FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY f Bound at The Wilson Bulletin Official Organ of the Wilson Ornithological Club An Illustrated Quarterly Magazine Devoted to the Study of Birds in the Field Edited by Lynds Jones Nineteen Hundred and Ten Old Series, \'olume XXII X^ew Series, \'olume X\^II Published by the Club at Oberlin. Ohio <£\2. Accipiter vt'lox. IS:.'. 18'.». Actitis macularia., 182. 1S7. .K.iria litis vocifera. 4.j. Airelaiiis iilioeuireus. :V2. 183. Aix £i>(Fusa. 44. Aimuotlraiiius lieiislowi. 4<;. savannaium australis. oS. Ampt'lis cedvoiuui. I. Alias obsrura. 18N. nil>ril»es. .">. Aiiliiiiiia. V.n>. Aiiliin^'a anliinjra. i;'.7. Anrluis iieiisilvaiiiLiis. 174, l!t4. Autrostoiiuis vocifenis. !!«». Arfliii-uTeo lairopiis saiirti-johaii- uis. 18'.:. Anlea lieiodias. 4.">. A-io tiainiiieiis. .">•;. Astrairalimis tristis. :'(;, 41;. I80, 1!»1'. Aytliya attinis. 4."'>. P.aeoloi>lins liicolur. 177. r.t.">. r.aldpate. 18. 7<;. 77. 78. r.aitiaiiiia louirirauda. I'.t7. I'.itreru. 7. 11. <;.".. ds, 71 >. 7:'.. 7-".. 70. 78. Cory's. l".«t. Least. <••(;. lUackhinl. Uetl-winjied. 22. ?>2. 44, (;.->. 12. 7.!. 74. 77. 101. 18:;. 2ir2. Rusty. ::4. v.n. Yellow-lieadetl. '.'>2. I'.i'.i. Rluel.inl. 47. .".8. 7:'.. 74. 77. 118. r2il 181. 1 !».".. 202. r.oli-white. (K>. 128. 187. r.oi.olink. 7. :J2. 1K4. 180. 101. i'.iaur. 100. Kvaiita canadt'nsis. 188. r.untiiii,'. Iiidi?,'o. Kio. is:'.. lUiti'O Oorealis. ."if,. ISO. lineatns. 4.'i. Rutorides virescens. 18S. 204. ("alcarius lai>iu>nitus. :;7. ('auvas-liack. 18. 70. Cardinal. 40. 72. 01 >. 2iil. 2, 102. Catliinl. 4t;. 78. 17.'.. 1,84, 104. ("atliarista atrata. 4."). Cathartes aura septeutrionalis. 4.'.. Centuriis candinus. 4."i. Certhia faniiliaris aiuericana 177. 10.-^. (Vryle alryoii. 4."i. 182. 180. ("liaetura pelairica. 182. 1!M>. ("hat. Yellowd'ireasted. 17."!. i;t4. Cliickb'ii. Rrairie. 188. 10!> riiickadei'. 24. 178. 10.".. Carolina. 40. Choiidestes irranmiaciis. IV.K Cliordeiles virtciiiiaiiiis. 10(i. (ircns hadsoniiis. 4.">. 180. Cistotliorus stellaris. 17<;. Cocc.vzus aniericanns. l;>2, 180. erytliroptlialmus'. ISO. (■(daptes anratns. 4.".. .">.">. 127 latt'Hs. 182. 100. 101. Colinn< vin^inianus. 187. Colyniliiis bolilHielli. 44. Coiiipsothlypis auierioana. 108. nsneae. llo. Coot. 4."». 1;.". 08. (;;►. 70, 73, 7.5, 7( ;. CornTorant, l>oiihle-.".. Corvxis lirai-liyrliyiK-lios. 21 is.!. 101. pascuus. 4.">. liesperis. 200. caiirinns. 2(to. Cotnrnicnlus savannaruin ans- tialis. 40. tloridaniis. 4<'>. passoriiuis. 102. Cowliird. :'2. 72. I80. 101. lo:'.. Crane. Sandhill. 43. 4."», ll.">. Cr(H'i)er. RiMwin 7(i. 74 177. 10.".. 2(t:>,. Crow. 7. 2."!, ."'.I. ri."!. r.8. cm. 7(t. 7.!. 74. 77. lis. is:;. 101. Fish. 44. Florida. 1.". Western. 2(_;. Cuckoo, I'.lack-lulled. S. 77, 78, 18!). Yellow-billed. 182, 18!>. Cyanoc-ittii cristata. 30, 18o, 191. Cyanospi/.a cyanea. IS."!. Deudroica aestiva. 110, 184, 101, caeriilea. 112. caeruleseeus. 110. 104. castanea. 112, 19-1. coi-onata. 4(1, 111, 104. discolor. 115. fusca. li:;. kirtlandi. 114. maculosa. 104. magnolia. 111. lialmariuu. 40, 114. liypo( lirisea. 4(>, 104. peiisylvanica. 112, 184, 101. striata. 113, 194. tigrina. 110. vigoi-si. 40. 114, 104. virens. 114, 104. Dk-kcissel. 100. 101. Dolichonvx orvzivorus. 32, 184, 191. Dove, Ground. 44. Mourning. 4.j, 48, O'l. (lO, 78, 184, 187. Dryohates horealis. 4.5. liubescens. 45. medianus. 100. villosus. 180. Duck. Black. 12, 10. .55, 08, 09, 70. 72, 75, 7<;. 77, 78, 188. Lesser Scau[). IS, 45, 70, 78. liuddy. 71, 72, 78. Scaup. 76, 190^. Shoveller. 75. Wood. 12. 44, 08, <;0, 70, 72. 73, 7-5, 70. Dumetella carolinensis. 40, 175. lOagle, Bald. 05, 72, 73, 74, 78. Ectopistes migratorius. 47. Egret. 100. Einpidonax tlaviventris. 28, 19(i. Hiininuis. 20, 18.3. lOO. trailli alnoruni. 28. virescens. 2S. Euphagus carol inus. 34, 101. Enlco sparverius. 45, 188. I-inih. Purple. 24, 35, 192. Elicker. 45. .55, 127. Xortlicrn. 24, 08, 70, 70, 77, lis. 1.32. 1.3.3, 1.3.5, 171, 182, 10(!. Elycatcher. Acadian. 28. Alder. 28. Crested.. 20, 10(!. Least. 20. 183, 100. Olive-sided. 27. Yelohv-hellied. 28, 190. Eulica aniericana. 45. (raleoscoptes carolinensis. 184, 104. CJallina-o delicata. 184, 187. (Jalliiuile, Florida. 08. (Javia innner. .50. Cxeothlyi.is trichas. 40, 184, 104. lirachydactila. 172. finatca teller, Blue-gray. 170. Ciolden-e.ve, American. 18. (ioldfinch. American. 24, .30, 40, 70, 75. 70, 77. 78, 183, 192. Willow. 109. (loose, Canada. 21, 188. European White-fronted. 190. Hutch ins'. 124. (Jo&hawk. 109. Crackle, Boat-tailed. 44. Bronzed. 34, 77. 192, 202. Purple. 18.3, 191. Crelie. Ilolhoell's. 21. Horned. 21, 44, 74, 78. Pied-hilled. 20, 21, 43, 44. (Jrosl)eak, Eveuenig. 35. Northern Pine. 35. Kose-lireasted. 100, 183. (Jrus an.iericana. 45. canadensis. 115. mexicana. 115. (Jull, Bonoi)arte's. 72, 78. ILrring. 7, 44, 05, 0(;. 08. 09, 70, 71, 72, 7:'., 74. 75, Kittiwake. 1S7. Slaty-hacked. 110. Hawk, Cooiier's. 04, 05, 00, 07, f.'.t, 70. 71. 72. 7::, 71. 75. 7<',, 7 1 . P>road-winged. uck. (;.'). CT, ns, 70, 75, 70, 71. 7l', 7:!, 74. 7.j, 178, 77, 78. 380. lit.'.. Marsh. 45, 65, 6G, <;7. 7(i, 75. 7G. 77, 124, 18!>. I-M-opus lagopus. V2i>. I'itreoii. G5, G7, 78. - alleiii. 110 Ked-tailed. 51, 5G, G7. GO, nipestris. 110. 70, 72. 73, 77, 124, 180. Avelcbi. 110. Ked-slioulderea. 45. 72. 73, I>:iiiius liorealis. 105. 103. 74. hulovieiauus iiiitrrans. 105. K()Uiili-lei,'t:ea. 77, 188. Lauivireo tiavifrdus. 104. Sharp-shinned. G4, G5, G7. I-""''^. Hfovned. 20, 55. G8. (iO, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, II"yt Horned. 30 75, 7(). 77. 182, 180 Prairie Horned. 20. Sparrow. 7, 10^24. 45. G4, I-arus argentatns. 44, 188. G5, 180. ' ' ("K^hiunans. 110. Western Ited-tailed. 100. niarinns. 110. Ilehnintliophila chrysoptera. 103. schistisa.irns. 110. pinus. 103. Loon. 21, 5G. Helniitlieros verniivorus. 107, Lon.irspnr, Lapland. 37. 103. Smith's. 104. Heron. I'.laclc-crowned Xii,dit. G8, Loxia curvirostra minor. 3,0, 70. 70. li>-- (Jreat Blue. 10, 11, 15, 45, lencoptera. 3<;. 08, GO. 75, 7(), 78. Green. 08 188. 204 Mallard. 12. is. 21. 7:;. 70, 78. Little Blue. 100. :\Iart_in, I'uride. s. 12. 101. 102, He£])eripliona vespertina. 35. ^-■'• Illrnndo ervthro-astei-. 103, 183, -Meadowlark. 7, 3,3,, 40, 05, 70, i!»:;. " 77, 118, 18:3^ l9l. Ilorizojius virens. is;!, 100. Florida. 40. Hnmmin-hird, Bnbv-tliroated. Mes^aseops asio. 180. (;.-, -(()(; Melanerpes erythrocephalus. lou. Hyl()cichla alioiae. 180. 105. -Mel_ospiza cinerea melodia. 40. luscesoens. 170. 105. '•''^- l'^"''. 102. .guttata palassi. 47. 181,105. lieortciana. 08. 102. mustelina. 170 184, 105. lincolni. 07. swainsoni. lS(i. 105 .Mer-anser. Hooded. 12. 18. Ued-hreasted. is. 72. Merula migratoria. 105. Icteria viren.s. 173, 104. Icterus fialbula. 34, 183,. 101. ,,- i i 4^^ i,. i-i ,v .,., ^„.', .,., ^lunus i)olvi:lottos. 4(), 1(4 spurins. 3,3. 183, 101. ,, . ..,.' • • . ,,. ^' ^• T, • 1^ 1-1 I,. 1,,.. io.. Muiotdta varu\. 40, lOi, 103. Iridoi)rocne lucolor. 40. 1(i3., IS.!. ^r ,• i- i ,,^ ir-\ ,,,..' Mockini^bird. 4G, 174. -Molotlirus ater. 32, 183, 101, Jay, Bine. 23, 30, 71, 7::. 74, 78, i.,:>_ 125. ' 105. Itub.\-i-!Mwned. 40, 00, 07. .Xntt.-iloniis borealis. 27. ( I N D E X I Opontniis a.i^Mlis. ITl'. I'ipiuii'. C!). tonuosa. ITi;. Seiniitalmated. dS, 70. Philadelphia. 111'. l'o(lilyinl)us podiceps. 44. Otoi'oris alpestris. l^'.t. ."..">. I'olii.ptila caenilea. 17'.;.' praticola. 2!». roo('(i>t£s .iiraiuiiu'us. .",7. lioyti. .".o. IM-o.i^iK' suhis. 1(»1. Oriole. KaltiiiHU'e. :!4, is:;, r.ii. I'nitoiiotaria citrea. 1(:7. Orcliard. :;:;, ls:i, 1!)1. I'tanniiian, Allen's, ill). !:;(«. O-prc.v. 4:'., 44, (h. (IS, 7(;. 1S4. Welch's. Hit. ()ven4)ii-d. 11."), 1N4, 11)4. ()xyiM4uis vociferus. 1,S7. (fniscalus ,„uscalus. is:;. 101. Owl. l-Jarred. r,(i. (;;>, lis. aeueus. :!4, li)2. Florida Barred. 4.",. j..,;i ,^1,^^. ,.- ,.^ Ortat Horned. IS. Sora (is Screech, is. c,!'. lis, l.-,i;, vii-inia. " <;s. ^''^''^- _ _ Keddiead. is, 17,. 7(i. Short-eared. He. .1. 7::, -C ued-poll. .-.C, I'.ii'. Snow.v. r,S, IL'4. K Mlstart. 71, 174, 1S4. 1114. , ,. ,. Keiiulus calendula. 4(; 17S. 19.1. I'andion haliaetus carolnu'nsis. ' v.;.,f...ir3., -t-j^ I'.r.' 44, 1S4. Kipariii riparia. I(i4. is.",, I'.).",. I'arns atricapillus. 1_»... j.j,^^^ tridactvla. 1S7 Passer doniestnais. .,.,, IIU. j,^,,^jj^ ^,^ ^^ -^ -;. _,._ ^^^^ I'assercnhis samlwichensis >a- -j,^- .,q.,' vanna. :!S. j.,;^/'' -,-• Passerella iliaca. '.>s. l'.)2. I'asserina cyanoa. IdC Sandcrlin.i,'. (■.!>, 7:*., 74, 7.'i. 77. nivalis. 102. 7H. I'asserherhnlus henslowi. :',S. Sandi)iper. I.east. (IS. CO. Pelic.in. P.rown. 44. Pectoral. (iS. 7S. Penthestes atricapillu^. 17S. Senii])alniated. (IS, 70. carolinensis. 4(t. PeiMiacked. 70. 72, 7.'>. 70. I'etrocheliilon Innifrcns. 102. White-runiped. 72. V.y.i. Sap^uicker, Yello\v4)ellied. 4.5, Peucaea aestivalis bachniaiii. 07. 70, 72. 7.'!. 7(;. 77. lO.j. Pewee, Wood. ^K^, 100. Sayornis i)hoohe. 2(). 4."), 1S3, Phalacrocorax anritns. 7,r,, v.tO. Phloeotonius pileatns. 4.">. S(()ter. Surf. 100. Phoelie. 20. 4.". 70. 7."., 7S. is;;. Whif.'-winjied. IS. 10(V Seiurus aiu'oca]iillus. 1S4. 1'.l4. Pi.iieon, Pnssen;;-er. 47, 4S. ."il, uovehoracensis. 104. '>'■'. Setoidiai^a ruticilla. 174, 1S4. Pinicola euucleator leucura. ;!."i. I'.il, 104. Pintail. 71. 72. 70, 7S. Sluiveller. 7."). Pijiilo erythr(i])hthalnms. 4(;. 00, Shrike. Mii^rant. in."i. is:;, 1!)2. Xorthern. 1()."i. I0::, 2(i2. alleni. 40. White-i'innped. IIS Pipit. 44, 72. 7.'!. 174, 104. Sialia >ialis. 47. isl. 101. 10.-.. Piranixa ervthrouielas. KM. is:'>. Siskin, Pine. :!S. 1!>.'!. Sitta canadensis. 177. Planesticus nii^'ratdrius. 17, isl. cari)linensis. 177, 1S4, lO.". PlectropQii'uax nivalin-. .".7. imsilla. 4(1. Plover, P.lackhellied. OS, 00. Snip?. Wilson's. 44, OS, 00, 7<\ (Jolden. (;o, 71. 72. 7.->, 70. 71. 72, 7.".. 70. 1S4, 107. 7S, 204. Snnwthike. .".7. 102. INDEX Sorn. ~~>. TC. Spiurow. I>;icliiiiairs. 1)7, ll'S. ('Iiil)l)in.ii. 40, (■>(!, (IS, (i'.t. is;;. I'lj. En-lisli. 1:',. HI', 124, :!.'., T.'l. lo::, i:i(i, 'i2s, ir.2. Field. 41. CC. »;s. (;!». 74. 7(;. 77, is:;, V.yj. Fox. 7S, !)S, T.tli, lid.".. (Jrassi'aopper. MS, 4(;, 7::. l'.»2. lleiislow's. ."is, 4r.. 7."!, 74, Lark. :!<>. Le(diit('"s. lO'.i. Lincoln's. (57. !t7. X-lson's. i;»:!. Savanna. ;!7. (JC.C'.i. 71, ~~>. Son.u'. 4(;, (Ki, 7:;, 74, 7-'., !I7, lis, IS-;, 1!)2, Swamp. ~~>, !»S, 1!»2. Tree. 40, T.l2. ■\>si)pv. :;s, 77. AVhite-crownc'.l. '■'>'.). (;i>, 7."). 7(t, 77. 184, 1!>1'. AVhite-tlirnatea. :','.). CC. C'.t, 71, 71', 7-''>, 74, ~~>, 7. I'J.l. Spinns piuns. .';7. S])iza aniei'icana. Kit;. Siiizella nionticola. 40. IMl'. socialis. 4(», is:;. p.)i>. Scjuatarola scinatamla. 2(i.';. Starling'. 1S:1. 1!)1. Stel.a;idoptervx sorripsnnis. I(i4. Strix varia. ."»<;. alloni. 4.",. Stnrnella numna. :!:;. 4(5. ISM. 1!)1. aiiiutnla. 4(1. Sturnns vult^aris. Is:;. I'.tl. Swallow, liank. 7. ll'. loii. 1(i4. is:;, 10:!. F.ani. 12. 1(12. lo::. is:;, in:;. Cliff. i:i. 1(12. !!»:;. Kouiili-winiriMl. i:;, 1()2, 104. Treo. 12. i:;. 4(;, 7r), 7(1, 7S, 10:!, is:;, i!>:;. Swan, Wlnstlin^i". 21. 12.";. Swift, Cliinine.v. 102, 1S2, 11)0. S.vrninni varinni. ISO. 'rana.tfii- Scarlet. 72, 101, IS:',, 10:1. Teal. F.lue-winned. (JO. OS. (ireen-winLi'ed. 0 72. 7:;, 7-), (S. OS. 'I'elniatiid.vtes palustris. 177 4'ern. ( "onunon. 72, 7:;, 74. 4'liiaslicr, lirown. 4(). (■.">. 7S. lis. 17(;. 1!).".. 202. 4'liryoniane- hewicki. 170. 'riir.vothorns Indovicianns. 17.-,. Thrnsli, (Jra.v-clieeked. 07, 70, 71. 7S, ISO, lor.. llerniit. 47. 0'.». 7o, 71 77. 7s. isi, i!»r., 20;;. ()live-l)a(ked. (;.',, (;7, 70, 71, 77, 7S, ISO, 10!>. Wilson's. 24, 17;>, lor,. Wood. 17'.t, 1S4. 1 !)."■> 4'otanns ni.lanolencns. 107 Towliee. 40. 77, 7S, ;»!>, is:;, Wi.!ite-(>.ved, 40. Toxostoma rnt'nni. 40. l~~t, Trocliiliis colnhris. 100. 'rro,ij;l((d,vtes aedon. 17(). 10.1, Turnstone, Undd,v. 00. 4',vrannns tyi-aniuis. 20. 1!»0. \('i'nnvora celata. 100. clir,vso])tera. los. Icucohroncliialis. lOS. lierc.iirina. 101). rnhricapilla. 100. \ireo tlavifrons. 1S4. lo:;. .^iilviis. 1S4, 10:;. novelKiracensis. 107. olivaceus. IS:;, 10:5. A'ireo. Warhlini;-. 24. 100. 10:;, 203. AVliite-e.ved. 107. Yellow-throated. 100, 10:;. A'ireos.vlva .Liilva. 10(!. olivacea. lo."). 101. Vulture. F.lack. 4.".. Turkey. 4."i, 77. Warbler, I'.ay-lireasted. (i.'t, 77. 112, 104, 20:]. F.lack and Wliite. 40. 10:;. lUackOurnian. 1 1:!. itiack-poii. 0.-.. 00. n:;. 20:;. I'.t." TO, 70. 10.-,. OS. 4(;. 00. 74. 00, 10.-,, 102 10.-, is: 184, 184, 70, 107, 1!>1, (INDEX) i'.lack-thruated Blue, (m^ 70, Wilsonia canaileiisis. 174, lUl. 71, 110. 194. iiiitrata. 17:'., 184, 104. Black-throated Green. (iO, pusilla. 17o. 72, 114, 104. ^^'ood(•0(l;. (>">, GO, OS. 00, 72, Blue-wiiisied. 108, 193. 74, 185. Brewster's. 108. ^^'l)OdlJecker, Down.v. 08, 72, Canadian. 71, 174, 194. 190. Cape May. (;!>, Id. 71, 11(». Ilairv. 72, 189. Cerulean. 112. I'ileated. 4.". Chestnut-sided. 112. 184, Ited-l)ellied. 47,. 194. Bed-headed. 24, 120, 14(», Connecticut. 72, 172. Bed-cockaded. 4.j, 199. Golden-winged. 108, 193. .'Southern Downy. 45. Hooded. 17:;, 184. 194. \Vrcn. Bswi(lv"s. 57', 170. Kentucky. 172. Carolina. 4(;. 07. 175, 195. Kirtland's. 114, 128. House. 22, 75, 170, 19.5. Mai.niolla. 71, 111, 194. Lon-,'4)illed Marsh. 22, 00. MourniuLC. 172. 70. 177, 195. -Myrtle. 40, 05, 70, 71, 73, Short-hilled ilarsli. 170. 74, 111, 1!)4, 20:!. Winter. 75. 77, 170, 203. Nashville. 109. Western AVinter. 15. Orange-crowned. 7:'.. 109. Balm. 40, 05 70, 71, 72 Xantliocephalus xanthocephalus. 73, 75, 114. ' ' ' -' :;j Barula. 193. Bine. 40, 114. 194. J!''^!r^^ }^'^' -.A- 1.,, Yellow-throat, Maryland. 40 I'rothonotary. 10 <, 124. iti ioi Tennessee. 109. Wilson's. 173. AVorni-eating. 107, 193. Yellow. 110, 184, 194. Zanielodia ludoviciana. 100.18:'.. Yellow Balm. 40, 194, 203. /enaidnra niacroura. 45, 184, Water-TIirush. 115, 104. ^^7. Louisiana. 115. Zonotrichia alhicolli--. :'.9. 184, Wa.xwing. Boniehian. .55. -\(y> (^>dar. 24, GO, 104. 193. Toronata. :'.9, 192. ^VllipllO()rwill. 18, 05, GO, 07, 70, 77, 190. YcUow-legs. 05. 09. (jreater. 09, 72, 7G. 184, 194. Northern. 24, (!0, 78, 172, 185 THE WILSON BULLETIN NO. 70. A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY VOL. XXII MARCH, 1910. NO. I OLD SERIES VOL. XXII. NEW SERIES VOL. XVII. AN HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED PAINTING BY AUDUBON. BY R. W. SHUFELDT, M.D. It was during the month of Alay, 1895, that the writer had occasion to visit the late Mrs. John Woodhouse Audubon, the widow of a son or John James Audubon, the ornithologist. The home of this venerable old lady was at Salem, Washing- ton County, in the State of New York, and during the week or more of my visit, permission was given me by the eldest daughter of the family to photograph a number of the old Audubon paintings, and other objects of interest, with the view of some day giving published descriptions of them for permanent preservation in literature. At the time mentioned, some thirty or forty negatives were made by me of various subjects, and this valuable series still forms a part of my private collection. Among them is an ex- cellent colored drawing of the common European jay (Gar- rnlus glandarius) by John Woodhouse Audubon, published by me a number of years ago. but the reproduction was so much reduced and so indifferently done, that it is just possible it may have sufficient historical interest, to warrant its publica- tion again in some other connection. Very few examples of the kind, by this son of Audubon's, have ever been given to the world, and, indeed, being a man of very erratic habits, he very rarely finished the drawing and painting of a bird he ever 4 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. commenced, — and not many were commenced by him. There used to be in existence an unfinished painting in water colors of an Arcadian Owl of his, but it is a poor thing, and does not promise much, e'en had it ever been completed. By far the most interesting paintings discovered by me, at the time and place mentioned, consisted in two or three large canvasses done in oil by the father, John James Audubon, the author of the " Birds of America," and these were, among other dust-covered relics, stored away in the attic of the Sa- lem house. Only one of these canvasses was in any condition to be pho- tographed, for, being upwards of a century old, it was dull, and cracked, or rather cracked like old china, and, withal, more or less dim. Then, my photographic experience was somewhat limited in those days, and old oil paintings are dif- ficult subjects for the camerist at the best. However, this painting was dusted off and placed in the attic in as favorable a light as possible, and two dry plate ex- posures (5x8) were made that made pretty fair negatives af- ter they had been submitted to intensification. The reproduc- tion of a photograph made by me from the better of these two. illustrates the present contribution. It will be observed that Audubon painted here three barn-yard fowls in rather spirited attitudes. One of these fowls is evidently a common cock, while the other two are hens, apparently of the Polish breed, or perhaps Houdans. This scene is one to be observed upon almost any day in any hen-yard, or upon the farm, and or- iginally the painting must have been one of some considerable merit. It is not generally known that Audubon was ever given to producing such subjects as this in oil, — life size, for in this particular picture the fowls are life size. To the best of my recollection it was painted by him in Philadelphia. It belongs to a class of work that he did purely to make quick sales in order to support himself while engaged in painting and describing birds for his volumes on American ornithology. Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 5 Likely it is, too. that in the sale of some of these pictures he was disappointed and did not succeed in getting a purchaser for them. This is doubtless one faihng in that category, and, never having been sold, drifted- eventually into the garret of the Salem house. It is said that he painted such pictures with great rapidity, and at different times early in his career, supporting himself almost entirely by their sales. Few there are who know all there is yet to be known in the life of that remarkable man, and the making of these pictures is a bit of it. In fact there is a whole lot of Audubonian history that the world is not, up to this time, in possession of, that later on may possibly appear BIRDS SEEN ON THE OTONABEE RIVER, CANADA, IN AUGUST. BY FRANK N. SHANKLAND. Although home may be the best place in the world for a person to spend the greater part of the year, it is a very poor place to spend a vacation, for when vacation time comes, it is nearly always desirable to seek fresh fields, where life has a different flavor. Furthermore, if one is to derive the greatest possible benefit from a vacation trip, he should by all means have some definite object in view when he sets out. If he has a fad or hobby, he should plan to give it much of his time during vacation. Happy indeed is he who has a hobby which will take him into the wilds of Nature. Owing to the fact that ornithology has always been the au- thor's favorite recreation and pastime, he usually arranges to spend his vacation in places where birds are abundant, and where there is a possibility of making the acquaintance of some species not foimd near his home in northern Ohio. One of the pleasantest of all the vacation trips that I have ever taken, was one to the Otonabee River in eastern Canada dur- ing the summer of 1907. The objects of the trip were two- 6 The Wilson Buli,etix — Xo. TO. fold. In the first place, I wished to visit some youno- men of my acquaintance who were in camp on that river at that time, and in the second place, I figured that I would be able to see and study many strange birds while there, and thus take a new hold on ornithology. It was an easy matter to make the necessary arrangements for the trip, and on the evening of July 31, I found myself comfortably installed in a Grand Trunk R. R. passenger coach on the way from Toronto to Peterboro. While traveling by rail through a strange country, one can often learn a great many interesting things, not only about its general features, but also about its fauna and flora. During my ride from Toronto to Peterboro I kept this fact in mind and maintained a sharp lookout for birds, trees, animals, and unique features of the landscape. It goes without saying that I was well repaid for my efforts. While passing along the north shore of Lake Ontario, one sees but little in the way of interesting scenery, save occasional .glimpses of the lake and of dusky evergreen forests. After passing Port Hope and plunging into the interior, however, one finds a wild, picturesque and hilly country, that is very pleasing to see. Here the frequent appearance of log cabins and slab-houses reminds the traveler that he is in a new country, and one that has but recently been wrested from its primeval inhabitants. Another peculiarity about the farming districts of this country and one that immediately appeals to the eye of the observer, is the abundance of " stump fences." No doubt the pioneers of the country had considerable diffi- culty in disposing of these huge stimips. and owing to the scarcity of fence material, they conceived the idea of dragging them into rows and making rude, impromptu fences of them. In this way they killed two birds with one stone. As a matter o£ fact, however, these fences have always been considerable of a nuisance by reason of their furnishing a ready and safe hiding place for the woodchucks, skunks, weasles, and other destructive wild animals. Shanki.and — On Birds on Otonauee River. 7 The farms that were passed by that afternoon were nearly all picturesque and attractive, and it was a genuine satisfac- tion to gaze upon the steep grassy hillside pastures, where sheep and cattle were grazing in dreamy contentment. In the forests through which the train threaded its way, were to be seen many varieties of strange trees, such as the white birch, the spruce, the cedar, the tamarack, and occasionally a tall, dusky pine. In the meantime, I had been maintaining a sharp lookout for birds while thus riding along, and although a solitary Bit- tern, that rose from a marshy river bottom, was the only stranger that I noted, nevertheless I had the satisfaction of recording a number of very interesting species with which I was already familiar. While passing along the north shore of Lake Ontario, we saw numerous Herring Gulls, some wheel- ing about over the water in search of food : others resting up- on piles and driftwood at considerable distances from the shore. As we neared Oak Point, we noticed that Bank Swal- lows were very plentiful, and a little further on we passed the sand bank in which a colony of these birds nested. Near Port Hope, Bobolinks were ^till abundant, although elsewhere in that territory but few of them were to be seen. Occasionally as we sped along, a Sparrow Hawk would rise from its perch on the telegraph wires and fly swiftly away across the fields toward the distant forests. Meadowlarks were very abundant in this territory, and flock after flock of them rose and flew '^wiftly away as our train passed them by. But of all the land birds that we noted, none were as abund- ant or as bold as the Crows. There seemed to be Crows every- where — in the woods, near the rivers, in the fields and on the shores of the lake. During that afternoon ride I counted hun- dreds of them, and was convinced that they were at least five times as abundant in that territory as they are in northern Ohio. Scarecrows are also abundant, but apparently inefifect- ivc. The appearnce of Crows in such numbers in this terri- tory is undoubtedly due, partly to the abundance of food in 8 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. the sparsely settled rural districts, and partly to the numerous dense forests thereabouts, which afford ideal nesting"-places. As we made our way slowly up the steep o"rade from Mill- brook to Peterboro we saw other interesting birds. A pair of Black-billed Cuckoos flew leisurely away as we passed by a clump of wild cherry trees near the tracks, and after the train had pulled into the station at Peterboro, we were greeted by the welcome and familiar calls of Nighthawks and Purple Martins. At nine o'clock on the following' morning- I found myself comfortably seated in the bow of the pretty little steamer Otonabee, which was lying- at the wharf in Peterboro, in readi- ness for a start down the river. A few minutes later we were off for a twenty-mile ride down the picturesque Otonobee River to Rice Lake. For a nature lover there is always a peculiar fascination about riding' on a strange river, for it gives him an opportu- nity to study nature from a very advantageovis position. There are surprises in store for him at every bend of the stream ; new scenery and new landscapes are continually greeting his eye ; now a picturesque little camp in some woodland clearing or shel- tered hillside come into view and remind him of his own ex- periences and adventures while camping out in the wilderness ; now a large black bass, leaping out of the water with a splash, makes him long for an opportunity to try his luck at angling ; now his attention is attracted by a strange waterfowl, flying up from the reeds at the water's edge and flapping heavily off up-stream : now a family of muskrats, disturbed at their feed- ing, swim smartly off up some gully or dive out of sight with a splash : presently the boat rounds a rocky promontory and some strange animal, apparently a fox, is seen scudding up the ad- jacent hillside to the shelter of the woods. In a word, riding along a strange river in a boat is like examining a series of in- teresting pictures. While taking such a ride, however, one has the added advantage of being able to breath the cool, re- freshing river air, enjoy the glory of the summer skies and see the interestins: siofht= at first hand. Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 9 The Otonabee River has its source in the Stony Lake re- gion north of Peterboro ; it flows in a southerly direction and empties into Rice Lake — a beautiful little sheet of water ly- ing- about twenty miles north of Lake Ontario. Thanks to a number of well-built locks, it is now navigable for nearly its entire course and the chances are that it will some day be- come an important commercial waterway. The Indian word " otonabee " means tortuous, and it is peculiarily appropriate as a name for this river, since the Otonabee is one of the most winding and tortuous streams in that region, and in traversing a single mile of its course, one often faces every point of the compass. The waters of this river are deep, black and slug- gish, and they teem with numerous species of fish and reptiles. Its margins are bordered by numerous swamps and marshes, many of which are over a quarter of a mile wide. Among the sedges and reeds of these marshes numerous species of water- fowl build their nests and rear their young, undisturbed by hunters or specimen collectors. Here also, thousands of musk- rats, dozens of minks, and a few otters still make their homes, in spite of the encroachments of civilzation. The fact is, that these impenetrable swamps and marshes have enabled the na- tive birds and animals of this region to escape the destruction that almost invariably accompanies the invasion of man. While comfortably installed in the bow of the little steamer, as it ploughed its way swiftly down the river, I maintained a sharp lookout for the birds, and was rewarded by seeing many interesting species. Of the river-haunting birds, the Belted Kingfishers were the most abundant and we flushed them from nearly every overhanging dead tree from Peterboro to the lake. At the approach of our boat, they would sound their defiant rattles and fly rapidly ofif down the river, their blue backs, rufous belts and white under parts showing off to good advantage in the bright morning sunlight. These birds seemed to possess to a noticeable extent the wild untamed spirit of this picturesque northern river, and their every move- ment expressed freedom, happiness and love of their chosen 10 The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 70. haunts. Occasionally one of them would hover over a certain point in the water like a Sparrow Hawk, and then dive down with a splash, to appear a moment later with some unlucky minnow in its bill. I also noticed that these Canadian King- fishers are persistent law-breakers, since they were known to catch dozens of fish less than ten inches long, this being in vio- lation of the Dominion statutes. Nesting holes of this species were also to be seen at intervals along the river. As we passed by one long sandbank, about ten feet high, we noticed a number of smooth round holes, about five inches in diameter, that had undoubtedly been occupied by Kingfishers earlier in the summer. At the time we went down the river, however, they were apparently deserted, although possibly many of the young birds that had been reared in them, were hiding along the banks of the river at that very moment. But by far the most conspicuous birds that we saw while on the river, were the Great Blue Herons. In northeastern Ohio, this species occurs only as a rare migrant, but on the Otonabee River it is abundant, and in less than two hours I had counted forty-three indiA'iduals. Their immense size and peculiar hab- its made them objects of interest to everyone who saw them, whether interested in birds or not. Some of them were stand- ing motionless in the shallow water at the edges of the river, watching for fish and reptiles ; others were flapping heavily about over the river with their long legs stretched out behind them like rudders, and with their long necks bent double like a letter " S " : still others were perched in grotesque attitudes among the topmost limbs of the tall trees that grow on the banks of the river. While attempting to alight on a dead limb in the top of a tall tree, one heron lost its balance and came near falling. The clumsy bird soon regained its equilib- rium, but its efforts to regain the coveted perch were grotesque and comical in the extreme. After much awkward flapping of wings and craning of neck, however, the ungainly bird finally succeeded in securing a firm foothold on the dead limb, much to the relief of us spectators. As we passed by a strip of Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 11. marsh some distance further down the river, a heron flew up from the water with a medium-sized snake writhing and twist- ing- in its bill. Upon speaking- to one of the members of the boat's crew about this incident, I was informed that the her- ons were fond of snakes, and that it was no unusual sight to see them carrying these reptiles away in their bills. I afterward learned that these herons were accustomed to breed in a heronry, located in the midst of one of the most in- accessible swamps in that vicinity, and that more than two hundred nests have Ijeen seen there in a single season. They are rigidly protected by the Dominion laws, and collectors are not even allovvcd to procure eggs for their collections. Another interesting species of waterfowl, of which we saw a few individuals while riding down the river, was the Bittern. Although not nearly as abundant as its greater congener, the Great Blue Heron, nevertheless this species was fairly com- mon on portions of the river, and in the extensive swamps located about a mile north of Rice Lake. Not having had the pleasure of seeing a Bittern, except in mv:seums, prior to that Canadian trip. I was somewhat puzzled when, as we ap- proached a long stretch of marshy territory, a large ochra- cerus-brown bird flew up from a clump of cat-tails and made off down the river. The bird's flight, although heavy and flap- ping, was swift, and in less than half a minute it had disap- peared around a bend in the river. Two days later, while paddling about in that same locality, I had the pleasure of seeing four adult Bitterns and several young ones, and also of hearing the strange, unearthly calls of these shy denizens of the marshes. After hearing these calls, one appreciates the appropriateness of the nickname " thun- derpump " applied to this species by the fishermen. After we had traversed about one-half the distance from Peterboro to Rice Lake, we entered a long stretch of wild, marshy territory, where the river was deep and sluggish, and where tributary creeks and brooks emptied into the main channel at frequent intervals. Here the river proper was 12 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. bounded on either side by swamps and marshes, some of which were nearly halt a mile wide. These swamps and marshes are a favorite haunt of many species of wild ducks, and as we pro- ceeded on our way, we saw flocks of Mallards, Black Ducks and Wood Ducks flying about over the water or resting- upon its surface. Once, as the little steamer rounded a, sharp curve on the river, a large flock of " Black Sawbills " (Hooded Mer- gansers) rose from the water with a splash, and flew swiftly off down stream. The sight of a flock of wild ducks always appeals very for- cibly to a nature lover or an ornithologist, no matter whether he be gazing from an office window, or looking out from the prow of a canoe in the midst of some wilderness marsh. The fact is that all wild ducks are imbued with the wild, untamable spirit of the primeval wilderness of four hundred years ago, and their wary, furtive habits, their characteristic rapid flight, and their wild picturesque haunts all interest us and take us back to the good old colonial days when North America used to teem with them. Fortunately for ducks and duck students, the numerous Canadian marshes and river? still afford safe breeding places for many species, and as I sat there in the prow of the little steamer watching, as flock after flock of them rose from the water and winged their way swiftly across the marshes, I was thankful indeed that they were so abundant, and so well protected in these, their summer breeding-places. Of the land birds that we saw while riding down the river, the swallows were the most numerous, four different species being noted. Three of these, the Barn Swallow, the Bank Swallow and the Purple Martin were old acquaintances of mine ; but the fourth, the Tree Swallow, was practically a stranger. In northeastern Ohio, these birds are only occasion- ally noted during the migrations, but along the Otonabee they were abundant, and could be distinguished from the other species by the steel-blue coloration of their backs and the pure white of their under parts. Their flight, however, closely re- Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 13 sembled that of the other species of swallows, and I would never have suspected them of being strangers at the distance they kept, had not my attention been called to them by one of the passengers. While passing through a woody marsh at some distance further down the river, the same passenger pointed out a number of small round holes in dead limbs and tree trunks, that he said had undoubtedly contained fresh Tree Swallow's nests earlier in the season, for unlike their congen- ers, these birds are accustomed to build their nests in holes in stumps, cavities of dead trees and similar places, after the manner of Bluebirds and English Sparrows. While riding down the river, I also watched for Clifif Swal- lows and Rough-winged Swallows, but both of these species were conspicuous by their absence, and it is probable that neither of them ever penetrates so far north. In the meantime, the little steamer had been making its way rapidly down the river, and at eleven o'clock we rounded the last curve and steamed out into the sparkling greenish-blue waters of Rice Lake. This beautiful little sheet of water is situated about twenty miles north of Lake Ontario and is fed by the Otonabee River and several lesser streams. It is ap- proximately twelve miles long and two miles wide and is sur- rounded on all sides by gently sloping hillsides, some of which are forest clad, while others are covered with prosperous look- ing farms. A branch of the Grand Trunk Railroad once ran across the lake from Harwood to a point near the mouth of the Otonabee, but unfortunately a long section of the track was washed away by the high water soon after the road was com- pleted, and this disaster so discouraged the operators of the line that they abandoned it entirely. At the present time a long embankment of rocks and earth, extending nearly a mile out into the lake from Harwood is the only remaining monu- ment of the ill-starred project. Another interesting fact about Rice Lake is that the Mis- sissauga Indians still dwell in some numbers in the vicinity of it. These Indians make their living by hunting ducks, geese. 