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BIRD LIFE

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PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE

IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION

VOL, IX JUNE, 1009 NO. 2

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OFFICERS OF THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION

President — 0. S. Thomas, Rock Rapids, Iowa
Vice-President- — Ellian A. Hemsley, Dubuque, Iowa
Sec’y-Treas. — Miss Kate E. LaMar, 1231 30th St.,

Des Moines. Iowa

Editor — Fred J. Pierce, Winthrop, Iowa

Executive Council:

J. Wilbur Dole, Fairfield, Iowa
Ivan L. Boyd. Floris, Iowa
B. 0. Wo 1 den, Estherville, Iowa

The Town Ornithologists' Union was organisted at Ames, Iowa, February 29,
192,'?. Tor the study and protection of native birds and to promote fraternal re-
lations among Iowa bird students.

The central design of the Union’s official seal is the Eastern Goldfinch, designated
State Bird of Iowa in 1933.

Publications of the Union: Mimeographed letters, 1923-192S; 'The Bulletin.*

1929-1930 ; "Iowa Bird Life,’ beginning 1931,

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In Iowa, $1.00 a year (includes j

membership titles). Outside of Iowa, 50c a year. Special rate j
for all libraries, 50c a year. Single copies 15c each, (Keep the j
Editor informed of your correct address.) !

EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION OFFICE

WINTHROP, IOWA

lured :ii? second -cl ass m;i

Her February 9,
under Use Art u

19 :3, at

March :j

post ylTiee at Winthrop, Iowa,

ry.

LEAST TERN NESTING HABITAT

THE LEAST TERN IN IOWA

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THE LEAST TEEN IN IOWA

By BRUCE F. STILES

Coi'xvrviirinn OfliiMMf
Coum-il UlulFs, Inwii

In the ‘Wilson Bulletin' for March, 1038, there appeared a note by
the writer on the nesting of the Least Tern (Sterna anliUarttm aniUtarnm)
in Iowa. During 1037, a total of 14 nests, 20 eggs and two fledglings
were found on the sand-bars of the Missouri River. Most of these
were found while I was with Dr. T. C. Stephens and W. W. Trusell.
During 1038, 14 nests, 28 eggs and 15 fledglings were found. The
Least Tern is considered rare in Iowa and listed by DuMont as “breed-
ing formerly”. In view of these facts, the following notes may prove
of interest.

In its northern migration the Least Tern arrives in northwestern
Iowa about the last week in May, Mating takes place shortly after
their arrival and thereafter they are usually seen feeding in pairs.
They feed along the Missouri River and on the ox-bow lakes which are
common in this locality. As the Missouri River reaches its highest
state during June and is very roily at that time, most of the early feed-
ing is done on the lakes. Figure 1 shows New Lake, typical of the ox-
bow lake feeding and breeding habitat. It is usually about the first
of August before the river has receded sufficiently to expose the sand-
bars and islands which form their nesting grounds. Their activities
are gradually transferred to the river as it recedes. Nidification starts
the last week in July and lasts throughout August. The young are
not all a-wing until the first week in September. They nest in small
colonies of ten or a dozen, but the nests are not close together, often
as much as 50 yards separating the nests.

Copulation takes place as soon as they are paired and continues
through June and July. The male diving for a small fish carries it
rdoft in his bill to a height of 20 or 30 feet. He then circles the pond,
uttering a shrill cry rapidly repeated that sounds to me like “gleek-
gleek-gleek”. The female flies vapidly to the male, coming over his
head, and. taking a position directly in front of him and turning her
head from side to side, flies in this position for a short distance. She
* hen plummets to the water, followed closely by the male. This action
is done in perfect unison, with the birds not more than a foot apart.
As they alight the female turns and takes the fish. The male is almost
on the back of the female as they alight and copulation takes place in-
stantly and lasts but a few seconds. The entire action takes place so
rapidly and the birds are so close together, I have thought the female
took the fish before they touched the water on some occasions. Some-
times I have seen the male, after catching a fish, fly excitedly around
the pond and call repeatedly with no response from the female. On
these occasions he swallowed the fish and resumed his hunting. On at
least one occasion I saw the same performance except that the birds
did not copulate.

The flood stage of the Missouri at Sioux City is 10 feet. Sand-bars
start to appear when the stage reaches about 8 feet. The maximum
stage of the Missouri River for 1937 was reached on June 21. when it
stood at 11.8 feet. The minimum was l.G feet, reached on September
23. The maximum for 1938 was reached during a spring freshet. This
was a stage of 13.2 on March 24. On June 28 the river stood at 11-5
feet, but the maximum summer rise was not reached until July 8,
when it stood at 12.7 feet.

Here is a table showing the river stage, together with the high and
low temperature on four of our river trips.

20

IOWA BIRD LIFE

■IX, 1939

Low temp,

59
72
68

80 5.5

three-fourths of a mile

River stage
8.4
2.9
7.2

High temp.

July 25. 1937 79

August 29. 1937 92

August 7, 1938 91

August 14. 1938 93

The Missouri River in June averages about
in width, and as the water recedes in the late summer it is divided into
several small courses by barren wastes of dry white sand with an occa-
sional weathered snag or bit of debris. This nesting habitat is shown
in Figure 2. These bars are from a few yards in area to 100 acres
or more. The bars chosen by the Least Tern are usually of good size
and dry. At the time of nesting the southern migration of many shore
binU is well under way and combined with the summer residents, the
locality is well populated. Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs, Solitary
Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Baird's Sandpipers, and Killdeers are
common. The migration of swallows is at its height, and flocks con-
taining several thousand specimens of Bank Swallows, Cliff Swallows
and others are in constant attendance. The Black Terns are here in
their fall plumage at this time, although they are not neatly so nu-
merous as the Least Terns, Crows are common on the bars, but they
have not yet started to congregate in their fall flocks. The Great Blue
Heron feeds on the bars at this season.

The eggs of the Least Tern are laid on the bare sand. Often they
are in a slight depression which suggests that the birds make some
attempt at nest-building. This, however, 1 do not believe to be the
case. Strong winds frequently blow across the sand-bars on which
the eggs are laid. During these windstorms the dry sand soon drifts
in around the eggs. In some instances they are completely covered.
After the storm the birds scoop the sand out from around the eggs;
this leaves them in a depression, thus giving them the appearance of
having been laid in a sort of nest. Figure 8 shows three eggs in a slight
depression.

