars and beetles eaten are especial fea- tures. In fall they fed largely upon fruits, which constituted 60 per cent, of their food. These were principally wild cherries, elderber- ries, blackberries, and wild grapes. These last constituted over half of their food (Bulletin No. 3, 111. S. Lab. K". H., pp. 131, 135, 136). (See also King's Geol. of Wis,. I., pp. 475, 476.)

They appear about our northern boundary the last days of August and early part of September, sometimes all the month, are found over the State. Occasionally they are found after October 1. The latest fall date at Brookville is September 13, 1897; in Warren County, September 25, 1897 (V. K. Barnett); at Sedan they were first noted September 3, 1889, and September 16, 1892, and 1894, and the latest date seen was September 26, 1894. At Cincinnati, 0., in 1879, they were first seen September 2, and last, September 21. In 1895 they were first seen at Chicago, 111., August 29, and were last noted there October 5 (Elliot Blackwelder). In 1896 they were first seen there August 29 and last observed September 30 (C. A. Tallman). They appear to be much more numerous in fall than in spring.

They have a loud and beautiful song that is heard about their sum- mer homes. I have never heard them sing during the migrations, though it is possible the later migrants sometimes do. The song of Alice's and the Olive-backed Thrushes are said to be different. Mr. Bicknell thinks that of the present species "is louder, more spontane- ous and lyrical. Almost the first note is the loudest and most liquid, .after which the melody becomes rapidly finer,' seeming to dissolve upon the air like the spent vibration of a stringed instrument. The song of the Gray- cheeked Thrush commences low and reaches its loudest, and I think its highest, part a little beyond half its continu- ance. It is, throughout, much fainter and of less favorable delivery than the song of the Olive-backed species" (The Auk, April, 1884, pp. 130, 131).

319. (7596). Turdus aonalaschkse paUasii (CAB.).

Hermit Thrush.

Adult. — Above, olive-brown; upper tail-coverts and tail, rufous; buff ring around the eye; below, whitish; throat and front of breast, buffy; sides, olive-brown or olive-gray; sides of throat with blackish stripes and breast with wedge-shaped, triangular blackish spots.

Length, 6.50-7.65; wing, 3.40-3.90; tail, 2.55-3.15.

RANGE.— Eastern North America, from Gulf Coast to mouth of St.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1155

Lawrence Elver and Manitoba. Breeds from northern Michigan and southern New York north. Winters from Illinois and Pennsylvania south.

Nest, in swampy or low places in woods, on^ ground; of old leaves, weeds, bark-strips, rootlets and grass; contains no mud; lined with the finer materials. Eggs, 4; greenish-blue, pale; .90 by .66.

The Hermit Thrush is a common migrant. It may possibly rarely winter in the lower Wabash Valley and perhaps rarely breeds. Dr. F. W. Langdon says, upon the authority of Mr. Charles Dury, that its nest and eggs were taken near Cincinnati, 0., May 10, 1877 (Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., January, 1879, p. 169).

The Hermit Thrush is the first to arrive in the spring and the last to depart in the autumn. The early arrivals and tardy departures, however, are but a few of the many who visit us. The bulk of the species are found with us the last half of April and the first half of October. The earliest and latest spring records at Greensburg are March 28, 1896, April 30, 1895; Brook^ille, April 12, 1897, May 3, 1889; Richmond, April 11, 1897, May 19, 1897; Greencastle, April 22, 1893, May 8, 1895; Carroll County, March 30, 1884; Wabash, March 26, 1894, April 29, 1894; Lafayette, April 5, 1896, May 3, 1893; Sedan, April 5, 1893, May 6, 1889; Laporte, April 12, 1896, May 4, 1894; Chicago, 111., April 13, 1897, May 20, 1897; Petersburg, Mich., April 7, 1889, 1893, May 20, 1889. They are found in the more open woodland, along the wooded banks of streams, in the more open second-growth and along bushy ravines. In the northern part of the State they frequent damp woods, groves and scrubby growth and about Chicago vacant lots and grounds containing shrubbery. When sur- prised they fly upon a low limb of a tree or bush and remain there quietly eying the intruder. If not further alarmed they soon fly to a neighboring brush pile, thicket or the top of a fallen tree and begin anew searching for food. Every now and then one hears their cluck, and even though they are hidden by the tangle of leafless vines and stems, one can imagine they are busy.

The winter home of the Hermit Thrush was partly in the range of the destructive storms of 1895, and great numbers evidently perished. In some places none were seen that spring; in others, they were scarce, while a few stations report the usual number. About Chicago they were rather common (Elliot Blaekwelder, C. A. Tallman); at Greencastle the usual numbers were noted (Jesse Earlle); at Spearsville (V. H. Barnett) and Lafayette (L. A. and C. D. Test) none were seen; at Sedan they were very rare, only one being obsevred (Mrs. Jane L. Hine). At Palmer, Mich., where they breed, Mr. 0. B. Warren writes

1156 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

there was a marvelous decrease in numbers, more noticeable than the absence of the Bluebird. In the depths of the northern forests it finds its voice, lost there the year before, of which we of more southern latitudes know nothing. Neither Audubon nor Wilson seem to have known of its song, but such gifted interpreters as Dr. Coues and Mr. John Burroughs have heard it sing and brought to us their concep- tions of its efforts, fresh from the cool north woods, written as with the flowing of inspiration from the point of the pen. In Mr. Bur- roughs' "Wake Robin," we find these words: "Ever since I entered the woods, even while listening to the lesser songsters or contemplat- ing the silent forms about me, a strain has reached my ears irom out of the depths of the forest that to me is the finest sound in nature — the song of the Hermit Thrush.

"I often hear him thus a long way off, sometimes over a quarter of a mile away, when only the stronger and more perfect parts of his music reach me; and through the chorus of Wrens and Warblers I detect this sound, rising pure and serene, as if a spirit from some remote height were slowly chanting a divine accompaniment. This song appeals to the sentiment of the beautiful in me, and suggests a serene religious beatitude as no other sound in nature does. It is, perhaps, more of an evening than a morning hymn, though I hear it at all hours of the day. It is very simple and I can hardly tell the secret of its charm. C0 spheral, spheral!' he seems to say; C0 holy, holy! 0 clear away, clear away! 0 clear up, clear up!' interspersed with the finest trills and the most delicate preludes. It is not a proud, gorgeous strain, like the Tanager's or the Grosbeak's; suggests no pas- sion or emotion — nothing personal — but seems to be the voice of that calm, sweet solemnity one attains to in his best moments. It realizes a peace and a deep, solemn joy that only the finest soul may know. A few nights ago I ascended a mountain to see the world by moon- light, and when near the summit, the Hermit commenced his evening hymn a few rods from me. Listening tcTthis strain on the lone moun- tain, with the full moon just rounded from the horizon, the pomp of your cities and the pride of your civilization seemed trivial and cheap."

The greater part of their food is- obtained from the ground. Prof. H. K. King examined nine specimens. One had eaten twenty ants: three, a caterpillar each; two, three grasshoppers; six, six beetles; one. a wire-worm; one had eaten wild grapes, and one berries of the Indian turnip (Geol. of Wis., p. 475). Prof. S. A. Forbes examined twenty- one specimens. Eighty-four per cent, of their food was insects; four per cent! spiders, and twelve per cent, thousand-legs. The most of

Ill i! us OF INDIANA. 1157

the insects consisted of ants, fifteen per cent.; lepidoptera (butterflies, moths, cut-worms, caterpillars, etc.), nineteen per cent.; beetles, thirty per cent.; hemiptera, mostly predaceous, eight per cent.; grasshoppers, eight per cent. (Bulletin No. 3, 111. State Lab. N. H., pp. 129, 130).

In the fall they begin to be seen in northern Indiana, late in Sep- tember. While the multitude passes through the early part of Octo- ber, there are some that remain into November. The earliest and latest dates where they have been observed are at Sedan, September 22, 1889, October 27, 1894;'Brookville, October 11, 1887, October 22, 1894; Greensburg, October 22, 1893, October 27, 1894; Carroll County, October 5, 1878; Chicago, 111., October 6, 1893, November 11, 1895.

The Hermit Thrush may be readily recognized by its bright, tawny tail. It is the only thrush that has the tail brighter than the back.

177. GENUS MERULA LEACH.

*320. (761). Merula migratoria (LINN.).

American Robin. Synonym, ROBIN.