14 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. and waterfowl during- the open season, by trapping fur-bear- ing animals in the winter and by fishing', acting as guides and doing- farm work during the spring and summer. The squaws are often seen gathering the wild black rice that grows in great abundance in the marshes on the shores of the lake, and on account of which the name, "'Rice Lake," was given to it. As has already been suggested, one of the principle reasons why T decided to spend my vacation on the Otonabee River was because three young men of my acquaintance were enjoy- ing- a month's outing on its banks and had invited me to make their camp my vacation headquarters. Upon reaching Gore's Landing, therefore, I immediately rented a birch bark canoe, and after securing some information from the hotel keeper, paddled back across the lake and up the river to a point about a mile distant from the mouth. Here I found my three friends cozily and comfortably established in a picturesque little wooden hut, located on a gentle slope of land on the east side of the river. This hut was built in a little clearing- bounded on three sides by thick woods, and on the fourth by the river. It was an ideal place for a camp, and I was overjoyed at the prospect of spendin.g a week amid such delightful and pic- turesque suroundings, and with such good prospects for studying- many different species of interesting birds and ani- mals. One of my hosts was a medical student and amateur photog- rapher ; another was an instructor in German in an eastern college, and the third was a yoimg lawyer. All three were en- thusiastic lovers of nature and out-of-door life and all were agreed that the Otonabee River and the adjacent country con- stituted an ideal camping-place. Their cordiality and hospi- tality made me feel perfectly at home from the start, and by the time dinner was over T had learned from them many in- terestinc: facts about the river, the lake, the surrounding coun- try and the fauna and flora of that region. That evening, after we had finished our supper and washed the (lishe^, we all repaired to the front ])orch of the camp to Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 15 watch the sunset and enjoy the wild beauty of the surrounding landscape. The scene that lay before us was typical of the Canadian wilderness. The deep, black waters of the Otonabee were spread out before us like a vast mirror, reflecting per- fectly the forest-clad slope across the river, the sun, slowly sinking among the distant wooded hills, was painting the few scattered clouds with exquisite shades of red, purple and roseate ; a silence, deep, impressive and soothing, per- vaded the wilderness. Once a Great Blue Heron came flying slowly down the river, and momentarily broke the silence with its heavy flappings, and once a large muskrat swam down the river past our camp, but at sight of us it dove out of sight with a splash. As darkness began to settle down over the river a large bullfrog began to twang away from the marsh in a superlatively deep basso voice : not long after many other frogs added their notes to the stentorian chorus, and the effect was novel and pleasing indeed. Just as the moon was rising above the tops of the spruce trees in the rear of our camp, some large bird, probably an owl, flew noiselessly past us, and after crossing the river, disappeared in the forests beyond. .A.11 such sights and sounds have a peculiar charm for a lover of the wild things and they help to stimulate his interest in the study of the different creatures and natural wonders about him. But camping on the banks of the Otonabee is not without its drawbacks, and during the course of that first evening I discov- ered that one of the greatest of them was the abundance of mosquitoes. These persistent little nuisances fairly swarmed all along the river and in the adjacent marshes. They were so bothersome that the campers along the river were com- pelled to remain closely indoors during the evening and to pro- tect their porches and windows from invasion by means of wire netting. Our porch had been rendered almost mosquito- proof by having been completely enclosed in a set of screen doors and screens. Even then a few tormentors were always on hand to bother us, although we did not let them prevent 16 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. our enjoying the long-, pleasant evenings together. Whenever one of us had occasion to venture outside the friendly protec- tion of the wire netting after sunset, he invariably wore a mo- squito-proof cage on his head and thick gloves on his hands. No wonder that we often bemoaned the fact that there were no nocturnal flycatchers to prey upon these insects and keep them within bounds. That evening we had the pleasure of a call from an old back- woods-man, who lived in a log hut across the river. My companions had made his acquaintance some days before, when he had stopped to show them a strange bird that he had killed, and which proved to be a Least Bittern. Our visitor was about fifty-five years of age, and had spent the greater part of his life near the Otonabee River and Rice Lake. In fact, the campers and tourists had learned to consider him as much a part of that locality as the hills, forests and other natural features of the place. He lived by hunting, fishing, trapping, river-driving and wood-chopping, and it was ru- mored that he had accumulated a modest fortune in real es- tate and money. He was a confirmed back-woods-man, how- ever, and had no taste for ordinary civilized life or its customs. Although, as a rule, he was a man of very few words, never- theless, as the evening wore on, he became quite talkative and recounted to us quite a number of his adventures and exper- iences in the wilderness. His narratives were graphic and interesting, and he was very careful not to exaggerate. Among other things, he told us that during one winter, in the early seventies, he had succeeded in trapping seven hundred muskrats, twenty-eight minks, fortv-two martens, four otters and two beavers, besides a number of other fur-bearers. He also ad- vised us that during one summer he had shipped four hundred dollars worth of bass, trout and muscallonge of his own catch- ing, to the Toronto markets. In answer to an inquiry from me as to the abundance of the wild ducks in that locality, the old traper made the following statement : Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 17 "AlthoLio^h the wild ducks are not nearly as abundant now as they were fifty years ago, they are still quite plentiful in the river marshes in summer, and all along the river and Rice Lake during the spring and fall migrating seasons. In fact, during the fall season, they often fairly swarm all along the river and on the lake, where flocks containing many thousands of individuals are often seen. " The largest single company of ducks that I ever recorded was an immense flock seen on Rice Lake on Sept. 29, 1888. Prior to that date, a cold north wind had been blowing for two days, and as a result of it, waterfowl of many different spe- cies were winging their way southward. That morning I took my shotgun and canoe and paddled down to Rice Lake to see if anything of interest were transpiring in its vicinity. When I reached the mouth of the river and gazed out across the lake, a strangely interesting sight met my gaze. Above the middle portion of it the air was fairly alive with wild ducks of many diflr'erent species. As far as the eye could see, they were circ- ling through the air or hovering over the water. Some min- utes later they began to settle down at a distance of half a mile from the northern shore, and after nearly all had alighted, they made the lake look black over an area more than a mile long and 100 feet wide. I sat' still in my canoe watching them with eager eyes for a long time, until finally I noticed that they were becoming restless. Then, upon looking about to find the cause of their uneasiness, I saw a party of Mississauga In- dians approaching them from the east in canoes. Soon after, the Indians opened fire upon the ducks, thereby causing the entire company to rise from the water and commence circling about over the lake again. Up till that time I had contented myself with sitting idly in the canoe enjoying the scene, but when I saw the ducks dropping into the lake by the dozens be- fore the efifective aim of the redskins, I paddled out within range and opened fire on my own account. It goes without saying that I secured all the ducks I wanted, and when ten o'clock came there were seventy-two dead birds in the canoe. 18 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. There were Mallards, Lesser Scaup Ducks, Redheads, Golden- eyes, Red-breasted INIergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Bald- pates, Canvasbacks, Teal, and one White-winged Scoter. Never since then have I seen as many wild ducks in a single day." After the old hermit had completed this narrative, he bade us farewell and set out for home. We watched him until he had paddled across the river, then we locked the doors and re- tired for the night, for it was after ten o'clock, and we had ]:)lanned to start on a fishing trip at four the following morn- ing. Our sleep was not destined to be without interru])tion, how- ever, and before morning came we were awakened several times by various prowlers. At about eleven o'clock I was aroused by the loud hooting of a Great Horned Owl, which seemed to issue from the tall trees at the rear of our camp. The bird continued to hoot from time to time for a period of about twenty minutes, after which it must have flown away, for the sounds ceased. Although I disliked to have my sleep broken, I must confess that 1 rather enjoyed this weird sere- nade, for there was somethii\g so wild and primeval about it that it appealed strongly to the romantic fibers of my makeup. These owls are still fairly plentiful near the Otonabee and are apparently bolder and more rapacious than their northern Ohio cousins. Once during the night we were startled by hearing the mel- ancholy, tremulous calls of a Screech Owl from some point close at hand. The calls were so clear and distinct that we conclued that the bird was sitting upon the roof of our hut. During the earlier watches of the night we also heard a Whip- ])oor-wi]l emitting its lonesome, mournful calls. By eleven o'clock, however, it had either desisted or retreated to some more remote rendezvous. Along towards morning some four-footed prowler visited our camp. We heard it scratching about in our garbage pile and near our back door for some little time. Tt might have Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 19 been a raccoon or opossum, or perhaps some straggling lynx that had taken a fancy to our discarded meat scraps and fish heads. We made no attempt to molest it, and it finally went away. At half-past four the following morning we arose, ate a light luncheon of crackers and cheese to tide us over until break- fast time, and then set out on a short fishing trip down the river. The morning was one of those rare and beautiful ones that fill the body with vigor and magnetism and render all the senses keen and alert. Above the hills in the east the first glow of dawn was becoming visible ; among the forest trees, thrushes, warblers, and sparrows were singing their matin songs ; in the waters of the river hundreds of fish were seek- ing their breakfasts, and at intervals one of them would leap out of the water to snatch some passing insect and fall back into the water again with a splash. As we rowed along, Kingfishers greeted us from time to time with their rattling" calls .and a^ we ]:)asscd by strips of sandy beach, Spotted Sandpipers uttered their musical " weet weet " calls and flew away down stream, keeping so close to the water that they seemed to almost touch it. A mist hung over the river and marshes, and for that reason we failed to notice a flock of lUack Ducks until we were almost upon them, when they arose from the water with a great splashing of wings and made their way quickly out of sight down the river. There is a pleasure in being amid such scenes and surroundings that cannot be adequatel}- described. It is a deep, subtle, and healthful joy that seems to appeal to all the senses at the same time. You wdio are lovers of nature and the out-of-door life will imderstand and appreciate it, for you have undoubtedly experienced the same joy many times while sojourning in the wilderness. After we had reached a propitious looking stretch of deep water, my companions ceased rowing-, dropped the drags over- board and prepared to do some angling-. I followed their ex- ample, and soon all four of us wer.e intently watching our 20 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 70. floats for the first signs of a catch. It must be confessed, however, that my attention was not so taken up by my fishing that I did not find plenty of time to observe the interesting species of birds that were to be seen in that vicinity. While sitting thus in our canoes waiting for the fish to " bite," we noticed a strange bird swimming across the river at a point about fifty yards below us. It bore some resem- blance to a small duck, but its bill was shorter, stouter and not so flat as a duck's, and its plumage was somewhat diflfer- ent from that of any duck we had ever seen. The bird swam steadily across the river on a " bee line " until it was within ten feet of a clump of cat-tails on the west bank; then it dis- appeared as if by ma.gic and we saw nothing more of it for some little time. The suddenness and manner of the bird's disappearance at once convinced us that it was a grebe or diver and we therefore remained motionless in our boats, hoping to see it reappear in that vicinity. It was fully two minutes, however, before the little feathered amphibian emerged from the water, and when it did so. it was many yards distant from the point where it had disappeared, and was swimming rap- idly away down the river. We knew that it would be madness to attempt pursuit, so we resumed our fishing. A few minutes later another grebe came swimming down the river towards us. As soon as this bird caught sight of our boats, however, it also dove, but instead of sinking gradually out of sight as the first one had done, it sprang up three or four feet into the air, as if to get a good start, and then plunged straight down into the water with a splash. This was the last we saw of this sec- ond diver. Both birds w-ere Pied-billed Grebes, and we were informed by the old hermit that this species is of common oc- currence in summer all along the marshy portion of the Oton- abee. During my stay in camp I saw several more of these in- teresting little divers ; in fact a pair of them used to appear on the river in front of our hut every morning just at sunrise. Two other species of grebes are of quite common occur- rence near the Otonabee River and the adjacent marshes at the Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 31 proper seasons of the year. The first of these, the Horned Grebe, is of about the same size as a Pied-billed Grebe, but may readily be distinguished from the latter species by its prominent " horns " and white tTiroat. This species is not of very common occurrence along- the Otonabee, and although we saw two or three birds that we supposed were Horned Grebes, we were unable to positively identify them as such. They are said to breed sparingly in the marshes. The Holboell's Grebe, a bird of larger size and more strik- ing appearance than the ones already mentioned, appears reg- ularly on the Otonabee River only during the spring and fall migrations, as its breeding-grounds are in the primeval wil- derness of the far north. During the fall season, Holboell's Grebes are quite conspicuous birds, being about the size of Mallard duck'^, and distinguishable from other waterfowl by their white speculum, and from other grebes by their larger size. They appear on the Otonabee River and Rice Lake at about the same time as the Loons, the Canada Geese, and the Whistling Swans. Tn the meantime, one of my companions, more lucky than the rest of us, had succeeded in hooking what appeared to be a good-^ized fish, and a moment later he was experiencing, some of the delightful difficulties of attempting to play a fish from a light birch bark canoe. The performance w^as intense- Iv interesting, however, and he finallv had the satisfaction of landing a handsome sixteen-inch black bass, although not un- til it had made a desperate fight for life and freedom. Ten minutes later another of my companions hooked and landed a muscallonge twenty inches long. This is one of the com- monest .species of fish in these waters, and individuals often weigh more than one hundred pounds. During the next twenty minutes, each of my three friends succeeded in catch- ing at least one fish, and in half an hour after we had com- menced fishing, there were five bass and two muscallonge in the bottoms of the canoes. It was not mv lucky day. however, and I failed to even get 22 The Wilson Bult.rtin — Xo. 70. a good nibble. After waiting patiently for half an hour, therefore, T took one of the canoes and paddle into the marshes in quest of interesting birds. In this expedition I was more fortunate, and before I had penetrated forty feet into the marsh I descried a pair of strange birds, which proved to be Long-billed Marsh Wrens. They were hopping about among the cat-tails, and when they saw my canoe approaching they commenced scolding so vigorously and loudly that I began to suspect that they had a nest in that vicinity. This theory proved to be correct, for just as I was paddling past a thick clump of cat-tails T caught sight of a roundish mass of dried grass and weed stems, located in the undergrowth at a dis- tance of two feet above the level of the marsh. The nest was shaped like an English .Sparrow's, having a roof or dome above, and a round entrance about three-quarters of an inch in diameter in the side facing the river. The eggs, nine in number, resembled House Wren's eggs, except that instead of being reddish-brown, they were of a rich chocolate-brown color. While T was investigating this little home, the parent birds kept scolding away with desperate vigor, and while do- ing so. they would often hang head downward from the reeds as if overcome by anger and despair. Tn fact, their actions caused me to feel as if T were some thieving kidnapper, and made me wish to get away from that locality as quickly as possible. Their cries were much louder and harsher than those of a Hotise Wren, and their rattling song which I heard a few minutc« later, was not nearly as pleasing as that of the more familiar species During the next half hour T saw many more of these wrens as I paddled about through the marsh ; in fact, with the excep- tion of the Red-winged Blackbirds they were the most abund- ant birds in the marsh at that season. After we had returned from our fishing trip and eaten a hearty breakfast, I set out for a tramp through the woods and swam]is back of our camp. I knew that these Canadian for- ests contained manv varieties of interesting trees, most of Shankland — On Birds on Otonabee River. 33 which are not found in northern Ohio, and for that reason i maintained as sharp a lookout for the trees as for the birds during my walk. One of the most interesting varieties of trees that I found was the tamarack, which grew in great abundance all along that portion of the river valley. There was something so pleasing about the delicate pea-green color of the foliage of these trees, and such a picturesqueness in the scraggy shape- lessness of their trunks and limbs that I could not help linger- ing wherever they were to be found. This species has al- ways been a general favorite with tourists and nature stu- dents, and it is unfortunate that it is not more generally dis- tributed. Another interesting tree, and one that is still quite plentiful along the banks of the Otonabee. is the white birch, and during that morning walk I counted more than fifty of them. On account of the pure white color of the bark of their trunks and limbs, these trees are very conspicuous objects on the landscape, and a stranger is sure to take notice of them even if he is not at all interested in trees. The bark of these trees is made use of by the canoe makers, although it is not as valuable for their purpose as is the canoe birch. Tn the forests proper, the beautiful and symmetrical spruces are the most conspicuous of all the trees, and some of those that I saw that morning were fifty feet high and as round and conical as if they had been turned in a lathe. Red cedars were likewise abundant in the deeper forests. Although these trees are not especially pleasing to the eye, nevertheless they are very valuable for their lumber, which is in great demand at the sawmills for making into shingles. During my walk I also noted the balsam, the pine, the fir, the chestnut, the hem- locks and many others. From an ornithological point of view, however, my walk was somewhat of a disappointment, for while there were plen- ty of birds to be seen, they were nearly all of the more famil- iar species. Among the evergreen trees. Crows and Blue Jays were abundant, their calls making the forests fairly ring 34 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. at times ; in the tamarack swamps sounded the cheerful songs of Chickadees : from the second g-rowth clearings came the flute-like notes of the Wilson's Thrush ; Robins were of com- mon occurrence, thereabouts, many of them being seen skulk- ing along the ground in the depths of the forests. Other spe- cies noted were the Cedar Waxwing, the Northern Yellow- throat, the Red-eyed Vireo, the Kingbird, the Flicker, the Red- headed W^oodpecker, the Goldfinch and the Sparrow Hawk. I spent about two hours observing these birds and rambling about through the woods, after which I set out for camp. While on the way back I had the good fortune to meet with one bird that was practically a stranger to me. This bird, which was sitting on a dead branch near my path was about as large as an English Sparrow, and had the cone-shaped bill that is characteristic of the finch family. By dint of keeping a certain dead tree trunk between myself and the bird I suc- ceeded in approaching within twenty feet of it, from which distance T was able to study its plumage without difficulty. Its head and rump were of a bright rosy red color, its belly white, and its breast of a dingy-red hue, streaked and washed with diflferent shades of purple. This data was convincing proof that the stranger was a Purple Finch — a rather un- common migrant in northeastern Ohio, but a fairly common summer resident near the Otonabee. Once, as I stood watch- ing it, the bird indulged in a low, sweet song that bore some resemblance to that of a Warbling Vireo. After reaching the camp T saw two more of these birds hopping about among the evergreen trees near by, and my companions reported hav- ing seen individuals of this species nearly every day since their arrival. Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 25 THE BIRDS OF CEDAR POINT AND VICINITY. BY I.YNDS JONES. More than ordinary interest attaches to the Passerine birds, in this discussion, at least as far as the sand spit of Cedar Point is concerned. Its comparative isolation from the main- land makes it the first step in the translaken flight to Point F'e- lee for the birds migrating- east of Sandusky. Its great length as compared with its width causes a crowding of the birds all along the western half during the great days of migration, such a crowding, in fact, that every species is found in nor- mally impossible places. It is evident that man}' more birds reach the western half of the sand spit by following the lake shore from farther east than by flying across from the main- land. On the days when crowding is the greatest, most spe- cies become so unwary that approach to within a few feet of a bird is easy. No doubt this unwaryness is due to hunger, for the birds are seen to be working with might and main to secure food. So great a host must quickly exhaust the food supply in this restricted area. Here on the sand spit, on great days of migration, have been found species which are absent from the rest of the area, and species recorded as common which are only occasionally recorded elsewhere. There seems little reasonable doubt that a continuous study of the birds from the beginning of the spring rush to its end would result in the discovery of species which have hitherto eluded observation, and would discover movements as yet hardly suspected. It is prObably a more favorable station for such intensive study than any other place within the region because of its narrowness, thus permitting a thorough exploration of every place. It is certainly far less favorable for study of the southward migrations because it probably does not lie in a direct line of flight. The southern point of Pelee and Pelee Island would probably furnish much more favorable stations for observing the southward move- ment. Aside from the Cedar Point sand spit the region offers no 20 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. peculiar inducements for the Passerine birds in either migra- tion. As already pointed out, the topoo^raphy is sufficiently diversified and the flora sufficiently rich to be attractive to the nearlv two hundred species which are recorded in it each year. Of these two hundred species considerably more than two- thirds are Passerine birds, and of individuals considerably more than three-fourths are Passerine birds. 122. Tyrannus /yroHJU/s.— Kingbird. Only tolerably common over most of the region, occurring on the larger islands where it breeds. One pair breeds regularly near the Lake Laboratory, and about seven other pairs nest eastward on the sand spit. The median date of arrival is April 29 ; the earliest be- ing April 22: the latest May 11. 1908. My latest fall record is Sep- tember 17. 1900. and 190G. Nest building begins during the second decade of May. A student once brought me a nest of this bird with an apple grown in from one side so that the nest cavity was nearly obliterated. Evidently the birds had built the nest so that the wall surrounded a small apple. Unoubtedly the young had grown large enough to leave the nest before the apple began to pinch them. 123. Mijiarchus rrii)itiis. — Crested Flycatcher. This is a familiar bird over the whole region, nesting in liollow apple trees within two rods of occupied dwellings sometimes, and it is also fairly common in most woods, where its challenging call betrays its presence in the upper parts of the woods. Two or three pairs breed on Cedar Point, necessarily where there are large trees, but it is usually common on several days during the migrations in spring. The median date of arrival is May 1, the earliest being April 2"), 1899. and the latest ALiy 13. 1907. Miost fall departures occur in the second week of September, the latest being the 14th, 1899. ]j24. Sdi/oniis plioche. — Phoebe. Common over the whole region, but less numerous during the breeding season on the sand spit because suitable places for nests are few there except at the summer resort grounds. Hereabouts its local name of Bridge Pewee is entirely appropriate, for nearly every bridge harbors a pair. It is also found all along the stream gorges, where it nests beneath overhanging banks or among the rocks. There seems to be much less nesting about buildings thau in many sections of the country, probably because suitable natural nesting places are so abundant. The median date of spring arrival is March 21, the earliest being March 14, 1903. the latest April 6, Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 27 l!»