The usual clutch of eggs is three, although many nests had only two
and some but one. That these nests with two and one eggs were at
least in some instances completed clutches, was evident by the fact
that on two occasions I broke open single eggs and found that incuba-
tion was almost completed. In one case where there was only one
egg it was found to be nearly half covered with sand. A previous rain
had caused large chunks of wet sand to adhere to it so that it had the
appearance of an abandoned nest. The egg was opened and the fetus
was found to be alive. It appeared to be about ready to emerge from
the shell. At no time did 1 see a bird incubating the eggs. It may be
that this job is left, at least partially, to the hot rays of the sun. The
sand here becomes so hot that it is uncomfortable to the bare hand
and the heat remains well into the night. Temperatures at this time
of year frequently go well above 100 3 Fahrenheit in this locality, and
the August average is 72.5.

The chicks when hatched are covered with a yellowish natal down,
with a few darker spots which are more abundant around the head,
This turns to more of a gray as the bird grows older, and the spotted
effect becomes more pronounced. The newly-hatched chicks are unite
altrical and do not stir from the nest for a time. In a number of in-
stances I have found an egg and a newlv-hntehed chic k together, which
is the only way one can tell that the chick did not leave the place it
was hatched since the nest is poorly defined.

The downy chicks shortly after hatching are from two and one-fourth
to two and one-half inches long. At one week old they -''c about three
and one-half inches long and postnatal molt has begun. Th“ tiny young
when first hatched do not irv to conceal themselves and will peer) plain-
tively when approached. Blightly larger chicks would “freeze’' onlv
when approached at very close range. At a week of age the chick is

THE LEAST TERN IN IOWA

OX A RIVER TRIP

W. \V. Tnisi'll (left) ami Dr. T. 0- Stt-iiheiis, ithutogwiphed by Bruce F. Stiks.

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a past master at the art of camouflage and when lying perfectly motion-
less in a depression in the sand or a crack in the baked mud, represents
an almost perfect example of protective coloration. A chick observed
by the writer on August 29, 1937, was timed and though handled and
photographed a dozen times, lay perfectly motionless for an hour and
loity minutes. At the end of this lime I was holding it in my hand
and it jumped to the ground and ran. It ran for over a hundred yards
and was finally lost to sight over a hummock of sand. This chick is
shown in Figure 4.

On a windy day when a veritable sandstorm was in progress, I came
upon a number of very young chicks. In two instances when I placed
my hand in front of the chick it immediately climbed into my hand and
cuddled down in my palm out of the storm. Slightly older clucks would
not move a muscle under the same circumstances.

During all the experiences with both nests and young, the old birds
continually scolded from overhead and would often swoop down to
within a few inches of my helmet. The call of alarm at this time
sounded to me like “sweek, zweek, 2 week. zweek”, uttered quite rapidly
and repeated about four times. When the birds swooped down very
close they made a noise that sounded like “click, cli.'k.” Their most
common call when fishing undisturbed was a single call of “gueek,"
sometimes repeated. There was another call which the old birds used
when they were some distance from us. This sounded like a domestic
hen calling her chicks.

Their southern migration takes place duiing the early part of Sep-
tember,

From the foregoing observations it would seem that the date of
nesting is determined by the river, as nesting does not take place until
the river has receded sufficiently to expose suitable sand-bars. It seems
odd that mating and copulation should take place so long before the
first eggs are laid, but this may be accounted for by the circumstances
that make their nesting habitat unavailable for so long a period after
their arrival in the spring.

Irrespective of the status of the Least Tern in this area in the past,
it can now be listed as a common summer breeder without question.

IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1939

O')

BIRD XEST ECOLOGY IX CENTRAL IOWA

By EMMETT POLDERBOER

The month of June, from an ecological standpoint, is a vital period
in the lives of song birds in Iowa. An investigation on nesting birds
in the Northwoods on Iowa State College property, Ames, Iowa, re-
vealed some interesting data on selection of nest sites, bird-plant re-
lations and biotic relations among the birds on the area in 1938. These
studies were carried on under the direction of Dr. George 0. Hendrick-
son,

The Northwoods is a 30-acre tract of virgin forest composed, for
the most part, of upland oak-hickory association and hood-plain maple-
linden association. An assoces of shrubs borders the northern edge
of the woods and extends into the woods to some extent. A small
stieam, Clear Creek, passes diagonally through the woods from south-
west to northeast, leaving a flood plain 250 feet wide in some places.

Nesting pairs of birds were censused by location of singing males,
females carrying food to young, and by direct search for visible nests
containing eggs and young. Parasitic Cow birds were censused by tak-
ing the average number of females seen over a period of ten days,
The number of birds nesting, feeding young or acting as parasites from
June 15 to 25 was found to number 11, 1C and t> respectively. Singing
males whose mates and nests could not be located numbered 10, thus
making a possible total of 43 nesting pairs, representing 22 species.

Nesting pairs of birds found nesting on the area are as follows:
Cooper's Hawk (I), Mourning Dove (3), Western House Wren (6),
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2), Brown Thrasher (2), Northern Flicker
(1), Eastern Cardinal (3), Black-capped Chickadee (2), Red-eyod Tow-
hee (3), Catbird (2), Eastern Chipping Sparrow (1), Ruby-throated
Hummingbird (1), Wood Thrush (3), Red-bellied Woodpecker (1),
Red-headed Woodpecker (1), Northern Crested Flycatcher (2). Eastern
Phoebe (1), Eastern Wood Pewee (1), Red-eyed Vireo (1), Northern
Downy Woodpecker (2), and Gcwbird (C females).

It is of interest to note that all these nesting birds, with the excep-
tion of the Cooper's Hawk nested in the maple-linden or the shrub areas.
Some of the birds not nesting in the oak-hickory association were ob-
served to feed within the limits of this area, though with caution. The
apparent reason for this caution was the presence of the hawks. Danger
from hawk predation was increased when three downy young Cooper's
Hawks hatched on June 17, a late date for a hatch of this species.
Hence most of our song birds were hatching just at a time when the
normally hatched hawk families should have been well grown. With
this point in mind it is conceivable that most of the small birds present
in the Northwoods had adequate reason to leave nearly a third of its
area virtually deserted as far as nesting and feeding were concerned.