Adult Male. — Above, head, black; eyelids and a spot in front of the eye. white; wings, black; tail, blackish, the two outer feathers tipped with white; other upper parts, slate-gray; below, throat, breast and sides, deep rufous, or reddish; other lower parts, white, the crissum tinged with dusky; bill, yellow. Adult Female. — Similar, but paler and duller. Bill, less yellow. Immature. — Back, with black markings;, breast, sides and abdomen, pale rufous, thickly spotted with black.

Length, 9.00-10.00; wing, 4,90-5.40;' tail, 4.10-4.50.

RANGE. — Eastern North America, from eastern Mexico to Hudson Bay and Alaska, west to Rocky Stountains. Breeds from Virginia and southern Missouri north. Winters from Minnesota, Michigan and southern New England south.

Nest, preferably in fruit tree or shade tree; of twigs, grass, weeds, strings, papers, fibres, with much mud; lined with fine grass. Eggs, 4-6; greenish-blue; 1.18 by .81. Two broods.

The Robin is a common summer resident, abundant during the migrations. It is an irregular winter resident throughout the State, more regular and numerous southward. While almost every year they are found the whole year round somewhere in the State, the prob- ability is that the Robins that breed with us are not the ones that winter in the same locality. Usually the migrations begin near the first of February in the vicinity of the Ohio River, and the birds be-

1158 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

come common that month sometimes within a few days after the migrants are first noted. In the center of the State,, in general, they may be looked for near the middle of February, and to become com- mon within the next two weeks. In the northern counties the aver- age arrival is about March 10, a little later in the vicinity of Chicago, and they are common about the 25th of that month. The following are the early and late first appearances of migrants: Brookville, Janu- ary 17, 1897, February 23, 1885; Greensburg, February 23, 1894; Greencastle, February 11, 1893, March lr 1896; Lafayette, February 1, 1897, March 23, 1895; Sedan, February 28, 1896, March 18. 1895; Laporte, March 2, 1893, March 16, 1896; Chicago, 111.. March 3,

American Robin. (Beal.-Farmers' Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture.)

1894, March 27, 1895; Petersburg, Mich., February 26, 1893, March 9, 1897. At Brookville I have found the migrants in flocks in the woods making their way north so late as April 2 (1896), when the local summer residents were nest building. Within the last few years they remained through the winter of 1894-5 in favorable locations over southern Indiana as far north as Greensburg (Shannon) and Green- castle (Earlle). The most general distribution of Eobins in winter occurred the past winter (1896-7). That year they were found throughout Indiana into northern Illinois and southern Michigan. They were reported from Hanover (Culbertson), on the Ohio Kiver; from Greensburg, where a flock' of five hundred was seen December 396 (Shannon). They were observed at Waterloo (Keep) and Sedan (Mrs. Hine). At Angola they were abundant all winter, feed-

BIKDS OF INDIANA. 1159

ing upon dogwood berries (Mrs. Sniff). They were common all winter in the vicinity of Chicago, 111. (Dunn), and at Petersburg, Mich., a flock of a hundred or more were present all winter feeding upon frozen apples (Trombley). At Spearsville, Brown County, and Bicknell, Knox County, they are usually found through the winter.

At the height of the migration they arrive in great flocks, which scatter over the country in little bands through the day and at night collect in favorite roosting places, where several flocks are sometimes associated together. My yard is one of these roosting sites. There they may be found for two or four weeks after arrival every spring. The summer residents usually arrive after the first of March and sometimes not until the latter part of that month. The latest date for their arrival is in 1897, when they arrived March 25. I have heard them begin singing as early as March 8 (1893) and as late as March 23 (1895). The first song is sung from the top of a certain maple tree in my front yard. As the time approaches, I am listening for it, and often while at supper its call sounds, "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheerily, cheer up," as Mr. Nehrling would inter- pret it. He also gives its well-known call as "Durick, tuck, tuck, tuck." They usually begin building early in April, sometimes the first week. Prof. W. P. Shannon notes a pair at G-reensburg that began their nest March 28, 1896; first egg laid, April 5; second, April 6; third and last, April 7; began to sit, April 8; hatched, April 21; young left nest, May 3. It requires about seven days to build the nest; an egg is usually laid each day; about thirteen days are required for incubation, and the young remain in the nest twelve or thirteen days. Two broods are reared each year and, doubtless, occasionally, three. The bright color of the breast in spring has darkened by the first of May or before to a dingy reddish-brown. Throughout the late summer the Eobins wander over the country, in dry years seeking swampy and other wet places where wild fruits are ripe and ripening. Often about their breeding places they will seem quite scarce. With the last of September flocks of early migrants may be seen, quietly trooping through the woods, making their way southward. This is continued through October and sometimes well into November. They are usually rather quiet, sometimes uttering a loud cry and occa- sionally voicing a few notes. I heard its well known "durick" call November 23, 1896, as strong and clear as it was the preceding spring. Mr. J. G. Parker informs me the migrants sometimes linger in the vicinity of Chicago until November. I have the following late fall dates when they did not winter. Brookville, October 14, 1890; La- fayette. October 21, 1894; Greencastle, December 15, 1893; Sedan,

1160 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

November 11, 1889. Their remaining through the winter depends not so much upon the weather as upon a supply of food that may be easily obtained.

They gather into large roosts some winters. There was one re- ported the winter of 1896-7 in Brown County. Considerable attention has been given in different parts of the country to the food of the Robin. I can give but a few points from the conclusions reached. From the time of its first arrival until June, almost its entire food is insects. In the early spring in Illinois, Prof. Forbes found its chief food was the larvae of a fly (Bibio albipennis Say,), a species which if allowed to increase might do much damage to meadows and pastures. Mr. Wilcox has found this to be the same in Ohio and doubtless it is true in Indiana. The last name<J gentleman has found that over 96 per cent, of their food in- April, 97 per cent, in May, over 43 per cent. in June, was insects, of which from almost one-fifth to near two-fifths of the total food was injurious species and more than that of neutral species. In June they began eating fruit to an amount equal to 54 per cent, of their food, cherries forming 14.6 per cent, and raspberries 36.6 per cent. Prof. Forbes found, deducting the Bibio larva?, that the total percentage of injurious insects eaten was as follows: February, 18; March, 37; April, 39; May, 55; June, 24; July, 10; August, 31; September, 7, while the percentage of fruits and seeds eaten were for June (when they first became important), 58; July, 79; August, 56; September, 70, and October, 56. In June cherries formed 47 per cent, and raspberries 8; in July, blackberries were 56 and currants 17 per cent.; in August, cherries were 44 and hackberries 5 per cent,; in September grapes were 52 and Mountain Ash berries 8 per cent.; and in October grapes constituted 53 per cent, of their food.

The grapes eaten in October and doubtless many of those eaten in September were wild kinds. In an orchard infested with canker- worms the Robins' food consisted of 40 per cent, of that species (Kept. Mich. Plort. Soc., 1881, p. 204).

Profs. F. and L. Beal have reported an examination of 330 stcfcnachs of Robins taken at different seasons. Forty-two per cent, of their food was found to be animal matter, principally insects, and the re- mainder is largely small fruits and berries.

From the evidence presented it is safe to say that noxious insects comprise more than one-third of the Robin's food. Vegetable food was found to be nearly 58 per cent, of that eaten, wild fruits forming 47, and varieties that were possibly cultivated a little more than 4 per cent. They ate 25 per cent, of cultivated fruit in June and July. Wild fruit was eaten every month and forty-one kinds were noted.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1161

Small fruits and cherries that ripen early are almost the only fruits that are eaten to any amount. Early cherries are about the only fruit that is ripe at that time when the Robin wants a change of diet. By July and through the remainder of the season there is an abundance of wild kinds that are more to its taste. The investigations show that the Eobin takes ten times as much wild as cultivated fruit. The wild plants upon which it feeds are not those gathered by man or adopted by him for cultivation. It is wise either to plant a few extra plants or trees for the birds or to plant a few of some such trees as the Rus- sian mulberry, the fruit of which they seem to prefer to kinds that man values more highly. (On this subject see Farmers' Bulletin, No. 34, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, pp. 37, 38; Journal Columbus (0.) Hort. Soc., Vol. VI., September, 1891, pp. 75, 80; and Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., No. 3, pp. 89, 107.)

There come years when the severe weather kills some of the Robins. Perhaps this has not been observed to have occurred to so great an extent as it did the latter part of the winter and early spring of 1895. The sudden storms and severe weather of February, March and April south of us covered much of the territory where they winter just as they were beginning to move northward, that they were undoubtedly destroyed in countless numbers. In some localities they seem to have been almost exterminated. The effects of this were noted throughout Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. In the northern part of the first two States, particularly in the vicinity of Chicago, they were very scarce. (See Proc. Ind. Acad. Science, 1895, pp. 165, 166.)