(i(t. My latest fall record is October 19, 1906. Most dates of de- parture fall earl.v in October. The first individuals noted are in the deeper parts of the stream jiorges, where the birds remain, feeding upon early fiying insects and Mids of trees, particularly the elm and linden. For the most part the birds are silent, singing only on balmy days. They are also solitary during the first week or more of their stay. I have not been able to detect any period of maximum migration after the first week of April. It seems probable that the birds come from the south as a species, and that straggling individ- uals are not seen weeks before the arrival of the bulk, as is the case with many species. 125. XuttaUoriiis horealis. — Olive-sided Flycatcher. First recorded for the region May 1.'5, 1907, when upwards of thirty were counted along the middle reaches of the sand spit. This was the day of greatest migration, during which 144 species were actually recorded along the lake shore from Oak Point to the Lake Laboratory. Most of the individuals were feeding in the larger trees in the a icinity of the mouth of RIack Channel. They were not singing, and were not at all wary, iiermitting approach witliin twent.v feet. Four specimens were collected, all of which were ex- ceedingly fat. A visit to the sand spit one week before this date re- sulted in recording only 76 species, this one not among them. No others were seen during the spjring migrations, but on September 2?> one was found on the sand spit near the mouth of Black Chan- nel. On May 18, 1908, five were recorded on the sand spit, but none could be found the following day. One was present in a woods south of Oberlin on Ma.v 20 and 21. None were seen in 1909. It is clear that there is no regular migration route through the region, but there probabl.v is from M'arblehead across the islands to Point Pelee, and in the reverse direction in autumn. None 'haA'e been seen on any of the islands, hut visits to them have never coincided with the probable movements of these birds across Lake Erie. This species is regularly reported from Wauseon, in the western fourth of the state. 126. Myioclianes rlrens — W'Tood Pewee. Connnon in all open woodlands and about towns and city parks. Also common on the thinly wooded parts of the Cedar Point sand spit, where it nests. The median date of arrival is May 6, and of departure September 20. The earliest spring arrival is May 2, 1899, and 1905. and the latest fall record is October 18, 1907, when two re- mained in the writer's orchard for a full month after the bulk had departed. The latest date cf nesting is August 15, 1899, when a nest containing three nearlv fresh eggs was found. I have never 2S 'I'liK Wilson Bulletin — No. TO. noticed uii.v material increase of this species in the fall, when the niiirrations are at their height. It therefore seems likel.v that the hirds from further north move southward by way of the Marble- head route. 127. Empidonax flaviventris. — Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Hardly more than casual for the Oberlin quadrangle, and usually decidedly uncommon everywhere else. The first one was recorded at Oak Point on May !), 1904. Other records are May 13, 1907, when upwards of 20 individuals were recorded on the sand spit, Septem- ber 23, 1907. one on the sand spit, and May 13, 16, and 26, 1908, one eacli time on the sand spit. None were noted in 1909. A shai'p lookout has been Icept for this species, and it is not likely that it has been overlooked. It tlierefore seems certain that its migration route passes west of this region. 128. I'JmpidoiHi.f vire^ccufi. — Acadian Flycatcher. Conunon in the deeper woods over the whole region, except Cedar Point and the smaller islands, where there are suitable habitats. The median date of arrival is May 9, the earliest being Ma.v 4, 1899. The latest fall record is September 21. 1906, when the bird was singing. Its presence in the deep stream gorges has surprised me, since its natural habitat seems to be rather dense beech woods. Its rather loosely constructed nests are usually placed on the swaying boughs of beech trees, from five to twenty feet up. Often interlac- ing of branches afi'ord suitable nest sites. 129. EnijddoiKi.r traiUii aJuorutn. — Alder Fl.vcatcher. There is a colony of some six pairs in each of three swamps at Oalv Point, one of perha]is a dozen pairs at the mouth of Vermilion River, one of about ten pairs at Ruggles Beach, between Huron and Vermilion, and a considerable colony at the mouth of Huron River. In the small marshes along the lake shore there are usuall.y to be found one or more pairs of these flyca tellers. A pair regularly nests among some water willows which grow on low ground along Plum Creek in the outskirts of Oberlin. I found this flycatcher common at the few suitable places on Middle Bass Island, but have not noted it elsewhere among the islands. It has been found in the borders of the marsh along the sand spit occasionally, but does not nest there regularly, much to my surprise. I have little doubt that it will be found on Pelee Island as a regular breeder. The median date of arrival is May 14, the earliest being May 7, 1902 and 1904. The latest one noted in fall was August 22. 1896, which is probably a good deal too earl.v for the completion of the southward migra- tion. Xests are built much like nests of the Yellow Warbler, but el- Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 39 tier bushes are more often iised than other bushes where they are available. I have also found nests in rose bushes. 130. Empidonax minimus. — Least Flycatcher. Usually common for a month in the spring, but scarce and irreg- ular in the fall. I have uever noted more than half a dozen indi- viduals in the fall. The median date of arrival is May 1, the earli- est being April 11, 1903. A few individuals usually remain well to- ward the end of May. Fall records are September 14 and 21, 1907. and 23. 1908. It seem^ a little strange that the species should be so well distributed over the region during the spring movement, but practically fail to reach it during the fall migration. Tlie fly-line must pass to the westward across Marblehead. While this fly- catcher is here it is mostly confined to the brushy border of woods. A few individuals wander into village parks and the shrubbery about houses and vacant lots. On the sand spit it is confined to the brushy fringe which borders the marsh side, rarely venturing over toward the lake. I have one record for August 2, 1907, at the Lake Laboratory. 131. Otocoris alpestris. — Horned Lark. A regular winter visitor to the mainland and sand spit, but usu- ally in small numbers as compared with praiicola. These birds ar- rive with the first severe winter weather, and are usually gone north by the opening of spring. One female was captured on April 8. 1895. which seemed to show indications of breeding. Winter flocks of these Larks are almost always mixed in the proportion of 2 of alpestris to 7 of praticola. Occasionally other field birds are found with them, particularly the Lapland Longspur. It is not difficult to distinguish this form from praticola in a good light by the dis- tinctly yellow line over the eye. which, in praticola, is grayish white without yellow. 132. Otocoris alpestris praticola. — Prairie Horned Lark. A common resident on the mainland, occurring at other times than the breeding season on the sand spit in its movements to and from the north. None have been noted on any of the islands. These are strictly field birds, preferring pastures to meadows and plowed fields. Wliile feeding in the winter they may be found in any fields which afford food. They make good use of freshly scattered barn- yard manure, especially when the land is snow-bound. When such feeding [)laces are scarce they gather in flocks numbering more than 2^ individuals. It is not easy to determine whether there is any marked increase during the fall and winter months, because the flocking habit in winter and the scattering of the paired birds dur- 30 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. ing the long breeding season make coniparisons of individuals dif- ficult. Pairing begins witii the first warm days of late winter, and nesting is in progress as early as the last week in March. A second brood is raised in late June or in July. If wintry weather comes after the birds haA'e paired, and continxies for some days, they re- turn to the flocking as in winter. This and the preceding form range together all winter. It is no uncommon thing to see flocks coming from the northward over the lake, always low down near the ice or water, especially in late win- ter. Many times such flocks have almost tumbled upon the beach to rest, and show " not the slightest fear when approached." After a short rest, without any effort to feed, they start up and resume their southward flight. They may not have crossed the lake, but the evidence points that way. While Lapland Longspurs and Snow- flakes are often found with the Larks. T have never seen them in companies which were coming in from the north. 133. Otocoris alpcstris hoijti. — Hoyt Horned Lark. ^ly records are February 9, 1903, February 24. 1904, February 22, 1906. The first record was of four individuals in a flock of Prai- rie Horned Larks ; the other two records were of five and four in- dividuals respectively not in company with other birds. Of course the only sure identification is of a bird in the hand, but the dis- tinctly lighter color than either alpestris or praticola. and the larger size than praticola furnish a clue to the individuals of this form when they are flocking with the others. These three records are all for the eastern edge of the Vermillion iiuadrangle. 134. Cyanocitta cristata. — Blue Jay. Common everywhere except on the smaller islands. More are seen in towns and villages during the winter than in the woods, but the woods are I)y no means deserted. It has beeu present at the western end of the sand spit on all visits, and usually individ- uals are met with along the course of the sand spit eastward. On April and May visits to the Lake Laboratory flocks of Jays have beeu seen flying from the region of the resort grounds diagonally across the bay to the mainland. 1 have not been able to find a sat- isfactory explanation for these flights. A count of the birds in the woods of that area makes it appear that many comprising the flock must have come from outside. It can hardly be a true migration, certainly. In Iowa I have often seen considerable flocks going from one woods in the direction of another woods some two miles dis- tant. It may be no more than a simultaneous change of feeding ground of all the Jays of a small region. I have no evidence of such fluctuations of nundiers as would account for spring and fall Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 31 migration movements. I tlonbt if there is an.v migration in eitlier the Oljerlin or Vermillion quadrangle. 135. Co7-nis Jyrachyrhyvclws. — Crow. Common from March to December ; present in small numbers all winter in favorable localities. -A distinct northward migration oc- curs with the first sure signs of spring, and a southward migration about the first of November, or with the first really cold weather. An extensive winter roost has been reported to me in a consider- ble woods south of Lorain, but I have been unable to verify it. Certainly the birds are not sufficiently numerous in winter to ac- count for the numbers reported as resorting to the roost. On three occasions I have been fortunate enough to happen into the midst of great migrations. The first was prior to detailed records before me ; the others March 12. 1002. and March 7, 1003. The birds were mov- ing eastward parallel to the lake shore over an area more than half a mile in width and from a few feet above the ground to a height of 300 feet. The migrating stream was almost continuous from 9 a. m., when I arrived at the lake shore, and was still in progress unabated when I left at 4 :20 p. m. Most of the birds had reached the shore at some distance west of my point of observation, but some were coming from the south to swell the host. A number of counts of the birds passing a given point were made at widely different times, which resulted in an average of 130 birds passing per minute. There were thus over 50.000 passing during the period of my stay. One might be pardoned for entertaining some curiosity about their des- tination and why they preferred the long .journey around the east end of Lake Erie rather than the short flight directly across, al- ways provided they were Canadians returning to the land of their birth. One pair nested near the Lake Laboratory in the spring of 1907. but I saw no evidence of an.v nesting the following year. Crows visited the lake beach regularly all summer, where they fed upon the fishes thrown up b.v the waves. I have never witnessed any other migration of Crows along the point than small flocks fly- ing either westward or eastward, which did not have the appear- ance of regular migration flights. It is not stated definitely by Taverner and Swales that on Octo- ber 14-15, 190G, the Crows were seen flying southward toward the Ohio shore from Point Pelee, but one might so infer. I was on the sand spit all day of the 15th and failed to see any of the Crows coming over the lake, although there were considerable numbers along shore and inland. If any considerable company had arrived anywhere between Huron and Cedar Point I would surely have seen them. 32 The Wilson Blt.letin — No. 70. 136. Doliclio>n/.r oryzivonis. — Boboliuk. Common over the \A-bole mainland region and on the larger isl- ands all summer. Present at Cedar Point only as straggling indi- viduals, except during the migrations. The median date of arrival is April 27, the earliest being April 16, 1904, when it arrived sing- ing. The latest fall record is October 0, 1897. The bulk usually leaves by the middle of September. This bird does not become common before the first week in Miay. Young birds have been found by .June 12. Almost without exception nests are made in meadows. Sometimes the males arrive in considerable flocks, but more often singly or in small companies. The females arrive about a week later than the first males. I have never witnessed any con- siderable movement of Bobolinks, such as might be called a great migration. None have ever been seen venturing out over the lake as if to cross, nor have any been seen coming from over the lake. 137. Molofihriis ater. — Cowbird. Common all summer, but abundant when the young birds begin to flock together. The median date of arrival is March IS, the earliest M^nrch 11, 1899. The bulk leave about the first of Octo- ber, but individuals linger into November, with an occasional one remaining all winter. It is well known that this bird spends the spring and breeding season in small companies of males and fe- males. When the breeding season draws to a close these com- l)anies retire to the pastures, where they may be found about the cattle. After the young have begun to flock the old birds seem to join them and roost with them, usually in company with the Grackles. When the Grackle migrations have been delayed consid- erably I have seen Cowbirds in the great flocks of other " black- birds." 138. Xmrihocvphalus .Tantliocrjilialii!^.- — YelloWi-headed Blackbird. I have nothing to add to the record in " Birds of Ohio," page 218, where it is stated that " There is a specimen in the collection of F. Frey of 'Sandusky. A flock of six passed over Oberlin just above the treetops, October 9, 1896." 1.39. Afichiiits pJweniceiis. — Red-winged Blackbird. Common in all swampy and marshy places over the whole region. It is even abundant in the Sandusky marshes, and in the marshes of Middle Bass and Pelee Islands, where it nests in great numbers. The median date of arrival is March 8, the earliest being Febru- ary 26, 1906. The bulk have gone south by the third week in Oc- tober, individuals lingering past the middle of November. I have never noted individuals in mid-winter. Normally this blackbird JoxES — On Birds of Cedar Point. 33 ini;j;rates in flocks of its own kind, hut when the migrations have been held back by a late season they join the huge companies which are made up of several species. The males often arrive in advance of the females, but by no means always. Many early flocks con- tain both sexes in nearly equal numbers. On each of the late sum- mer visits to the islands this species has been seen migrating south- ward along the island route, and flocks have been seen coming to- ward the southern end of Pelee Island from nearly due east, as thouiih they had essayed to cross directly to the Ohio shore from the point of Pelee. but had turned their course to the westward before pasing abreast of the southern extremity of Pelee Island. None have ever been seen crossing elsewhere, and none arriving between Sanduslcy and Huron. I have never seen flocks make as though intending to cross the lake in the northward migration. Marsh vegetation is still suflSciently abundant, so that these birds seldom build their nests in the marsh bushes, as they do sometimes when natural conditions have changed. I have found eggs which appeared to be nearly fresh, July 15. 140. Fttuniclla )ii(iy Itov. W. L. Dawson and JOiXES — On Birds of Cedar Point. 39 the writer. It was next recorded during tlie entire summer of 189(j, the first migrant appearing on Ma.v 0. None were recorded until April 22, 1907, near Amherst. On April 29 and May 13, 1907, it was found breeding at Rye Beach, where it remained during the summer, being recorded on each visit. It was again recorded on May 11, 1908, near Berlin Heights, and on May 13 at its old breed- ing field at Rye Beach. The two pulilished records of this sparrow in Ohio which appeared prior to the publication of Mr. Ridgway's monumental work on tlie Siiarrows were overlooked by him, so that in that work lie cited no authentic Ohio records. The first published record was in the Auk. XII, 1895, p. 241 ; the second in The Wilson Bulletin, III. ji. 1. ir;0. CJiovflestcs (ininnndciis. — Lark Sparrow. A fairly re^nilar sunnner resident of the mainland, biit scarce. My records indicate that it arrives late in April and departs south- ward during the first half of September. It is more often met with in the river bottoms than elsewhere, but it has nested in fields in the enviions of Oberlin. I have never found it in the vicinity of the sand spit. It is as much of a field bird as "Vesper Sparrow, and sings from a fence or tree perch. This sparrow has been found cas- ually to the eastern l)order of the state, but this region is evidently near the eastern luirder of its habitual range in summer. ]()1. Zonotrichia Iciicophiiis. — White-crowned Sparrow. Always common, sometimes abundant, in the spring migrations, mucii less numerous in the fall migrations. It is probably the most numerous sparrow on the sand spit diiring the height of the spring migration, where every thicket is full of singing birds. It was connnon from October 2 to 9, 1897. _ The median date of spring ar- rival is May. the earliest April 22, 1902. The bulk have gone north by the middle of May, the last May 21. Fall arrivals are October 1 to 1.5. The last depart about October 20. The favorite retreats of this sparrow, while it is with us, are the w^eedy and brushy fence rows-, brush patches, or even brush piles in the borders of woods. It is also found in rather tliickly grown orchards. The middle and eastern thirds of tlie sand spit are ideal retreats in spring. 102. Zniiotricliia alhicoUi-'<. — White-throated Sparrow. Common during I)oth migrations on the sand spit as well as on the mainland. It is distrilmted over all brushy areas as well as in the woods and in back lots in villages and parks, and therefore is really more numerous than the last species, but on the sand spit it is usually outnumbered by it. The median date of arrival in spring is April 10. April 1, 1899, Iieing the first. One was found in a river 40 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. gorge on Jaiuiai'y 1, 1906. The median date of departure of the bulk is May 12, of the last, May 16, but tlie individuals tarry until May 21 (1904). The median date of arrival in fall is September 26. of departure, November 3. It is possible that an occasional pair remains to breed, but if so none have ever been found. 163. SpizclJa nioiiticola. — Tree Sparrow. Our most numerous winter bird. Small to considerable flocks range along the sand spit and out into the frozen marshes all win- ter. It is usually associated with Juncos and Song Sparrows, and frequently with Cardinals, but also occurs alone. The' median date of spring departure of the bulk is April 7, of the last. April 27; of arrival in fall, October 25. Flocks of from a few individuals to at least 300 range over the whole country all winter, visiting the door- yards in town as well as penetrating into the depest woods, and gleaning from open fields. It is a not infrequent visitor to the lunch counter in the heart of Oberlin. This sparrow suffers more from attacks of the Northern Shrike than any other, probably because it is the most numerous. Pigeon Hawks also prey upon it. The con- stant cheerful twitter of the Tree Sparrows, and their habit of bursting into full song while the snow is falling and the wind blowing in midwinter, make it seem a most welcome visitor when most other birds are absent or silent. 164. SpiseUa passerina. — Chipping Sparrow. Common about human habitations all summer. It is everywhere in parks and dwellings, and about the premises of country houses, often nesting in the vines which cover a trellis to shade a porch. It also nests in ornamental vines and shrubs which afford a suf- ficiently dense network of branches or twigs. I have many times noted it nesting in such situations long after the buildings had dis- appeared and the region deserted by human beings. One such place was clearly an old Indian " kitchen midden." The median date of arrival is April 1, the earliest March 27. 1905. The median date of departure of the bulk is September 24, of the last, October 15. The birds usually become common within a few days after the arrival of the first one. Naturally the sand spit is not a suital)le place for the nesting of this species, but it has been found common during the migrations, especially toward and at the west end. Probably a few i)airs breed about the sunnner resort grounds, but the noises there and the confusion of crowds drown its voice and make it timid. Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 41 165. Spizella pusiUa. — Field Sparrow. Common over the whole region where there are suitable brushy conditions. It breeds on the sand spit, but less commonly than one might expect. Its porper habitat is brushy borders of woods, or, if there is no brush, ranlc weeds will do as well. Brushy fields are also thickly inhabited. Most nests are placed above the ground, sometimes as high as six feet in a brushy tangle, but sometimes practically on the ground among weed stems and grasses. The me- dian date of arrival is March 18, the earliest March 12, 1898. The median date of departure of the -bulk is September 19, the latest being October '2?>. This Sparrow is seldom imposed upon by the Cowbird, in spite of the relatively exposed situation of the nest — or because of this. 160. Jiinco hycmalis. — Slate-colored Juuco. Abundant during the migrations, and usually common all winter, especially in the stream gorges. It ranges with the Tree Sparrow in the less exposed places of that sparrow's range, but does not often ver>ture out of the woods or brush, except to door yards, in mid-winter. It is a frequent visitor to the lunch counter in win- ter. The median date of departure of the bulk is April 25, and of the last, April 30, but individuals sometimes tarry to May 20 (1907). The birds return about the first of October, and become common almost immediately. Early fall storms which cover their food often bring about a diminution in numbers. I have found them tucked snugly away in hay stacks, in hay mows, in corn shocks, among the rocks in the gorges, in thickly leaved trees, be- neath thick grass, and beneath the snow, where they pass the night. SOME WINTER BIRDS ABOUT LAKE WIMLICO, FLORIDA. BY G. CLYDE FISHER. Having decided to spend a week hunting deer in the vi- cinity of Lake Wimlico, six others and I proceeded to Apa- lachicola, an interesting old city situated on the Gulf coast at the mouth of the river of the same name. Here we secured a launch, and on the morning of December 25, 1909, we started, going up the Apalachicola River, which separates what is lo- cally known as West Florida from the rest of the state. This pan-handle, which lies immediately south of Alabama, would naturally be a geographical part of that state. However, it is 42 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. a part of Florida. We proceeded northward up the Apa- lachicola River, a distance of about six miles, to the mouth of Jackson's Old River, into which we turned. The river, as may be supposed, takes its name from General Jackson, and many local traditions are handed down of how he here beard- ed the Spaniards in their den. Although it is only eight miles long, the river is from one-fourth to one-half mile wide. It simply forms the outlet of Lake Wimlico. connecting it with the Apalachicola River. After proceeding through Jackson's Old River we entered Lake Wimlico. which is one of the most beautiful of the numerous lakes of Florida, many of which are remarkable for their rare beauty. This lake is located in the southern part of Calhoun County, in a region which is generally known as the St. Jo Country. Owing to the lowness of the land and the consequent wet con- ditions for a large part of each year, this region is very sparse- ly settled and has l)een disturbed by man to a very limited ex- tent. In fact, almost everything exists in its primeval beauty. As will be noted from this brief narrative, the lake lies north- west of .'\palachicola. and is less than fifteen miles distant. It is rather long and narrow, being about twelve miles long and from two to six miles wide. It is surrounded by almost inter- minable cypress swamps, with here and there a small area of " piney " woods, which areas are all well back from the lake. Besides the Cypress with its graceful festoons of Spanish " Moss." the prevailing trees are Black Gum. Cabbage. Spruce Pine, and Slash Pine. The magnificent Cabbage. Spruce interspersed here and there, some of which are forty feet in height, give the region a tropical appearance. The berries of the Black Gum constitute a very important ])art of the food of the Florida Black Bear, which is still found in considerable numbers in these almost limitless swamps. Flowing into the lake are several creeks, or bayous. We proceeded to the mouth of one called Indian Bayou, near the upper end of the lake. While going through the lake it was not difficult to imagine what a birds" paradise this place must be during the nesting season, especially for water-loving and Fisher — On Florida Winter Birds. 43 swamp-loving- birds. From the launch, on the way through the lake, I counted fifty-six Osprey's nests in the cypress trees surroundin.g the lake, but I did not see a single Osprey. Our g-uide told us that they were-down on the Gulf at this time of year. He further informed us that, althoug^h the Ospreys build their nests and rear their young around the lake, they go to the Gulf, which is fifteen or twenty miles distant, to fish, and that they bring food for their young" froiu that distance. He thinks they nest up around the lake to avoid the Bald Ea- gles which stay around the Gulf. We went up Indian Bayou about five miles, where we found a landing — an open space with a few scattering pines, which was slightly higher than the surrounding country, but only very slightly higher. The lowness and levelness of this whole region may be better realized when we consider the fact that the tides were not only considerable on the lake, having come up the river from Apalachicola Bay, but that at our camp, five miles up Indian Bayou, we had a tide of two or three feet. We remained in camp here six days, and since hunting deer was the primary object of the trip, bird-study was only inci- dental. If one does not mind wading in water, this is a great place to hunt. Wild Cats, Otters, Deer, and Black Bears are rather plentiful, and there are still a few Panthers. Wild Tur- keys are by no means rare, but we saw none on this trip. W^e saw Florida Blue Jays about Apalachicola, but I was surprised to find them absent around Lake Wimlico. Not one was seen during the six days, but their absence is probably ex- plained by the absence of oak trees and the consecjuent absence of acorns. Pied-billed Grebes were much rarer than I expected to find them, since they are so common in West Florida during the winter months. The rarest privilege of the trip from the standpoint of a bird student was our experience with the Sandhill Cranes. Every morning at daybreak we could hear their " sonorous croakings." 44 The Wilson Buixetin — No. 70. A few species of birds were observed about Apalachicola. which we did not see up about Lake Wimlico, such as Wil- son's Snipe, Brown Pelican, Ground Dove, Pipit, Fish Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Boat-tailed Grackle, but they are not included in the list, which is undoubtedly far from com- plete, as it contains only those birds that we were fortunate enousfh to observe from December 25 to 31, 1909. Ospre.v's (I'audion Jialiactiis carolinensis) Nest ou Indian Bayou, near Lake Wimlico. Florida. (Photo by G. Cl.vde Fisher, Dec. 20. 1909.) (1) Coly)iibiis auritus. — Horned Grebe. One seen. (2) Podilyiiibiis podiccps. — Pied-billed Grebe. Two seen on Indian Bayou. (3) Larus argcntafus. — Herring- Gull. Several seen on the way up the river. (4) Ai.v sponsa. — Wood Duck. Not rare. Fisher — On Florida Winter Birds. 