IC

BIRD-LIFE

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY

II0WA 0RI\IITiN0IL00ll§T§ ,J HJNI0N

VOLUME 1 SEPTEMBER, 1931 NUMBER 3

THE GHOST OF THE KINGBIRD’S GROVE

By E. D. NAUMAN

In a rolling pasture field near Sigourney, Iowa, stood an ancient
grove of oak, elm, hickory, and so forth. It was not much of a grove
but merely an epitome of the great forests that once were here. Be-
neath the trees and nearby stood also enough of the white thorn and
crabapple bushes to make the place a haven for many species of
wild birds.

Some of the trees were a century or two old and contained cavities
sufficient for homes for Flickers, Red headed Woodpeckers, Screech
Owls, and sometimes others in the same season. The long, pendant,
swaying branches of the elms always furnished a pair or two of Balti-
more Orioles with support for their purse-shaped nests. Brown Thrash-
ers and Catbirds sought the thorn-bushes. A flock of Goldfinches al-
ways hovered about the grove and somehow found hiding places in the
bushes for their pretty little nests. The Cardinals were always there
and forever singing the prelude to some grand symphony and never
getting to the symphony itself. The Kingbirds kept at the tops of the
trees and stood guard over all, giving warning of approaching danger
and driving away the Hawks and Crows, Robins, Wrens, Bluebirds,
jays and many others found in this grove a “welcome home."

Likewise on hot and sultry days the peaceful kine would stand in the
shade of the grove and ruminate while the flycatchers were busy de-
stroying at least a part of their tormentors. Many are the weary trav-
elers who have hesitated and stopped to rest in this grove, grateful for
its cool and refreshing shade.

But alas! One fine December morning, two individuals having the
outward appearance of men, invaded this grove. They had axes, cross-
cut saws, and other implements of destruction in their hands and mur-
der in their hardened hearts. Soon the sounds of sawing and chopping
came from the direction of the grove, and the smoke of destruction was
seen ascending to the sky. In a few days the rare old grove that had
withstood the storms of centuries was a heap of smouldering embers,
chaired stumps, and heaps of bare and crooked branches and trunks
that resembled the skeleton of some uncouth giant much more than
the fine old grove of yesterday.

Now this grove is gone, and forever, A score or more pairs of birds

IOWA BIRD-LIFE

30

have lost their homes. When their homes are destroyed the birds will
not endure. Birds are nature’s messengers and helpers to keep the in-
sect. pests in check. If unchecked, many species of insects increase at
an enormous rate. When hordes of white grubs, cutworms, chinch
bugs, and locusts, like in the plagues of Egypt, “shall eat every herb of
the land and all the fruit of the trees/* then shall the Ghost of the
Kingbird's Grove, and the ghosts of a thousand other groves which
have been wantonly destroyed, rise up before them and smite and tor-
ment the guilty consciences of thoughtless men. The ghosts of all the
dead forests shall demand that restitution be made for man's sins
against nature by replanting these beautiful groves, oak for oak, elm
for elm, hickory for hickory, and that for good measure a few ever-
green and mulberry trees be added to comfort and sustain all the little
birds when insect food is largely dormant and weather conditions
are adverse.

Let us therefore beseech the Great Spirit of Nature to soften man’s
heart and enlighten his brain so “that light may conquer darkness still."
And let us take warning. Let us reverse our wanton, wasteful course
and save the remnant of our wild birds by saving and protecting their
homes, before plague and calamity overtake us. The course of our
affairs should be so shaped that future generations as well as ourselves
may live and enjoy some of the natural resources of our great coun-
try; and that posterity may not be compelled to look back and regard
us who lived in the Twentieth Century as a race of vandals who
wasted and despised our sublime heritage.

LITTLE BIOGRAPHIES

E, D. NAUMAN

The subject of this sketch was born December 19, 1804, in a pion-
eer’s log cabin in the woods on the banks of Clear Creek near where
the town of Keola, Iowa, now stands. When he was about eight years
of age, the settlers of that vicinity decided they must have a school.
So they quarried rock, sawed the timber and erected a school house.
Here the boy attended school until he completed the “common branch-
es." This was later supplemented by a four years’ course in the
County Normal Training School and Teachers* Institute, from which
he graduated August 4, 1887. However, this school was in session
only four weeks each year, so the course represented but four months
of school work,

Mr. Nauman began teaching in 1884 and continued in this work,
with short intervals, for six years. Between terms of school and the
normal training work he managed to do nearly two years of work in
the old Iowa City Academy and Commercial College, It was at the
Academy, under the direction of Dr. B. Shimek, who was then an
instructor in that institution, that young Nauman became greatly in-
terested in the natural sciences, especially biology.