Occasionally, as the author passed through the woods, an adult
Cooper's Hawk would flush from a tree, uttering a sharp “kak-kak-kak"
which was followed by a cessation of songbird activity in that section
of the woodland. At the utterance of these notes, on several occasions.
Chickadees were observed to remain perfectly motionless as though
struck wiih fear; some others were seen to settle into nearby hazel
thickets until the hawk had left the immediate vicinity.

Since this investigation dealt with nest census the author did not
check on the foods eaten by the hawks. Such an investigation would
have, undoubtedly, yielded some valuable data on song bird mortality,
especially among juvenile song birds leaving the nests that had been
under observation.

From the foregoing observations it should not be inferred that the
oresence of the hawks alone limited the nesting territory of the song
birds, since Eendeigh (1934) demonstrated that vegetation, humidity,

THE SPIRIT LAKE CONVENTION

'23

temperature, and food play an important part in affecting the nest
location of birds. Foods used by many of the birds in the maple-linden
area were measuring worms, flies and some bugs; these perhaps may
have been more palatable or more abundant than those forms of in-
jects found in the more open oak-hickory woods. In relation to humid-
ity and temperature, Aikman and Smelser (1938) found that the maple-
linden association had the highest humidity and the least temperature
variation; whereas the shrub area had the least percentage of humidity
and the greatest range of temperature change. From these data it can
be readily seen that some birds sensitive to change of temperature
should benefit by nesting in the maple-linden area. As for foliage and
density of vegetation, in small areas, the shrub type possessed these
qualifications. The oak-hickory had some of the good qualities of both
other woodland types inasmuch as some shrub patches were present to
produce dense foliage, and the temperature and humidity varied less
than in the shrub area. In o*her similar wooded areas some birds are
often found using oak-hickory woods to a marked degree for nesting.
It is very probable that the oak-hickory association did not offer as
much attraction as the other two areas did and the added menace of a
Cooper's Hawk family tended to act as a final deciding factor on the
attractiveness of the oak-hickory area as a nesting ground for song
birds. Had the hawks not been present, it is entirely possible that the
Northwoods might have been utilized by at least three or four nesting
pairs of song birds in addition to those that were present on the area.
In the maple-linden area the iclatively dense population of nesting
birds showed some interesting biotic reactions. The male Cardinals
were apparently very jealous of their nesting territory, and the author
frequently had occasion to observe several bouts of feather-picking and
chases when some unsuspecting woodpecker or Catbird encroached on
father Cardinal's domain. Cardinals and Crested Flycatchers quarreled
among themselves even more than they did with others.

After reading Kendeigh’s account of the interactions of Eastern
House Wrens, it was interesting to note that three Western House
Wren families were concentrated within a radius of three rods of one
another and seemingly were neighboring peaceably.

Another interaction worthy of note was the parasitism of nests by
Cowbirds. Nearly every nest of ground- and shrub-nesting birds was
parasitized. Those species suffering parasitism were Towhees, Cardi-
nals, Wood Thrushes, Brown Thrashers, and Catbirds. Towhees and
Catbirds were parasitized to the greatest extent. The only aggression
on the part of host birds toward the Cowbird was restricted to the
Cardinals as nearly as could be determined by observation.

LITERATURE CITED
Aikman, J. M. and Smelser, H. W.

1938. Structure and Environment of a Forest Community In
Central Iowa. Ecology 19 (1).

Kendeigh, S. C.

1934. The Role of Environment in the Lives of Birds. Ecological
Monographs, 4 (3).

THE SPIRIT LAKE CONVENTION

By KATE E. LA MAR

Si'c'y-Ti'cusiUTr, Inwa Oruitholn^ixt.s' Uiunu

The seventeenth annual meeting of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union
was called to order in the high school auditorium, Spirit Lake, Iowa,
on Friday morning. May 12, 1939. An address of welcome was given
by W. B. Bedell, president of the Spirit Lake Commercial Club, to
which Judge 0. S. Thomas responded.

24

IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1931)

The morning program was opened by C. W. Price of Spirit Lake.
He spoke on birds of the Iowa Great Lakes region in the earlier days,
and mentioned many birds he remembered seeing when a lad on the
farm — Passenger Pigeon, Sandhill Crane, Long-billed Curlew, Golden
and Upland Plovers, Canada Goose, Loon, Cormorant, and others which
were abundant 50 years ago and are scarce or extinct now. Dr. Mary
Roberts followed his talk with a description of the birds to be seen
on a held trip in the same region at the present time.

Dr. George Hendrickson of Iowa State College talked on Quail man-
agement in Iowa, and reported that farmers were helping very materi-
ally in the work of feeding and furnishing shelter tor Quail. M. F.
Baker followed Dr, Hendrickson with a paper on ‘Prairie Chickens in
Southeast Iowa." describing fields and areas on which the birds were
found, with studies of their general habits. Slides were used to illus-
trate this talk. The range of Prairie Chickens is limited, and agricul-
tural practices can play a destructive or constructive part in the future
of the bird.

Jessop B. Low, Iowa State College, gave a paper on '“Diving Duck;
of Northwest Iowa," a study of Redheads and Ruddy Ducks which nested
over water in dense vegetation. Of i‘>4 nests observed, 42 were Red-
head and 22 were Ruddy Duck. The Redheads nested in large seirpus,
while the Ruddy nested in small curex. Predators, instability of water-
level, desertion of nests and infertile eggs were the chief causes of loss
of nests. Emmett Polderboer gave a paper on "Rutfed Grouse in North-
east Iowa," in which he described his observations in the last six years.
Molting birds were found in jewel-weed cover; in some areas the birds
preferred sandstone and limestone bluffs; in winter hilltops with oak
and hickory woods about 20 feet high make desirable haunts.

The afternoon session, also in the high school auditorium, began with
the showing of two very excellent moving picture reels on the methods
of trapping and banding birds, by J, F. Thompson of the Biological
Survey. Any groups not familiar with the work of banding would do
well to write the Bureau anti get these reels for showing.