45 (5) Aythia affiins. — Lesser Scaup Duck. A few flocks on the lake. Other ducks were seen, but no others were posi- tively identified. (6) Ardca Jicrodias. — Great Blue Heron. A few seen. (7) Grns anicricana. — Sandhill Crane. Comon. Heard every morning at daybreak and often during the day. From two to six often seen flying about. An adult female taken on December 2^, since mounted, and now in the Palmer College collection. The trachea of this specimen was dissected out, and found to contain a peculiar and elaborate curve mostly encased in the breast-bone. (8) Fulica ainericana. — Coot. Two seen. (9) Aigialitis z'ocifcra. — Killdeer. Common. (10) Zenaidura viacroura. — Mourning Dove. Xnt rare. (11) Cat hart es aura septcntrionalis. — Turkey Vulture. Common. (12) Catharista at rata. — Black Vulture. A few seen. (13) Circus hudsoiiins. — Marsh Hawk. Rather common. (14) Buteo lincatus. — Red-shouldered Hawk. Common. (15) FaJco sparverius. — Sparrow Hawk. A few seen. (16) Stryx I'aria alleni. — Florida Barred Owl. Frequent- ly heard in the swamps at night. (17) Ceryle alcyon. — Belted Kingfiisher. Several seen. (18) Dryobates puhescens. — Southern Downy Wood- pecker. A few seen. (19) Dryobates borcalis. — Red-cockaded Woodpecker. A few seen in the patches of pine woods. (20) Sphyrapicus varuis. — Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Rather common. (21) Phlaotomus pileatus. — Pileated Woodpecker. Rath- er common. (22) Centurus carolinns. — Red-bellied Woodpecker. Very common. (23) Colaptes auratus. — Flicker. A few seen. (24) Sayornis pha:he. — Phoebe. Common. (25) Corvus brachyrhynchos pascuus. — Florida Crow. Common. A specimen taken and sent to Frank M. Chapman, 4(i The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. who pronounced it pasciiiis with the comment " approaching bracliyrhyiichos." (26) Stnniella iiuiiiiia. — Aleadowlark. Common. May liave been the Florida Meadovvlark, S. in. argiitiila. (27) Astragaliniis tristis. — Goldfinch. Not rare. (28) CotnvuicuJus savannartim ansfralis. — Grasshopper Sparrow. Common. May have been the Florida sub-species, C. s. floridanus. (29) Anuiiodraiuns licnsloi^n. — Henslow Sparrow. Com- mon. (30) Mclospiza cincrca iiiclodia. — Sonc Sparrow. Two seen. (31) PapUo crythrophthahiuis. — Towdiee. Several heard. May have been the A^Hiite-eyed Towhee, P. c. allcni. (32) Cardinalis cardiiiaJis. — Cardinal. Several seen. IV'Iay have been the Florida Cardinal, C. c. ftoridaniis. (33) Tridoprociic hicolor. — Tree Sw^allow. One seen. (30 MniotiJta varia. — F)lack and White Warbler. Sev- eral seen. (3.j) Dcndroica roroiiata. — Alyrtle \\'arbler. Not rare. (36) Dendroica I'igorsii. — Pine Warbler. Common. (37) Dcndroica palinanim. — Palm W^arbler. Common. (38) Dcndroica pahnarwn hypochrysca. — Yellow Palm Warbler. Several seen. (39) Gcothlypis trichas. — Yellow-throat. A few seen. The sub-species not determined. (40) Minuis polyglottos. — Mocking-bird. Several seen. (41) Dnnictclla caroUncnsis. — Catbird. Common. (42) Toxostorna rnfuin. — P)rown Thrasher. A few seen. (43) Thrvothonis li!do7'icianus. — Carolina WVen. Com- mon. (44) Sitta pnsilla. — Brown-headed Nuthatch. A few seen. (45) Pcnthcstcs caroUncnsis. — Carolina Chickadee. Com- mon. (46) Rcgtdns calendula. — Ruby-crowned Kino;let. A^ery common. Burns — On Passenger Pigeon in Penn. 47 (47) Hylocichia (guttata pallasii. — Hermit Thrush. Rath- er common. (48) Plaiicsficiis niigratoriiis. — Robin. \'ery common. (49) Siolia sialis. — Bhieliird. Common. THE STATUS OF THE PASSENGER PIGEON (Ecto- pistcs iifigran)riiis} IN EASTERN PENNSYLX'ANIA. " In view of the fact that every good bird student will be looking" out for Passenger Pigeons this summer, I write to give you a little information which, however, may not be much good, l)ut nevertheless will interest you. At Mt. Gret- na. Lebanon County, Pa., where our military company often goes on their summer camp, Mr. Vernon Wallace, of this town, saw a pair of I^assenger Pig'eons in the trees about the camp, between May 1 and 15 (favorable dates). Birds were rather tame at first, but soon became wild, and, after three days, did not return from the wooded mountain side (nearby), to where they invariably flew when disturbed. Mr. Wallace is an experienced hunter and could not be mistaken. I sub- mit this bit of information because the location is not far from your home. News twelve years old may be stale, but never- theless it may be a case of ' staler the better.' " So writes Mr. J. Warren Jacobs in a recent note, and recalls to my mind an instance of a single egg taken from a frail nest in a cedar tree, near Columbia. Lancaster County, in 1H89, by Mr. Lionel F. Bowers — my companion in many a boyish collecting" trip. I examined the egg, listened to his description of the bird, and had no doubt of its identity. On the other hand, Mr. E. W. Can-ipbell's recent record in Luzerne County, of a "resident pair, reared young" (Oolo- gist. Vol. xxiii, 1906, p. 108), is open to question. He also rcDorts the Least Sandpiper " pair with young." Mr. William P). Crispin's set of two eggs " collected in Potter County for F. T. Pember by A. Lyon, May 3, 1878"; (Oologist, xxiv, 1907. p. 155), are probably the eggs of some variety of the do- 48 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. mestic bird. According to the late Major Charles E. Bendire, and others, Pember's localities were taken at random, his col- lectors fictitious, his data in his own handwriting- and creations of his own mind. It is a popular opinion of the hunters of Monroe County, that the vast flocks were blown out to sea and perished. The hunters were accustomed to visit the nesting places at night and kill the birds with clubs and poles : the breasts were re- moved, smoked and strung up for future consumption ! Of course this would have no effect upon its abundance? In Chester County, the bird was netted with the aid of captives. I have heard from good authority of one netter who stopped marketing only when it no longer paid, the price having fell to three cents a dozen. The collection of the late Mr. J. W. Sharp, of Berwyn, contains a single mounted specimen, unfor- tunately without data, but doubtless shot in the vicinity. Prob- ably the last birds shot in the neighborhood were secured by Dr. H. R. Wharton, in a wood near Strafiford, 1878. I copy from my Journal, under the date of April 17, 1901 : " Father remarked to-day at noon that he had seen something he had not observed for a good many years — a flock of Wild Pigeons, fifteen altogether. He knew them from Doves, being larger, darker and more robust. He said there was no mis- take, he had shot and handled many of them in days gone by." I referred the matter to Mr. W. J. Hoxie, another old-timer. He replied : " In regard to the Wild Pigeon I would cer- tainly say ' good,' for the dark underparts alone will distin- guish the flying birds from the Doves. There are points of movement and general modeling not at all easy to describe." It is barely possible that the species breeds somewhere in eastern Pennsylvania. If so. may it be delivered from its friends ! The only practical way of protecting the bird, if it be not extinct, is to include the Mourning Dove in a general protective law ; for not one person in a hundred can dififeren- tiate the two species. Frank L. Burns. THE WILSON BULLETIN A Quarterly Magazine Devoted to the Study of Sirds. Official Organ of the Wilson Ornithological Club. Edited by LYNDS JONES. PUBLISHED BY THE CLUB, AT OBERLIN, OHIO, Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico, one dollar a year, 30 cents a number, post- paid. Price in all countries in the International Postal Union, $1.25 a year, 40 cents a number. Subscriptions may be sent to Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio, or to Mr. Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Penn. Officers of the Wilson Ornithological Club for 1010: Presi(?ent — Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa. Vice-President — W. E. Saunders, London, Ont. Secretary— Benj. T. Gault, Glenn Ellyn, 111. Treasurer — W. F. Henninger, New Bremen, Ohio. Members of the Executive Council — Lynds Jones, Oberlin, O. ; H. C. Oberholser, Washington, D. C. ; B. H. Swales. Grosse Isle, Mich. EDITORIAL. It has been necessary to defer the third installment of the paper on the Falcones, and also to defer to the June number the index to the last volume. The editor greatly regrets this necessity. Readers will be interested to know that the September number will contain the paper read at the last A. O. U. meeting, entitled, "At the Sign of the Northern Flicker," which Dr. MIerriam spoke of as one of the most notable papers on life histories which has ap- peared. It will supplement the Important work of our President, "A Monograph of the Flicker." This is the time to begin to plan for a systematic study of the migrations and whatever influences them. Plan for certain whole days in the field, not to break the record but to learn more about the bird movements in your region. If you are so fortunate as to be associated with other bird students in your immediate region, form some sort of plan whereby each one may keep careful watch of a given region, each day if possible, and compare notes fre- quently. By such means it is possible to discover " fly lines," or routes which are preferred by certain species or by all species. 50 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. Make daily records so that definite information can be had of fluctuations and their possible causes. Having a definite point in view in bird observation does not make it less interesting but more so. The readers will notice some changes in the make up of The Bulletin, beginning with this twenty-second volume. One of the things which we as students of birds need is closer touch with what each is doing. Therefore a department devoted to mention of what members and readers and students of birds generally aro doing, have done, or are purposing doing has been opened, and will be contributed to by as many persons as it is possible to secure notices from. The editor cannot be expected to cover this whole field. It is also intended to renew the department of reviews of literature, and to bring in as associates in this department men and women whose work lies within the region covered by any local list or catalogue which may be published, and get those more familiar with any subject connected with bird study to review papers or books dealing with some special subject. Every reader is urged to send reviews of printed articles, pamphlets, and books whose contents cover the region in which his work is done, or sub- jects in which he is specially interested. By this means a great saving of time and expense could be effected to nearly every reader by acquainting him with the contents of such publications in a brief review. Otherwise it becomes necessary to purchase and read everything which appears relating to birds in general in order to get the little needed which relates to his special field. Everybody knows that we need a great many more facts before we can learn why certain birds move southward in some winters and not in others, and why certain species suddenly appear in great numbers where they are almost or wholly unknown at other times. It does not seem to us impossible to gain possession of such facts if our plan of cooperation can be worked out in any fulness. Mr. P. A. Taverner, 55 Elmhurst Avenue, Highland Park, Mich., has expressed a willingness to undertake an investigation of the causes which produced the southward migrations of usually more northern birds the past winter. The editor bespeaks for him the interest and cooperation of everybody in getting at the facts. Send to him all the data you have gathered during the winter relating to all the birds which you have recorded, as well as mention of the absence of any species which you usually find, also stating what you can about the food supply in the way of seeds, nuts, berries, fruit, mice and other small mammals, giving also the condition of the weather. Your effort will be more than repaid by the value which the final report will bring to you. Editorial. 51 One side of bird study has been far too generally neglected, a side which is second to none in importance for an understanding of bird life. That is the ecological side. Most local lists are so gen- eral in their statenieuts regarding the occurrence of the individual species in the region under discussion that one gains very little information concerning them other than their relative abundance in the whole region. As an instance of what is meant, this is said of the Red-tailed Hawk in a recent local list of more than usual pretensions. " Common resident specie:?." No other comment is given. One might readily infer that the region was wholly wooded and that the bird was evenly distributed over it. We happen to know that the topographical conditions are extremely variable, with scattered woods, in only a few of which this hawk would be likely to breed. Another short sentence would give information of value. We urge upon those who are contemplating compiling local lists to study the habits of the birds with a view of saying something un- usual about them — unusual, viewed from the standpoint of the average present day list. It is not enough to say that a species is found — what is its place in the economy of the region. This does not require unusual ability and command of language ; it only re- quires attention. If there has been a change in the topography of the region, resulting in a change or shifting of the life of the re- gion, the facts should be stated. It is only by such means that we can learn what changes and influences are working upon our bird life and also upon human interests. [From Forest and Stream. January 22, 1910.] To Save the Passenger Tigeon. —It is gratifying to know that a last effort is being made to find and save from final extinction existing individuals of the Passenger Pigeon. The history of this effort is explained in the letter from Dr. C. F. Hodge, printed else- where in this issue of Forest and Stream. The following memorandum was read at the meeting of the Amer- ican Ornithologists' Fnion, December !), 1909: "Through the interest and generosity of Colonel Anthony R. Kuser, I am authorized to offer the following award : "Three hmidred dollars (.?300.00) for first information of a nest- ing i)air of wild Passenger Pigeons (Ecfopistes migratoria) undis- turbed. " Before this award will be paid, such information, exclusive and confidential, must be furnished as will enable a committee of expert ornitliologists to visit the nest and confirm the finding. If the nest and parent Inrds are found undisturbed, the award will be promptly paid. (Signed) C. William Beebe, " New York Zoological Park, New York City. " Furthei'uiore, Colonel Kuser withdraws his former offer of $100 for a fre-^hlv killed Passenger Pigeon. He does this on account of 52 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. the great danger of complete extinction of the species. "Until January 1. IDll. during Mr. Beebe's absence from Amer- ica, address all correspondence on the subject to C. F. Hodge, Clark University. Worcester. iNIass.. who will arrange for confirming party and payment of the award, if a nesting colony is found." This action is. in part, a result of a paper presented to the Union by Mr. Hodge on "The Present Status of the Passenger Pigeon Problem." In this paper he took the position that as long as there is life there is hope — as long as there is any possibility of strag- glers of this valuable bird existing on the continent we ought to do all in our power to save them. He said that he would not kill a specimen for $1,000 even to prove that he had seen one, and wished that every one else felt as he does. All offers for skins or dead birds ought to be withdrawn, because at the present crisis these might result In killing the last pair. At the close of the session Colonel Kuser said to Dr. Hodge that he wished to withdraw his offer for a* freshly killed passenger pigeon. Dr. Hodge said that he did not expect everyone to agree with him, but Colonel Kuser replied that he also felt that he would not have one of the birds killed for $1,000. "Well, then," replied Dr. Hodge. " why not let your offer stand for the location of a live specimen?" Colonel Kuser said: "I would gladly give $200 for that." Some discussion as to how the award should be announced fol- lowed. It hardly seemed worth while to offer an award for the sight of a bird that might be lost or dead the next day. It was clear that the important thing is to arouse universal interest in the matter and to take some action which may lead to saving the spe- cies from extermination. Finally Dr. Hodge said in effect : " What we want is to locate a breeding colony. Why do you not offer the award of $200 for an undisturbed nest? Then the birds will be there long enough to make identification absolutely sure ; we shall know that they are actually breeding, and around such a find we can organize adequate protective measures." " I would give $300 for that," exclaimed Colonel Kuser, and so the matter was left for Messrs. Beebe and Hodge to draw up the announcement. It seems now with Colonel Kuser's generous offer for a begin- ning, that an adet]uate search of the American continent should be set on foot, and if any of the birds are found breeding we ought to (luickly effect the organization of a Passenger Pigeon restoration club with mendtership distributed throughout the United States and Canada. This club could then take up the details of protective work. In connection with the State Game Commissions and sports- men's clubs it could obtain adequate State legislation and warden service, so that for a term of years the birds may be permitted to Editorial. 53 feed aud breed in absolute safety and be accorded the freedom of the continent. The organization of the people of a continent around such an interest is in itself an inspiring thing. This plan should be effective as well in discovering existing Pas- senger Pigeons as in protecting them when discovered. Since the above was written, there have been other offers of re- wards for undisturbed nests of Passenger Pigeons, for the matter has been received with gratifying interest — an interest which ought to grow. Let us then have more awards and without delay. There should be enough to cover the whole continent and to arouse an interest everywhere. If no nests are found it will cost no one anything ; if nesting colonies are found and protected it will be worth a great deal. Here is the list of the offers of awards up to January 19, 1910 : Col. Anthony R. Kuser, for first nest or nesting colony on North American continent, confirmed $300 "Wim. B. Mershon, for first nest for Michigan 100 Edw. Avis, for first nest for Connecticut 100 Messrs. Deane and Whitman, first nest for Illinois 100 John E. Thayer, five awards of $100 each for the five most likely States or Canadian provinces from which no local offers have been secured by April 15 500 County Awards : Allen A. Miller, for first nest found in Wor- cester County, Mass 20 New Haven, Conn., 10 February, 1910. On December 8, 1909, there was organized in New York City the American Bird Banding Association, the object of which is " the banding of wild birds and the recording of accurate data on their movements." The formation of this society was the out- growth of a movement which was started in 1908 by a committee of the New Haven Bird Club, having in mind the study of the movements and migrations of wild birds by means of metal bands, which should be attached to their legs. These bands bear an ad- dress and a serial number, the inscription reading " Notify the Auk, New York." When a bird is banded a record is made of the number of the band, and the species of bird on which it is used, as well as the date and the place of banding. Should this bird ever fall into anyone's hands, it is hoped that as a result of the inscription on the band, a notification of the finding will be sent to " The Auk," together with a record of the number. In this way accurate data may be obtained of the movements of individual birds, a thing which is not possible by the ordinary methods of studying migration. The bands are distributed to interested per- sons throughout the country, who use them as opportunity offers, this being principally, of course, upon young birds which have not yet left their nest. .■)4 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. This method of studjang migration has now been employed in a number of European countries for several years, and noteworthy results have been obtained, such as the capture in South Africa of Storks which were banded in Southern Europe. An account of the beginning of the work in this country has al- ready been published in "The Auk" (Vol. 26, No. 2, April, 1909, pp. 137-143). Since that time the work has been much extended and during the past season most encouraging results have been obtained. (It is expected that an account of these will appear in the April "Auk " of this year.) It was a result of the extension of the work, which had assumed a national character, that a definite organization was this winter formed for carrying it on. The com- mittee in charge has heretofore depended upon voluntary contri- butions to defray expenses; it is hoped that now enough interested persons will become members so that their dues of one dollar per year will supply the needed funds. We therefore make this appeal to all persons who are interested in birds, and especially in that great mystery of bird-life — migration — to aid in the solution of its problems by joining this Association. Members will receive free a copy of the annual report of the Executive Committee, and such other literature as may be issued, including a copy of the forthcoming report for the season of 1909. (Since members of the American Ornithologists' Union will get this report in the "Auk," in order that the expenses of the Association may be kept down, and the funds applied to the banding operations, separates will not be sent to such persons unless especially requested.) For the benefit of any who may fear that the prosecution of this work may be detrimental to bird-life, it should be stated that the Association is thoroughly in sympathy with the conservative ef- forts of the A.udubon Societies in this country. The shooting of birds for the recovery of bands is in no way a part of the scheme. It is desired to have banding done only by reliable persons, and should it be found that the banding of any species is doing harm, either from the disturbing of the nestlings, or from other causes, such work on that species will be discountenanced. As a guaranty of good faith it may be mentioned that the present membership includes not onlj^ many of the foremost members of the Ameru Ornithologists' Union but also leaders of the Audubon movement in America. Applications for membership and remittances of dues should be sent to the Secretary-Treasurer, Mr. C. J. Pennock, Kennett Square, Pa. Persons interested in the banding and caring to as- sist in this part of the work, should address Dr. Leon J. Cole, Pea- Field Notes. 55 body Museum, New Haven, Conu. (After April 1, 1910: College of Agriculture, I'liiversity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.) Leon J. Cole, President and Chairman of the Executive Committee. Peabody Museum, New Haven, Conn. C. J. Pennock, Secretary-Treasurer', Kennett Square, Pa. Louis B. Bishop, 356 Orange Street, New Haven, Conn. Glovee M. Allen, IG Louisburg Square, Boston, Mass. Trios. S. Roberts. 1G03 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. Executive Committee. FIELD NOTES. Additional Vernacular Names of the Flicker (Colaptes aura- tus). — In Barton's Fragments of Natural History of Pennsylvania, published in 1799, and now exceedingly rare, I find the following : " 1 am informed that this bird is known in Maryland by the name of ' Dishwasher ' ; also given the name of Flecker." Berwyn, Pa. Frank ■ L. Burns. Horned Lark and Bohemian Waxwing in Middle Western Ohio.- — On December 28, in very cold weather, I met a flock of six Horned Larks in Shelby County, O. The birds were feeding on dung in the middle of a road and allowed close approach. This is my first record of Otocorys alpestris proper in this region. On January 18, in a severe windstorm, I was surprised by a flock of some twenty odd Bohemian Waxwing on the street on which I live about one hundred feet away from the house in some cedar trees and maple trees, where they, however, only rested for a few min- utes. On January 22. in a howling blizzard, I saw presumably the same flock out at a cemetery, a mile from town, while I was con- ducting a funeral, and a neater looking flock of birds I never saw. They were absolutely unsuspicious, apparently not knowing what kind of a creature a man was. Netc Bremen, 0. W. F. Henningeb. Middle Western Ohio Notes. — Double-crested Cormorant. — (Phalacroc&rax auritus. Lesson).— An adult female taken on the Pasco Pond near Sidney, Ohio, September 28, 1909. Black Duck {Anas ruhripes, Brewster). — An adult male, taken on the Loramie Reservoir, Shelby County, Ohio, October 12, 1909. 56 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis, Gmelin). — Au adult male and an adult female taken near the Loramie Reservoir, Shelby County, Ohio, November 25, 1909. Shoet-eared Owl (Asio flammeus, Pontoppidan ) . — An adult fe- male taken near Jackson Center, Ohio, December 4, 1909. An imma- ture male taken near Sidney, Ohio, December 4, 1909. An adult female taken near the Ix)ramie Reservoir, November 15, 1909. Barred Owl (Strix varia, Barton). — An adult female taken near Maplewood, Ohio, December 6, 1909. Stomach contained a bat. The above data were collected by James W. Stuber, Taxidermist, Sidney, Ohio. G. Clyde Fisher. An Unusual Flight of the Loon (Gavia irmner) in South- eastern Pennsylvania — In the Wilson Bulletin for December, 1908, ]\rr. Frank L. Burns records the capture of two Loons near Berwyn, Chester County, Pa., on November 14, 1908. The birds, it seems, had become bewildered in au early snow storm and had taken refuge in a small pond, where they met their fate. On November 25, 1909, a similar catastrophe occurred in the same region, but of so much greater extent that some note of it seems warranted. The following records have come to my notice ; ' twelve birds in all from Delaware and Chester Counties. Two Loons were shot and two others seen on two small ponds about a mile south of Wayne, Delaware County, Pa. I shot one if these and saw the other which had been killed by a farmer. Mr. Leonard S. Pearson informs me that three more Loons were shot that day on a group of ponds just north of the town. Two Loons were brought to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences shot at Paoli, Chester County, Pa. One of them is now in the collection of the Academy. Mr. Thomas H. Jackson reports the taking of two of these birds at Lenape, Chester County, Pa., and Mfr. George S. Morris tells me that one was seen on a pond near Westtown, Ches- ter County, Pa., for nearly two weeks in the latter part of No- vember. The storm which overtook this flight was of precisely the same nature as that which overtook the birds the previous year. On November 22, 1909, the wind was from the south with a velocity of twenty-six miles an hour at 7 :50 p. m. The following day rain set in at 10 a. m., continuing with one short interruption during the rest of the day. At 1 :55 p. m. the wind shifted to the northeast, reaching a velocity of thirty-four miles. On November 24 the rain began again at 9:30 a. m., but turned to sleet and snow shortly after midday and continued until daybreak of November 25. Dur- ing the 24th the velocity of the wind varied from twenty-seven to forty miles an hour, the direction being north-east. Field Notes. 57 The occurrence of this storm immediately before Thanksgiving day probably accounts for the large number of birds taken as lo- cal gunners were out in force during the holiday. February 9, 1910. Alfked C. Redfield, Wayne, Pa. Note on the Nesting of Bewick's Ween. — In Dawson's Birds of Ohio, there is a photo of mine showing the nest and eight eggs of Bewick's Wren, built in an old coffee cup. This picture was taken on May 13, 1901, in Ross County, Ohio. The accompanying photo- graph of nest and seven eggs of Bewick's Wren was built by the same pair of birds at the same place on April 28, 1902. Bewick's Wren in southern Ohio has two broods, and often three, the first having from seven to eleven eggs, the second generally from three to six. Nesting falls in late April and early May and again in June, and even July. In middle western Ohio It is a rather rare summer resident, and in northern Ohio a straggler only. New Bremen, O. W. F. Henningeb. 58 The Wilson Bulleitin— No. 70. Notes from Illinois. — The first Bluebird call was hoard March 4th, Inaugurating spring, as it seems, and a most pleasing sound to hear after our long, cold winter, the hardest for nearly thirty years, so it is said, barring possibly, the season of 1892-'93. Mr. Isaac E. Hess, of Philo, Champaign county, reports the first Robin February 14th. Miss Elizabeth Eldridge writes of seeing a Flicker about their place, near Plainfield, Will county, 'til.1 the very last of December, notwithstanding the arctic spell of weather which reigned through- out the month. We naturally would expect some far northern visitors this win- ter, and, for the first time in many years, the Snowy Owl has been reported as spending a portion of the season here in DuPage county, one having been seen in Addison township, December 29th, by ISllr. G. A. Abbott, of Chicago, and later, for the first two weeks of February another appeared quite frequently on the outskirts of this village. T^nfortunately it w'as not the writer's privilege, owing to illness, to witness this visitation. In some portions of the state Quail are said to have suffered. Glen FAJjiu, HI. Ben.t. T. Gault. PERSONAL. OiR Members Here and There. Our president, Frank L. Burns, is very busy with his mono- graph of the Broad-winged Hawk, which promises to eclipse his former monographs of the Crow and the Flicker. Mr. Isaac E. Hess of Philo, 111., whose recent article in the "Auk," " Breeding Birds of Central Illinois," has caused so much favorable comment, has joined our ranks. We bid him a hearty welcome in our midst. Send your Field Notes to the Wilson Bulletin ! The Farmers' Bulletin ?.S?, of the U. S. Dept. of Agricult. entitled " How to destroy English Sparrows," was prepared by our fellow- member. Dr. Ned Dearboim. It is a good piece of work, practical and useful to the farmers. The only fault — not MV. Dearborn's to be sure — is the poor picture, but we have never seen a good pic- ture in any of the Government's publications to the farmers. Rev. Gustave Eifrig has moved to Addison, 111., where he now holds a professorship. We hope to have an article on birds from his pen ere long. Don't hide your Field Notes in the pigeon holes of .vour desk ; send them to the Wilson Bulletin ! Our member, the Hon. R. M. Barnes, of Lacon county, 111., the able editor of the " Oologist," enjoyed a California vacation trip to Notes and News. 59 a family reunion. We hope he has rested sufficiently from his ed- itorial duties to take them up again with renewed vigor. Mr. George L. Fordyce of Young.stowu, O., reports the White- winged Scoter and Whistling Swan, quite rare as Ohio Birds among his list of 1909 spring migrants. . Mi-. Fordyce always finds a few hours away from business to look up the rara avis. Any records of neAv winter birds in your region? Send them to the Wilson Bulletin. Our Treasurer, Rev. W. F. Henninger, together with Professor James S. Hine of the Ohio State University, is working up the " Mammals of Ohio " under the auspices of the Ohio Academy of Natural Science, to be imblished similar to Jones' Catalogue of the Birds of Ohio. We hope our treasurer will not forget the birds al- together. Norman A. Wood, our distinguished member, the discoverer of the breeding haunts of Kirtland's Warbler, reports a splendid orni- thological time in the fall of 1909 at Point Pelee, together with some of our Michigan and Ontario men. The congenial taxidermist of the U. of M. museum is always very much alive, careful and pains- taking in all his work. How is THIS spring's migration of birds in your field of work? Publish the results in the Wilson Bulletin! After the recent death of Mr. ('has. K. Worthen, of Warsaw, 111., the well known ornithologist and dealer in mammal and bird skins and eggs, the bird-skins, 7,000 in number, were bought up by two members of our clul)* Dr. Jonathan L. Dwight, Jr., and James A. Fleming. No doubt but that science will profit by this purchase. Did you know that of the nine General Articles in the January, 1910, "Auk" six were written by members of the Wilson Club? And that of the thirty-four General Notes, ten were sent in by our members? This shows the standing and work of our Club. Did you get any good photos of birds, nests and eggs in 1909? If so, why not publish them in the Wilson Bulletin? w. f. h. Notes and News. Of his experiences among the coast islands of the lower Alaslian Peninsula, during the spring, summer and early fall of 1909, in the expedition so successfully conducted by himself, with the help of one camp assistant, in the interests of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of- the University of California, Harry 'S. Swarth has this to say, in part : Leaving Juneati on the morning of April 10, in a 28-foot launch of 7-foot beam, a long list of islands was visited in addition to several points of interest on the mainland. And, al- though working under the most unfavorable conditions, the net re- sults were counted good, l)oth in the number and quality of ()0 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. specimens taken, several new species of mammals, in all probability, being represented in the lot, as well as the addition of several species of birds new to the Alaskan fauna. In speaking of the weather conditions encountered on this trip, the following is taken from his letter of October 17th : " It's a nasty country to work in, and if you are looking for a pleasure trip I would recommend almost any other place in the country. In the last three months there were, I believe, just six days in which it did not rain. In May and June we had a few stretches of nice weather, a week or so at a time, which was for- tunate, else we would not have been able to reach many of the out- lying islands. It was cold and raw about all the time, and I had to have a fire in the tent whenever I skinned specimens, partly for warmth and partly to keep things dry. Personally, I infinitely prefer the desert! I would not have missed the experience for a good deal ; but I am not sorry that it is over, and have no desire to go back. They say the summer was unusually cold and rainy, which may or may not be the fact, but at any rate it had one ad- vantage, in that we were not bothered at all by mosquitoes and flies, except in one or two places." b. t. g. NAMES PROPOSED FOR INIIEMBERSHIP. The following nominations for membership in the Wilson Orni- thological Club have been approved by the Executive Committee. Members will therefore confer a favor in notifying the Secretary at once if objections to any of these are offered. In the absence of objection candidates are considered duly elected according to our constitution. FOB ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP. Edward E. Armstrong, 2148 North Sawyer Ave., Chicago, 111. Miss Elizabeth Eldridge, Plainfield, Will County, 111. W. Elmer Ekblaw, 505 E. Green Street, Champaign, 111. Miss Laura Gano, Earlham Place, Richmond, Ind. Isaac E. Hess, Phllo, 111. J. Watts Marcus, Jr., Wallingford, Penn. Harry S. Swarth, Museum Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, Calif. FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP. Arthur W. Moline, 7G22 Ingleside Avenue, Chicago, 111. JOHN FARWELL FERRY. The sudden and untimely death at St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago, February 11, 1910, from acute pneumonia, of our fellow member, John Farwell Ferry, came as a great surprise and shock to his many friends in and about the city and throughout the country at large. Reviews — Bird Magazines. 