In the year 1890 he was married to Miss Emma Goodman, who was
also a teacher in the public schools and has likewise become greatly
interested in the sciences and especially in the study of birds. They
have three children, now all adults, and three grandchildren.

From 1890 to 1900 Mr, Nauman engaged in farming, having pur-
chased a farm near Thornburg in Keokuk County, Since 1900 his

FIELD NOTES

31

E. IX NAUM AN

home has been in Sigourney,
the county seat, and during
sessions of court and busy
seasons he is and has been
employed as deputy and as-
sistant in the office of Clerk
of the District Court,

During all these years his
interest in the sciences and
especially in ornithology has
been unabated. He has col-
lected a good sized private
library containing many of
the best works on ornithol-
ogy. He now has to his cred-
it about thirty papers and
sketches, all of which have
been published by the lead-
ing journals of ornithology.
Important among these are:
“An Iowa Bird Census/’ pub-
lished by Wilson Bitllrfin, June,
192(1; “Birds of Early Iowa,”
published by The Palimpsest,
April, 1924, and republished
bv IOWA BIRD-LIFE, in
March, 1931; and “The
Glare of the Headlight/'pub-
lished in Bird Lore, October,
1930. He possesses an ad-
mirable literary style that
has made his writings of
much interest not only to
bird students but to many
other readers.

Mr. Nauman was twice U.
S. population census enumer-
ator and has been a regular
monthly reporter to several
divisions of the XLS. Dept,
of Agriculture for more than forty years, and has furnished bird census
and bird migration reports to the Bureau of Biological survey for the
past eighteen years. His bird list for the spring of 1931 contained 131
strictly migratory species. His only other “hobby” is music, which he
has cultivated as a side issue during most of his lifetime. He con-
ducted the public park concerts in his home city four seasons, but says
he is now simply “a good listener.” — D.

Photographed by Chas. J. Spike r 11 L the home of
the Yellow-breasted Chat, near Sigourney. Iowa,
June 8, 1!>28. Reproduced by courtesy oC Mr,

Nauman.

FIELD NOTES

Random Bird Notes from Sioux City. — Two pairs of Piping Plov-
ers have been seen the past summer at Mud Lake, South Dakota, a few
miles above Sioux City. The birds were without a doubt nesting at
this favorable spot. Traill's Flycatcher was again found breeding in
Sioux City. A vicious habit of the Bronzed Crackle was recently no-

IOWA BIRD LIFE

tieed by the writer, A nearly full grown English Sparrow was feeding
on a garbage dump, when a male grackle flew down and struck the
sparrow a very hard blow on the head. This first blow seemed to cripple
the small bird and several more sharp blows at the base of the skull
put the sparrow out of misery.

An adult Blue Jay was seen catching a large Cecropia moth from
which it pulled the wings and proceeded to devour the body of the in-
sect. One evening the writer witnessed a friendly foursome at work.
From a large cottonwood tree, a common Kingbird dashed out after an
insect and soon after an adult Red-headed Woodpecker flew out to got
part of his meal. Watching showed a pair of both species hawking out
from this one tree and evidently on good terms. The woodpeckers were
surprisingly agile at catching insects and also at alighting , especially
on the slender twigs at the top of the tree, in true perching fashion.

On a July trip to Yankton, South Dakota, northwest of Sioux City,
the writer found the Yellow-throated Vireo and the Turkey Vulture as
summer residents. A brood of young Ovenbirds was also seen near the
Missouii river at Yankton. — WILLIAM YOUNGWORTH, Sioux City,
Iowa.

Yellow V^arbler Outwits Cowbird. — About 28,1931, we found a pair
of Yellow Warblers busily building their nest. The nest was about
three feet from the ground in a swamp shrub. The outer shell was
woven of tough strands of weed stalks and laced firmly to the spread-
ing branches at the fork. Interwoven with these tough fibers was
downy material gathered from the willow. The nest was lined with
pure white down from the same source but so neatly placed that it was
almost like felt.