The topic, “Spring and Fall Plumage of Our Common Waterfowl,"
was discussed and illustrated with skins, by Jack Musgrove. A marked
difference was noted in species of Snovellers, Baldpates, Pintail, Green-
winged and Blue-winged Teal. A very interesting discussion of "Re-
cent Advances in Experimental Ornithology" was given by Dr. W. N.
Keck of Coe College, Cedar Rapids. Dr. Keck thought one should
study anatomical, functional and physiological phases. He spoke of
experimental work done on color changes, migration, feathering, and
other physiological developments. Walter Rosen read a paper tm his
observations of the Great Horned Owl. He has been observing the
nests of these birds for six years, in an area 8 ^ miles south of Ogden.

The activities of the various bird clubs in Iowa were described briefly
by representatives from the clubs of Atlantic, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids,
Des Moines, Dubuque, Sioux City and Spirit Lake. The Roundtable
discussion proved to be quite lengthy and very interesting, and a num-
ber of persons took part in describing the nesting or migration of these
birds in respective parts of the state: Swamp Sparrow, Clay-colored
Sparrow. Lark Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Pine Siskin. Cardinal, Blue-
bird, and Eastern Meadowlark,

The business meeting followed the afternoon program. The reading
of the minutes of the last meeting was omitted. The Secretary-
Ti easurer’s report was read and accepted, and this officer was given
a vote of thanks, as was the Editor, also. The Nominating Committee,
composed of Messrs. Stiles, Wolden and Graesing, submitted a list of
officers (as given on the title page of this issue) who were elected.
Invitations for the 1940 convention of the Union, from Dubuque, Sioux
City and another for a joint convention with the Nebraska Ornitholo-
gists’ Union, were read and discussed at length, with Dubuque, whose
invitation had also been given in 1958, being finally chosen. The ques-

THE SPIRIT LAKE CONVENTION

^5

tion of days for the meeting was brought up but the decision was left
for a later date.

The Secretary-Treasurer called attention to the fact that the shoot-
ing season on Wood Ducks would soon be open for sportsmen. A mo-
tion made later read: “Moved, that we recommend to the U, S. Bio-
logical Survey and the Secretary of Agriculture that a closed season
on Wood Ducks be provided unless it be first determined from actual
facts that there is a shootable surplus of sufficient size to merit the
open season/' A letter voicing this opinion of tne Union was written
;,nd sent to the Biological Survey by the Secretary-Treasurer under
date of May 20. 1931).

The Friday evening banquet was held in the Antlers Hotel with S3
persons present. Singing was led by R. F. Doudna. The former presi-
dents of the Union who were present were introduced and short speeches
were made on the growth of the organization since 1923. The speaker
of the evening, Waiter W, Bennett, former president of the Un:on. was
introduced by Judge Thomas. Mr. Bennett spoke on “Mountain Bird
Li^e ,, and illustrated his very interesting talk with slides and moving
pictures of bird and plant life.

After the Saturday field trip, a luncheon was held at Gull Point, and
a most satisfying lunch it was. The bird list was compiled and various
matters were discussed. It was moved and seconded that ! he Secretary
write a note of sympathy to Miss Winifred Gilbert concerning the re-
cent death of her brother and to regret her inability to attend the
meeting. Cards signed by several members were sent to her.

Attendance Register. — -AMES, Maurice F. Baker. Dr. and Mrs. G. 0.
Hendrickson, Emmett Poklerboer; ARNOLDS PARK, Mr. and Mrs. A.
F. Becker, Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Benit, Mr. and Mrs, Fred Bennett, F.
W. Davis, Hattie Elston. Mrs, F. E. and Mabel Henderson, Annette
Libby, Mr. Townsend, Dr. Ward; CEDAR FALLS. Dr. Martin Grant;
CEDAR RAPIDS, Mrs. C. C. Flodin, Dr. W. N. Keck, Mr. and Mrs. E.
.1. Petranek, Lillian Serbousek; COUNCIL BLUFFS, Bruce Stiles; DES
MOINES, Kate LaMar, Jack Musgrove, J. F. Thompson: DUBUQUE,
Ethan Hemsley, Henry Hermann. Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Johnson. Margaret
Kohlman. Mary Young; ESTHERVILLE, Elizabeth Colt, Drs. G. G.
and Sarah Griffith, Golda Harper, Helen Miller, Mrs. J, B. Osher, Jean-
nette Watson, Mr. and Mrs. B. O. W olden; FLORIS, Ivan Boyd; IOWA
CITY, Malcolm McDonald; OGDEN. Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Rosen, Marv
Sturtz; ORLEANS, Mis. A. T. Stephens; POMEROY, Mr. and Mrs. M.
L. Jones; ROCK RAPIDS, Mr. and Mrs. 0. S. Thomas; RUTHVEN,
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Low; SIOUX CITY. Mrs. Mary Bailey, Ivarl Ken-
mann, Dr. and Mrs. T. C. Stephens, Mr. and Mrs. Win, Youngworth;
SPIRIT LAKE, Deioras Baker, W. B. Bedell. L. K. Bennett, Rev. and
Mrs. G. F. Butler, Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Carlton. Mrs. Bernard Carver.
Mrs. Mabel Chalfee. Rev. R. H. Cox, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Doudna, Hazel
Drake. Mr. Fulton, Mr. and Mrs, Gollinghorst, Phyllis Grainge. Mr.
and Mrs. Howard Graesing, J, H, Hoick, Grace Kettleson, Mr. and Mrs.
B. A. LaDoux, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. LaDoux, Hertha Madsen, Mrs, Stella
Macdonald, Rachel McQuirk, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Messingev, Mrs.
W. M. Moreland, Mr. and Mrs. II, E* Navey, Karleen and Laura Olson,
Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Price, Dr. and Mrs. F. L. R. Roberts. Mr. and Mrs.
R. W, Raebel. Mr, and Mrs, Leo Smith, Mrs. Lvdia Snow, Dr. Ruth
Wolcott; SPRINGDALE. Mary E. Roberts; SUMNER. Margaret Hur-
ley; WATERLOO. Lucile and Mvra Loban. Wanda Wilharm : WEST
DES MOINES. Mr. and Mrs, W. A. Kinnaird; LOS ANGELES, CALIF..
Walter W. Bennett, Total registered, 113.

Birds Seen on the Field Trip. — Spirit Lake region, Dickinson County,
Iowa; May 13, 5:30 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. Clear and calm: temp. 00 .

Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue. Green and Black-crowned Night
Herons, Am. Bittern, Mallard. Gadwali. Baldpate, Pintail, Blue-winged
Teal, Shoveller, Redhead, Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Cooper's, Marsh and

IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1939

26

Sparrow Hawks, Ring-necked Pheasant, Hungarian Partridge, King and
Sora Rails, Am, Coot, Semipalmated, Black-bellied and Upland Plovers,
Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, Spotted, Solitary, Pectoral, Baird s, Least, Stilt
and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser fellow-legs, Hudson-
lan God wit. Northern Phalarope, Herring, King-billed and Franklin's
Gulls, Forster’s, Common and Black Terns, Mourning Dove, Yellow-
billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-thr. Hummingbird, Belted King-
fisher, f licker, Yellow-bellied SapsucKer, Red-headed, Hairy and Downy
Woodpeckers, Eastern and Arkansas Kingbirds, Phoebe, Crested and
Least Flycatchers, Tree, Bank, Rough-wmged, Barn and Cliff Swallows,
Furpie Martin, Blue Jay, Crow, Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch.
House and Prairie Marsh Wrens, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Robin,
Wood, Olive-backed, Gray-cheeked and Willow , Thrushes, Bluebird,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Migrant Shrike, Starling, Yehow-throated, Red-
eyed and Warbling Vireos, Black and White, Tenn., Orange-crowned,
Nashville, Parula, fellow, Magnolia, Myrtle, Chestnut-sided, Black-poll,
Palm and Wilson's Warblers, Grinnell’s and Louisiana Water-thrushes,
Northern Yellow-throat, Redstart, Bobolink, Western Meadowlark, Yel-
low-headed and Rod-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Oriole, Bronzed
Grackle, Cowbird, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo
Bunting, Dickcissel, Goldfinch, Red-eyed Towhee, English, Savannan,
Grasshopper, Vesper. Chipping, Clay-colored, Field, Harris’s, White-
crowned, Gambol's, White-throated, Lincoln’s, Swamp and Song Spar-
rows. Total, 128 species.

GENERAL NOTES

Norlhern Pileatod Woodpecker in Butler County. On February 25,

1939, I saw a Pileated Woodpecker near Finchford, about one-hall mile
west of the Black Hawk- Butler County line. It was in a timber of
white elm, silver maple, bur oak and basswood, and as far as I could
learn from people in the neighborhood, it had been noticed several
times over a period of two weeks. DuMont (1938) docs not give a
record of this bird for Butler County, so I believe this is worth re-
cording.— EMMETT B. POLDERBOEK, New Hartford, Iowa.

Red-eyed Towhee Winters in Emmet County.- — F. H. Davis of the
State Conservation Commission reports seeing a male Red-eyed Towhee
several times during the winter of 1938-39 on the shore of Ryan Lake
in central Emmet County, southeast of Estherville. The bird was usually
seen in a plum thicket on the north shore of the lake, sheltered from
north winds by a high bank. Weeds near by, principally marsh elders
and ragweed, furnished an abundance of weed seeds. A field of soy
beans left for pheasants and other game birds was not far away, but
the Towhee was never seen in this field. The bird was seen by Mr.
Davis on December 20, January 7 and 20, February 9 and 27, and
March 1.— MARY PRICE ROBERTS, Ph.D., Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Mockingbird in Winter at Sioux City. — When driving through Grand
View Park on February 12, 1939, I saw what at first sight appeared
to be a Catbird. The bird, which was feeding on Russian olives, was
very dark, and it was not until it flew, and I saw the light wing bars
and outer tail feathers, that I realized it was a Mockingbird. It re-
mained in the same clump of trees until I could bring my friend, Mrs,
W. J. Armour, to verify my identification. It was seen again on Feb-
ruary 14 and March 10, by six different bird students. On February
10 the temperature registered 18 below zero, but by having a food
supply the Mockingbird had been able to withstand the changes in
winter weather in northwest Iowa.— MRS. MARIE DALES, Sioux City,
Iowa.

GENERAL NOTES

A Mockingbird Winters at Atlantic. — While a pair of Mockingbirds
have nested a few miles from Atlantic during two previous summers, it
was not until the past winter that we have had the bird as a winter
resident. The bird was first recorded on December 11, 1938, by Mr.
and Mrs. Glenn Jones. Later it was seen by other members of the At-
lantic Bird Club. On February 11, 1939, the Mockingbird was at my
feeding-station which is on a south dining-room window. Snow was
five inches deep on this date. The bird was weak and seemed almost
unable to swallow. We felt sure it would not survive the period of
deep snow. Yet it did, for I spent an hour or more watching it feed-
ing in the yard of our club president, Miss Alma Beckwith, on February
19, and it was back at my window station on March (5. It looked hale
and hearty on this occasion. During a warm spell shortly before this
it was heard singing at night.

Other unusual winter residents have been a pair of Robins, a Bronzed
Grackle, and a Red-headed Woodpecker in Mrs. Arthur Lee's garden.
The unusually mild winter explains the presence of these birds.— MRS.
BILLY WILLIAMS, Atlantic, Iowa.

Mockingbird in Winter at Fairfield. — Members of the Fairfield Bird
Club were much interested in a Mockingbird that fed quite regularly
at some of the feeding- boards in the eastern part of t airfield, Mrs.
A. E. Labagh first observed it on January 29, 1939. She notified others,
including the author, who succeeded in getting a good view of the bird
through nis field glass. The bird had the white markings of a Mock-
ingbird in tail and wings, but its other parts were so dark that in a
general way it appeared to be more like the book illustrations and de-
scriptions of the Townsend’s Solitaire. The Solitaire, however, has a
white eye-ring which was not discernible in this bird; and then it is
only on the hypothetical list for Iowa.

The questioning as to the identity of the bird created a desire to
capture it, and on March 2 Prof. Grover C, Hawk of Parsons College
succeeded in trapping the bird. It was kept under observation for a
few days and was measured and critically examined by Prof, Hawk,
Prof. Charles Carter and the author. All three were unanimous in
pronouncing it a Mockingbird. The measurements were close to the
minimum given for Mockingbirds. The bird was dark slate-colored
or blackish all over with the exception of white on the outer tail
feathers, white wing-patch and two brownish-gray wing-bars. The con-
cealed parts of the feathers on the bird's underparts were lighter in
color than the tips, indicating that with wear the underparts might
become lighter in color. Why this bird was so dark was an enigma.