178. GKNUS SIALIA SWAINSON.

*321. (766). Sialia sialis (LJNN.).

Bluebird.

Adult Male. — Above, bright blue; below, throat and breast cinna- mon, other under parts white. Adult Female.— Above, grayish; wings, tail and rump blue; below, paler. Immature. — Similar to female; upper parts and breast marked with white.

Length, 5.70-7.00; wing, 3.90-4.15; tail, 2.60-2.90.

RANGE. — Eastern North America from Cuba, and Bermudas to Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba, west to Rocky Mountains. Breeds throughout its range. Winters from northern Indiana and southern New York southward. Resident in Bermudas.

Nest, in hole in tree, post, stump or in a box: of grass. Eggs. 4-6; pale blue, unmarked.

1162

REPORT OF STATK GEOLOGIST.

The. Bluebird is a common summer resident. It is also resident, being most common southward and varying in numbers different years. The past twenty or twenty-five years the Bluebird has been noticeably becoming less numerous. The persecutions of the English Sparrow and several disastrous winters had almost exterminated them. They are, however, now increasing in numbers. They usually remain through the winter in greater or less numbers as far north as Knox, Monroe and Brown counties and almost to Decatur and Franklin where they are often found at that season. Irregularly they are found over the State. The winter of 1893-4 they were reported at Green- castle and Greensburg; of 1894-5, at Greencastle, Greensburg, Brook-

Bluebird.

(Beal— Farmer's Bulletin 54, United States Department of Agriculture.)

ville and Oxford, 0.; and that of 1896-7, at Hanover, Brookville. Greensburg, and even at Angola, Steuben County. The following are early and late dates of the beginning of migration: Richmond, Feb- ruary l, 1895, February 24, 1892; Sedan, February 9, 1894, February 27, 1896; Lafayette, February 22, 1892, March 17, 1896; Laporte, February 27, 1894, March 29, 1896; Chicago, March 3, 1894, March 29, 1896. The following dates of the beginning of migration for the spring of 1897 is an average date: Brookville, February 11; Richmond, February 16; Janesville, February 21; Waterloo, February 24; Ed- wards, Vigo County, February 28; Lafayette, March 7; Liverpool, March 10; Chicago, March 12; Petersburg, Mich., March 6.

I found them paired by February 10, 1882. March 10, 1881, they were nest hunting, and April 11, that year, they were nesting.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1163

Prof. Evermann found a nest with a full set of eggs at Blooming- ton April 4, 1882, and I noted young at Brookville April 14 of the same year. It rears two and sometimes three broods, often occupying the same site for years.

Occasionally eggs are found that are pure white, but usually the en- tire set is of the same color. Mr. A. H. Kendrick, of Edwards, Ind., informs me that he has taken a set of six, five of which are white, and one, dark blue.

Prof. B. W. Evermann in the Ornithologist and Oologist, August, 1886, p. 124, gives an account of a female Bluebird that laid three successive sets of five white eggs each, the first two sets having been taken. May 5, 1884, the first set was taken. May 14-, the second nest was completed and first egg laid. One egg was laid each day and the set was completed the 18th. It was removed May 20th. The next day work began rebuilding the first nest. June 3 the nest was com- pleted and the third set was complete. It was not removed. In thirty days two nests had been built and fifteen eggs laid. After the last brood is reared they wander about the country in little groups, perhaps family parties from three to a dozen individuals. These become more numerous in October and November. With the first severe weather most of them retire for a few weeks a little farther south. The great number of Bluebirds winter between the Ohio Eiver and the Gulf Coast. This region is also the winter home of most of the Robins, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rump Warblers and Home Wrens.

Dr. Vernon Gould, of Rochester, writes me that as a boy he recalls having frequently found the bodies of Bluebirds -ttnder the loose bark of trees and in crevices and cavities where they had sought shelter but found death thrpugh the severe weather. Many of us recall similar instances of the effect of sudden severe cold spells upon these birds. The peculiar weather conditions of the early part of the year 1895 had a deadly effect upon them. The Bluebirds remained in some numbers north almost to middle Indiana until late in December, 1894. The weather was warm until after Christmas. December 27 and 28 it became quite cold in this latitude. The Bluebirds were forced far- ther southward beyond the limits of the severe weather. There it remained warm until late in January. On the 24th of that month the temperature as far south as South Carolina remained near the zero mark. It turned wanner that night and the next day, January 25, the weather was bright and clear. The day following was Friday. It rained, then snowed; the wind came down from the northwest with great velocity and the temperature fell rapidly. Everything was ice- bound or snow-bound to the Gulf of Mexico. Then followed weeks

1164 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

of unusual severity. By the end of the severe weather in April, it is said, but few Kobins or Bluebirds could be found. The destruction of bird life must have been enormous. The Bluebirds seem to have been almost exterminated. Few, indeed, returned to their breeding grounds in the north and from many localities none were reported the spring of 1895. At Vincennes (Bicknell), Frankfort (A. B. Ghen), and Rochester (Gould), Ind., and Oxford, Ohio (Prof. A. L. Tread- well), none were observed.

At the following places very few were seen: At Redkey, probably six or seven (Roy Hathaway), none breeding; Greensburg, few (Prof. W. P. Shannon); Upland, not more than a dozen (D. W. Collet); Han- over, few (Prof. Glenn Culbertson); Greencastle, few (Jesse Earlle); Sedan, very rare (Mrs.. Hine); Lafayette, three (L. A. and C. D. Test); Waterloo, very rare, (C. L. Hine); Orange, Martin and Dubois counties, very scarce (E. M. Kindle); English Lake, one seen, very scarce (R. Deane); Wilders, Ind., heard a pair in July, very scarce; none seen about Chicago (J. 0. Dunn); Sandusky, Ohio, very scarce (Prof. E. L. Moseley); Agricultural College, Mich., one heard, none seen (Prof. T. L. Hankinson); Brant, Mich., very scarce (Dr. W. De- Clarenze); Bay City, Mich., one, nearly extinct (Eddy); Grand Haven, Mich., two (E. Davidson); Ptymouth, Mich., few, one pair nested (R. C. Alexander); Glen Ellyn, 111., three seen (B. T. Gault); Morgan Park, 111., twelve seen, four of them young (Elliott Blackwelder); Chicago, III, not over twenty seen the entire year (C. H. Tallman). At Brook- ville but a few were seen in the spring and none through the summer. In the fall a number were noted. (See Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1895, pp. 162, 165.) There was an increase in number in 1896 and again in 1897.

Indeed through October and November of the latter year they were quite common at Brookville.

The Bluebird is one of the most domestic of birds. It builds its nest in holes in posts, rails, outbuildings, in holes in trees, very often selecting the orchard as its site. It eats almost no fruits or seeds of beneficial plants, and the only thing charged against it is the beneficial insects it takes. Of 205 birds reported upon by Prof. F. E. L. Bed, 76 per cent, of their food was insects and allied forms. The other 24 per cent, was various vegetable substances, mostly eaten in winter. Beetles constituted 28 per cent of the total food; grasshoppers, 22; caterpillars, 11. All are more or less harmful, except a few predaceous beetles, amounting to 8 per cent. The destruction of grasshoppers and caterpillars is very large. The former constitute more than 60 per

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1165

cent, of its diet in August and September (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54, U. S. Dept. Agr.).

Prof. S. A. Forbes found a bird taken in an orchard infested with canker-worms had eaten 60 per cent, of that food. But on the con- trary he found that both this and the Thrushes made about 16 per cent, of their food of predaceous beetles which are beneficial, and were making about one-sixth of their food of canker-worms. (Rept. Mich. Hort. Soc., 1881, p. 204; see also Bulletin 111. State Lab. N. H., No. 3, pp. 137, 148.)

This bird deserves special encouragement and protection.

Nesting places should be provided for it about gardens, orchards, groves and yards. If protected from pestiferous, English Sparrows and wanton boys it will thus have a better opportunity to regain its former numbers and will be more useful where its powers as an in- sect destroyer are most needed.

HYPOTHETICAL LIST.

The following list of species which have not been, as yet, positively reported from the State, is composed of those forms which have been iaken in neighboring States, or whose known range seems to include Indiana, Some of them, it will be noticed, are of very rare or acci- dental occurrence in the locality where they have been found, and pos- sibly may not be found at all within our limits. For the sake of abbreviation references are made as follows:

» RIDGWAY CAT.— Ridgway's Catalogue of the Birds of Illinois, Bulletin No. 4, Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History.