On June 6 it was shown to the members of the Audubon Society dur-
ing their Sunrise Hike, At that time a Cowbird’s egg was found, but
the wise little warblers were building a second story on the nest to
cover up the egg of the Cowbird. The foreign egg was removed and the
warblers continued to a successful hatch. As the Cowbird’s egg is too
large for the smaller warbler to remove, they either leave the nest or
build over it — sometimes a third story if the Cowbird repeats. — R. GIL-
LESPIE, Bay City, Mich.

Early Fall Migrants— I have often wondered if August 30 is not
a rather early record for the fall migration of the Ruby-crowned King-
let. I saw many here on that date. Warblers were also rather numer-
ous then; among them were Black and White, Mourning and Wilson’s
Warblers.

Is the Golden Plover getting more common? II seems to have been
scarce here until the last two years. In May, 1930, I saw a large num-
ber of them on a lowland pasture, and about the saim date ihis year I
saw a great many in the same place. It must be to their liking or else
they have a habit of frequenting the same ground from year to yeax*. — -
B, 0. W OLDEN, Esther villc, Iowa.

Our Brown Thrashers. — Every year we have a pair of Brown
Tlv -‘shers nesting somewhere about our yard. In 1931 they beat the Cat-
birds to an immense snowball bush in our front yard. This summer, I
have slept on a screened porch near the bush, and each morning the
thrasher awakened me with his sweet song. It was the middle of June
when I first heard him and noticed the regularity of his singing. At
that time, he gave his first note at 4:10 A. M. As the daylight gradu-

FIELD NOTES

oo

OD

ally came a little later, the thrasher regulated the time of his song ac-
cordingly, and a month later started singing about 4:40 A, M,

This pair has raised two young this year. One day, a baby bird was
near the top of a young apple tree. Each time the parent bird brought
food, he started at the lowest limb and took a spiral course upward.
We also noticed that they always entered the snowball bush at the same
place and left it on the opposite side always from the same opening.

In early August, one of the pair, family cares being over, proceeded
to enjoy herself in her own way, by bathing and sunning for three con-
secutive days. She would hop from a wet bath to a dust bath and back
again all day long. At the end of each dust bath, she spread her wings
and tail feathers to the fullest extent and drew her head forward under
her breast until every neck and back feather was standing erect. She
would keep this crouching position in the hot sun from five to ten min-
utes, remaining motionless, after which she would rouse up suddenly,
run to the bird bath and take a good splashing wet bath, then repeat
the performance. She kept this up for three full days. We decided it
was a plain case of “cooties’ 11 and the fall molt.

Our neighbors have two medium sized ehokeeherry trees in their
yard. The trees were unusually loaded with fruit this year, which
seemed to ripen almost over night and the trees appeared bright red.
The Robins were there by the dozen, also Catbirds, Brown Thrashers
and one Flicker, Together they stripped the trees in three days.— MRS.
WILLIAM BUZBY, Boone, Iowa.

We should very much like to learn what effect the recent campaigns
against the grasshopper invasion has had on the field birds— whether
or not the poisoned bran and meal placed in the fields have proved
fatal to the birds and to what extent. We shall appreciate hearing from
those who have had opportunity to make first hand observations in the
poisoned areas. — -EDITOR.

Northern Pileated Woodpecker in Allamakee County, Iowa. — On

June 21, 1931, Mrs, Palas and I were on a side road, very little used by
autos, about two miles out of Waukon Junction, in Allamakee County,
Iowa. The road was narrow and demanded caution on the part of the
driver, but I noticed a large dark bird fly into a tree beside the road
about 75 yards ahead. On one side of the road was pasture and on the
other light timber. We watched the tree intently and when we were
about 20 yards from it, the bird flew out in good light across 100 yards
of pasture and into some brush and small timber. The size and color
of the bird with red crest, and undulating woodpecker flight, left no
doubt as to identity.

We had to drive a little farther down the steep hill before we could
find a safe place to leave the car. We were out of the car and about to
climb a steep hill in the direction where we had last seen the bird, when
we beared the call of the Northen Pileated Woodpecker coming from
the opposite side of the road. We followed this call and soon found this
bird low down on the trunk of a tree. It was then in such dense timber
that we could not tell the colors at 40 yards, but we plainly saw its large
size, and the long neck and crest. This bird flew over the hill after we
had watched it about a minute, but before its flight we beared another
bird near us; we did not find the bird giving this call, however. We
hunted, looked and listened, but without further reward. Apparently
the two, or possibly three, birds were now in hiding, The hot weather
forbade much climbing of those hills.