Mockingbirds were known to be in Jefferson County 35 to 40 years
ago and then disappeared and were not observed again until 1934. A
few have been seen each year since in different parts of the county,
but this is the first record of one having wintered here. The bird was
photographed by Dr. Nitz of Parsons College. It was banded and then
liberated. It was reported to have returned to the feeding-boards
which it frequented before it was trapped, — J, WILBUR DOLE, Fair-
field, Iowa.

Mallards Wintering at Cones ville. — Mallards stayed at the marsh near
Conesville, Iowa, all winter. They stayed around open water near
springs and fed in the corn fields. We recorded at least two Mallards
every week-end all winter. No other ducks were known to winter on
the marsh. On February 19, 1939, following a few days of rather
warm weather, we saw a flock of six Pintails. Between that date and
March 11, we saw only Mallards, but about March 11 the Pintails ar-
rived in thousands and were seen in huge flocks, feeding in corn and
sov bean fields. — MARY E. ROBERTS, West Liberty, and JACK W.
MUSGROVE, Des Moines, Iowa.

IOWA BIRD LIFE — IX, 1939

2S

Whistling Swans at Conesville. — On April 23, 1939, we saw a flock
of seven Whistling” Swans on the Marsh at Conesville, Iowa. The birds
arc said to have arrived on April 22, and were last seen on April 25.
They were very tame and could be approached to within a few hundred
feet without becoming alarmed. — MARY E. ROBERTS, West Liberty,
VELMA ROBERTS, Iowa City, and JACK W. MUSGROVE, Des
Moines, Iowa.

Birds at a Roadside Pond. — ‘On our way home from the Spirit Lake
convention on May 14, 1939, we (Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Petra nek, Mrs.
C. C. Flodin, Dr. Warren Keck and I) made what we consider some
unusual observations of shore birds. At a roadside pond, about one
mile west of Lakota, in Kossuth County, we saw about lOu individuals
Duds of 19 species. Included in these were 5 Western Willets, 12
Hudsonian Godwits, 8 Marbled Godwits, 7 Dowitchers, 4 Wilson's Phal-
aropes, besides 25 to 30 Black Terns, Green-winged Teal. Blue-winged
veal, Shoveler and Pintail Ducks, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated
Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellow- legs, Kdldeer, Semipalmated
Plover, Red-winged Blackbird and Meadowlark.- — LILLIAN SERBOU-
SEK, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Bewick’s Wren at Fairfield in March. — At five o’clock on the morn-
ing of March 15, 1939, Clay Harwood, a rural mail carrier, heard a
scratching and fluttering at his door, and through the glass panel he
saw a small bird that was apparently seeking admission. He opened
the door and the bird flew into the house at once. It seemed to enjoy
getting out of the biting, cold northwest wind and into warm quarters,
it is said that the early bird gets the worm, but this bird was too early
for worms to be thawed out on such a morning. It was probably at-
tracted to the door by the light shining through the panel, but why
was it astir so early? As neither Mr. Harwood nor the members of
his family knew what kind of bird it was, the writer was called in to
identify it. It was a Bewick’s Wren, a rare bird in this locality but
one that has been observed intermittently for the past 30 years. The
bird was taken to Parsons College where it was banded by Professors
Chas. Carter and Grover C. Hawk, then set free, — J. WILBUR DOLE,
Fair tie Id, Iowa.

Gol den- winged and Kentucky Warblers in Allamakee County. — On

May 11. 1939, I saw a Golden-winged Warbler in a partly-submerged
wooded area near the mouth of the Yellow River, in Allamakee County,
Iowa. The bird was bathing in a shallow pool and was seen at close
lange in sunlight, though it took its departure as soon as discovered.
A little later in the morning of the same day, a Kentucky Warbler was
observed by Oscar P. Allert, Rev. M. C. Melcher and me, about a
r.uavter-mile south of the village of Waukon Junction. We were follow-
ing the railway embankment and watching various birds to be seen in
\he heavy river timber lying on either side. The very sharp, distinc-
tive song of the Kentucky was heard in brush just in front of us, after
which the bird ascended the bluff and sang intermittently from trees
on the hluffside. I made my way up the side of the bin If until I was
on a level with the singing Kentucky and had a good view of it through
binoculars. In a few moments it dropped down far enough so that my
two companions had opportunity to study it to their satisfaction. This
territory embraces some of the best warbler country in the state. It
was an ideal morning for bird work and the woods were alive with
warblers and other spring migrants. We obtained a good list of warb-
lers including three ProLhonotary Warblers at the mouth of the Yel-

low River. — FRED J. PIERCE.

GENERAL NOTES

29

European Widgeon in the Spirit Lake Region.— ^On May 13, 1939.

Jack Musgrove observed a European Widgeon on a slough north of
Big Spirit Lake, just over the state line in Minnesota. Later, on the
same day, we and a group of eight, other people saw this bird again.
It was studied with both held glasses and telescope. It was in a mixed
flock of Pintails, Redheads, Gadwalls and Baldpates, The bird had a
distinctly red-brown head and gray back, in contrast to the Baldpate,
and had a cream-colored forehead-patch. When it flew, it showed light
shoulder-patches. — MARY E. ROBERTS, West Liberty, and JACK W.
MUSGROVE, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paved Roads Make Belter Living for Crows.^The food of Cl'OWS
may be unusually varied, as necessity demands. The Crow makes the
most of opportunities and is able to get along even under the most
adverse conditions', I havt noticed a concentration of Crows along
payed highways in eastern Iowa during the winter months. Birds and
animals killed on the highway, always a food source for the Crow, arc
much more enticing in winter when other food is hard to find. Crows
were quick to recognize the benefits of the paved road as a food pro-
vider, and as years go by and the speed of motor vehicles is increased,
the road becomes an important source of revenue for this bird.