RIDGWAY, ILL. ORN.— Ridgway's Ornithology of Illinois, Vol. I., 1889; Vol. II., 1895.

RIDGWAY MANUAL.— Ridgway's Manual of North American Birds, Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Co., 1887; revised edition, 1896.

GIBBS.— Gibbs' Annotated List of the Birds of Michigan, Bulletin of the U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, Vol. V., No. 3.

WHEATON.— Dr. Wheaton's Report on the Birds of Ohio, Geo- logical Survey of Ohio, Zoology and Botany, Vol. IV.

BECKHAM.— Beckham's List of the Birds of Nelson County, Ken- tucky; Kentucky Geological Survey, 1885.

NELSON, N. E. ILL.— Nelson's Birds of Northeastern Illinois, Bull. Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1876.

NELSON, S. ILL. — Nelson's Notes upon Birds observed in South- ern Illinois, between July 17 and September 4, 1875, Bull. Essex Institute, June, 1877.

COOK, MICH.— Cook's Birds of Michigan, April, 1893. ' FAMILY PODICIPIDJE. GREBES.

UKNUS vECHMOPHORUS COUKS.

1. (1) -ffichmophorus occidentalis (LAWR.).

Western Grebe.

I am now satisfied that this species was erroneously placed in my list of 1890.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1167

FAMILY URINATORID^E. LOONS.

GRNUS URINATOR COVIER.

2. (9). Urinator arcticus (LINN.).

Black-throated Loon.

Rare winter visitor, Lake Michigan. No Illinois record. Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 256-7; Ohio, rare visitor (Wheaton, p. 565); Michi- gan, rare (Gibbs, p. 496). '

FAMILY ALCID^E. AUKS, MUKRES AND PUFFINS.

SUBFAMILY PHALERIN^E. AUKLETS, MURRELETS, GUILLEMOTS. GENUS SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS BRANDT.

3. (21). Synthliboramphus antiquus (GMEL.).

Ancient Murrelet. "Wis., La'ke Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 30).

SUBFAMILY ALLINJ2. DQVEKIES. GBNUS ALLE LINK.

4, (34). Alle alle (LINN.).

Dovekie. Lake Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 31)..

FAMILY STERCORARIID^E. SKUAS AND JAEGERS.

GENUS STERCORARIUS BRISSON.

5. (37). Stercorarius parasiticus (LINN.).

Parasitic Jaeger.

Cleveland, Ohio, Auk, April, 1896, p. 171; Illinois, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. V., p. 31; Lake Michigan, Eidgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 216-17.

6. (38). Stercorarius longicaudus VIEILL.

Long-tailed Jaeger. Illinois, Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 217-18.

1168 KKPORT OF STATE (IKOMKJIST.

FAMILY LARIDJE. GULLS AND TEENS.

SUBFAMILY LARIN^E. GULLS. GENUS RISSA STEPHENS.

7. (40). Rissa tridactyla (Lisa.).

Kittiwake Gull.

Illinois and Wisconsin, rare winter visitor (Nelson, 1ST. E. 111., p. 146; Kidgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 221-2); Ohio, rare winter visitor (Wheaton, p. 549); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 495); Illinois (Woodruff, in letter).

GENUS LARUS LINN^US.

8. (47). Larus marinus LINN.

Great Black-backed Gull.

Kent County, Mich., March 28, 1889, White. (Cook, Mich., p. 32.) Illinois, winter resident (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 145); Ohio, rare winter visitor (Wheaton, p. 547); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 495).

9. (51). Larus argentatus BRUNN.

Herring- Gull.

Ridgway (111. Orn., Vol. II.) thinks its occurence doubtful. Illinois, rare winter visitor (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 145).

10. (58). Larus atricilla LINN.

Laughing Gull.

Washtenaw County, 1 specimen, 1884, Watkins (Cook, Mich.); Illi- nois, rare summer visitor southward (Ridgway Cat., p. 202); Michigan, abundant (?) (Gibbs, p. 495).

GENUS XEMA LEACH.

11. (62). Xema sabinii (SAB.).

Sabine's Gull.

Illinois, rare winter visitor to Lake Michigan (Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 237-8) (Ridgway Cat,, p. 202); Ohio, accidental on Lake Erie (Wheaton, p. 552).

Hi ii MS OF INDIANA. ll(tt»

SUBFAMILY STERNINJC. TERNS. GKNUS GELOCHELIDON BREHM.

12. (i>3). Gelochelidon nilotica (HASSELQ.).

Gull-billed Tern.

Illinois, rare summer visitor (Ridgway Cat., p. 202); Ohio, rare vis- itor northward (Wheaton, p. 552); Michigan, not rare summer visitor (Gibbs, p. 496). St. Glair Flats, breeds (Cook, Mich.). Breeds, Lake Michigan (Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., p. 242).

GENUS STERNA LINN^US. Subgenus THALASSKUS Boie.

13. (64). Sterna tschegrava LEPECH.

Caspian Tern.

Illinois, winter visitor (Kidgway Cat., p. 202); Michigan, accidental (Gibbs, p. 495). St. Clair. Flats. Breeds, Islands, Lake Michigan (Cook, Mich.); also C. L. Cass, Manuscript. Breeds abundantly on islands in Lake Michigan.

Subgenus ACTOCHELIDON Kaup.

14. (65). Sterna maxima BODD.

Royal Tern.

Illinois and Wisconsin, summer visitor (Ridgway Cat., p. 202); Michigan, rare summer visitor (Gibbs, p. 495; Cook, Mich., p. 34).

15. (71). Sterna paradisaea BRUNN.

Arctic Tern.

Michigan, not common migrant (Gibbs, p. 496). It has been accred- ited to Ohio, perhaps by mistake (Wheaton, p. 561). Lake Kosh- konong, Wis., breeds (L. Kumlein) (Cook, Mich.).

FAMILY PHALACROCORACIDJE. CORMORANTS.

GKNUS PHALACROCORAX BBISSON. Subgenus PHALACROCORAX.

16. (119). Phalacrocorax carbo (LINN.).

Cormorant.

Given by Dr. Raymond, but more recently regarded as an error. Also reported from Ohio, but that is now considered an error (Whea- ton, p. 545); Michigan (?). Noted as doubtfully an occasional visitor (Gibbs, p. 495).

74— GEOL

1170 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

17. (121). Phalacrocorax mexicanus (BRANDT).

Mexican Cormorant. Illinois (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. V., p. 31).

FAMILY PELECANIDJE. PELICANS.

GENUS PELECANUS LINNAEUS. Subgenus LEPTOPELICANUS Reichenbach.

18. (126). Pelecanus fuscus LINN.

Brown Pelican. Illinois (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. V., p. 31).

FAMILY ANATID^E. DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS.

StJBFAMILY ANATIN^. KlVEB DUCKS.

GEMUS ANAS LINN.EUS. Subgenus QURRQUEDULA Stephens.

19. (141). Anas cyanoptera VIEILL.

Cinnamon Teal. Illinois, occasional visitor (Ridgway Cat., p. 199).

GENUS HISTRIONICUS LESSDN.

20. (155). Histrionicus histrionicus (LINN.).

Harlequin Duck.

Illinois and Wisconsin, in winter (Nelson, K E. Ills., p. 142); Ohio, mentioned by error (Wheaton, p. 535); Michigan and Wisconsin (Cook, Mich., p. 44). Ridgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 172-3.

GENUS CAMPTOLAIMUS GRAY.

21. (156). Camptolaimus labradorius (GMEL.).

Labrador Duck.

Formerly found in Michigan (Gibbs, p. 494); Great Lakes (Ridgwav Manual, p. 107).' Now very rare, if not extinct.

GEKUS SOMATERIA LEACH. Subgenus SOMATERIA.

22. (160). Somateria dresseri S-HARPE.

American Eider.

Illinois and Wisconsin, in winter (Nelson, N". E. Ill, p. 142); Michi- gan, occasional (Gibbs, p. 495). Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 41). Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., p. 177.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1171

Subgenus EBIORBTTA Coues.

23. (162). Somateria spectabilis (LINN.).

King- Eider.

Illinois and Wisconsin, rare winter visitor (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 143); Ohio (Wheaton, p. 535). Michigan and Wisconsin, Kumlein (Cook, Mich.; Eidgway, 111. Orn., II., p. 178).

GENUS OIDEMIA FLEMING. SUBGENUS OIDEMIA.

24. (163). Oidemia americana Sw. &.RICH.

American Scoter.

Illinois, winter resident (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 143); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 494). Lake Michigan. Bay City, female (Cook, Mich., p. 41). Eidgway, 111., II., p. 180. Ohio (Wheaton), pp. 537-8.