34

IOWA BIRD-LIFE

Farther down the hill we came to the farm house of a Mr. Jones, from
whose report I concluded that the Northern Pileatecl Woodpecker has
been in that vicinity for several years, I had seen the bird three years
ago in Pennsylvania, blit it was the first record for Mrs. Palas. — A, J.
PALAS, Des Moines, Iowa.

Notes from Dallas Center, Iowa. — Reed tells us that the Meadowlark
lays from three to five eggs. This last spring I found a nest containing
six eggs. However, only four hatched; the four young birds grew to
maturity. This nest was along a drive passed daily by people as well as
vehicles. I have found Meadowlarks’ nests not more than a rod apart
along railroad right-of-ways.

Orioles are said to not often come to harm from the many horse
hairs used in their nests. I once rescued a young oriole that had be-
come entangled in a hair, in attempting to leave the nest. The wing
joint was cut to the bone and bleeding. We noted the bird for sevev.nl
days after, and each day it seemed to be gaining in strength in flight.

Purple Martins have been seen here this year, f J 2 e first to be seen
in many years. None that came to our bird house mated. Several times
two females came, other times a male alone. We are hoping that next
year they will come earlier and build nests in our house. We have Barn
Swallows every year in our buildings.

Several nests of Killdeer eggs were hatched in the cornfield this sum-
mer. One evening when coming from the fields, the boys brought in an
adult that had the pinion joint of one wing hanging by the broken bone
and skin, We finished severing the wing, as it was already dead, and
turned the bird loose. We plan to keep watch, when migration time
comes, to see if we can note the same individual, as it will not be able
to fly with the rest.

One morning last spring I watched an Indigo Bunting for a half hour
just outside my window. He was busy eating dandelion seeds. He
would perch on the stem of one near the base and hop out until the
stem was on the ground. Then, still holding it, he ^proceeded to clean
up all the seeds that were on it, before swinging another to the ground.
I have watched the female Goldfinch fill her beak with ripe sunflower
seeds, then tilting her head backward, allow the male to help himself
to the dinner she had made ready. — MRS. MAUD L. MOSER, Dallas
Center, Iowa.

Noles on Pheasants, Purple Martins, and Rose 'Breasted Grosbeaks.—

An interesting item came to my notice the other day. A farmer com-
plained about the pheasants eating his corn, so he was given permission
to shoot two males, which he did in the presence of the Game Warden
as required. Imagine his surprise when the crops of both birds showed
a preponderance of cut-worms rather than of corn !

The Purple Martins began gathering for their southern flight the last
week in July. This morning (August 9), I estimated that about 2000
martins were gathered on the telephone and light wires in front of my
home, which has been their daylight gathering place for several years.
Where they spend their nights remains a mystery. In spite of the heat
and drought, this has been a better year for martins than was last
year, when the flock never exceeded 200 birds at one time. Lust year
there was a period of extreme heat that drove the nestlings to abandon
the nest before they were able to care for themselves; many died at
that time.

FIELD NOTES

The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks seem to have left earlier than usual.
Four pairs came often to my food shelf for sunflower seeds. It has been
over two weeks since I have seen any but one young female, which I
trapped and banded. Each time it would come to the shelf by itself and
would cry rather piteously. Finally I noticed that it was not able to
crack the seeds. One day I opened the screen gently and picked up the
little bird and brought it in. It was small and thin, and I came to the
conclusion that it was not getting enough to eat, so I keep it in part of
each day and fed it. From the very first she has been the tamest wild
bird I ever saw. After her excursions in the open, she comes back and
cats as though she has not found enough to satisfy her hunger. I should
like to hear from anyone who has had experience in laising young birds
by hand. Do they ever survive and come back the second year?- — MRS.
MARIE DALES, Sioux City, Iowa.

A Canary-Goldfinch Flirtation.— -One morning about seven o'clock
in mid-July, Buster, my canary, was in an open kitchen window, and a
female goldfinch came and stood on top of the clothesline post just
outside the window. After much soft twittering on her part, Buster
sang every song he knew to her several times. The concert lasted about
ten minutes, then she flew away and Buster returned to his seeds.- —
MRS. WILLIAM BUZBY, Boone, Iowa.