Many rabbits are killed by automobiles at night. Early in the
morning small groups of Crows forage along the paving and find these
bodies. They are disposed of promptly — oaten on the spot, for the
Crow does not carry away anything as large as a rabbit. The degree
of accuracy to which a Crow can judge the speed of an approaching
auto is remarkable. He flies up when the auto is near, but in plenty
of time, and lights on a fence post. The moment the auto has passed
he drops to the road and to his meal. Only on very rare occasions is
a Crow struck by an auto. ;i Rabbits killed during daytime do not lie
long before they are discovered by Crows. Freshly killed rabbits must
be equally attractive to winter resident hawks, but I have never seen
one take a rabbit from the paving. Rabbits and occasional squirrels
and cats are the chief highway victims in winter. In other seasons the
toll includes a wide variety of birds and mammals. Much poultry is
killed on the highway in summer, but Crows will not take this food
unless it is a safe distance from farm buildings.

During our unusually severe winter in January and February, 193b,
on many nights the temperature would drop to 30-25 degrees below
zero, while a high northwest wind would semi the snow swirling in all
directions. Arctic blasts such as these caused me to wonder where
neighbor Crow was roosting, and how, indeed, he could survive the
long nights and bitter cold. Morning would find him bright and active,
flving about the fields or clown the course of the paving in search of
his breakfast, giving voice to his thoughts in familiar Crow language.
Nothing daunts this hardy bird, and he lives beside us year after year,
whether we like him or not.-— FRED J. PIERCE.

Publications on Iowa Ornithology During 193 S.

Aitken, W. W. Records of the Woodcock in Iowa; Wils. Bull., L,
p. 64.

Bartlett. Wesley H. Bird Banding at Parsons College; Proc. la.
Acad. Sci.. XLIV. 1937, pp. 183-187 (issued in 1938).

Bennett, Logan J. The Blue-winged Teal: Its Ecology and Manage-
ment; Collegiate Press. Ames. Iowa. 1938. pp. I-xiv J- 1-14-1. Redheads
and Rurldv Ducks Nesting in Iowa; Trans. 3rd N. Am. Wildlife Confer-
ence. 1938, pp, 647-650.

In :i v« v uorrliu-lith paju'r on A\ if.C iV Unruilhy mu I im- MUfliways” in flu- \»\

Ik-". I LOSS. > - - in- if tin 1 httffirtiH M il'fu'i V ft mill 'xt (jiji. j t. Tln>,. s -nit *nlm-
liiriU found Lcail w.iOr 1 . ■ ■ rrn\V> <1 j,;i44 miles in ■ :: fovv:t -mintu-* .iumur l
Thirty spevk- of hmU i > I ‘J i udh nUuib) v.vil- found, l-ui tin- tv is tint nut? i.Toyc
nn tlip list!

30

IOWA BIRD LIFE— IX, 1039

Bennett, Logan J., and George 0. Hendrickson* Censusing Quail in
Early Fall; Jour. Wildlife Management, II, pp. 169-171. Censusing the
Ringneck Pheasant in Iowa; Trans. 3rd N. Am. Wildlife Conference,
1938, pp, 719-723,

Biological Survey (U. S.) Bird Migration Memorandum No. 3; April
30, 1938, pp. 1-57.

■ Bird-Lore 1 . Christmas bird censuses from Iowa, XL, pp. 58-59.

Calhoun, John B. 193S Swift Banding at Nashville and Clarksville;
Migrant, IX, pp. 77-81 flowa records, p. 81).

Coffey, Ben B., Jr, Blackbird Banding in the Mid-South-1; Migrant,
IX, pp. 59-63, 73-76.

Cooke, May Thacher. Returns of Banded Birds: Recoveries of Band-
ed Marsh Birds; Bird-Banding, IX, pp. 80-87 (Iowa record, p. 87).

Crabb, Wilfred D. Mockingbirds in Western Iowa; Wils. Bull., L, p.
59. Fall Records of Golden Plover in Iowa; ibid., p. 139.

Errington, Paul L. The Marsh Hawk and Its Hunting; Bird- Lore,
XL. pp. 115-119.

Errington, Paul L., and W. J. Breekenridge, Food Habits of Buteo
Hawks in North-central United States; Wils. Bull., L, pp. 113-121.
Food Habits of Small Falcons in North-central States; Auk, LV, pp.
668-670.

Errington, Paul L., and F. N. Hamerstrom, Jr. Observations on the
Effect of a Spring Drought on Reproduction in the Hungarian Par-
tridge; Condor. XL, pp. 71-73.

Fvilcy, Charles E. Jr,. Logan J. Bennett, and George O. Hendrick-
son. The American Coot in Iowa; Wils. Bull., L, pp. 31-86.

Haecker, F. W. An Unusually Heavy Migration of Blue and Lesser
Snow Geese Up the Missouri River in the Spring of 1937; Nebr. Bird
Review, VI, p. 9. Some Missouri River Bird Notes for the Spring of
1937; ibid., pp. 9-10.

Hendrickson, George 0., and Charles Swan. Winter Notes on the
Short-eared Owl; Ecology, XIX, pp. 584-588.

‘Iowa Bird Life.' 48 articles referring to Iowa birds in Vol. VIII.

Nauman, E, D. The ‘Round Robin Letters’ of E. D. Nauman; Oolo-
gist, LV. pp. 2-3, 14-16, 33-35, 69-71, 93-95, 93-100, 110-111, 122-124,
134-136.

Pierce. Fred J. E. B. Webster, Pioneer Ornithological Publisher;
Wils. Bull., L. pp. 47-55.

Roberts, Thos. S. The Season: Minnesota Region; Bird-Lore, XL
(Iowa notes, p. 373),

Ross, William Graham. Bird Notes from the Journal of a Nature
Lover; privately published, 1938. pp. i-xiv-|- 1-169,

Scott. Thomas G. American Knot in Iowa; Auk, LV, pp. 275-276.
Some Saw-whet Owls in Central Iowa; Wils. Bull.. L, no, 239-242,
Wildlife Mortality on Iowa Highways; Am. Midland Nat., XX, pp. 527-
539.

Scott, Thomas G., and George O* Hendrickson. Nesting Birds of
Iowa; Ext. Cire. 247, Iowa State College, March, 1938, pp. 1-64,

Smith, Lloyd. History and Development of the Goos* Lake Upland
Game Refuge and Nesting Area; Proc. la. Acad. Sci., XLIII, 1986, pp.
358-359 (issued in 1938).