GENUS NOMONYX RIDGWAY.

25. (168). Nomonyx dominicus (LINN.)

Masked Duck.

A tropical species, accidental in New York and Wisconsin (Ridgway Manual, p. 114).

SUBFAMILY ANSERIN^E. GEESE. GENUS BRANTA SCOPOLI.

26. (1726). Branta canadensis occidentalis (BAIRD).

White-cheeked Goose. Michigan (Cook., Mich., p. 47).

27. (172c). Branta canadensis minima RIDGW.

Cackling Goose.

Illinois (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1876, p. 41); Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 123-4; Wisconsin (Eidgway Manual, 1887, p. 117). A specimen from Wisconsin presented to Smithsonian Institution by Mr. G. F. Morcom (Deane, in Manuscript).

FAMILY IBIDID^. IBISES.

GRNUS PLEGADIS KAUP.

28. (186). Plegadis autumnalis (HASSBLQ.).

Glossy Ibis.

Illinois, rare (Ridgway Cat., p. 192); Ohio, accidental (Wheaton, p. 498). Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 48).

1172 , REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

FAMILY ARDEID^E. HERONS, BITTERNS, ETC.

SUBFAMILY BOTAURIN^E. BITTERNS. GENUS ARDETTA GRAY.

29. (191.1). Ardetta neoxena CORY.

Cory's Least Bittern.

August 8, 1894. Manchester, Mich. A specimen of this rare species was brought to Mr. L. Whitney Watkins by a neighbors boy. Mr. Watkins at onoe wrote me of the peculiar dark Least Bittern that he had received. I suspected its identity and requested that he send it to me for examination. It had, however, been forwarded to Prof. W. B. Barrows, Agr. Coll., Mich. He determined it to be Cory's Bittern. It will be noted that six of those known have been taken in Florida and the other three north of the latitude of the northern boundary of Indiana.

The bird may be reasonably expected to occur in Indiana, Its dark color gives it the name, of "Black Bittern" in Florida, to distinguish it from the ."Least Bittern," which is called "Brown Bittern." They are about the same size.

SUBFAMILY ARDEIN^E. HERONS AND EGRETS.

GENUS ARDEA LISNJBUS. Submenus ARDEA.

30. (198). Ardea rufescens GMEL.

Reddish Egret. Illinois, summer visitor southward (Xelson, S. 111., p. 60).

FAMILY RECURVIROSTRIDJE. AVOCETS AND STILTS.

GENOS HIMANTOPUS BRISSON.

31. (226). Himantopus mexicanus (MULL.).

Black-necked Stilt.

Illinois and Wisconsin, rare (Nelson, N. E. Ill, p. 124). Ridgway. 111. Orn., II., p. 76. Ohio, rare (Wheaton, p. 463); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 492). Cook, Mich., p. 57.

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1173

FAMILY SCOLOPACID.E. SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

GENUS TRINGA LINN.KUS. Subgenus ARQUATELLA Baird.

32. (235). Tringa maritima BRUNN.

Purple Sandpiper.

Illinois, rare (Ridgway Cat., p. 195); Ohio, rare (Wheaton, p. 476). Cook Co., 111., Auk, April, 1896, p. 180.

Subgenus ACTODROMAS Kaup.

33. (240). Tringa fuscicollis VIBILL.

White-rumped Sandpiper.

Illinois and Wisconsin (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 127); Ohio, migrant (Wheaton, p. 475); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 492; Cook, p. 59). Cin- cinnati, two specimens. Glendale, 0., September 6, 1879. (Journal Cincinnati Society Natural History, July 8, p. 127.)

34. (244). Tringa ferruginea BRUNN.

Curlew Sandpiper. Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 59).

GENUS EREUNETES ILLIGER.

35. (247). Ereunetes occidentalis LAWR.

Western Sandpiper. Illinois (Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., p. 54.

GENUS PAVONCELLA LEACH.

36. (260). Pavoncella pugnax (LINN.).

Ruff. A European species, accidental in Ohio (Wheaton, p. 489).

GKKUS TRYNGITES CABANIS.

37. (262). Tryngites subruficollis (VIBILL.).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

Illinois and Wisconsin (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 130); Ohio (Wheaton,. p. 491); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 493). Cook Co., 111., Auk, April, 1896, p. 180.

1174 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

FAMILY TETRAONID^E. GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, ETC.

SUBFAMILY TETRAONIN^E. GROUSE.

GENUS DENDRAGAPUS ELLIOT.

38. (298). Dendragapus canadensis (LINN.).

Canada Grouse. Michigan, as far south as Washtenaw County (Cook, Mich., p. 67).

GENUS LAGOPUS BRISSON.

39. (301). Lagopus lagopus (LINN.).

Willow Ptarmigan.

Illinois and Wisconsin, former resident (Nelson, K E. 111., p. 122); Michigan (Gibbs, p. 491; Cook, p. 68). Ridgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 10-11.

GENUS PEDIOCAETES BAIRD.

40. (3086). Pediocaetes phasianellus campestris RIDGW.

Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse.

Illinois, rare (Eidgway Cat., p. 191). Lower Peninsula, Mich. (Cook, p. 69). Eidgway, 111. Orn., II., pp. 13-14.

FAMILY FALCONIDJE. VULTURES, FALCONS, HAWKS, ETC.

SUBFAMILY ACCIPITRIN^E. KITES, BUZZARDS, HAWKS, ETC. GENUS ELANUS SAVIQNY.

41, (328). Elanus leucurus (VIEILL.).

White-tailed Kite.,

Illinois, breeds (Nelson, S. 111., p. 46); Michigan, rare (Gibbs, p. 490). Four records (Cook, Mich., p. 72). Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 446-7. Two specimens.

GENUS BUTRO CUVIER.

42. (337«). Buteo borealis krideri HOOPES.

Krider's Hawk. Illinois, accidental (H. K. Coale, see Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 469).

43. (3376). Buteo borealis calurus (CASS.).

Western Bed-tailed Hawk.

Illinois (Eidgway Cat., p. 189; Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 469); Michi- gan (Gibbs, p. 490).

P>iiins OF INDIANA. 1175

44. (342). Buteo swainsoni BONAP.

Swainson's Hawk.

Illinois (Bidgway Cat., p. 189); Michigan (Gibbs, p. 490; Bull. Nx>. 1, Mich. Orn. Club; Cook, Mich., p. 75). Given by Dr. Jordan as from Indiana (Manual, p. 113), but he informs us that this is an error. Bidgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 474-5.

GENUS ASTURNIA VIKILLOT.

45. (346). Asturnia plagiata SCHLEGEL.

Mexican Goshawk. Illinois, accidental; one specimen (Bidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 463).

GKNUS ARCHIBUTEO BRKHM.

46. (348). Archibuteo ferruginous ( LIGHT).

Ferruginous Rough-leg. Illinois, straggler (Bidgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 481, 482).

SUBFAMILY FALCONIN^E. FALCONS.

GENUS FALCO LINN.EUS. Subgenus HIKROPALCO Cuvier.

47. (354«j. Falco rusticolus gyrfalco (L.).

Gyrfalcon.

Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 77).

48. (355). Falco mexicanus SCHLEG.

Prairie Falcon.

Illinois, accidental; three records near Mt. Carmel (Ridgway, 111. Orn., L, pp. 429-31).

FAMILY BUBONID^. HORNED OWLS, ETC.

GKNUS NYCTALA BEEHM.

49. (371). Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni (BONAP.).

Richardson's Owl.

Has been taken in Illinois and Wisconsin (Eidgway, 111. Orn., L, p. 413). It was reported from Indiana, but that, I am informed, is an error. Michigan, no record (Cook, Mich., p. 81).

1176 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

GENUS BUBO DJJMBBIL.

50. (375a). Bubo virginianus subarcticus (Hoy).

Western Horned Owl.

Illinois, occasional in winter (Ridgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 421). Oat record. No record, Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 83).

FAMILY PICID^E. WOODPECKERS.

GENUS PICOIDES LACKPEDE.

51. (400). Picoides arcticus (SWAINS.).

Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Synonym, BLACK-BACKED THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.

Illinois, rare winter visitor (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 115; Ridgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 379-80); Ohio, accidental (Wheaton, p. 397); Michi- gan, rare (Gibbs, p. 489; Cook, Mich., p. 88). Kent and Ionia counties.

52. (401). Picoides americanus BREHM.

American Three-toed Woodpecker. Michigan (Cook, Mich., p. 88); Wisconsin (0. B. Warren, in letter).

FAMILY CAPRIMULGIDJS. GOATSUCKERS, ETC.