Red-shouldered Hawks and Chimney Swifts. — I had an experience
recently that told something of the value of Red-shouldered Hawks,
A male and a female were brought in, the latter apparently one of this
year's hatch, the other an older one. They had been shot under the
accusation that they were destroying birds. I found in the stomach of
one, a striped ground squirrel, a young rabbit and twenty-four full
grown grasshoppers. The other one’s stomach was completely filled
with our largest common species of grasshoppers, and one that perhaps
has been doing the most damage of any in the central states this year.
I identified the remains of forty-nine specimens. It is of interest lo
know that we have these helpers with us this summer when they are so
much needed.

On August 18 I noticed the Chimney Swifts by the hundreds as they
had gathered and were descending into an unused chimney in one of
our College buildings. They have mostly gone now, a few days later.
A thing of considerable interest has recently come in, Mr. Grant Kness,
Hamlin, Iowa, sent a beautiful specimen of Chimney Swift’s nest. This
nest is entirely clean as it has not been in a chimney.

Mr. Kness writes me as follows: ‘T am hoping that a minute examina-
tion of the inclosed bird’s nest, the sticks in which are cemented together
by a secretion from the bird’s mouth, will enable you to identify and
name the bird that can execute such a delicate task. I found the nest
sticking to the wall of the vestibule of a country school house during the
summer vacation. When I found the nest four two-thirds grown young
ones were clinging to the edge of the nest with their feet. There they
clung day after clay and clamored for food side by side until they grew
so big that their combined weight broke the nest loose from the wall, and
it fell to the floor, after which the young birds clung to the wall side by
side where the nest had been. To me they resembled swifts or swal-
lows.”-— J, E. GUTHRIE, Professor of Zoology, Iowa State College,
Ames, Iowa.

IOWA BIRD-LIFE

36

RECENT BIRD BOOKS

Two New Books by Mrs. Funk. — -Bird students in general, and Iowa
students in particular, will be grateful to Mrs. A. B. Funk of Des
Moines for her careful preparation of two recent booklets entitled
"Bird-Study Field-Book'’ and “Methods of Bird Study.” They are of
a size to fit conveniently into the pocket, and since there is ample
space for making notes in the field, their worth will be emphasized on
every field trip. The "Field-Book” is especially designed for note-tak-
ing. The “Methods Book” covers a wide range of topics of importance
to bird students, and is certain to lend invaluable aid to those who are

conducting class-
es in bird study
for amateurs, or
to those who de-
sire to arouse en-
thusiasm among
young people.

Mrs. Funk goes
into her subject
very fully. She
begins her Meth-
ods Book by giv-
ing sound advice
on acquiring and
using bird lists,
then relates how
to attract birds
by placing bath-
ing pools, food-
trays and bird
houses for them.
The chapter de-
voted to the work
of leaders in bird
study is filled
with helpful sug-
gestions on identifying birds, following up the results of the field trips,
making observations at the food-tray or in the field, holding club meet-
ings, and training for leadership. Mrs. Funk’s statement that it is bet-
ter to know a few birds well than to have a hazy knowledge of many is
excellent advice, while the thoroughness of her work attests her belief
in this doctrine. The Methods Book contains a very complete biblio-
graphy of bird books. It is divided into three parts — Publications for
General Use, State Publications, and Regional Publications. This is
information of a kind eagerly sought by those who are buiklir. f ‘ ornitho-
logical libraries. The low price of these booklets should assure a wide
distribution.

A n

A CHICKADEE GUEST
illustration from Mrs, Funk’s book

* * * * *

"Birds of Oklahoma.”— An outstanding bird book of the year is “Birds
of Oklahoma ” by Margaret Morse Nice, published by the University
of Oklahoma at Norman, Okla. (price $2.25). This is a revised edition
of Mrs. Nice's earlier book, published in 1924, although the extent to

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

37

which it has been enlarged and rewritten makes it practicaly a new
work. It is a masterpiece of thoroughness. Even the casual reader is
certain to be impressed by the vast amout of data presented and the
amount of painstaking research work that has gone into its making.