61 Born October 12, 1877, Mr. Ferry developed early in life a fond- ness for natural history pursuits and, before entering the prepar- atory school at Andover, Mass., had gathered together a collection of North American birds that would have done credit to a much older person. Graduating with the engineering class of the Sheffield School of Yale in 1901, he later became Secretary of the Sheffield Branch of the Y. M. C. A at New Haven, Conn. In 1902 he took up the mer- cantile calling and acted as a traveling salesman for two years. During the summer of 1905 he received an appointment with the Biological Survey and collected that season in California. Feb- ruary 1, 1906, he joined the staff of the Field Museum of Chicago, under Prof. Chas. B. Cory, curator of the Department of Zoology, which institution he served faithfully and well up to the time of his death. His museum experience being the longest was perhaps most prolific of results, several trips of some duration being planned and executed by him during that time, chief among which may be mentioned an expedition to Central America and northern South America during the winter of 1907-'08. This was followed the suceeding year by another to the islands of the Caribbean Sea, which proved unusually successful, adding several noveltiesi new to science among the birds, a honey creeper, Coereha fenyi. being named by Prof. Cory in honor of the col- lector. The readers of the Bulletin will remember the subject of this sketch by the very excellent paper of his, " The Spring Migration of 1907 in the Vicinity of Chicago," appearing in the March num- ber of 1908. Additional articles have been published by him in " The Auk " and " The Condor," and at the time of his death he was working out a paper based upon the results of the Costa Rican, or Central American, trip previously mentioned. Tall in stature and of a dignified and courteous bearing, Mr. Ferry united to these an amiable turn of mind. He was a young man of exem- plary habits and high ideals, and bid fair to achieve distinction as well in the science of birds. His loss to Illinois and to ornithology, therefore, will be keenly felt. n. t. g. REVIEWS.— BIRD MAGAZINES. Ornithologische Monatsschrift, Vol. XXXIV. 12 Nos. — This German monthly always contains interesting matter and shows that there are new things to be found in the life histories of birds even in old fields of work. The main object of the society, which 62 TifF. Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. publishes the journal, is a sound and sane protection of birds in a practical way, no ultrafaddism is displayed, no exclusive leaning towards either the opera-glass or shotgun wing of ornithologists, but a position similar to that of the Wilson Bulletin id est pro- tection of birds in general and a due allowance for the taking of birds, their nests and eggs for strictly scientific purposes. It is in- teresting to note that the idea of introducing a Bird and Arbor Day is advocated for Germany and Austria, that bird colonies on some of the North Sea islands are carefully protected, showing a hand- some increase of species and individuals in almost every case and that a severe condemnation of the ruthless slaughter of song birds for the market in Southern France is expressed. The paintings of birds are good, the photos however, although Germany furnishes us the best lenses, are not up to the American standard. Only two real good bird photos are in the entire volume, one of a mounted albino Kestrel, the other one of a pair of Caspian Terns at their nest, both in the April nimiber. A series of articles on the Hawks of Germany is begun, similar to the Falcones of North America in the Wilson Bulletin. Good Field Notes and Reviews of recent publications are prominent features of the periodical. Good scien- tific popular life histories of birds are always gladly received, for tlie average German bird student is a man of good education, high- ly intellectual and of a true soul life and willingly recognizes these qualities in other men, In great contrast to tlie average condition in America. Quite a number of the Wilson Club members are also members of this German society and readers of its splendid publi- cation, which justly deserves a greater patronage in the United States than it is receiving at present. w. f. h. THE WILSON BULLETIN NO. 71. A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY VOL. XXII JUNE, 1910. NO. 2 OLD SERIES VOL. XXII. NEW SERIES VOL. XVII. BIRD MIGRATION AT POINT PELEE, ONTARIO, IN THE FALL OF 1909.^ N. A. WOOD. As ma}' be infered from the literature. Point Pelee is a very interesting region to the student of bird migration. Descrip- tions, however, while giving the facts, cannot do the subject justice and fortunate is the observer who has an opportunity of watching the migrating hordes of birds that assemble and cross Lake Erie at this place. The credit for the discovery of the advantages of this Point for the study of bird migration belongs to W. E. Saunders of London, Ontario, who studied birds there as early as 1882. In 1905, Taverner and Swales began a study of the subject, and the continued visits of these three earnest bird students materialized in June, 1907, when Taverner and Swales pub- lished a paper on the bird life of the Point. ^ This paper is not merely a list but contains also an account of the habits of many species. In August and September, 1907, Taverner, .Swales, and others extended to me the hospitality of their camp at the Point, and I spent a few weeks there observing the migration. The time was too brief to permit of much work on this trip, but in September, 1909, on an appropriation ' From the University of Mjiehigan Museum. ' Taverner, P. A., and Swales, B. H., annotated List of tlie Birds of Point Pelee, Wilson Bull., .Tune. 1907. and September, 1908. 64 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. made to the University of Michigan Museum for that purpose, by Mr. Bryant Walker, and with the permission of the Cana- dian government, I was able to spend four w^eeks there. Ow- ing to the lateness of my start (Sept. 14) I feared I should miss the hawk flight, which, in 1905, occurred September 10 and 11, but conditions favored me and they had not yet com- menced to collect on the Point. T was favored in obtaining permission of ]Mr. Albert Gard- ner to reside at his home. Mr. Gardner and his family af- forded me every assistance possible, including specimens of many of the birds that came to their game bags during the hunting season. Tn fact, I should acknowledge my indebted- ness to all of the residents on the Point for data and speci- mens. A glance at the map of Point Pelee will show that my po- sition near the south end of the big marsh and only two miles from the extreme end of the Point was quite advantageous. All of the water birds followed the beaches to the end of the Point ; the land birds followed the line of trees and cleared fields. For a detailed description of the region see the paper by Taverner and Swales cited above. In my notes, which I give in a diary form, I shall give the movements of the more common, as well as of the rarer species. September 14 — I left Walkerville at 7:30 a. m., and after a ride of about two hours arrived at Leamington, which is near the base of the Point On the way I saw numbers of Sparrow Hawks, and of course expected to see a flight of them. [During my stay on the Point I saw only one pair, an adult male and an adult female. This seemed very singular, as the country to the north of the point was full of them. It should be noted in this connection that no flights of this spe- cies have been known to migrate down this Point, although Taverner informs me that he saw flights on the adjacent main land on September 13 and August 14, 1906.] T left Leamington at 10 a. m., and after a pleasant drive of about eight miles, arrived at Air. Albert Gardner's. On the way I saw several Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, Wood — Bird Migration at Point Pelee. 65 but was told that the flight had not commenced. I also no- ticed flocks of Crows, Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Sparrows, and Mourning- Doves were common. From Leamington to the Gardner place I saw very few birds ; a few Crows, Sparrows, a Dove and several Sharp-shinned, and one Cooper's Hawks making up the list. In the afternoon I made a short trip east of Gardner's to the beach and back, and ob- served an immature male Sparrow Hawk and a Female Broad- winged Hawk. I also patrolled over two miles of the beach on the east sidei and toward the Point, but saw only the Spot- ted Sandpiper, a Bald Eagle, a Brown Thrasher, and two Marsh Hawks, both of the latter immature. September 15 — I made a trip to the west beach and found three Spotted Sandpipers. A number of Sharp-shinned Hawks hew over the woods, and twenty-five others were at the end of the Point. Two Cooper's Hawks were also seen, and about fifty Herring Gulls were resting on the sand spit at the end of the Point. On the return trip I saw a Broad- winged Hawk in the woods near the road. [The latter with the one taken wSeptember 14 were the only ones seen by the writer.] Other species observed were a Woodcock, and two Bitterns in the marsh. In the afternoon I went up the east beach to the fish camp, and on the way saw a Duck Hawk, a flock of about twenty-five Yellow-legs flying south and high up over the beach, a few Spotted Sandpipers on the beach, one Hummingbird, two King Rails on the marsh side of the beach, and two Green-winged Teal. Albert Gardner shot to-day the first Coot seen and noticed a Whip-poor-will in the door-yard in the early morning. September 16 — Early in the morning I worked out to the end of the Point, and on the way saw flocks of warblers. Those identified were the Myrtle, Black-poll, Bay-breasted, Palm, Black-throated Blue. The Olive-backed Thrush was also seen. These no doubt came to the Point during the night as none were seen the day before. At the end of the Point I saw the same hawks as yesterday, with the addition of the Pigeon liawk. About two hundred Herring Gulls 66 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 71. were on the sand spit to-day, all facing the east wind, and there were about fifteen Cedar Waxwings in the red cedar trees near the end of the Point. September 17 — Another trip to the end of the Point this morning revealed about the same number of hawks, but none of them seemed to be migrating. They were scattered over the Point, and I found several birds (thrushes) that had been killed by them. About a hundred Gulls were on the sand spit. On the way back I saw one Whip-poor-will and a very few warblers and Red-eyed Vireos. The Wood Pewee was com- mon. In the afternoon Albert Gardner and I made a trip to the east beach, and in small trees and bushes along the sand dune saw flocks of Palm, Black-poll, Black-throated Green Warblers, and, along the edge of the marsh, the Northern Yellow-throat, Long-billed Marsh Wren and flocks of Sa- vanna Sparrows. Other birds observed were one Blue-winged Teal, Bitterns, a few Chipping and Song Sparrows, and sev- eral Marsh Hawks soaring over the marsh. These birds had arrived the night before as the ground was barren on the pre- vious day. On the way back we saw six Woodcock in the thicket at the end of the swamp. Albert Gardner said the great flight of them passed in August. This was my first ex- perience with the Savanna Sparrow in this latitude during the fall migration. Taverner saw it near the marsh on September 11, 1905, and in great numbers in the marsh on September 11 and 12, 1906. September 18 — Flocks of White-throated Sparrows were seen in Gardner's yard with Song and Field Sparrows, and the Red-breasted Nuthatch was seen for the first time. All the above species must have migrated to the Point during the night as none were seen the day before. A large flock of Ce- dar Waxwings was seen flying about the Point, and a Cooper's Hawk came into Gardner's yard and carried oft* one of the small chickens. In the morning the trees on the Point were full of small birds, some of them being warblers already men- tioned, wuth large numbers of Ruby-crowned Kinglets. There was also an increase in the number of hawks. I saw several Wood — Bird Migration at Point Pelee. G7 Marsh Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks and Cooper's Hawks, all immature birds. Other birds observed were a Duck Hawk seen, and a Lincoln's Sparrow shot, by W. E. Saunders [the latter specimen being the only one seen by the writer] and the Carolina Wren observed by Wallace. September 19 — To-day the Kinglets were scarce and most of the smaller birds seemed to have left in the night. Olive- backed and Gra3'-cheeked Thrushes were common, and Mr. Saunder§ saw an Osprey, a Duck Hawk, and two Whip- poor-wills. There was an increase of hawks, the commonest bird on the Point to-day being the Sharp-shinned Hawk. They commenced migrating this morning and came down the Point by the hundred. ]\Iany of them no doubt crossed over, while others spread over the Point and looked for small birds, which were scarce and in hiding. September 20 — Saunders and I walked to the end of the Point before daylight this morning and found the hawks al- ready arriving from the north. Those who have never read an account of these flights should read Taverner and Swales' description in Wilson Bulletin, No. 60, p. 92. Saunders climbed the watch tower near the end of the Point, while I walked to the extreme end of the zone of small trees and sat behind a small cedar that concealed all but my head. Faster than I could count them they came singly and from the north (or base of the Point). As the wind was strong most of them flew low and on out to the end, then straight away to the south about in a line with Sandusky. As I sat perfectly still many of these birds flew so close and low that I could touch them with my hand, while many of them seemed tired and alighted on the dead trees and bushes, some within a few feet of where I sat. After a time I also climbed the tower, and as we stood there in plain view we could see hundreds of hawks coming, always from the north, and passing above, below and all around us, often within a few feet of our heads. Most of those ob- served were Sharp-shinned Hawks in the striped plumage, but we saw at least fifty Marsh Hawks, also immature, two Duck Hawks and two Pigeon Hawks. The hawks came 68 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. nearly all the forenoon, and there must have been many thou- sand of them that passed over the lake, while hundreds turned back and lingered on the Point. [During the three days that this flight continued, and for the rest of my stay, or until Oc- tober 15, I found the Sharp-shinned common. The later birds were nearly all adults.] I saw one Osprey on this date, and on the east beach one Semipalmated Plover. A flight of Woodcock occurred last night. September 21 — I was busy with specimens all the forenoon to-day, but in the afternoon I walked to the end of the Point. I found the beach deserted, a single Brown Thrasher only be- ing observed. Saunders told me that the rest of the hawks crossed the lake in the forenoon. In all the region where the day before I saw hundreds I did not see even one. All the small birds had also left the Point the previous night. At the end of the Point a large flock of Herring Gulls were resting on the sand spit. Toward evening I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk coming from the north, and one Downy Woodpecker. September 22 — I made a trip to the Point and found only one Sharp-shinned Hawk, one flicker, and on the east beach one Pectoral Sandpiper. I also made a trip north from Al- bert Gardner's for a mile and then east to the marsh, seeing two Sharp-shinned Hawks, two Flickers, a few Chipping and Field Sparrows, and one Marsh Hawk. The Gardner boys went to the big marsh and reported a number of Black Duck, which they estimated at one hundred, about the same number of Wood Duck, ten Bitterns, nine Coots, ten Green FTerons, one Black-bellied Plover, fifty Green-winged Teal, twenty Semipalmated Sandpipers, twenty L-east Sandpipers, twenty Black-crowned Night Herons, twen- ty Semipalmated Plovers, thirty Florida Gallinules, one Duck Hawk, ten Sora Rails, one King Rail, two Mrginia Rails, one Killdeer, two Great Blue Herons, one hundred fifty Blue-winged Teal, fifty Wilson's Snipe, fifty Crows, three Kingfishers, and fifty Pectoral Sandpipers. The water in the marsh is low, exposing bogs that aff'ord rich feeding ground for all sorts of waders. This is late in the season for many Wood — Bird Migration at Point Pelee. G9 species, but stragglers of the early migrants are still here, and the advance guard of the later ones have just arrived. Among the former were the Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, and Yellow- legs. Those just coming are Wilson's Snipe, Greater Yellow-legs and Golden Plover. The Turnstone and Piping Plover are gone. September 23 — I heard the notes of a Screech Owl for the first time today. A trip to the west beach showed that the birds are still scarce on the Point. All that I saw were one Herring Gull, one Mourning Dove, two Great Blue Herons, and one Woodcock. Albert Gardner shot a Wood Duck and reported thirty ?five seen. vSeven Black Ducks, three Cooper's Hawks, two Sharp-shinned Hawk$, and a Coot were also seen. September 24 — This morning I saw a few Red-tailed Hawks soaring about over the house and yard, but slowly working south. Numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks also flew over but in a more direct line. On the beach near the end of the Point there was a small flock of Sanderling the first I have seen since I arrived. Other specimens seen were, two Savanna Sparrows, a Barred Owl (?). a Cooper's Hawk, and about fifty Herring Gulls. September 25 — This morning I found the Point occupied by flocks of Olive-backed. Gray-cheeked, and a few Hermit Thrushes, and a small flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Red-breasted Nuthatches, while in the open were flocks of Juncos, Field and Chipping Sparrows. I also saw about fifty Bob-whites in a patch of buckwheat. Crows also were gathering. On the marsh Maxim Gardner saw about one hundred Coot, three Greater Yellowlegs, two hundred Black Ducks, and eleven Wood Ducks. September 26 — Last night there was a decided movement of sparrows. The White-throated came in large numbers and was to be seen along the fence rows and fields and in the junipers at the edge of the beaches, and in fact, all over the Point. A few warblers also came, and among them I saw two Cape ]vlay. A few White-crowned Sparrows were seen, and 70 The Wilson Bulletix — No. 71. a couple of immature Bald Eagles flew up and down the Point. There was also a decided increase in the numbet of Cooper's Hawks and more Red-tails than I have ever seen before. A flock of about twenty-five of the latter sailed about the Gard- ner clearing ,but worked south and was soon out of sight. There must have been a migration of Whip-poor-wills also, as I saw five in a small area near the tower ; here also I saw one Black-throated Blue Warbler and one Cape Alay. For the past few days the Flickers have been coming down the Point, and to-day are here in considerable numbers. I saw the re- mains of one killed by a hawk at the end of the Point. I also saw one Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, the second one seen here. The Olive-backed, Gray-cheeked, and Hermit Thrushes are here in some numbers. Crows are still flocking, but are still farther up the Point near the base. A few Sharp-shinned Hawks were seen to-day. September 27 — This morning the Point was full of small birds. I noted a few warblers (Myrtle and Bay-breasted)' numbers of Phoebes, and an increase in all kinds of sparrows. I went into the marsh with Albert Gardner and on the mud bogs saw numbers of Wilson's Snipe, two Red-backed Sand- pipers, a few Semipalmated Sandpipers, one Semipalmated Plover, four Bitterns, fifty Coots, twenty Killdeers, nine Blue- winged Teal, thirty Green-winged Teal, about one hundred Black Ducks, ten Wood Ducks. Other birds seen to-day were ten Red-tailed Hawks, several Alarsh Hawks, a few Sharp- shinned and Cooper's Hawks, one Kingfisher, and a flock of about thirty Goldfinches. September 28 — Last night seemed a favorable one for mi- gration, and the small birds mostly moved on. Today the Point was silent and deserted where yesterday it teemed with bird life. I saw only one Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Albert Gardner saw a Brown Creeper. September 29 — A trip to the end of the Point and return gave me some interesting records. At the end of the Point I saw a fine Duck Hawk and about two hundred Herring Gulls. Tn the low thick red cedars near the end were a few Black- Wood — Bird Migration at Point Pelee. 71 throated Blue, Myrtle and Magnolia Warblers, small flocks of Golden-crowned Kinglets. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were common everywhere. I also -saw one Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a few vSavanna Sparrows. On the way back I shot three Cooper's Hawks. One of them was an adult male, the first adult bird I have seen. A duck hunter secured a Golden Plover on the beach, and Albert Gardner reported ten Ruddy Ducks, one Pintail, and a few Wilson Snipe in the marsh. September 30 — There was a decided increase in the warb- lers today. In addition to those seen yesterday, I noted Can- adian, Cape May and the first Redstarts. On the east beach I also saw flocks of Palm Warblers feeding in low willow bushes along an old fence. They also lit and fed on the ground and were very tame. White-throated Sparrows were every- where in the bushes along the Point and in the clearing south of the Fish Camp. Mr. Grubb saw an Owl in the clearing. As it flew from the ground, it may have been a Short-eared. I also saw a few thrushes, all four of the species that have been so common here on the Point and which seem to furnish the bulk of the food of the migrating hawks. The earliest ones are the Wilson and Olive-backed, then come the Gray-cheeked, and last but by no means least the Hermit. An accurate account of the migration of these species at this place will be found in " Birds of Point Pelee " Wilson Bulletin, No. G-J. pp. 113-114. October 1 — On a walk to the end of the Point to-day I saw several Cooper's and two Sharp-shinned Hawks, also a couple of Short-eared Owls. This is the second record of the latter species for the Point, although an owl has been seen several times in the marshes by the Gardners that no doubt was this species. It was noted by Saunders, November 20-23, 1908. The ones T saw were at the extreme end of the Point, where one flew about much as the gulls were doing. A few of the Herring Gulls seemed inclined to attack the owl and drove it back to the shelter of the Point. For the first time I have seen a flock of Blue Jays (fifteen of them) that acted as though about to migrate. In fact this species has been very rare on 73 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. the Point since my arrival and has only now made its appear- ance in flocks, which fly up and down the Point. A flock of Palm Warblers was seen ; also a few Black-throated Green Warblers, while the Point was covered with Ruby and Golden- crowned Kinglets. A few Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and a Scarlet Tanager were also seen. At the marsh the Gardner brothers shot three Red-backed Sandpipers and one White-rumped Sandpiper, the latter the first one recorded from the Point. (Not given in Taverner's list.) They also saw Greater Yellowlegs, three Pintails, three Ruddy Ducks, one Cardinal .and one Red-breasted Merganser. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and the White-throated Spar- rows are now seen in numbers. October 2 — Today I went to the marsh with Albert Gardner and Saunders. The following records were secured : three Golden Plovers, about one hundred Green-winged Teal, fifty Blue-winged Teal, eleven Black Ducks and ten Wood Ducks. On the mud bogs we saw numbers of Red-backed Sandpipers, Wilson's Snipe and about twenty Killdeer. Saunders shot a fine Connecticut Warbler, and I saw a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls (about twenty) in the same place. Large flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds were seen today and about fifty Sharp- shinned Hawks. Mr. Saunders also reported seeing about five hundred Bonaparte's Gulls, about two hundred Herring Gulls and ten Common Terns at the end of the Point. October 3 — The bird life on the Point was apparently about the same today as yesterday. About two hundred Bonaparte's Gulls and the same number of Herring Gulls, and about one- hundred and twenty Cowbirds were observed. A fine Duck Hawk was also seen perched on the roof of the Life Saving Station. This bird was so tame that Taverner made photo- graphs of it at close range. October -1 — Two Pipits were seen on the sand spit at the end of the Point today, also numbers of adult Cooper's Hawks and adult Sharp-shinned Hawks. A few Red-tailed and Red- shouldered Hawks were seen flying down the Point, and T saw one Eagle and a Duck Hawk. The Woodcocks are (juitc com- Wood — Bird Migration at Point Pelee. 73 men. The Rnby-crowned Kinglet is now the most common bird on the Point and there are numbers of the Golden- crowned also. A flock of about sixty Blue Jays went down the Point, but came back, as did also about a thousand Red-winged Blackbirds. In the big" marsh about one hundred IMallards, ten Green-winged Teal, forty-two Coots, four Bitterns, twenty- two Wood Ducks, and eight Sanderling were reported. Six Henslow's Sparrows were seen in a low marsh near Gardner's. October 5 — On a trip to the end of the Point this morning numbers of Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks were seen. On the sand spit were two Pipits, and at the extreme end ten Sanderlings and about one hundred Herring Gulls. In the ju- niper bushes near the end of the tree limit I flushed three Short-eared Owls, and in the lower cedars I saw a Palm Warbler. On the Point the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is still rather common, and the Jays and Crows are gathering in flocks. A large wave of song and other sparrows came last night. Saunders shot an Orange-crowned Warbler near Gardner's house. [This is the only one noted during my stay, and it seems to be a rare migrant in this region.] October G — At the end of the Point to-day there were large flocks of Crows and Jays that flew down and back, but did not cross the lake. The Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Plawks were about tlie same as yesterday and nearly all adults. The Short-eared Owls have gone as have also many of the Song and White-throated Sparrows. A large flock of English Sparrows came to the end of the Point and acted like the other migrat- ing birds. Taverner told me that this species had been seen to cross over to Pelee island and no doubt crossed the lake. Numbers of Myrtle Warblers were seen ; also twenty-five Phoebes. fifty Common Terns and five Sanderlings. A steady movement of hawks was observed nearly all day, but was more noticeable in the forenoon, as was usually the case with this species. Two fine Red-shouldered Hawks, a few Red-tailed Hawks and a Bald Eagle came soaring over the Gardner clear- ing. In the evening I saw two Robins, two Bluebirds, and 74 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71.. three Woodcocks. A Great Blue Heron was recorded by Mr. Griibb and three Horned Grebes by Swales. October 7 — On a trip to the end of the Point with Swales and Taverner a small flight of Sharp-shinned, a large number of Cooper's, and one Red-shouldered Hawk were seen. The most of these birds were adults and in beautiful plumage. One Bald Eagle was seen, and at the sand spit a few Herring Gulls and one Common Tern. Other birds seen today were Brown Creepers, eight Hermit Thrushes, ten Sanderling, twenty-five Myrtle Warblers, and five Woodcocks. October 8 — Many hawks, principally Cooper's and Sharp- shinned were also seen today. In the afternoon I saw both species all over the Point. Two immature Eagles soared over Gardner's clearing. Flocks of Field, Song, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows were common about the clear- ings and the low bushes on the Point, and I saw one Henslow's Sparrow in a low meadow east of Gardner's. Juncos were also common about bushy clearings, and at evening I saw a Night Hawk soaring about at the edge of Gardner's clearing near low timber. October 9 — But few hawks were seen today, most of them having apparently passed on. Those that remained roamed over the Point catching the Thrushes, and one (a Cooper's) came to Gardner's yard for a chicken. Bald Eagles were seen and a large flock of Crows (about one hundred) went down the Point and back several times during the day. A flock of about seventy-five Blue Jays flew back and forth ; large flocks of sparrows of all kinds were scattered over the Point. Large flocks of blackbirds, mostly Redwings, went down to the Point early in the morning, and one flock of Bluebirds was seen. One lone Sanderling was observed at the end of the Point. October 10 — Conditions remained about the same today. The same ( ?) large flock of Crows flew up and down, and a few Cooper's Hawks were seen. Numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks roamed over the Point, but the Kinglets were not as common although the sparrows seemed about the same as on W'uuD — BiRji Migration at Point Pelee. 