GBNUS CHORDEILES SWAINSON.

53. (420a). Chordeiles virginianus henryi (CASS).

Western Nighthawk. Illinois, occasional (Ridgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 370).

FAMILY TYRANNISE. TYKANT FLYCATCHERS.

GENUS MILVULUS SWAINSON.

54. (442). Milvulus tyrannus (LINN.).

Fork-tailed Flycatcher.

A tropical species, accidental in Kentucky (Ridgway Manual, p.

327).

55. (443). Milvulus forficatus (GMBL.).

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

Accidental in Missouri, New England, Manitoba, etc. (Ridgwaj Manual, p. 328).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1177

<JKNUS SAYORNLS BONAPARTK.

56. (457). Sayornis saya (BONAP.).

. Say's Phoebe.

Illinois* and Wisconsin (Nelson, N. E. TIL, p. 113); Michigan (G-ibbs, p. 488). Not in Mich., Cook. Kidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 348.

FAMILY ALAUDID^E. LARKS.

GKNUS ALAUDA LINNAEUS.

57. (473). Alauda arvensis LINN.

Skylark.

Ohio, introduced in the vicing of Cincinnati, but it seems doubtful if it will succeed in establishing itself in this country. (Langdon, Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. I., 1878, p. 111.)

FAMILY CORVHXE. CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

SUBFAMILY GARRULINJS. MAGPIES AND JAYS. GENUS PICA BRISSON.

58, (475). Pica pica hudsonica (SAB.).

American Magpie.

Illinois and "Wisconsin, a former winter visitor (Nelson, N. E. 111., p: 112); Cook, Mich., p. 99. Michigan (?) (Ridgway Manual, p. 352). Ridgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 333-4. J. 0. Dunn. One specimen identi- fied by Wallace Craig, October 17, 1892, near World's Fair, Chicago.

GKNUS PERISOREUS BONAPARTE.

59. (484). Perisoreus canadensis (LINN).

Canada Jay.

Illinois and Wisconsin, former winter visitor (Nelson, N". E. 111., p. 113); Michigan, breeds (Gibbs, p. 848); has been reported from Ohio, but that is an error (Wheaton, p. 366).

FAMILY ICTERID^. BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

GKNUS STURNELLA VIBILLOT.

60. (5016). Sturnella magna neglecta (Aim.).

Western Meadow Lark.

Illinois (Ridgway, 111. Orn., Vol. I., p. 318); Michigan (Gibbs, p. 488; Cook, Mich., p. 103). .

1178 EEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

GENUS SCOLECOPHAGUS SWAINSO*.

61. (510). Scolecophagus cyanocephalus (WAQL.).

Brewer's Blackbird. Illinois, Mt. Carmel, straggler (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. -824).

FAMILY FRINGILLID^E. FJNCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

GKNUS ACANTHIS BBCHSTKIN.

62. (527«). Acanthis hornemannii exilipes (CouEs.)

Hoary Redpoll.

Illinois, rare winter visitor (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 232); Michi- gan (Gibbs, p. 486). Omitted by Cook.

GENUS SPINUS KOCH.

63. (532). Spinus notatus (Du Bus).

Black-headed Goldfinch.

A Mexican and Central American species, accidental in Kentucky (Eidgway Manual, p. 400).

GKNUS RHYNCHOPHANES BAIEC.

64. (539). Rhynchophanes mccownii (LAWR.).

McCown's Longspur. Illinois, straggler (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 246). Not in Michigan.

GENUS ZONOTRICHIA SWAINSON.

65. (553). Zonothrichia querula (NUTT.).

Harris' Sparrow.

Illinois and Wisconsin, rare winter visitor (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., pp. 266-7).

J. 0. Dunn shot a Harris Sparrow in some bushes along a road, east of Eiverdale, 111., October 6, 1894. Letter, January 26, 1895.

66. (554a.) Zonotricia leueophrys intermedia RIDGW.

Intermediate Sparrow. Wisconsin, accidental (Nelson, K E. 111., p. 107).

67. (557.) Zonotrichia coronata (PALL.).

Golden-crowned Sparrow.

Wisconsin, accidental (Nelson, N. E. 111., p. 108).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1179

GKKUS PIPILO VIKILLOT.

68. (588). Pipilo maculatus arcticus (SWAINS.).

Arctic Towhee. Wisconsin, two specimens (Xelson, N. E. 111., p. 110).

HABIA REICHENBACH.

69. (596). Habia melanocephala (SWAINS.).

Black-headed Grosbeak. Michigan, very rare (Gibbs, p. 487).

GKSUS PASSER1NA VIEILLOT.

70. (600). Passerina versicolor (BON.).

Varied Bunting.

Michigan, one specimen by Dr. H. A. Atkins (Cook. Birds of Michi- gan, p. 118).

71. (601). Passerina ciris (LINN.).

Painted Bunting. Illinois, Wabash County, rare (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 302).

FAMILY VIREONID^. VIREOS.

GKNUS VIREO VIKILLOT. Submenus VIRKO.

72. (633). Vireo belli! AUD.

Bell's Vireo.

Illinois, summer resident in prairie districts (Ridgway, 111. Orn., L, pp. 190-91). Richland County, June 8, 1871, and 1875. One speci- men in Chicago, June 23, 1875.

FAMILY MNIOTILTID^E. WOOD WARBLERS.

GENUS HELMINTHOPHILA RIDGWAY.

73. ( — )• Helminthophila leucobronchialis (BREWST.).

Brewster's Warbler.

A rare and peculiar Warbler, found in eastern United States, west into Michigan (Gibbs, p. 483; Ridgway Manual, p. 486).

1180 REPORT OF STATE IDEOLOGIST.

74t ^ — ). Helminthophila cincinnatiensis (LANGD.).

Cincinnati Warbler.

Only known from one specimen from Cincinnati, 0. (Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., July, 1880, pp. 119-120). This is supposed to be a hybrid, between Helminthophila pinus and Oporornis formosa (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. V., 1880, p. 237).

GENUS DENDROICA GRAY. Submenus DKNDBOICA.

75. (672#). Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea RIDGW.

Yellow Palm Warbler.

One specimen, Oberlin, 0., April 16, 1892 (Auk, October, 1892, p. 397).

FAMILY PARIDJE. NUTHATCHES AND TITS.

SUBFAMILY SITTING. NUTHATCHES. GENUS SITTA LINNABUS.

76. (729). Sitta pusilla LATH.

Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Ohio and Michigan, accidental (Wheaton, p. 226); St. Louis, Mo., (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 83).

SUBFAMILY PARING. TITMICE.

GBNUS PARUS LINWAKUS. Subgenus PARUS.

77, (740). Parus hudsonicus FORST.

Hudsonian Chickadee.

^Illin6is, Eock Island, accidental. Racine, Wis. (Eidgway, 111. Orn., I.*, p. 82); Michigan (Eidgway Manual, p. 564; Cook, Mich., p. 147).

FAMILY TURDIP^E. THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC.

SUBFAMILY MYADESTIN^E. SOLITAIRES.

GKNUS MYADESTES SWAINSON.

78. (754). Myadestes townsendii (AuD.)

Townsend's Solitaire.

Illinois, accidental northward (Nelson, N". E. 111., p. 94).

BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1181

SUBFAMILY TURDIN^E. THRUSHES.

GENUS TURDUS LINNAEUS. Subgenus HYLOCICHLA Baird.

79. (757a). Turdus aliciae bicknelli (RiDGw.).

Bicknell's Thrush.

Illinois, rare in spring (Bidgway, 111. Orn., I., p. 59). Warsaw, 111.. May 24, 1884, by Chas. K. Worthen.

GENUS SAXICOLA BECHSTEIN.

80. (765). Saxicola oenanthe (LINN.).

Wheatear.

A specimen of this species was shot from among a flock of Titlarks at Ann Arbor, Mich., October 4, 1894, by Adolphe B. Covert. The specimen is now in the U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. — No. 135,- 068, male, immature. (The Nidologist, Vol. II., No. 3, November, 1894, pp. 42-43.)

GKNUS SIALIA SWAINSON.

81. (768). Sialia arctica (SWAINS.)

Mountain Bluebird.

Iowa, accidental (Nelson, N. B. 111., p. 95).

The following species have been reported from a range which would seem to include Indiana, but should properly be excluded from the Hypothetical List:

1. ( — ). Colymbus cristatus LATH.

Crested Grebe. An Old World species, wrongfully accredited to America.

2. (336). Buteo buteo (LINN.).

European Buzzard. A European species, attributed to Michigan. Perhaps an error.

INDEX TO BIRDS OF INDIANA*

Page.