The introductory portion of the book covers 50 pages and takes up
the history of Oklahoma ornithology, physical features of the state,
bird migration, suggestions for attracting birds, and kindred topics. A
complete list of "Itineraries and Reports of Field Workers in the State”,,
from 1719 up to the present time, is a unique and valuable feature.
The list of Oklahoma birds fills the greater part of the book; 385 forms
are treated. A number of halftones and maps illustrate the book, which
contains 224 pages. Mrs. Nice has given the bird students of Oklahoma
a book of great value, and one that is destined to remain a standard
work of reference for many future years.

* >r # # *

Chas J. Sinker's first renort for the Roosevelt Wild Life S^tion at
Syracuse, N. Y., was published a few months ago. It is entitled "A
Biological Reconnaissance of the Peterboro Swamp and the Labrador
Pond Areas,” and is published as VoL 6, No, 1 in their ‘Bulletin’ series,
Mr, Spiker, who is an Iowa ornithologist, has been working as Field
Naturalist for the Roosevelt Station for several veais. This publication
covers 1927, the first year of his work there. It contains a great deal
of information, is profusely illustrated, and is well worth reading,

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Our secretary, Mrs. Bailey, planned to present the membership roll
in the June issue, but it was postponed. After planning to have it in
this issue, it was again postponed as an economy measure. The roll
has not been published since 1929, and we hope to be able to print
it a little later on.

# * * * *

Burton W. Meltvedt, of Pauli in a, Iowa, is a new member of the
Union. Through an oversight, the name of Mrs. C. C. Flodin of Cedar
Rapids was not included with the new members listed in the June issue.

* $ $ * *

One of the sessions of the Wild Life School at McGregor during
August included a trip to the home of our treasurer, Oscar Allert, near
Giard. About fifty people viewed his fine collection of mounted Iowa
birds at that time. Mr. Allert is a taxidermist of real ability and the
collection he has assembled is quite representative and holds much in-
terest for students of Iowa ornithology. National, the home of Miss
Althea R. Sherman, is also near McGregor and many of the people who
attend the Wild Life School each year make a journey there to call on
this well known ornithologist. Miss Sherman’s home is filled with
p^intincs (all her own work), books, and many other valuable articles
of ornithological interest. Some of the buildings in which certain birds
have nested have become famous through the articles she has published
in The Auk and Wilson Bulletin. Of our officers, both Mrs. Bailey and

Walter Bennett attended the school this summer.

* * * * *

DuMont Retura to United States. — The following exeunt regarding
Philip A DuMont, one of our members, is taken from a July issue of a
Des Moines paper:

.... Phil landed in New York Wednesday. As a representative of
the American Museum of Natural History in New York he has been
for sixteen months on a bird collecting expedition in Madagascar. This

IOWA BIRD-LIFE

38

was a joint expedition sponsored by the American, Paris, and British
museums. The entire collection of 11,400 specimens, secured in this
expedition, was shipped to Paris where the three representatives have
concluded their work of dividing the birds for their respective museums.

A crested cuckoo, a fine now race of bird, was discovered by Phil on
the west coast of Madagascar and has been named “Coua cristata
dumonli” in honor of the Dos Moines ornithologist. It is described as
larger than a Blue Jay, greenish gray above, a gray crest and very
fluffy. The bare skin around the eye is said to be purple and blue and
and the throat of the bird pale lavender. The belly is pure white and
the outer tail feathers are tipped with white,

Phil is a Drake graduate and since receiving his diploma in 1926 has
lived in the east. On a scholarship he attended the National Recrea-
tional school in New York. . . . During that year he did part time work
for the American museum, with which he has since been identified.
Always interested in birds, Phil's first work was the unpacking, label-
ing, and classifying of birds secured on the Whitney expedition to the
South Sea islands for the American museum.

Walter W. Bennett, former president of the Iowa Ornitholo-
gists’ Union, has a series of three lectures illustrated by mov-
ing pictures which he is prepared to give before bird clubs or other
groups of interested people. One is called “Iowa Birds and is used to

create admiration for and
interest in some of Iowa's
beautiful birds. It con-
sists of original photo-
graphy, both moving pic-
tures and colored slides,
and lasts 1 r /z hours. An-
other lecture is “Island
Bird-life.” This explains
why islands are resorted
to by birds, and shows
thousands of interesting
birds of our Middle West,
with a talk on the game
hirds and conservation.
Moving pictures and col-
ored slides are used, and
the time is 1 hours.
“Siyo,” which consists of
1V 2 hours of moving pic-
tures, is the story of the
birds’ battle for existence
and shows the spring mat
ing dances and nesting of
the Prairie Chicken, one
of Iowa's most interest-
ing birds. This lecture
forms a strong appeal for
conservation of our re-
maining game birds.
Further information re-
garding the lectures may
e obtained from Mr. Bennett at Arnolds Park, Iowa.