Stephens, T. C. The Summer Birds of the Lake Okoboii Region of
Iowa: Univ. la. Studies in Nat. Hist., XVII. 1938, pp. 277-840,

Stiles. Bruce F. Nesting of the Least Tern in Iowa; Wils. Bull., L.
p. 61. Breeding of the Mockingbird in Northwestern Iowa; ibid., pp.
202-203.

Stoner, Dayton. Longevity in the Bank Swallow; Bird- Banding, IX,
pp. 173-177.

Stoner. Dayton, and Lillian C. Stoner. The English Sparrow and
Highway Mortality; Wils. Bulk, L, pp. 63-64.

— F. J. P.

RECENT BIRD BOOKS

31

RECENT BIRD BOOKS

THE WATCHER AT THE NEST, by Margaret Morse Nice (Mac-
millan Co., New York, 1939; cloth, pp, i-viii + 1-159, 21 drawings by
Roger T. Peterson; price, $2),

It seems to me it would be more or less difficult for one who has
treated a subject in a scientific manner to bring the popular approach
'o Lhe same subject. Mrs. Nice has accomplished this most satisfac-
torily, and the intimacies of the Song Sparrow's life and nesting are
revealed to the reader's eyes as if he were standing beside the author,
seeing them for himself. The birds become persons in whom the reader
becomes intensely absorbed as he follows their courtship, nesting and
the rearing of the young to maturity. Among the interesting things
prominent in the book are the establishing of a definite territory or
r^nge for each pair of birds, the use of colored bands for identifying
individuals in the field, and the succession of generations of Song
Sparrows in a given area. While the major portion of the book deals
with the life of the Song Sparrow, the chapters treating of Bell's Vireo,
Ovenbird, Magnolia Warbler, Bob-white and Prairie Chicken arc no
less interesting. — Chas, J. Spiker,

* * & sjs $=

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS, by Roger Tory Peterson (Hough
ton Mifflin Co., Boston, revised edition, 19:19; cloth, pp. i-xxii -f- 1-180.
-1 colored A 30 half-tone pis., 2-1 figs.; price. $2.75).

Those ol us who were beginning bird work twenty-odd years ago
in variably earned a pair of Reed’s 'Bird Gu ides' in our pocket and
studied their pages carefully. These guides still have a wide use, but
Peterson's ’Field Guide’, published in 1934, has supplanted Reed’s to
a great extent. Peterson’s unioue presentation had never before been
lound in a pocket guide. The drawings were arranged on a new plan,
with the birds grouped so that a comparison of prominent markings in
different species provided a ready clue for field identification. The re-
sponse from bird students was immediate, and the book enjoved a wide
sale. It is said that 5.000 copies have been sold each year since it was
published — a “best seller” among bird books.

A revised and enlarged edition of the ‘Field Guide’ was published
in March. It was found that the first edition could be improved and
made more useful in a number of ways. The type was entirely reset;
there is now more text to the page and 13 more pages than in the
former edition. Besides a number of line drawings, four new plates
have been added. Cross-references between plates and text, new notes
on identifying various species, descriptions of songs, and listing of
langes, aie some of the features of this edition. Sizes of birds in
mches give the* student a basis for comparison not found on the plates,
mil with the inclusion of ranges he can tell whether to exneet a certain
bird in Ids locality. Changes in typography are also beneficial. Species
names and sub-heads in bold face type make them much easier to pick
out as the eye runs down the page, Subspecies are properl v subordin-
ated and are more easily separated from the species than in the first
edition. The text of necessity refers principally to identification. To
tie if. ail birds lound east oi 'he Rockies in a pocket-size volume, re-
i iu ires dear, concise description with critical judgment as to what aid
■ he field student will find most useful. In this the author lias done
oxed lent work. The book in ns revised form will give maximum ser-
vice to the rank and file of bird students. — F, J. P T

■Food of Game Ducks in the United States and Canada', bv A. C.
Martin anil F M. UhJer, was published in March and is ,i very useful
book of U>7 pages and 153 plates, one colored (Tech. Bull. d34. U. S.
Dept, of Agr., price 40c), ‘Food Habits of North American Diving
Ducks', by Clarence Cottam. was published in April, It contains 140

IOWA BIRD LIFE — IX, 1039

32

pages and 10 plates. Four of the plates are by Allan Brooks and
show the diving ducks in full colors (Tech. Bull. 643, U. S. Dept, of
Agr., price 3 0c). These publications may be ordered from the Supt,

of Documents, Washington, D. C.

*****

Several new bird journals have made their appearance within recent
months, ‘The Passenger Pigeon' is the mimeographed bulletin of the
Wisconsin Society of Ornithology. At this writing four numbers have
been issued in 1939. (Subscription, $1 a year, 20 N. Carroll St., Madi-
son, Wis.) 'Field Ornithology' is a printed monthly for amateur bird
students. Its scope includes many states and it is a neat little pro-
duction. (Subscription, 50c a year, Mt. Lookout, W. Va.)

* * ’* * *

The current issue of ‘The Condor' (May-June) contains an. excellent
likeness of Dr. T, C. Stephens, one of the founders of our organization
who is well known to all of us. There is an accompanying note of
appi eciation for the Doctor's work as editor of the 'Wilson Bulletin
from 1925 to 193S, inclusive. During the career of this magazine,
which he so successfully directed for 14 years, we have seen the ‘Wilson
Eulletin' rise to a place among the leading ornithological journals. The
termination of his services as editor is a distinct loss to the Wilson
Club, but we hope the magazine will continue to serve the ornithology
of the Middle West as well as it has in the past.

As this issue of ‘Iowa Bird Life’ was nearing completion we learned
of the death of Dr. Winifred Gilbert, at Cedar Falls, June 17, 1939.
Dr. Gilbert attended many of our conventions and was a vice-president
of the Union. Our next issue will contain a biographical sketch.

f — - — — » — » — — * — — * — — n — f*

As essential as your field glasses

j A field Guide Birds

By ROGER TORY PETERSON

; a new, enlarged and greatly improved edition of j
“the most practical and accurate field handbook yet j
j issued/* j

For this definitive edition, the text has been entirely j
I reset for extra-easy reference. New illustrations and j
j precise nctes cn bird voices and ranges have been j
added. The book now covers all species east of the j
j Rockies. The price is unchanged — $2.75. J

1 HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 1

2 Park Street. Boston, Mass. j