Acanthis linaria 922

linaria roBtrata 924

Accipiter atricapillus . .

cooperi

velox 775

Ai-titismaeularia 729

.Ktrialitis raeloda 7S3

meloda circumcincta 743

semipalmata 741

vocifera 739

Agelaius phoeniceus 893

Aix sponsa 610

Aj«jn ajaja 643

Amraodramus caudaeutus nelsoni 947

benslowii 943

leconteii 945

sandwichensis savanna . 940

savannarum passerinus. 941

Arapelis cedroruin 1002

garrulus 1000

Anas americana 600

boschas ' 595

carolinensis 602

discors 603

obscura 597

penelope 599

strepera 598

Anhinga anhinga > 582

Anser albifrons gambeli 633

Anthus pensylvanicus 1104

Antrostomus carolinensis 846

vociferus 847

Aquila chrysaetos 790

Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis .... 789

Ardea candidissima , 662

cserulea 6n3

egretta 659

herodias 655

tricolor ruficollis 663

virescens 664

wuerdemnnni 655

Ardetta exilis 652

Arenaria interpres 744

Asio accipitrinus 804

wilsonianus 803

Avocet, American 695

Aythya affinis 618

americana 613

collaris 619

inarila ne-arctica 617

vnllisneria . 615

Baldpate

Bartramia longicauda

Bittern, American

Least

Blackbird, Crow

Red-winged

Rusty

Yellow-headed

Bluebird

Bobolink

Bob-white

Bonasa umbellus

Botaurus lentiginosus

Brant

Branta bernicla

canadensis

canadensis hutchinsii

Bubo virginianus

Buffle-head

Bunting, Indigo

Buteo borealis

borealis harlani

latissimus

lineatus

Calcarius lapponicus

pictus — .V.

Calidris arenaria

Campephilus principalis

Can vasback

Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Carpodacus purpureus

Catbird

Catharista atrata

Cathartes aura

Ceophlceus pileatus

age. 600 72T 649 652 905 893 904 892

1161 886 746 752 (vt9 639

813

623

982 780 784 186 784

. 932 71<5 S29 615 97* 975 916 1108 768 766 837

Certhia familiaris amerieana 1128

Ceryle alcyon 826

Chaetura pelagica 852

Charadrius dominions 737

squatarola i. . . 735

Charitonetta albeola 623

Chat, Yellow-breasted 1093

Chelidon erythrogaster 994

Chen caerulescens '. 632

hyperborea 630

hyperborea nivalis. t>31

Chewink i'7

Chickadee 1136

Carolina... .. ll-°.7

INDEX TO BIRDS OF INDIANA.

1183

< 'houdestes grain mac-us Chordeiles virginianus Chuek-will's-widow Circus hudsonius .	Page. . . . . 949 . . . . 849 . . . . 846 . . . . 773 1126	Dryobates pubescens villosus Duck, American Scaup Black Fish	Page. 832 830 617 597 590
	1124	Lesser Scaup	618
Clangula, hyemalis Clivicola riparia Coccothraustes vespertinus Coccyzus americanus erythrophthalnius Colaptes auratus	. . . . 625 . . . . 997 . . . 911 . . . . 822 . . . . 825 . . . . 844 746	Muscovy Ring-necked Ruddv Wood Eagle, Bald Golden Ectopistes migratorius	. : . . . 612 619 629 610 792 790 • 760
Colymbus auritu*	557	Egret, American	659
holboelii Colymbus nigricollis californk-uf.. . Couipsothlvpis americana »	, . . . 556 .... 558 ... 1037	Elanoides forficatug Empidonax flaviventris- minimus	771 866 871
Contopus borealis	863	traillii	869
virens	. 864	traillii alnorum	870
Conurus carolinensis	... 819	virescens	867
Coot, American ...	. 684	Ereunetes pusillus	715
Cormorant, Double-crtsted	583	Erismatura rubida	629
Florida	, . . . 585 QQ1	Falco columbarius	796
corax sinuatus	. . . . 879	peregrinus anatum	794
Cowbird	889	sparverms	797
Crane, Sandhill	. 670	Finch, Purple	916
		Flicker	.. . 844
Creeper, Brown	.... 1128	Flycatcher, Alder Crested	870 859
White-winged Crow, American	, . . . 920 ... 881	Green-crested Least Olive-sided.	867 871 863
		Traill's.	869
Yellow-billed	... 822 733	Yellow-bellied Fregata aquila	866 587
		Fulica americana	684
Long-billed	. . . . 731
Cyanocitta cristata Dafila aeuta Dendroica aestiva blackburniae cserulae	.. 876 ... 607 ... 1045 ... 1063 . . . 1053	Gad wall Galeoscoptes carolinensis Gallinago delicata Gallinula galeata Gallinule, Florida Purple	599 1108 700 682 682 681
caerulescens castanea coronata	.... 1047 ... 1058 1049	Geothlypis agilis formosa Philadelphia	1087 1085 1088
discolor i	1076	trichas	1090
dominica albilora kirtlandi	...1065 1070	trichas occidentalis — Glaucionetta clangula americana	1092 621
maculosa.	1051	islandica	622
palmarum pensylvanica rara striata tigrina vigorsii	... 1074 ... 1056 .... 105.". ... 1069 ... 1043 1072	Gnat-catcher, Blue-gray Godwit, Hudsonian Marbled Golden-eye, American Barrow's	1143 718 717 621 622 924
virens Dickcissel	... 1068 983	Goose, American White-fronted . . . Blue	633 632
Dolichonyx oryzivorus Dov«, Mourning	. . . H80 ... 765	Canada Greater Snow	. .... 631
Dowitcher Lonjr billed. . .	... 703 . 704	Hutchin's Lesser Snow.. .	638 . 630

1184

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

	Page.
Goshawk, American	779
Grackle, Bronzed	905
Grebe, American Eared	558
Holboell's	556
Horned	557
Pied-billed	559
Grosbeak, Blue	981
Evening	.. 911
Pine	...... 914
Rose-breasted	978
Grouse, Ruffed	752
Grus americana	669
mexicana	... 670
Guara alba —	.... 644
Guiraca caerulea	981
Gull, American Herring	571
Bonaparte's	575
Franklin	574
Glaucous	569
Iceland	570
Ring-billed	572

Habia ludoviciana

Hali;eetus leucocephalus

Harporhynchus rufus

Hawk, American Rough-legged

American Sparrow

Broad-winged

Cooper's

Duck

Harlan's

Marsh

Pigeon

Red-shouldered

Red-tailed

Sharp-shinned

Helinaia swainsonii

Helminthophila celata

chrysoptera

peregrina

pinus

ruficapilla

Helmitherus vermivorus

Hen , Prairie

Heron, Black-crowned Night

Great Blue

Green

Little Blue

Louisiana

Snowy

WUrdemann's

Yellow-crowned Night

Hummingbird, Ruby-throated

Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis.

Ibis, White

Wood

Icteria virens

L-terus galbula

fpurius

Ictinia mississippiensis

lonornis martin ica. ..

978

792

1111

789

797

788

777

794

784

773

796

784

780

775

1024

1034

1031

1035

1029

1033

1026

755

666

655

664

663

663

662

655

677

854

580

644 645 1093 900 898 773

Jaeger, Pomarine

Jay, Blue

Junco hyemalis

hyemalis shufeldti Junco, Slate-colored

Shufeldt's

Kildeer

Kingbird

Kingfisher, Belted....

Kinglet, Golden-crowned

Ruby-crowned

Kite, Mississippi

Swallow-tailed

Knot . .

Page.

.. 567

.. 876

. . 963

.. 965

.. 963

. 965

Lanius borealfs

ludovicianus

ludovicianus excubitorides.

Lark, Horned

Prairie Horned

Shore

Larus argentatus sinithsonianus . . .

delawarensis

franklini

glaucus

leucopterus

Philadelphia

Limosa fedoa

haemastica

Longspur, Lapland

Smith's

Loon

Red-throated '.

Lophodytes cucullatus

Loxia curvirostra minor

leucoptera

Macrorhamphus griseus

scolopaceus

Mallard

Man-o'-War-bird

Martin, Purple

Meadowlark

Megascops asio

Melanerpes carolinus

erythrocephalus

Meleagris gallopavo

Melospiza fasciata

georgiana

lincolni

Merganser americanus

serrator

Merganser, American

Hooded

Red-breasted

Merula migratoria

Micropalma himantopus

Mimus polyglottos

Mniotilta varia

Mockingbird

Molothrus ater

Murre, Brunnich's

Myiarchus crinitus

857

826

1139

1141

77-'> 771 706

1005 100<i 1007 873 874 873 571 572 574 569- 570 575 717 718 929- 932 561 563 59?, 918 920

703 704 595 587 990 896 811 84± 839- 758 967 970 969- 590 591 590 593 591 1157 705 1106 1019 1106

INDEX TO BIRDS OF INDIANA.