75 the previous day. A large flock of Goldfinches was noted and about one hundred Herring Gulls at the end of the sand spit. October 1 1 — A trip across to the east beach and north to the big pond showed that the birds were very scarce today. A few Song, Swamp, and Savanna with some White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, and a few Palm Warblers were seen. xA.t the pond I say five Red-head Ducks, one Green- winged Teal, one Kingfisher, five Red-backed Sandpipers, ten Marsh Hawks, fifty-five Coots, six Bitterns, fifty Black Ducks, one Sora Rail, and thirteen Wood Ducks. Gardner saw twenty five Golden Plover, four Great Blue Herons, four Sanderlings, two Shovellers, and twelve Wilson's Snipe. The hawks are nearly all gone from the Point to-day, except the Marsh Hawks ten of which were seen at the big marsh. October 12 — A trip to the end of the Point to-day revealed very few birds. A few White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, House Wrens and Winter Wrens, Kinglets, and three Palm Warblers were noted. At the end of the cedars I shot an immature female Cooper's Hawk, but saw only one Sharp-shinned Hawk. A large flock of about three hundred Tree Swallows came (flying low to keep out of the wind as much as possible) to the end of the Point, but after they passed the shelter of the cedars the wind blew them back and they lit in the edge of the clearing on low bushes and on mul- lein stalks. When I scared them up they flew again toward the end of the Point but came back and went ofif up the Point probably to the big marsh where the Gardner boys saw them. October 13 — I made another trip to the end of the Point today, where I saw a large flock of Tree Swallows. The wind blew so hard that the birds kept along the east side of the Point out of the wind a little, where they lit on the beach and seemed to be picking up food from the sand. Dozens of them lit within a few feet of me, and they seemed rather exhausted with the cold and wind and probably with insufficient food. After feeding a short time they all flew back to the edge of the clearing, where they lit on weeds and low bushes and 7G The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. seemed stupid and dull. I saw one immature male Cooper's Hawk and a few kinglets. Sparrows are very common, I identified large flocks of Field, White-throated, and White- crowned. In the big marsh the Gardner brothers saw sixteen Greater Yellow-legs and shot several. They also saw two Golden Plover, about two hundred Mallards, twenty-five Black-crowned Night Herons, twelve Wilson's Snipe, one hundred Coots, seventy-five Redhead Ducks, six Bitterns, five hundred Black Ducks, twelve Wood Ducks, one hundred Pintails, five hundred Baldpate, and seven Red-backed Sand- pipers. This cold, windy weather is hurrying the ducks and waders here from the north and northwest. Albert Gardner says the Wood Ducks are generally gone before this date, and it is late also for the Night Herons. It would also seem late for the Tree Swallows which are dependent on flying insects for their food. The wind has blown so hard here for five days that they cannot find insects in the air, and it is also cold. October 14 — There seemed to be no movement of birds last night. The day's records are as follows : Twenty-five Greater Yellow-legs twenty-five Golden Plovers, twelve Wil- son's Snipe, two hundred Coot, one Lesser Scaup, one \\'ood- cock, four Bitterns, one hundred Great Blue Herons, three hundred Mallards, six Black-crowned Night Herons, twelve Marsh Hawks, one hundred Redhead Ducks, fifty Black Ducks, twenty Pintails, one hundred Baldpates, two Tree Swallows, one Short-eared Owl, one Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, one Cooper's Plawk, one Sora Rail, one Osprey, one Long- billed Marsh Wren, one Sharp-shinned Llawk, one Robin, one Flicker, three Meadowlarks, and six Goldfinches. The Great Blue Herons were migrating in a great flock and must have come from the north as only a few of this species have been seen about the marsh. The Red-head Duck with the Canvas-back and Scaup are the last ones to arrive, and lIic duck hunters say that when they come the shooting, as far as the other species arc concerned, is nearly over. No W^ood Ducks were seen. Wood — Bird Migration at Point Pelee. 77 October 15 — As soon as it was daylight this morning I could see the flocks of blackbirds, mostly Redwings, but some flocks of Bronzed Crackle, coming from the north and passing over the house in an almost continuous stream. Large numbers of Meadowlarks, about five hundred, singly and in flocks also, passed over. Later in the morning there were large numbers of hawks, one hundred Sharp-shinned, twenty Cooper's, eight Red-tailed, and one Rough-legged. Later I made a trip to the end of the Point where I found the kinglets common, also the Hermit Thurshes, Winter Wrens, and a few flocks of Bay-breasted Warblers. In the clearing below Crubb's fish house there were large flocks of Meadowlarks, and I saw one adult male Marsh Hawk, the only one that I observed during my stay. The rest were either females or young. A flock of five hundred or more Bluebirds occupied the Crubb clearing and were on the ground, or on the wild, rose bushes and weed stalks. At the sand spit I saw about fifty Herring Culls and six Sanderling. Over all the Point there were flocks of spar- rows, mostly White-throated and Field, but many Vesper and Song, and some White-crowned. Near Crubb's clearing I saw a Turkey Vulture soaring about over the trees, and with the glass could plainly see his naked red head and neck. This seems to be a rare species on the Point. To-day the Flickers were very common again, and other records were secured as follows : a few Jays, two A'^ellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and at evening a. Nighthawk. About three hundred Crows flew up and down the Point all day. A large flock of Coldfinches was seen near the clearing. One Kingfisher, six Towhees, twenty Winter Wrens, three Whip-poor-wills, one Black-billed Cuckoo were also observed. Albert Cardner saw three Kill- deers. twenty Black Ducks and one hundred Baldpates in the big marsh. Juncos are common here now, and the Olive- backed and FTermit Thrushes as well. October 16 — The bird life on the Point today was much the same as yesterday. Flocks of blackbirds, Meadowlarks, Bluebirds, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, one Red-tailed, and one Rough-legged Llawk were seen. Hundreds of Crows flew up 78 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. and down the Point" several times. The sparrows were not much in evidence today, most of them apparently having gone south during the night. I saw a large number of Towhees, and three species of thrushes were common again. The Her- mit was the most common, the Olive-backed next and the Grey- cheeked least abundant. I also saw a few Brown Thrashers and Catbirds, and one Xorthern Yellow-throat on the ground under the cedars at the end of the Point. I shot a Duck Hawk at the end of the Point, and one Bonaparte's Gull from a flock of about thirty. I also shot a Pectoral Sandpiper and saw six Sanderling and one Pigeon Hawk. I saw the first Fox Sparrow that I had seen here, and a few Tree Swallows flew along the beach. Other records were seven Alourning Doves, six Phoebes, one hundred Goldfinches, one Blue Jay, five Black-billed Cuckoos. Tn the big marsh Albert Gardner saw six Marsh Hawks, twenty Mallards, twenty Green-winged Teal, six Horned Grebes, one Lesser Scaup, two Bitterns, twenty Black Ducks, twelve Pintails, twenty Ruddy Ducks, two Golden Plovers, one hundred Baldpates, one Bald Eagle, and two Great Blue Herons. This was my last day's work at Point Pelee, and, while it had been a very busy and strenuous thirty-three days, it was an experience that can but remain a delightful memory in the mind of an enthusiastic bird-lover. The phenomena of mi- gration are interesting enough wherever studied, but the in- terest is greatly increased when they are observed in such a locality as Point Pelee, where the migrating hoards are con- centrated in a small area that can be readily covered by a sinele observer. Burns — Alexander Wilson. 79 ALEXANDER WILSON. VIIL His Early Life and Writings. BY FRANK L. BURNS. The Wilsons were strict Covenanters, originally from Loch- winnoch, Renfrewshire, but had been driven by persecution to seek refuge in Canipbelltown, Argyleshire. The elder Alexander was born in lT2cS and early returned to the shire from whence his grandfather had fled, settled in Paisley and took up the occupation of weaving, for which the town was famous. He married Mary McNab, who came from the " Row " in Durbartonshire to Paisley during her girlhood. Ord states that she was a native of Jura, one of the Herbrides or Western Islands of Scotland. Alexander, Junior, the fifth of the six children, was born on the Gth of July, 1766, within sound of the Falls of the Cart river, in a little suburb of Pais- ley known as the Seedhills. The house in which he was born has long since disappeared and another of the same height built in its place. It commanded a fine view of the river be- low the falls and overlooked the Hamels — the highest part of a range of craigs over which the stream rushes, forming a beautiful and romantic w^aterfall. To distinguish this house from the others in the row, David Anderson of Perth, in 1841, placed a tablet in the front wall to mark the birthplace of the Paisley poet and American ornithologist. History has drawn a most gloomy picture of the life and condition of the common people of Scotland during the eigh- teenth century ; their wretchedness freciuently accentuated by immorality and intemperance. The father of our future or- nithologist, notwithstanding of sober and industrious habits, of strict honesty and superior intelligence, highly respected by all who knew him, as testified by Dr. Hetherington ; neverthe- less interested himself in a small distillery plant hidden in his garden, illicit for at least part of the time and for that reason all the more commendable in the opinion of his good neighbors and patrons. The father outlived his distinguished son, de- parting this life on the r)th of June, 1816, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight years. His mother is said to have been comely. 80 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 71. pious, passionately fond of music and in many ways a superior woman. It was her fond hope that Alec would become a min- ister of the gospel and it is said that for a short time he was placed under the tuition of Mr. Barlas, then a student of di- vinity. She died of consumption when he was but ten years of age, and the father left with the surviving members of his family, a son and two daughters, soon married a widow, Catherine Uric ncc Brown, who also had a family of young hopefuls. It has been said that Ord has given an erroneous impression of his stepmother. T am not so sure that he has ; yet Wilson always wrote of her with respect and gratitude. Of Wilson's childhood little is known beyond knowledge of of a limited and interrupted attendance at the Latin-Grammar school of Paisley and the statement, since disputed, that he was a " herd callan " for at least one season at the Bakerfield farm. Jardine states that he was herd to a Mr. Stevenson of Treepwood, near Lockwinnoch. According to tradition " he was a very careless herd, letting the the kye transgress on the corn, being very often busied with some book." By some good fortune his father had come into possession of a collec- tion of magazines and essays, and these were the very first books to give him a fondness for reading and reflection. Soon his father, burdened with an ever increasing family, could no longer support him in school, and after his thirteenth birthday he was apprenticed for a term of three years to his brother-in-law William Duncan, who bound himself to fur- nish the boy with bed, board, clothing and washing suitable to his station, and with John Finlayson, a journeyman, as cau- tioner, to instruct him in the art of weaving, the indenture be- ing signed on July 31, 1770. For perhaps four years after serv- ing his time, Wilson continued at this employment as a journ- eyman in Paisley, Lockv/innoch, and finally in Queensferry, near Edinburgh, whither his former master had removed; the wages being about a shilling a day. The time had come when the fame and genius of the greatest of all Scottish bards thrilled all Caledonia ; and Wilson longing to emulate his ex- ample, produced a numl)er of verses in the Scottish dialect, of Burns — Alexander Wilson. 81 little or no merit. Yet he too enjoyed an uncertain local celebrity, and it is related that while he worked, at the loom in Lockwinnoch, he was importuned by one of his fellow shop- mates who excelled in little, but had the habit of " dandering " about the hedgerows and whin bushes in search of birds nests on Sundays ; to write his epitaph. Wilson silenced him with the following: " Below this stane John Allen rests ; All honest soul, though plain ; He sought hale Sabbath days for nests, But always sought in vain." Wilson's dislike for the occupation of weaving as much as the knowledge of the injury the constant bending over the loom was effecting upon his health, influenced him to abandon the trade for the pack about 1786, traveling through south- eastern Scotland on foot. It was about 1788 when he had visited the great song poet at Ayrshare, and writes : " Blessed meeting, never did I spend such a night in all my life. Oh, T was all fire ! Oh, I was all spirit .... I have now more deep regard for the muse than ever." In 1889 he collected his writings and having arranged with John Neilson a local printer for their publication ; armed with a proposal in the form of a rhyme, "' resolved to make one bold push for the united inter- est of pack and poems." The following year his octavo vol- ume of 308 pages appeared ^ and his journal is full of his un- successful attempts to dispose of the edition of only 700 copies. A second edition, merely -500 copies of the original, with a new title.- some omissions and additions, followed in a pitiful effort to obtain patrons. Hutchinson says that this great change was effected by merely cancelling a number of pages and substitu- ting newly printed pages. He appears to have taken considerable pains, and had re- source to a curious shift to conceal from the public the ^ Poems by Alexander Wilson, Paisley, Printed by John Neilson, 1790. - Poems, Humorous, Satirical, and 'Serious, by Alexander Wilson, Edinburgh, 1791. 83 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. melancholy evidence of the unsuccessful sale of the book. On the last page of the work was the word " Finis," in large type, and to save the reprinting of this page, he had impressed by hand, a stamp of a round pattern, so as to obliterate it ; the 32 pages added contained a continuation of his curious prose journal. The duel occupation of pedlar and poet does not seem to have been a happy combination, and he was confronted with the dreaded alternative : " Renounce poetry and all its distracting notions, descend to the laborer's vale of life, there attend the dictates of prudence, and toil or stari'c." As Wilson advanced in knowledge he became ashamed of his boyish publications. Lawson once attempted to criticise and he snatched the volume from his hand and threw it into the fire. Ord could not induce him to loan or allow him to read the copy in his possession. On the fly leaf he had written : " I published these poems when only twenty-two, an age more abundant in sail than ballast. Reader, let this soften the rigor of criticism a little. — Gray's Ferry, Jnly Gth, 1804." ^ Though open air work had improved his health, he was not yet capable of great physical exertion without evil results. In January, ITOl, he writes his father that he was scarcely able to move for four days after running one stormy night from Pais- ly to Glasgow and back again, a round trip of about twelve miles. In 1792 he published anonymously at a penny a copy, his best dialect poem "Watty and Meg or the Taming of a Shrew." It passed through seven or eight editions and was at first ascribed to Burns, which gave the author a great deal of sat- isfaction. It is a faithful word picture of a vulgar type, re- flecting the vices of the time; and at once entitled Wilson to a seat among the minor poets of his country. The sale of the ^Robert Smith, bookseller in Taisley, is said to have publishecl a collection of Wilson's minor poems in 1814, title not given ; but an 1816 collection, which should not be confounded with the so-called " Crichton " edition of the same date, is entitled : Poems. Chiefly In the Scotch Dialect, by Alexander Wilson, Paisley. Printed by J. Noilson, for R. Smith. Booksellers. 1810, pp. 1-228 (about 8x5 inches). Burns — Alexander Wilson. 83 poem was so rapid that Mr. Neilson, the printer, sold in a few weeks, it is said, the vast number, of 100,000 ; and the author's recompense reported as twelve copies of his own poem. To the latter assertion by Wilson to a third person, Neilson re- plied, " It is all true, but did he tell thatj I became security for a coat to him. I suppose not; well, / had to pay for it." It is said that he furnished the words of seven hymns for Robert Gilmour's " The Psalm-Singer's Assistant," published in Paisley in 1791 ; and the material for the '' Spouter," sep- arately published, being a collection in itself; the best is a piece entitled " The Spirit of the Lake's Song." The chorus : — "Then hark! hark! hark I To my fairy song ; As I dart like a spark The clouds among, In sovereign swa.v. Till break of day, Chanting with glee m.v wild war song." Wilson had returned to the loom, but continental Europe was in a ferment, British exports fell off, and times became almost unbearable. In the inevitable dispute between capital and labor over the reduction of wages Wilson threw all his strength of a mind made bitter by want and adversity on the side of the workingman, publishing anonymously several crude lampoons, one of which was entitled " The Shark, or Lang Mills Detected." Pie was suspected, and waylaid coming from the printer. William Sharp, the manufacturer, considered him- self libeled, so Wilson was fined and condemned to burn the satirical verses at the public cross, Feb. 6, 1793. Under the date of ]\Iay 21. he writes from the Paisley jail to David Brodie : .... I sincerely thank you, sir, for the token of friendship which you have sent me, which I will repay as soon as Provi- dence shall open the door for my release from this new scene of misery, this assemblage of wretches and wretchedness, . . . Be- ing unable to pay the sum awarded against me, which is in toto £12, 13s. 6d., I yesterday gave oath accordingly, and had the comfort to be told that Mr. Sharp was resolved to punish me 84 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. though it should cost him a Httle money. . . ." In serving a short term of imprisonment, he had ample leisure for retro- spection. Alany years later, when his brother David came to America, he brought with him a collection of these pieces, thinking to please the ornithologist; but Wilson threw them into the fire, exclaiming: "These were the sins of my youth; and if I had taken my good old father's advice, they never would have seen the light." Upon his release it became evident that his spirit was sub- dued, and that the notoriety he had gained made Scotland a home for him no longer. He resolved to emigrate to America, and with that end constantly in view, applied himself to the loom' with feverish industry ; subsisting for four months on an average of less than one shilling a week. Bidding farewell to a few friends, and taking his nephew, William Duncan, a lad of sixteen years; he walked to Port Patrick, crossed over to Belfast, Ireland, and took passage in the Swift, bound for Philadelphia with 350 emigrants, and so crowded that he was obliged to sleep upon the deck during the entire passage. The vessel sailed on Alay 23rd, 1794. It doesn't appear that Wil- son informed his father fully of his intentions until after his arrival at New Castle, July 11, when he apologized for hav^ ing caused him any anxiety or unhappiness. Borrowing a few shillings from a fellow voyager by the name of Oliver, our future ornithologist walked to Philadelphia in urgent need of some kind of employment in order to live. John Aiken, a copper plate ]jrinter, and a fellow countryman, gave him work until he obtained employment at his trade with Col. Joshua Sullivan on the Pennypack creek, ten miles above the city at that time. Lured southward by the glowing ac- counts of a new settlement at Stephenstown, in X'irginia, he was glad to return to weaving for a time, but soon shouldered the pack and tramped through New Jersey, and next began teaching school near Frankfort and then at Alilestown, both in Philadelphia county. Three different occupations and seven changes in two years ! He spent almost six years at the last Burns— Alexander Wilson. 85 named place before moving to Bloomfielrl, New Jersey, which held him only a few months. Wilson had formed plans ,for the acquisition of some land, and in September, 1T!>8, Duncan set out to examine the country lying- between the Seneca and Cayuga lakes, in New- York. He walked the distance in eight days and remained there nearly a week, finding the soil surprisingly rich, the sit- uation healthy and the game abundant. Wilson determined to become a farmer and arranged with hisi former employer, Col. Sullivan, for the purchase of 100 acres uncleared ground at $5.00 an acre on the border of Seneca Lake in Ovid township, Cayuga county, and the nephew began burning down the tim- ber the succeeding spring. Wilson made one trip to the place about ISOO, but sooner than be exposed to the ague, he decided to retiirn to his desk, and the occasional vacation jobs at sur- veying he was able to secure. His nephew Alexander, and later his sister. Mrs. Duncan, and her younger children, arrived and found an asylum on the farm. Her husband, Wil- son accuses four years later, of cohabiting with guilt, poverty and infamy in Ireland, after transporting a most promising family to a foreign country. He says : " I have no doubt the lash of remorse has already severely punished his unparalled inhumanity, and I wish never to see him." To the sorely dis- couraged nephews at Ovid, he writes cheerful letters and sends all the money he can scrape together. In a letter to his namesake, Alexander Duncan, he says: "An old weaver is a poor, emaciated, helpless being, shivering over rotten yarn and groaning over his empty flour barrel. An old farmer sits in his arm chair before his jolly fire, while his joists are crowded with hung beef and gammons, and the bounties of Heaven are pouring into his barns." But his town bred nephews longed for the city life and it required the utmost tact to keep theni on the place even temporarily. Nowhere in history has Wilson employed his descriptive pow- ers to better advantage than in his "Foresters." It is not alto- gether a dreary waste of words, but whether he could have spent his time more profitably in writing a sim])le prose narrative of 86 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. the journey, as Ord has hinted, is another matter. Its chief fault seems to lie in its length, excessive detail and more than occasional careless composition. That it has been appreciated, the several editions would seem to attest.^ No account of his life is complete without at least a synopsis of it, especially as he has assured us that all the incidents are substantial facts, and then it was the first and only extensive trip he ever made purely for pleasure. Early in October, 1804, accompanied by Isaac Leech, the son of his landlady, and his nephew, William Duncan, he left Philadelphia on foot for Niagara Falls. " The coru stood topped, there pumpkins strewed the ground. And driving clouds of blackbirds wheeled around. Far to the south our warblers had withdrawn, 'Slow" sailed the thistle-down along the lawn, High on the hedge-rows, pendant over head, Th' enibow'ring vines their purple clusters spread. The buckwheat flails re-echoed from the hill, The creaking cider-press was busier still ; Red through the smoky air the wading sun Sunk into fog ere half the day was done ; The air was mild, the roads embrowned and dry, Soft, meek-eyed Indian Summer ruled the sky." ^The Foresters ; A Poem : Description of a Pedestrian Journey to the Falls of Niagara, In the Autumn of 1803 [corrected to " ISOi " in Vol. Ill, p. 159]. By the Author of American Ornithology, ;keep and Brad- ford, New York, Klnio. The Foresters : A I'oem, descriptive of a I'edestrian Journey to the Falls of Niagara, in the autumn of 1804. By the Author of American Ornithology, =:Newton [Buck's Co., Pa.]. Published by S. Siegfried & J. Wilson in June, 1818. > The Foresters, A Poem, Copyrighted, Simon Siegfried, Printer', 16mo. pp. 5-100. Ibid. Paisley, Scotland, Published by J. Frazer, Bookseller. 1825. Ibid. By Alexander Wilson, author of American Ornithology, — Westchester, Pa. Printed by Joseph I*ainter:=1838. lOmo, pp. 5- lOG. Ibid. IMiiladeli)hia, 1853. 80C Burns — Alexander Wilson. 87 On through Germantown, Chestnut Hill, fertile Bucks county and over Northampton's barren heights, describing the comfortable " Pennsylvania Dutch " farmer with fidelity. Leaving Easton behind, a spur of the Blue mountain was ascended for the pleasure of the extensive view of the Dela- ware and Lehigh rivers, before the northern journey was continued and a little rural school visited and commented upon as only a fellow pedagogue could. Then on to the Pocono. at that time one of the few localities in Pennsylvania where the Pinnated Grouse frecjuented ; and " near where Tobyhanna's savage stream descends," a bear was startled from his feast of whortleberries in the great windfall of timber and two strutting Rufifed Grouse secured. That night they lodged in a settler's cabin in the Dismal Swamp, and the woodman told them tales of adventure v/ith the wild animals of the country ; and the following day being stormy, shelter was sought in a hunter's shack midst the pines near Bear creek, and the oc- cupant made happy by a present of some of Dupont's best powder. Next Wiomi came in view and Wilson found that his broken German made him welcome in the valley of Wyoming. Robins, the Bald Eagle, and the Pileated Wood- pecker, which in a footnote he calls the crested woodcock or the great scarlet-crested black woodpecker, are observed. Journeying onward along the banks of the Sttsquehannah, hemmed in on every side by the mountains, they cross at Keeler's ferry, and continue upon the opposite bank. Beyond Tuckhannock creek, they put up at a miserable dwelling with- out a door and prepare their own meal of game and bread. After jotting down the incidents of the day, Wilson enquires: "'What Township's this, old daddy?' 'Why — hni — well; Township? The dickens. Sir. if I can tell; It's Pennsylvania, though? 'Right, Daddy Squares. Who are your nearest neighbors?' 'Why, the bears.' 'No mill or school-house near you?' 'Yes, we've one Beyond the church a piece, on Panther's Run.' 'Is church far distant, daddy?' 'Why — hm — no; Down Susquehanna, twenty miles or so.' 'You go to preaching, then?' 'Re sure, that's clear. 88 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 71. I We go to mill aud meeting twice a-year.' '• 'No curiosities about?' 'Why — yes. You've brought a few of them yourselves. I guess.' 'What, dollars?' 'Aye. and fi' peunyliits. I swear."'' Once more emerging from the woods, a settlement at the Narrows, at Athens, and then up the Tioga river to Newtown. A little beyond the latter place water may be turned into the Chesapeake, or the St. Lawrence by the way of Catherine creek. Forests of enormous walnuts and sugar maples, some of the former trees measuring thirty feet in circumferance, are seen in the vicinity of the Great Catherine's swamp. Wilson induced two striplings to paddle their canoe down a clear deep stream to Seneca lake and temporarily parting from his companions, prepared for a few hours gunning, his comrades trudging along the shore. There sits the hawk, inured to feasts of blood. Watching the scaly tenants of the flood. Slow round an opening we softly steal. Where four large ducks in playful circles wheel ; The far-famed canvass-backs at once we know Their broad flat bodies wrapt in pencilled snow ; The burnished chestnut o'er their necks then shone, Spread deepening round each breast a sable zone. O'er the flat marsh we mark the plover's sweep. And clustering close, their wheeling courses keep. Till, like a tempest, as they past us roar; Whole crowds descend to rise again no more. There on the slaty shore, my spoils I spread. Ducks, plover, teal, the dying and the dead ; Two snow-white storks, a crane of tawny hue. Stretched their long necks amid the slaughtered crew A hawk whose claws, white tail, and dappled breast. And eye, his royal pedigree confest ; Snipes, splendid sunnner-dueks, and divers wild. In one high heap trininplKintly I piled. Burns — Alexander Wilson. 89 In a footnote, Wilson remarks that the " fishing hawk or osprey" differs considerably from the European forms, and that the celebrated canvasback appears to be the Anas fcrina of Linnorus, an opinion he afterward retracts. The "black duck Avas pcrspiUata (sic), very numerous," is probably not Oidciiii pcvspicillata, Surf Scoter or Black Duck, but Anas rubripcs, Dusky or Black Duck. The "snow-white storks" most certainly were not the "Ardca alba" of Linnaeus, as he seems to think, nor is it plain what species they might be. The "chane" is probably Ardca licrodias, Great Blue Heron and he identifies the " hawk of royal pedigree " as the " white- tailed eagle (falco fulvus), so much sought after by the Ind- ians of North America, for its quill and tail feathers, with which they plume their arrows, ornament their calumet and adorn their dresses." — The Golden Eagle? Wilson walked ten long miles, heavy laden, before locating his party, and dark- ness coming on, they were alarmed by the howling of a wolf and the screaming of a panther; but guided by the light of burning brush in a settler's clearing, reached friends by midnight. The next day a skiff was launched in Cayuga lake and by night a landing made at the cabin of an absent trapper, the good wife making them welcome. The Indian's lament and Wilson's description of their encampment is excellent. Floating down the Oswego to the fort at its mouth, they boarded a sloop on Lake Ontario, bound for Queenstown on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, seven miles below the Falls ,and landing, eagerly pushed forward. It had been stated that the roar of the cataract could be heard for upward of forty miles, while actually the distance depended upon the condition of atmosphere and direction of the wind, Wilson's illustration of this is homely and graphic. " Up to the Ridge's top, high winding led, There on a flat, dry plain, we gaily tread ; And stop, and list, with throbbing hearts to hear The long expected cataract meet the ear ; But list in vain. Though five short miles ahead, All sound was hushed and every whisper dead. ' 'Tis strange,' said Duncan, ' here the sound might reach.' 90 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. ' 'Tis all an April err,' and answered Leech. ' Men to make books a thousand tales devise, And nineteeu-twentieths are a pack of lies. Here, three long weeks by storms and famine beat, "With sore-bruised backs, and lame and blistered feet; Here nameless hardships, griefs and miseries past, We find some mill-dam for our pains at last.' Heavy and slow, increasing on the ear, Deep through the woods a rising storm we hear ; Yet the blue heavens displayed their clearest sky, And dead below the silent forests lie; And not a breath the slightest leaf assailed. But all around tranquility prevailed. 'What noise is that?' we ask, with anxious mien, A dull salt-driver passing with his team. 'Noise! noise! — why nothing that I hear or see, But N'agra falls — Pray, whereabouts live ye?' All look amazed ! yet not untouched with fear, • Like those who first the battles thunders hear, 'Till Duncan said, with grave satiric glee, ' Lord, what a monster mill-dam that must be !' " Wilson views the stupendous cataract with awe and his pen picture of the Bald Eagles floating- in the sky above the mad waters, Ord pronounces poetical and sublime : " High o'er the watery uproar, silent seen, Sailing sedate, in majesty serene. Now 'midst the pillared spray sublimely lost. And now emei'ging, down the rapids tost. Swept the gray eagles ; gazing calm and slow, On all the horrors of the gulf below ; Intent, alone, to sate themselves with blood, , From the torn victims of the raging flood." Wilson attempted to sketch the falls, but owing to the tm- favorable weather during his short stay, it was not completed and subsequent engagements prevented him from returning as he had designed to do. The two drawings were finished by Sutcliffe, engraved by George Cook of London, and published in the Port Folio to illustrate "The Foresters." The return was r.uRNs — AlilXander Wilson. 