IOWA BIRD-LIFE

IOWA BIRD-L1FE

is sent free to all members of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership dues
(including subscription) are one dollar a year. Special rate for all libraries, public
or college, fifty cents a year. Those living outside of Iowa may obtain the journal
for fifty cents a year. Ail dues are payable January 1. l

Editor — Fred J. Fierce, Winthrop, Iowa.

Asst. Editor — -0. E. Hoskinson, Clarinda, Iowa

Orders for reprints from articles or extra copies of the journal must be in the
hands of the editor before publication. Flease notify the editor promptly of change
of addre. s and state whether the new address is permanent or temporary.

Field Notes on Iowa birds, book news, and historical or biographical material
pertaining to Iowa ornithology are desired for publication.

BIRD LECTURES

FOR ALL OCCASIONS

By WALTER W. BENNETT, B. S.

Former President Iowa Ornithologists Union
Former President Sionx City (la.) Bird Club

“SIYO” — The only motion picture story of the complete life of
the Prairie Chicken; interesting, unusual, dramatic.

‘‘ISLAND BIRD LIFE” — High class entertainment and fascinat-
ing instructions in conservation. In natural colors and
movies.

“KNOW IOWA BIRDS” — Iowa is proud of her birds. This shows
them at home and teaches their colors. Of high edu-
cational value. In natural colors and movies.

And many other lectures.

For dates and rates apply to Walter W. Bennett, Arnolds, Park, la,

THE OOLOGIST

is the only publication on the
American Continent devoted to
those who are interested in col-
lecting, preserving, and study-
ing birds’ eggs. Fifty cents per
year.

THE OOLOGIST

Lacon, Illinois

Be t

Taxidermy
Artut

Marvelous
ook Sent

□ can note learn Tax*

FREE

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40

IOWA BIRD-LIFE

Bird Study Made Easy and
Interesting

Two New Bird Books by
Mrs. A. B. Funk

“METHODS OF BIRD STUDY”
Price 50c

‘BIRD-STUDY FIELD-BOOK”
Price 25c

One for leaders, one for stu-
dents, each supplementing the
other.

For all ages and seasons —
work for any amateur, from
kindergarden up, in school, club
camp, or home, for every month
of the year.

Appealing features of these
books are simplicity, uniqueness,
compactness, completeness, flex-
ibility of plan, adjustable form,
handy size, and low price.

For sale by

Iowa Pupils Reading Circle

415 Shops Building,

DES MOINES, IOWA.

Plane Siberian Iris
Now!

“Like Butterflies Poised on
Graceful Stems”

Snow Queen — -white. Blue King
— purple, Perry’s Blue — light
blue, Butterfly — mixed colors

One of each for 25c

Emperor — an immense black-
velvety purple — 40 g

Kingfisher — blue, imported
from England, choicest of all
irises- — $1.00 each

Strong, carefully grown plants
postpaid

SUNNYSLDE GARDENS,
JESSIE F. SHAMBAUGH,
CLARINDA, IOWA.

GLASS EYES— TAXIDERMISTS,
FURRIERS, TANNERS, TRAP-
PERS, FOX AND RABBIT
FUR FARMS— SUPPLIES

NOTICE — Save Money — Write for free catalogue of best sup-
plies, tools, also the best books ever printed on Taxidermy, Tan'
ning, Trapping, Fur Farming, Butterfly Collecting, Bird Library
and Collecting Eggs, Camping and Woodcraft, Home Manufac-
turing of Furs and Skins. Guaranteed wire fur stretchers for all
fur animals. Glass Indian Beads (25c) sample card. Manufac-
turers of glass eyes for mounted birds, animals, artificial baits,
lures, wooden decoy ducks, human beings, etc.

USE COUPON BELOW, SEND TODAY
F. Schumacher and Sons, 285 Halladay St.,

Jersey City, N. J. Dept. I. 0. U.

Please mail free catalogue — no obligations.

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