1185

Xighthawk Numenius borealis hudsonicus longirostris Nuthatch, Red-breasted White-breasted Nyctala acadica .". Nyctea nyctea Nyoticorax nycticorax mvvius violaceus	Page. ... 849 ... 733 ... 732 . . . 731 ... 1132 . . . 1131 . . . 809 . . . 816 ... 666 ... 667 627	Plover, Belted Piping Black-bellied Golden Piping Semipalmated Podilymbus podiceps Polioptila caerulea Poocivtos grainineus Porzana Carolina jamaicensis noveboracensis Progne subis .	Page. .... .743 .... 735 .... 737 . ... 743 . . . . 741 .... 599 .... 1143 .... 933 .... 675 .... 679 .... 677 990
	. 627	Protoi. otciria citrea	1021
Old-squaw Olor buccinator columbianus Oriole, Baltimore Orchard Osprey, American Octocoris alpestris	... 625 ... 641 ... 639 ... 900 ... 898 . . . 798 . :. 873 874	Quiscalus quiscula a?neu^ Rail, Black King Virginia Yellow Rallus elegans	.... 905 .... 679 .... 672 674 .... 677 .... 672
Oven-bird Owl , American Barn	... 1078 ... 800	virgmianus Raven, American Recur virostra americana	.... 674 .... 879 695
American Hawk	... 818	Redbird	975
American Long-eared Barred Great Gray	... 80? ... 807 ... 808	Redhead . . . •! Redpoll Redpoll, Greater	.... 613 ... 922 924
Great Horned Saw-whet Screech Short-eared Snowy .'	... 813 ... 809 ... 811 ... 804 ... 816	Redstart, American Regulus calendula satrapa Robin , America n Sanderling	.... 1102 .... 1141 .... 1139 .... 1157 716
Pandion haliastu* c-arolinensis Paroquet, Carolina Parus atricapillus bicolor : carolinensis Passer domesticus Passerella iliaca Passerina cyanea	... 798 . . 819 ... 1136 .. 1134 ... 1137 ... 935 ... 971 ... 982 586	Sandpiper, Baird's ..! Bartramian Buff-breasted : Least Pectoral Red-backed Semipalmated Solitary Spotted	.... 710 .... 727 .... 728 .... 711 .... 708 .... 713 .... 715 .... 722 729
Pelican, American White	... 586 991	Stilt Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied	.... 705 834
	965		... 861
Pewee, Wood	... 864	Scoleoophagus carolinus	.... 904
Phalacrocorax dilophus	583	Scoter, Surf	.... 627
dilophus floridanus. . Phalarope, Northern Red Wilson's	... 585 ... 689 ... 687 690	Velvet Scotiaptex cinerea Seiurus auvocapillus	.... 627 .... 808 .... 1078 1082
Phalaropus lobatus tricolor Philohela minor. Phoebe Pigeon, Passenger Pinicola, enucleator Pintail	... 689 ... 690 ... 696 ... 861 ... 760 ... 914 .. . 607	Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis notabilis... Setophaga ruticilla Shoveller Shrike, Loggerhead No'rthern White-rumped	.... 1080 .... 1082 .... 1102 .... 605 .... 1006 .... 1005 .... 1007
Pipilo erythrophthalmus	973		1161
Pipit, American	1104		926
Piranga erythromelas rubra Plectrophenax nivalis 75— GKOL.	... 986 ... 988 ... 927	Sitta canadensis carolinensis Snipe, Wilson's	.... 1132 . . . 1131 700

REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST.

	Page. Q97		Page. 576
Snowflake	fi7^		579
Sora	OMSK	Roseate	57C>
Sparrow, Bachman'.* . . . Chipping Clay-colored English Field Fox Grasshopper	. .. 958 ... 959 ... 935 . .. 961 ... 971 . .. 941 943	Thrasher, Brown Thrush, Gray-cheeked Hermit Olive-backed Willow Wilson's wood .:	.... 1111 .... 1151 .... 1154 .... 1152 .... 1150 .... 1149 .... 1147
T _U	949	Thryothorus bewickii	.... 1116
Leconte's Lincoln's Nelson's	... 945 . . . 9^9 . .. 947 . 940	ludovicianus Titmouse, Tufted Totanus flavipes melanoleucu?	.... 1114 .... 1134 .... 721 .... 719
Son#	... 967	solitarius ....	.... 722
	970	Towhee	.... 97:'.
Tree	. .. 956 933	Tringa alpihapacifica bairdii	... 713 710
	951	* canutus	.... 7C6
White-throated	953	maculata	.... 708
	605	minutilla	711
Sphyrapicus varius Spinug pinus tristis	... 834 ... 926 ... 924	Trochilus colubris Troglodytes sedon sedon aztecus	.... 854 .... 1119 .... 1121
	983	hiemalis	.... 1122
	956	Tryngites subruficollis	.... 728
pall Ida	959	Turdus aliciae	.... 1151
pusilla	... 961 958	aonalaschkae pallasi fuscescens	.... 1154 1149
	643	fuscescens salicicolus	.... 1150
	999	mustelinus .	1147
Stercorarius pomarinus	... 567 579	ustulatus swainsonii Turkey, Wild	.... 1152 758
	579	Turnstone	744
forsteri hirando	... 576 578	Tympanuchus americanus Tyrannus tyrannus	.... 755 857
Strix pratincole	... 800
Sturnella magna	896		564
Surnia ulula cnparoch	818		561
Swallow, Bank Barn Cliff	... 997 ... 994 991	lumme	.... 563 1013
Rough-winged Tree	... 999 . .. 996	gilvus noveboracensis	.... 1012 .... 1016
Swan, Trumpeter	641		1009
Whistling	639		1011
Swift, Chimney	852		1015
Sylvania canadensis mitrata	... 1100 1096	Vireo, Blue-headed Philadelphia	.... 1015 1011
pusilla	1099	ffttfl <»V('ll	1009
Symphemia semipalmata	... 725	Warbling	1012
semipalmata inornata. . Syrnium nebulosum	... 726 ... 807	White-eyed '. Yellow-throated Vulture, Black	.... 1016 1013 768
Tachycineta bicolor	... 9%	Turkey	766
Tan ager, Scarlet	986
Summer Tantalus loculator Ttal, Blue-winged Green-winged Tern, Black Common	... 988 ... 645 ... 603 ... 602 ... 580 . . . 578	Warbler, Bay- breasted Black and White Blackburnian Black-poll Black-throated Green Black-throated Blue	1058 1019 1063 1060 1068 1047

INDEX TO BIRDS OF INDIANA.

1187

•	Pater.		Page.
Warbler, Blue-winged	1092	Whip-poor-will	.... 847
Canadian	1100	Widgeon	.... 599
Cape May	104:1	Willet	.... 725
Cerulean	105;1,	Western	.... 726
Chestnut-^ided	1056	Woodcock, American	696
Connecticut	1087	Woodpecker, Downy
Golden-winged	1031	Hairy . .	.... 830
1 1 onded	1096	Ivory- billed	. .. 829
Kentucky	; 1085	Pileated	.... 837
Kirtland's	1070	Red-bellied	.... 842
Magnolia	1051	Red-headed	.... 839
Mourning	1088	Yellow-bellied	834
Myrtle	1049	Wren, Bewick's	1116
Nashville	1033	Oarolina	... 1114
Or&nflr6*crown©tl	1034	House	. . . 1119
Palm	1074	Long-billed Marsh	... 1126
Parula	1037	Short-billed Marsh	.... 1124
Pine	1072	Western House	.... 1121
Prairie	1076	Winter	.... 1122
Prothonotary .	1021
Swainson's Sycamore	1024 1065	Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. . .	.... 892
Tennessee	1035
Wilson's	1099	Yellow-Legs	.... 721
Worm-eating	1026	Greater	.... 719
Yellow	1045	Yellow-throat, Maryland ....	.... 1090
Yellow-rumped	1049	Western	. . 1092
Water Thrush	1080
Grinnell's Louisiana Waxwing, Bohemian Cedar ». .	1082 1082 1000 .. 1002	Zenaedura rnacroura Zonotrichia albicollis — leucophrys	.... 765 .... 953 .... 951

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BIOLOGY LIBRARY

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BIOLOGY LIBRARY

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