91 by a different route. Partini^' with Duncan, who returned to the farm via. Aurora, on the shores of the Cayuga, on the 20th of November, Wilson and Leech lodged at the outlet of Owasco lake after wading in the cold stream and washing V^iheirjjgols and pantaloons. At five o'clock the next morning the journey was resumed past the outlet of Skaneateles lake, Onondago Hollow, to INTanlius Square, Wilson falling insen- sibly into a hard step, Isaac groaning a rod or two behind. Wading knee deep in snow or worse in mud, the former sing- ing to drown the latter's complaints and execrations against the vile roads, they left Oneida Castle and Utica behind, fol- lowing the valley of the Mohawk to within fifteen miles of Schenectady, where Leech took the boat. At the latter place they took the stage to Albany. Wilson's boots were reduced to legs and uppers. New York was reached in a sloop via the Hudson, and he reached home penniless on the 7th of December, having walked forty-seven miles the last day, and traveled upward of twelve hundred miles in two months. About the time his Foresters appeared in the Poi-tfolio in 1809, several prose articles appeared from his pen, signed " W." They were entitled : " On the Study of Natural His- tory, No. 1." Yo]. L June, pp. 511-513; "Queries Respecting the Cowper-Finch of North America," Vol. H, July, pp. 61-62 ; "The Naturalist, No. HL [Article on the Milkweed], August, pp. 119-123; "Answer to theOueries in last Relating to the Cowpen-finch of North America," August, pp. 151-152 ; and " No. I\', Observations on the Nighthawk and Whippoorwill of the Lnited States." Sept. pp. 197-199. His '' Invitation," " The Solitary Tutor " and " A Rural Walk " contain a great deal of nature. In his Scottish verses, with the single ex- ception of " The Disconsolate Wren," he only incidently men- tions the birds : but in America he frequently devotes whole poems to a single species, as the "Hummingbird," " The Ty- rant Flycatcher, or Kingbird," " The Baltimore Bird," " The Fish Hawk, or Osprey," and the best of all " The American Bluebird" ; most of w hich appeared in his American Ornithol- ogy and is accessible to all. Doubtless had the poetry proved ac- 93 The Wilson Bulletin — No. Tl. ceptable to the general reader, more would have been pro- duced, though science and poetry are scarcely in accord. Cones is responsible for the following : " The tradition runs, that Wilson asked Alajor L — , (a distinguished naturalist) how he liked the work ; the latter replied that he liked it. ' all but the poetry ;' and Wilson seems to have taken the hint." His poetry lack.s imagination, expression, smoothness and finish. Science and poetry are scarcely accordant and Wil- son's faculties were eminently fitted for exactness rather than fancy. Someone has writen that his poetry is remarkable for its dreary prosaism, and his prose for its poetry ; a remark more witty than true perhaps ; but after all, Ord's estimate of the comparatively small value of his friend's poetical attempts, and Dr. Wilson's recent scholarly criticisms and his final opinion that only the claims that the few good poems can es- tablish for him, give us any right to call him a poet at all, are more in accord with the general verdict, than Grosart's un- stinted praise ; and it is a pleasure to know that a great poet was not lost in the ornithologist, and that the minor poet found expression in prose and his great scientific services dwarfed all else. Seldom has opportunity been grasped with the strength and energy of Alexander Wilson. ADDENDA Through the kindness of ^Ir. W. Lee Chambers I am en- abled to cite the title of another Jardine edition of \\'ilson — the one referred to by Grosart : American Ornithology jor] The Natural History |of the| Birds of the United States |by| Alexander Wjlson |and| Prince Charles Lucian Bonaparte] The Illustrative Notes and Life of Wilson j by Sir William Jardine, Bart., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. ! [Woodcut] I In three volumes— A'ol. I. [—III]. iLondonj Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly | 18TG. This edition printed by Ballantyne & Company — Ediu. & London — on large paper, SVo by 11 inches; otherwise the same as the Cas- sell, Petter & (ialpin edition (h), exc-e])tin£: the phites, which are hand-colored instead of printed in colors. The coloring is almost as good as the original edition. Burns — Alexander Wilson. 93 Also another Brewer edition, practically the same as (m), but with the impring T. L. Magaguos & Company, New York, 1854, 1(5 Beekman St., as publishers. It also contains a few plates not from Wilson. I have recently had the very great pleasure of examining valuable manuscript relating to Wilson, collected by the late Joseph M. Wade, and now in the hands of Mr. Frederic B. McKechine, who, while reserving the bulk for future publica- tion, has kindly permitted me to c|uote certain portions of the Hazard and Lawson letters. It enables me to confirm the ex- istence of a Philadelphia edition of Brewer's Wilson, 1856, by quoting the publisher: " My connection with Wilson was this: As a publisher in Philadelphia, Harrison Hall who had form- erly been the publisher of Wilson in 3 Vols. 8vo of text and 1 Vol. -ivo of plates [1828-1829 [, who succeeded Laval and Bradford, the former publishers [Vol. IX of the 1824-25 re- print]. Pie used frequently to be in my store on Chestnut St. between 7th and 8th Sts., and being a very old man. and desiring of selling the plates, induced me to buy the coppers, which were all he had of the work, except a number of odd printed impressions, plain and colored, and a few copies of the edition of Wilson and Bonaparte in 1 Vol. 8vo edited by Brew- er of Boston, and which was out of print. I used to buy all the copies of this letter press I could pick, up, and print off some plates and color them and thus sell the work. Wlien I went out of business, I sold the plates to Porter and Coates."^ The latter publishing- house made use of them in their 1871 edition, when Mr. Hazard was manager for the firm and doubtless superintended this work, and the late Henry T. Coates informed me that he in turn transferred the plates to The John C. Winston Co., successors to Henry T. Coates and Company ; therefore I believe the original coppers are still in- tact after serving five editions. Mr. Hazard does not state that the title page of the letter press was replaced by one of his own. but I regard this as extremely probable, as well as his own or a close friend's authorship of the notice in Alli- ' Willis P. Hazard MS. 94 The Wilson Bulletin" — No. 71. bone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature ; otherwise the few sets of this pseudo-edition sold at retail from his book- store would scarcely have attracted attention outside of his immediate neighborhood. The price of the work does not appear and it received no reviews. To my list of portraits I would append a photographic re- production of the Gordon painting or the original picture in the possession of Wilson's sister. Chamber's British Science — Biographies < Natural History by FI. Allj-n Nicholson, M.D., D.Sc, (1886) ; 122, half length. The Public Ledger of Philadelphia, ALay 7, 1890, p. 3. con- tains a notice by Thompson Westcott of the presentation by Air. James N. Stone to the Academy of Natural Sciences, of some of Wilson's letters to Bartram, Bradford and Abbott, all of wdiich have since been published ; a hitherto unpublished letter of Waterton's to Ord, chiefly referring to an incident on the Alediterranean in which it appears Prince Charles Bonaparte saved the writer from a watery grave. Westcott also an- nounces the receipt from the same source, of the pencil drawing of Wilson " probably by Joseph B. Ord." The auth- orship of the portrait cannot be ascertained, however. It is not at all probable that the son of George Ord was the artist. Ord was unmarried until some time after Wilson's death and it is not until 1838 that he writes from England that his son has entered the atelier of Barron Gres as a student of painting. Had the elder Ord possessed the talent for drawing the human countenance, it would certainly be like him to leave it unsigned. Aliss Alalvina Lawson makes mention of a copy in her pos- session of a profile, cut out of pai^cr in the old style, taken from the one in Peak's museum.^ This silhouette may or may not be the original, or an outline copy of the drawing. Neither is the exact date of the Barralet portrait positively known. Miss Lawson could not be certain, Init she thought the drawing was made after Wilson's death, and thin, as he always was, of course death from a wasting disease reduced him tcrril)ly. Tier father said the jxjrtrait did not do Wilson ' Malvina Lawson MS. Burns — Alexander Wilson. 95 justice, although it gave some idea of him. Hazard states that the stipple engraving' on copper was published in November, 1814: and as it was done by Barralet himself, it is probable that the date of the death of this artist-engraver, " about 1812," was placed too early by his biographer. The portrait in Potter's Monthly, 1875, a coarse repoduc- tion by the photo-electric process, was from Barralet's orig- inal engraving in the possession of Mr. Hazard, and the wood- cut in Webber's Romance of Sporting, 1852, a crude reverse from the same source, Miss Lawson wrote in criticism : " The outline of the face, in the forehead and nose, is the same as Barralet's, from which it is evidently taken ; the mouth and chin are certain!}- wrong. Wilson's teniperament was pure bilious, and pouting lips are unknown to that temperament, even in early life. , The dress alone would mark its want of truthfulness." A rather clever bit of plagiarism, amusing to all but the editors whom it deceived, was perpetrated by some one in a newspaper. It included the second, seventh and ninth stanzas of Robert Burns' well known poem " Elegy of Capt. Matthew Henderson." Beginning with the third line of the second stanza, the only substitution in the text was that of '' Wilson " for " Matthew." Mr. Hazard wrote a sketch of Wilson's life for the last Porter and Coates edition of Griswold's Prose Writers of America, and included this " Elegy of Alexander Wilson " in all innocence : and later, Mr. Wade was taken in (Ornithologist and Oologist, 1883, p. 39) even to the extent of stating that the author was unknown ! In conclusion I wish to state that I am indebted to Mr. Wit- mer Stone for criticism of my IV paper before it went to press, to Mr. Ernest Spoffard of the Pennsylvania Historical Society for his kind assistance, and Messrs. Alfred C. Red- field and Ernest W. Vickers for photographs ; in addition to the gentlemen already mentioned. ERRATA. In my key for the identification of the reprint and the or- iginal editions (Wilson Bulletin, No. 69, p. 178) " Oriohts 96 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. baltimorus" and '' Oriolits haltimorc" should be transposed; and I would add that in the later copies or second edition (1809) of the initial volume, it is identical with the reprint (1824). Bonaparte employed the second edition of the first volume as reference in preparing that part of his Observa- tions on the Nomenclature of Wilson's Ornithology. Dr. Walter Faxon writes me as follows : " I notice you repeat the statement [Wilson Bulletin, No. 68, p. 140] made, I think, by Coues [Proc. Boston Soc, XII, 1868, p. 106; and Birds of the Colorado Valley, 1878, pp. 24 and 34], by J. A. Allen [Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool, II, 1870-71, pp. 251 and 254], and by Ridgway [Birds of North and Central America, 1907, 49 and 56; also Baird, Birds, 1858. 209], that Wilson's figure of the Hermit Thrush is in reality the Olive-backed Thrush. This is an error — due to the faulty coloration of Wilson's published plates. I possess the original colored drawing of Wilson, from which Lawson engraved it. It is a Hermit Thrush. If you scrutinize the figure in the original edition, you will perceive that there was an attempt to display the rufus tail of the Hermit, but that the pigment was obscured by the underlying black engraved lines or by some other cause." Jones — Birds of Cedar Point. 97 THE BIRDS OF CEDAR POINT AND VICINITY. BY LYNDS JONES. 107. Pcucaea aestivalis hachmanii. — Bachmaii's Sparrow. A bird believed to be tbe same one wai^ listened to and seen at close ranee on May 14 and 17, 1909, on the sand spit at the eastern extremity of the telephone line. The bird was first seen on the wires where it was singing lustily, at intervals making short ex- cursions to the ground and bushes for food, always returning to nearly the same spot and taking up its wonderfully beautiful song. I made determined efforts to secure the specimen on both occa- sions, but its good angel intervened. The pattern is sufficiently dis- tinct and the song so unique that there should be no more room for doubt of the identification than with the other familiar sparrows. It was not found on May 22, wheu I again visited the place. One might well be pardoned for departing from the strictly scientific method in an attempt to describe the song of this sparrow — but I shall not attempt it. IGS. Mclosinza iiiclodia. — Song Sparrow. Abundant during the migrations, common all summer, and found in considerable numbers all winter in all brushy and weedy places. It is one of our most characteristic birds. It bursts into song on any bright day in winter, and sings imperfectly during the fall months. The migrants appear in the second wave of migration, usually just before the middle of March, and the bulk have gone south al)Out the time of the first hard frosts, in October. In winter it selects sheltered places, such as brush piles, weeds and grassy fields and tangles, and often spends the night in hay mows or in straw or stalk stacks. It has been found in some numbers on every trip to Cedar Point, even in the severest weather. When the marshes are frozen it ranges everywhere over the marsh in the dry vegetation. 1G9. Mclospiza liiicolni. — Lincoln's Sparrow. A fairly regular spring migrant, not thus far noted in fall. The median date of arrival is May 11, and of departure May 17. It often sings during its stay, but the song is weak and delivered from a low perch, not attracting attention. A typical habitat is the brushy border which fringes the marsh side of the sand spit. On the mainland it is most often met with in the bushes bordering a small stream, whether in tbe deeper woods or elsewhere. It also fre(iuents the low, wet areas of woods where there is brush. In habits it may be distinguished from the Song Sparrow, which it resembles, by its skulking habits and timidity. The breast streaks are finer and darker. 98 Thk Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 71. 170. Mclospiza (jeorgiana. — Swamp Sparrow. Usually common during both migrations in the Cedar Point marshes, but no iwsitive sinnmer records in any part of the region have yet been secured. It is also often common during the spring migration in low, brushy places anywhere. It sings only in pleas- ant weather. Observations at Cedar Point have necessarily been largely conflued to the borders of the marsh, but there are reliable indications that many individuals spend their time among the vege- tation in the more densely grown areas of the marsh. The median date of arrival at Oberlin is April 21, at Cedar Point, March 19. The birds arrive from the north about October first, become com- mon in a week and remain common until the third week of Octo- ber. My last record is November 2G. 1906, at Cedar Point. In the marsh these birds are found in nearly the same situations as the Long-billed Marsh Wren, except that they are more often seen in the fringe of brush along the shore. They are often mistaken for the Wrens by the unwary observer, partly because their song bears some resemblance to the Wren's song.' It is so difficult to make one's way in the marsh in summer that I have so far failed to penetrate to the recesses where nesting birds might be concealed. I am inclined to think that a few pairs breed in the marsh. Song and Swamp Sparrows are often found in the same situations in spring, when they maj^ be readily distinguished by the more mouse- like actions of the Swamp, besides the shorter tail and lack of streaking beneath. 171. Passcrella iliaca. — Fox Sparrow. Often common during the spring migrations, but never more than scattering during the fall migration. Its typical habitat while it is with us is brushy places, either borders of woods, second growth, or even among the scattered brush cut from ti'ees recently felled, especially if the cutting has left open spaces in the woods. It is also found in some numbers along hedge rows and neglected fence lines. The fringing brush of the sand spit is a typical hab- itat, and it is found there in rather more numbers than elsewhere. My records indicate that it is likely to reach the sand spit rather earlier than the Oberlin quadrangle, perhaps a week earlier. The median date of arrival for all records is March 20. The earliest record is March 9, 1908, at Cedar Point. The birds leave for tiio north about April 20 (May 2, 1907), and return about the middle of October (October 2, 1901), and leave at the first touch of win- ter, usually the first week in November. Fox Sparrows are found with other brush-loving sparrows, but I have never seen flocks of them, rather scattered companies. They sing lustily on bright days. I have often seen them feeding with Towhees. Jones — Birds of Cedar Point. 99 172. Pipilo enjthrophthalmus. — Towbee. Commou everywhere in w/3ods from late March or early April to the first week iu October (October 15, 1906), a few remain all winter. On the Cedar Point sand spit it is abnndant during the spring migration, but not more than half a dozen pairs breed there, and those in the woods and thickets west of the resort grounds. The Towhees form a part of the second migration wave, which sweeps through about the middle of March (March 6, 1899, March 22, 1901). My latest record in fall is November 4, 1907. All but the few winter birds have usually gone south by the beginning of the last week in October. The males which stay all winter sing on warm days in late February. A bright colored male spent the winter of 1902-3 in the arbor vitae hedge whidh borders the Second Congregational yard on two sides. This is across the street from a business house — really in the heart of town. It was heard sing- ing faintly nearly every day during the winter, usually from deep in the hedge. I was surprised not to find the Towbee on any of the islands visited, not even Put-in-Bay nor Pelee, both of which abound in typical habitats. This may account for its small num- bers on Point Pelee, as noted by Taveruer and Swales. I have twice found nests of this bird in open pastures more than ten rods from any brush or woods, but such pastures were recently cleared woodland. 173. Card ill a I is canliiiaiis. — Cardinal. The story of the Cardinal in the region is one of gradually in- creasing numbers for the thirty .years of record available to me. Prior to 1890 it was practically confined to the river gorges, where it had increased to tolerably commou locally, but was not known in the towns. To all but the initiated it was regarded as a stranger. It gradually spread from the river gorges over the wooded parts of the region generally, a pair or two at most being recorded for any upland woods. In 1898 three pairs nested in Oberlin, and nearly every brushy woods harbored a pair or more, except that it seemed to be absent in any woods within a mile of the lake. In 1901. on a trip to the islands with Mr. W. L. Dawson, it was recorded on East Sister, but was not noted elsewhere. It was again noted on East Sister in August, 1904. During a stay of three days (August 29 to September 1st), in 1905, on Pelee Island, the Cardinal was found to be one of the characteristic birds there. Subsequent trips to Pelee Island and to other islands indicate that this bird is still increasing in numbers and extending its range. There has never been the slightest indication of a migration movement. Usually the birds are well scattered over the whole region, but occasionally, 100 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. particularly in late winter, considerable s;atberings of them may be found. Thus, I have seen as many as 22 individuals in a small red cedar thicket a half mile north-east of " Mill Hollow." in the Ver- milion quadrangle. 174. ZameJodia liKloriciaiiu. — Kose-breasted Grosbeak. Common from about the first of 'Sl&y until the middle of July, in the borders of woods. The median date of arrival is May 2. The latest record in fall is September 14. 190G, when two immature birds were recorded. The males arrive some days before the fe- males, usually, and when they outnumber the males they become the aggressors in courtship. The males have been found on the nest, during the incubation period, much oftener than have the fe- males. During the breeding period the typical habitat is a shrub- by woods, such as a second growth ten years after the cutting, or a willowy border of a swampy woods. Cedar Point seems to offer several typical habitats, but the birds have been found there only during the spring migrations. While the birds are courting they spend much time in the taller trees within the woods. Both Put- in-Bay and Pelee islands seem to have suitable habitats, but I have not found the Grosbeak on them, possibly l:ecause my visits have been too late in the sununer. IT."). J (isscriiiii ri/diiea. — Indigo Bunting. Common over the whole region, including the larger islands, in brushy areas. The sand spit is a typical habitat, and here the birds are found in great numbers, nesting in the bushes and shrub- bery. Of course they are not present in the immediate vicinity of pleasure resort grounds. On the mainland they are sure to be found in the brushy and shrubby borders of all woods. Nests are placed in thickets, whether of bushes, briars, or rank weeds. The males sing most during the warmer weather and the warmer parts of the day. The median date of arrival is May G. Tlie bulk ar- rives a few days after the first is seen, and the birds remain com- mon until the end of the third week of Septend)er. INIy latest rec- ord is October 9, 1807. This is one of the species which helps form the great wave of migration in spring. I have not noticed any dis- tinct fall movement of birds from farther north. 170. ^piza amcricana. — Diekcissel. The career of this bird in the region is a chedcered one. In a manuscript of the birds about Oberlin by Messr.*. L. M. McCor- mick and G. D. Wilder, completed in 1S92, its occurrence is given as casual during the previous thirty years. Its capture anywhere was considered worthy of notice. During the sununers of 1894, 1895, and 1890. I have noted it as common al)out 01)erlin. None Jones — Birds of Cedar Point. 101 were seen the next two summers, and in 1899 but one nesting pair was found, and that west of Elyria. None were found in 1900. In 1901 one was recorded on July 1, 15 and 19, and three on July 22, all near Oak Toint. It was wholly absent in 1902 and 1903. In 1904 two were found on May 9, and one on Allay 12, near Oak Point. It was absent in 1905 and 1906. In 1907 five singing individuals were noted in a field a mile west of Huron, where they appeared to be nesting. In 1908 one was found at the same place on June 1. There were none in 1909. The Dickcissel covild hardly have oc- curred in the region until considerable clearings appeared in the primeval forest, unless it found suitable habitats in the vicinity of Sandusky, since it is a bird of the open country. It prefers fields in which, or near which, there are a few scattering trees to which it may fly when it sings, but a convenient telephone or telegraph line will serve, or even a wire fence if necessary. The reasons for its fluctuations cannot be even hinted at witli the data at .hand. 177. J'iraiHja ('riithro)iiela^. — 'Scarlet Tanager. Common in woods from about the first of May until the first of September. The median date of arrival is Miay 1. It thus is among the leaders of the van of the great migration wave. The last fall record is October 2, 1901. It is a common migrant at Cedar Point, and three were recorded at the Lake Laboratory during the sum- mer of 1908. Several were always noted in the woods west of the resort grounds. I have not recorded it from any of the isluads, but it undoubtedly nests on the larger islands which have considerable growths of woods. One pair nests upon the Oberlin College cam- pus pretty regularly. The typical nesting habitat is a mixed de- ciduous woods of moderate density. I have found nests near the border of such woods more often than elsewhere. 178. Prognc suhis. — Purple MSartin. Only scattered colonies of Martins remain to remind us of the much greater numbers which inhabited the region in earlier years. Th8 largest colony known to the writer is one in the city of San- dusky. From this center birds fly out in every direction, mingling with the swallows over the harbor, marsh, and sand spit, and even out over the lake. The individuals which may be seen from the Lake Laboratory could be easily counted at any time, but the al- most constant presence of the birds in the air during the day in- clines one to the use of the term " common " for indicating the rel- ative abundance of the species. In the Oberlin and Vermilion quadrangles the colonies are small and few. Some individuals would be seen during any outdoor study of an hour or more, in practically any region. I know of no colonies except in towns or ]()2 TiiH Wilson Bult.etix — Xo. 71. settlements. The iiietlian date of arrival is April 10. and the latest fall record is September 30, 3907. The Martins leave the vicinity of their breeding places before the first of Augnst. A roost of sev- eral hundred was studied on North Harbor island August S, 1903, and a great migration from Pelee island across to Marblehead, Au- gust 31 and September 1. 1905. On September 1 the migration stream was followed southward past Middle to Kelley's island, where the birds were gathering in clouds preparatory to roosting in the woods near the west end of the island. At twilight they were whirling above the woods in a mighty maelstrom, the vortex of which was over the woods and the spreading top covering the entire island. Arrivals from the direction of Pelee island were continually swelling the host. The maelstrom form had not changed when darkness settled down, making further study im- practicable. On August 29, at Pelee island, the Martins were pass- ing at the rate of five a minute from 4:20 p. m. until as late as 9 p. m. With them were groups of Barn, Cliff, Bank, and Rough- winged Swallows, and an occasional Chimney Swift. The wind ••vas west-south-west, brisk, and all of the birds were headed nearly due south-west, or toward Put-in-Bay island rather than toward Middle or Kelley's ; but all invariably drifted south so that they passed either over or to leaward of Middle. On August 30, an early morning thunder storm apparently checked a migration which had barely started. After the storm scattered flocks of Martins and Barn Swallows passed over the course of the previous day. At 4 :.S0 p. m. the flight began again and continued well into the night. Swallows were more numerous and moved more directly south without side excursions after insects, and faster. They seemed nervous and somewtiat anxious. A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds passed southward over the course, and occasional Nighthawks drifted southward as they fed. On September 2, when the Martins were again migrating in considerable numbers, we sailed eastward into the lake, passing between Kelley's island and Marblehead. where birds were crossing southward, then out eastward, reaching Vermilion at dark. We thus crossed any line of flight from Point Pelee to the mainland in a direct line, but no birds were seen cross- ing except between Kelley's and Marbleihead. It seems to me sig- nificant that all of the migrating Martins passed down the east side of Pelee island. We found no evidence of a roost on the island. The most of them were not above 300 feet above the lake, except when they were circling over Kelley's island. 179. PetrochdidoH hiiiifroiis. — ^Clift" Swallow. It is listed as a common summer resident by McCormick and Wilder (MS.), which applies to conditions prior to 1S90. There Jones — Birds of Ckdar I'oint. 103 are two iiestiDg colonies in tlie Oberlin quadrangle. During the migrations a few inclividuals are seen with groups of swallows, es- pecially along the lake sihore. I am unable to suggest the reason for this rapid decrease in numbers. The old barns where they used to nest are still standing, and conditions for breeding seem to be favorable. English Sparrows have not ytt invaded the nesting places to any destructive extent. The median date of spring ar- rival is April 2G ; the latest fall record is September 23, 1907. Cliff Swallows are too few to accurately determine their relations to the other swallows in their fall grouping just preceding the southward migration. Occasionally they seem to flock with other swallows. 180. Hinindo e)-ijthrogastcr. — Barn Swallow. Everywhere common except in woods. Nests are built iu any available building, or even under bridges. I have never found it nesting among the shale cliffs, nor about sandstone ledges. From its nesting places it sallies forth over the fields and meadows in search of food. It is also regularly seen in the river gorges flying up and down the stream courses. The median date of spring mi- gration is April 11. It usually remains common in the vicinity of its nesting places until late August, after which it forms great com- panies in the vicinity of the swamps, passing the night on tele- graph wires or other similar perches, before winging southward. Mention has already been made of the flights of this swallow ac- companying the Martin fall migration flights. Such birds must be those which have nested well north. Barn Swallows remain in the vicinity of Oberlin until the last of September (October 15, 190G). None have been known to nest anywhere along the Cedar Point sand spit, because there is no suitable place, but numbers are seen flying up and down the lake shore and over the liarbor. 181. Iridoprocne Mcolor. — Tree Swallow. Scarce everywhere except along the Cedar Point sand spit, where it nests in the tx-ees not far from the mouth of Black Channel, east- erly. It is regularly recorded during the spring migrations about Oberlin, especially at the Water Works reservoir, but never more than three or four individuals at a time. After the breeding sea- son, during late July, I have seen great companies gathering to roost in the swamp vegetation east of the mouth of Black Channel. They formed the characteristic funnel group befoi'e finally settling into the vegetation for the night. In the morning they often disperse over the marsli, many alighting on the tops of cattails or other stiff marsh plants, before finally flying away. The median date of ar- rival is April 11, the earliest April 1, 1908. The latest fall record is October 22, 1906. This swallow was noted among the islands, but there was no direct evidence of nesting on any island. How- 104 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. ever, all trips have been too late iu the season to coincide with the nesting period. I know of no nestings in bird boxes in this region. 182. Riparia riparia. — Banli Swallow. Common wherever there are banks of earth suitable for nest holes. The banks facing the lake are the favorite places, but the banks of streams, or even of railroad cuts are utilized. During the spring migration and after the young have left the nest these swal- lows are more widely distributed over the country, often feeding over meadows and pastures at some distance from water. During the spring migration numbers visit the Oberlin Water Works reser- voir almost daily. In the fall they gather in great numbers on the telegraph wires, associating with Barn and Tree Swallows, but usually flying in companies by themselves. The median date of spring arrival is April 22, the earliest being April G, 1902. They are usually common, but gathered into large companies near the lake mitil the middle of August. A few linger well into Septem- ber (October 7, 1907). There are no suitable nesting places on the sand spit, and very few on any of the islands, except Kelley's. yet numbers are seen flying about over the lake in the vicinity of the islands all summer. Mention has already been made of the migra- itons accompanying those of the Purple Martins. 183. Stelgidoptenjx serripeiiiils. — Rough-winged Swallow. Common along the river gorges, where it nests among the shale cliffs, and often noted about large stone culverts, where it was evi- dently nesting. Individuals are generally seen in groups composed of most of the other swallows which hawk up and down the lake beach. This swallow may be readily distinguished by its manner of flight, by its note or song, and by its dirty grayish underparts. It has been reported as sometimes nesting with the Banks, but I have seen no evidence of this. The median date of arrival is April 23, and the latest fall record is September 23, 1907. Mill Hollow, a horse-shoe bend of Vermilion River, with a large area of exposed shale surface, was a favorite nesting place of this swallow until the English Sparrows emigrated to it and preempted all of the available clefts which were the rightful homes of the swallows. There are practically no swallows there now. If it had not been a human settlement the sparrows would probably not have found lodgement in the shale cliff. 184. Bombijcilla calrorum. — Cedar Wnxwing. Tolerably conunon over the whole region, including the larger islands, in larger numbers and more constant at Cedar Tolnt than elsewhere. No nests have been found near the Lake Laboratory, but there can be little doubt that the young are reared thereabouts. Jones — r)iRn.s of Cedar Point. 105 On the mainlaiul nests are usnally made in orchards. The flocking habit persists even during the period of incubation, the unoccupied birds feeding together. Little damage is done to clierries in the region, because the birds are not sufficiently numerous to become noticeable in comparison with the Robins. In winter flocks are more frequently met in the large cemeteries than elsewhere except the natural cedar thickets, because cedars and other evergreens are more runierous there and furnish suitable habitats. 385. Laniiis boreal is. — Northern Shrike. Of regular occurrence on the mainland. Extreme dates of occur- rence are November G, 1897, April 3, 1899. At best there are only a few individuals recorded during any Avinter, and most of those either withiia the stream gorges or in their vicinity. One occasion- ally finds its way into Oberlin, where it feeds upon the English Sparrows. Most of the quarry examined has proved to be Tree Si)arrow, probably because this sparrow is the most numerous bird in winter, always excepting the English Sparrow. It is seen hov- ering over a field, much after the manner of the Sparrow Hawk, when it nuist be lo«;)kiDg for small mammals. None have been noted iu the vicinity of Cedar Point. 180. Laiiius liidoriciaini.'^ iiiif/raHf!. — Migrant Shrike. A regular summer resident. Judging from the conditions in Rus- sia Township there are about a dozen pairs in each township. With very few exceptions nests are placed in osage orange hedge rows, of which there remain considerable numbers iu the region under consideration. I have not seen it nor evidences of its b/reed- ing on any of the islands. At Cedar I'oint it has been recorded during the spring migrations feeding along the sand spit. The median date of arrival for fourteen years is March l.j. the earliest being March 2, 1901. My latest record is October 31, 1896. Re- corded dates of occupied nests are March 30, April 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, and young, June 5. Nests are regularly destroyed b.v men and boys, on the plea that the birds kill chickens, and even young pigs and lambs, and that they are witches ! The families remain together during the summer and early fall, when the old birds indulge in a good deal of singing. 187. yirvoxijh-a oliracca — Red-eyed Yireo. This is one of the characteristic woodland birds in summer. It is also characteristic of parks and door-yards in which trees and shrubljery are permitted to grow. One can hardly use the word abundant for this vireo, because were it not for the incessant sing- ing it would not aiipear to lie numerous. The song carries far and nuiltiiilies the effect. It is not less connnon on the Cedar Point IOC) The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. sand spit, for practically its whole length, anil about the Lake Laboratory gives the impression of being abundant. It was found on all of the wooded islands, even Hen island, and North Harbor. The median date of arrival is April 30. My latest record is Octo- ber 1, IDOO. I have not foimd a nest of this vireo in the past ten years that did not have at least one egg of the Cowbird in it. and there are often two and even three. One young Cowbird in a nest is enough to cause the death of every young vireo. The earliest nest recorded is Mlay 29, 190:!. 188. Yircosylra philadelpliica. — Phlladeli)hia Vireo. Not recorded until May 24, 1900. when two were captured at Rug- gles Beach, east of Huron. On September 21 and 24 of the same year two were found near Oberlin. In 1907 four were found on the sand spit April 29, and on May 13 it was found there in uncount- able numbers. The last one was recorded on May 27, and none in the fall. In 1908 it was recorded on May 11, 16, 18 and 20; 1 2, more than 10, and 1 respectively, all along the sand spit. The records for 1909 are May 6, 12, 14, 17 and 19; 1, 1, 2, 3, and 1 respectively. From these all too scanty records the Sandusky re- gion would appear to contain a distinct migration route. My short experience with the bird in the spring migration indicates that it is a lover of the bushes and shrubbery which are characteristic of the borders of swamps, or the flood plain of small streams. Its habitat is thus distinctly different from that of any other vireo. 189. Yircof, 1900. All fall birds were singing. 102. Vireo griscits. — White-eyed Vireo. One was seen about tbe middle of the sand spit on April 27 and captured there near tbe same place on May 4, 1008. Another one was well seen in a woods south of Oberlin on April 20, 1908. These birds were in tbe characteristic habitat for tbe species, the bushes along tb? margin of the marsh on the sand spit, and tbe brush fringe of the woods near Oberlin. These are all of tbe records for this vireo in tbe region. 193. Miilotilta raria. — Black and White Warblei*. Common during tlie spring migrations, but scarce in fall. A few pairs remain to breed in tbe river gorges in and near the evergreen growths. This warbler is found wherever there is any considerable growth of trees. Numbers are found every spring on the Oberlin College campus, and elsewhere about the town. Tbe median date of spring arrival is April 29, and of departure of the bulk May 7. Most fall dates of last seen are in the last week of September. It was noted on East Sister island on August 28, 1905, and on Pelee island on August 29, 30, 31, and September 1 of the same year. Of course these birds were in migration. One was noted during the last week of July, 1907, in tbe vicinity of tbe Lake Laboratory, which may have bred on the sand spit ; otherwise it is a common migrant all along tbe course of tbe sand spit. 194. rrotKJiiotaria citrea. — Protbonotary Warbler. The only records are May 9 and 14, 1904, at Oak Point, one speci- men on each date. The lagoon and its environs at Cedar Point fur- nish nearly typical breeding habitats. 195. Helmitheros vermivonis. — ^ Worm-eating Warbler. One near the east end of the sand spit in the bushes on tbe beach side, April 20, 1007. This is tbe only unquestionable reconi for the whole region. ITnsubstantiated reports of the occurrence of others have come to me. 108 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 71. 196. Termii-ora pin us. — Rlue-wingecl Warbler. Locally coinmon in swainpy woods durln,t!: the summer. I have looked for it in vain in the swampy woods within a mile of the lake shore, even in the migrations. The only Cedar I'oint record is April 27, 1908, when one was found a half mile east of the Lake Labora- tory. What the influence is which keeps this warbler away from the vicinity of the lake where typical breeding habitats are more numerous than elsewhere I am unable to suggest. Of course it has not been found on any of the islands. The median date of arrival is April 29. Nests have been found May 10. My latest fall record is September 21, lOOCi. 197. Yennivora cliri/fioptcra. — Golden-winged Warbler. Irregular and scarce in the spring migrations. The first record is May 7, 1894. It was not again seen until May 6. 1901, and was five times recorded during that spring, the last date being May 1(">. On May 9 a pair was watched for a considerable time because they seemed to be getting ready to build a nest, but were not again seen. In 1902 one was seen May 4. and three May H and 7. In 1903, one May 11. 1904. one May 7. 1905. one May 17, and one May 23. 1906, one May 14. 1908. one May 11. All of these records are for the immediate vicinity of Oberlin. most of them in a wood one mile south of the town. All but one of the birds noted were in low sec- ond growth woods or the brushy border of larger woods, where water stands until June. It is hardly likely that this warbler nests anywhere in the region. Vcnnlvord IciicoliroiicliiaHs. — Brewster's Warbler. Although this is regarded as a hybrid between the last two spe- cies, enough interest attaches to its distribution to warrant sjie- ciflc treatment here. It was first found in a thin woods just out- side of the corporation limits of Oberlin, May 23. 1902, singing the half Blue-wing and half Golden-wing song. One was again closel.v studied in an adjoining woods on Ma.v 28, singing the same song. These two birds acted suspiciously like nesting birds, but prolonged watching failed to substantiate the suspicion. In 1903 the records are May 9, 12. 14, 16, IS, 19, all in the second growtli part of the " South Woods." a mile south of Oberlin. one each time excei»t the 12th. when two were captured. These birds were singing a mixed BIue-wing-Golden-wing song, and one was seen chasing a female Klue-wing. In 1904 one was seen on May 10, 11, and 12, in the woods in which the first one was found, but it was not singing. No more were seen until 1907, when one was studied at close range at the Lake' Laboratory. The last record is for the old " South Woods." .May 1. I!t08. a singing bird. Three specimens ca])tured and all of tiiosc noted and carefully studied were without anv black on the Jones — Hirds of Cedar Point. 109 throat and with only a small patch of pale yellow on the breast. It seems to me a little singular that iu the region where the Gokleu- wiug is so scarce and so irregular, and where it clearly does not breed this supposedly hybrid form should prove almost equally reg- ular and numerous. Why should its association, not only here, but elsewhere, invariably be with the Blue-wing rather than with the Golden-wing. 198. Vermivora ritJjncapilla. — Nashville Warbler. Common during the spring migration, less common in fall. It is found ranging through all wood-lands, but less numerous in the deepest woods, and inclined to be more numerous in the shade trees in parks and about human habitations, and in orchards. It has been common on the Cedar Point sand spit each spring migration. I did not find it on any of the islands, except East Sister (Aug. 28, 1905), probably because my visits have been too early in the fall. The median date of spring arrival is April 30, and of spring depart- ure ^lay 21, the latest record being May 27, 1901. Fall records are few, but they indicate a fall arrival during the second week of September. My latest record is October IG, 1905. 199. Venuirora cclaUi. — Orange-crowned Warbler. A fairlj- regular but never a common migrant in spring ; none noted in fall. It has been rather more common along the sand spit on the great days of migration than elsewhere. The median date of ar- rival is May G. and of departure, May 19. The extremes are April 26, 1909, May 22, 1909. This warbler seems to prefer the brushy areas of rather open woods, feeding near and on the ground. 200. Yonnivora percovina. — Tennessee Warbler. Common, sometimes abundant in the spring migrations, but usu- ally scarce in the fall migrations. Comparing my experiences with this warbler in this region with those in central Iowa, where the birds were far more numerous in the fall than in the spring, I am naturally led to the conclusion that the presence of Lake Erie pro- foundly influences the southward movement. It was tolerably common on Pelee Island on August 29 to September 1, 1905, but was not found on the mainland that fall. It is more numerous in orchards and about human habitations than elsewhere in spring, but it may be found scattered through the woods during the height of the migration. It has always been found in numbers on the sand spit. The median spring dates are, for arrival. May 10, for departure. May 22. Extreme dates are May 4, IS!>9 and 1904, and May 29, 1908. I^all Oberlin quadrangle dates are September 16, 21, 26, and October 1. It was common September iO. 1898, hut only one was recorded on each of the other dates. 110 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. 201. Compsothlypis americana vsncae. — ^Xorthern Parula Warbler. It has been recorded everj^ year since 1898, except 1905, always in small numbers, and only once in the fall, October 7, 1907, at Ce- dar Point. It is found in the higher woods, and is a frequent visitor to the Oberlin College campus, well up in the large trees which make the campus beautiful. It is also regular in small numbers on the Cedar Point sand spit in spring. Well authenticated nest- ings have been reported from various parts of the state, but there are no suitable nesting habitats in this region. The median date of spring arrival is May G, and of departure. May 14 ; extreme dates being May 1, 1900, and May 24, 1909. 202. Dendroica tigrina. — Cape May Warbler. While it is by no means common it is found regularly during the spring migrations. The typical habitats on the mainland are or- chards and the lower branches of shade trees on lawns. I have also found it in the shrubbery of the sand spit east of the Lake Laboratory. There is a good deal of variation in the dates of spring arrival, probably largely owing to the scarcity of the species rather than to irregularity in the actual migrations of the species. The median date is May 11, and of departure. May 1C>. The extreme dates are May 4, 1899. and May 21, 1907. The only fall records are October 1, 190G, one immature at Oak Point, and September 23 and oO, 1907, one on each date, both at Cedar Point. 203. Dendroica acstira. — Yellow Warbler. Common all summer in orchards, the brushy borders of woods, and the bushes which border and grow in swamps and marshes. There are more individuals in the immediate vicinity of the lake shore than in areas of equal extent elsewhere because suitable habitats are more plentiful and of greater area there. It was common on all of the larger islands, but was not found anywhere in late August, 1905. It is common all summer along the whole extent of the sand spit, ex- cept only the pleasure resort grounds. It also ranges out into the marshes and nests in the scattering willows and button bushes which have found a foothold on the few ridges near Black Channel. Next to the Myrtle Warbler, this is the earliest to appear in spring. The median date of arrival is April 23. The earliest date is April 11, 1908. The birds are seldom common after July 25, and most have gone south by the middle of August. My latest record is Sep- tember 13, 1907, at Cedar Point. My latest records for singing birds are August G, 1898, and August 7, 1902, 204. Dendroica cacndesccns. — Black-throated Blue Warblei*. Common during the spring migrations, in small numbers in fall. The habitat of this warbler is the lower branches of the trees and JOxXES — Birds of Cedar Point. Ill shrubbery iu woods. It is often seen feeding on the ground, usu- ally at the roots of trees. It is a regular visitor to the Oberlin campus, and has been found plentifully distributed in the bushes and shrubbery on the sand spitr A few individuals were noted on Pelee island August 29 to September 1, 1905, and on Middle island on September 1, 1905. This is a full week earlier than the first fall records iu the vicinity of Oberlin. The median date of spring ar- rival is May 4, and of departure, May 23; the extreme dates being April 27, 189G, and May 29, 1901. They usually arrive about Sep- tember 10, and tarry until the first week in October. 205. Dendroica coronata. — Myrtle Warbler. This is the first warbler to reach us in spring, the vanguard be- ing made up of a few strongly colored males. The median date of spring arrival is April 20; of arrival of the bulk, April 29; of de- parture of the bulk, May 13; of last seen, May 10. Extreme dates of arrival and departure are April 12, 1904, and May 28, 1907. Fall arrivals may be expected about September 22, and a few birds tarry until the first touch of winter, which was November 2, 1899. It is often common during three weeks in October. This warbler is thus common during the spring migrations, when it is more often found in the woods than elsewhere, and may be common in fall, when it is more numerous in the fields than in the woods. In the spring it associates with other warblers and vireos, but in the fall with the smaller sparrows, particularly the Chipping Sparrow, and the Palm Warbler. It sings during each migration, but less forcefully in fall. It is a less frequent visitor to the Oberlin campus than many of the other warblers, but is common on the sand spit. I did not find it on any of the islands on the late August visit in 1905. The other visits were much too early. One was recoi'ded in medium plumage at the Slate Cut, about midway of the marshes and a quarter mile south of the marshes, July 18, 1908. If this specimen represented a breeding pair it is the only instance of breeding known to the writer. It is more likely that it was a waif. 20G. Dendroica mafinolia. — Magnolia Warbler. Common during the spring migrations, only irregular and few in the fall migrations. It was abundant all along the Cedar Point sand spit in the migrations of 1907. It is found in woods, partic- ularly brushy woods, and is generally not far from the ground. It also visits the shrubbery and trees of lawns and parks and or- chards. I found a juvenile on Middle Bass island August 26, 1905, and a full plumaged bird on East Sister two days later ; also on Pe- lee island from August 29 to September 1, when it was fairly com- mon. It was also present on Kelley's island on the 1st and 2d, but none were found on the mainland in the Vermilion and Oberlin 112 The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 71. (]uadraugles cluriug that fall (1905). The median spring dates are: for arrival, May 5; arrival of bulk, May 11 ; departure of bulk. May IS; last seen. May 22. Extreme spring dates are April 28, 189G, and May 28, 1908. The scattered fall records indicate that the birds arrive early in the second week of September and remain alx)ut a month (October 7, 1907). 208. Dciulroicii (verulca. — Cerulean Warbler. Locally common during the summer in the taller woods, nesting in beech and maple trees. I have failed to find it in any of the seem- ingly suitable woods within two miles of Lake Erie, and have never found it anywhere on the Cedar Point sand spit, even in the migra- tions. I am unable to explain its absence near the lake. The me- dian date of spring arrival is Miay 4. My latest fall record is Sep- tember 21, 1900. On May 20 and 21, 1904, two individuals were noted singing on the Oberlin campus. I have never seen any in- dications of a marked southward movement in the fall, and doubt if there is any such fly line in the region. 208. Deinlroica ijciisylvaiiica. — Chestnut-sided AYarbler. Common as a spring migrant, but hardly more than casual in the fall. This dainty little warbler regularly comes into the dooryards and orchards in town and often swarms in parks, and is as com- mon in the woods. On May 13, 1907, when the greatest migration of small birds that I have ever witnessed was in full swing, this wrabler literally swarmed all over the Cedar Point sand spit from one end to the other. There was no estimating the numbers. The median date of arrival in spring is May 5, of departure, May 21 ; but it has arrived on May 2 four times, and May 3 and 4 once each. The only fall records are September 21, 190G, and September 30, 1907. In the first instance there were two birds in immature plum- age, in the second ten individuals. There is no evidence that this warbler now nests within the region. If it ever did so the time must have preceded the disappearance of the pine and cedar woods bordering the mouths of the rivers. 209. Dendroica castancu. — Bay-breasted Warbler. Regular and sometimes common during the spring migrations; regular, but seldom common, during the fall migrations. It is a woods-loving bird, but is often foinul in parks and about premises where there are fair-sized to large trees. It was common on the Cedar Point sand spit on May 13, 1907. I did not find it during the last week of August on any of the islands in 1905. The median date of arrival in spring is May 11, and of departure, May 20. My late.st spring record is May 28, 1907. Fall records indicate that the first fall migrants appear about the first of September and re- I Jones — Birds of Cedar Point. 113 main nearly or quite a niontli. My latest fall record is October 2, 1001. The difficulty of positively distinguishing between this and the next in the fall plumage makes careful scrutiny necessary. In a good light and with strong glasses one may note the buffy of this species as against the yellowish of the next. In my experience the two species are about equal in numbers in the fall. 210. Dendroica s?r/a/a.— Black-poll Warbler. Regular and sometimes common in the spring migrations, sel- dom common in the fall. It is more strictly confined to the woods than the preceding species, seldom being seen in town and about residences. Birds in perfect breeding plumage are about in the pro- portion of one to four of those in the immature and female plu- mage, in the spring migration. Of course there are no breeding plumages in the fall. McCormick and Wilder give this warbler as common in the spring, abundant in the fall. They had no fall rec- ords of the Bay-breasted. It is likely that they confused the two species in the immature plumage and called all Black-poll. AVhat they said about this species has never since been true at any rate. The median date of spring arrival is May 14, and of departure. May 24, but there were two singing on June 2, 1903, and one full plum- aged male June 3, 1904. I found it on East Sister island on August 28, and on Middle and Kelley's islands on September 1st, 1905. Fall records indicate that it begins to migrate across the region about the first of September, and may tarry well into October (October IG, 1905). It was common on the sand spit May 13, 1907. 211. Dendrolca ftisca. — Blackburnian Warbler. Common in the spring migrations, only twice recorded in the fall. It is common wherever there are trees of considerable size, being a familiar object in Oberlin during its spring sojourn. The median date of arrival is May 5, and of departure. May 21 (May 29, 1909). Fall records are September 24 three birds, October 15 one female, 190G. I have usually found it scarce along the sand spit, but on May 13, 1907, it was nearly abundant. I found it on Pelee island August 29 to September 1, 1905, but not on any of the other islands. It was in company with the several other migrating warblers near the south end of the point. It is unlikely that such a well marked species would be wholly overlooked if it occurred regularly in fall. It is perhaps significant that the two fall xecords given were for the Cedar Point sand spit. Since it is fairly common on Point Pelee during the fall migrations, according to Taverner and Swales, it must make the passage to the south somewhere in the island re- gion. At least not many migrate southward through the Vermilion and Oberlin quadrangles. 114 TfiE Wilson Bulletin— No. 71. 212. Dendroica rirens. — Black-tbroated Green Warbler. Common during the spring migrations, scarce on the mainhmd but usually common at Cedar Point in the fall. There is good rea- son for believing that an occasional pair nests in the pine ^yoods north of Elyria. I have seen a bird there during every week of the late spring and summer, and its actions betokened the pres- ence of a nest or young. It is found -everywhere that there are trees, and is therefore common all about Oberlin and in city parks as well as in the woods. The median date of spring arrival is April 29, of departure. May 20 (Miay 28, 1907). The birds return the first week in September and remain until October (Oct. IG, 1905). I found it on East Sister island on August 28, 1905, but no- where else among the islands. It has been common in both migra- tions at the Cedar Point sand spit, much more so during the height of the migration season. 213. Dendroica kirtlandi. — Kirtland Warbler. There are five records of this rare warbler, all for the Oberlin quadrangle, and all but one for the immediate vicinity of Oberlin. May 9, 1900, one was heard singing in the orchard bordering the Oberlin corporation line on the south, and on May 11 one heard singing in the " South Woods," and the one singing in the orchard where the first one was noted was captured to make identification certain. One singing male was found at Oak Point May 9, 1904. One singing male in the " South Woods," Oberlin, May 2, 1906. I have confidently expected to find tliis warbler on the Cedar Point sand spit, but have failed to so far. 214. Dendroica vigorsi. — Pine Warbler. Recoi'ds of this warbler are hardly more numerous than those of the last species, if those for 1908 are excluded. They are : April 29, one male, singing, at Oak Point ; May 13, 1908 ; and from May 5 to 10 inclusive, 1908, one was seen and heard singing in pine and maple trees in Oberlin. It may be that the scarcity of pine woods in this vicinity is responsible for the few records. I am surprised that Taverner and Swales were not able to locate it on Point Pelee. 215. Dendroica i)uJ)narum. — Palm Warbler. Common as a migrant, both spring and fall. In the spring it passes through in the brushy and tangle growths, seldom mount- ing into the trees, but in the fall it is seldom seen aywhere except in the fields and along fence rows bordering meadows. On the sand spit it ranges along the crest of the sandy beach and down to the water's edge, either in the bushes or among the grass. It seldom ventures into the bushy growth along the marsh. On the sand spit it is decidedly more numerous than on the maniland, and is even ViscHER — Notes on the Sandhill Crane. 115 more fearless. On the days of heavy migration, when other birds are also numerous, this warbler seems to start up from every bunch of grass all along the five miles or more of open beach. The median dates of spring migration are : for arrival, April 29, for departure, May 17 (May 22, 1909). Fall arrival, September 16; departure, October 5. It has always been in the most numbers late in Sep- tember. I did not find it on any of the islands in 1905. 216. Dendroica pahnarun liypochrysea. — Yellow^ Palm Warbler. The only record for this eastern form of the Palm is that already reported in the Auk, IX, 1892, 397. The date was April 10, 1891, near Oberlin. 217. Dendroica discolor. — Prairie Warbler. My records are few. The only time I have seen it in any num- bers was May 13, 1907, all along the Cedar Point sand spit, on that greatest day of migration I have ever witnessed. Other records are April 29, 1899, May 14, 1903, May 9, 1904, May 2, 1906; May 11 to 20, 1907, May 11, 15, 16, 1908; May 11, 14, 17, 1909. I have never found it in fall. It has never been seen in the summer. Where did all those which were on the sand spit in 1907 go, since they did not put in an appearnce on Point Pelee? It hardly seems possible that so large a host could return southward to breed after the excitement of the migrations had died out. The typical hab- itat of this bird in the migrations is a low brushy border of woods. The small growth of bushes along the sandspit seems to form a congenial feeding place. NOTES ON THE SANDHILL CRANE. r.Y STEPHEN SARGENT VISHER. The Sandhill crane (.^nts mexicana and g. canadensis) is one of the most conspicuous birds of the prairie region. Every farmer boy knows its call, and on fair days has seen large flocks soaring at great heights, slowly passing northward. Constantly their unsurpassed calls drift down to earth. When only a slight wind is blowing, these rich, bugle-like notes can be heard farther than the bird can be seen. Several times I have examined, for some moments in vain, the horizon before the authors sailed in view. On windy or rainy days, the flocks fly low nad swiftly in a direct line, and each individual croaks in turn. Thus slowly the music moves along the un- dulating, curving line. 116 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. The Sandhill crane feeds upon grasshoppers, frogs, worms and other life of the open, nearly all of which is considered harmful to man. While feeding they follow certain fixed rules. They always keep on open ground, either on an eleva- tion or on an extensive flat. At least one of the group keeps watch while the others feed. This one stands still most of the time, with its head raised high in air and doesn't try to feed. Apparently there are shifts of watchers. The mating habits of this bird are very interesting. In San- born County, South Dakota, I have often watched the mating dance : each time with increasing interest. In the early spring, just after break of dawn, the groups that were separated wide- ly, for safety, during the night, begin flying towards the chosen dancing ground. These flocks of six or eight fly low and give constantly their famous, rolling call. The dancing ground that I knew best was situated on a large, low hill in the middle of a pasture of a section in extent. From this hill the surface of the ground for half a mile or more in every direction could be seen. As soon as two or three groups had reached this hill a curious dance commenced. Several raise their heads high in the air and walk around and around slow- ly. Suddenly the heads are lowered to the ground and the birds become great bouncing balls. Hopping high in the air. part of the time with raised wings, and part with dropping, they cross and recross each other's paths. Slowly the speed and wildness increases, and the hopping over each other, un- til it becomes a blurr. The croaking, which commenced only after the dancing became violent, has become a noice. The performance continues, increasing in speed, for a few min- utes, and then rapidly dies completely out. on.ly to start again upon the arrival of more recruits. By seven o'clock all have arrived, and then for an hour or so a number are constantly dancing. Occasionally the whole flock of two hundred or so break into a short spell of crazy skipping and hopping. By nine o'clock all are tired and the flock begins to break up into groups of from four to eight and these groups slowly feed to the windward, 'diverging slowly, or fly to some distance. Sherman — Effects of Weather, Spring 1910. 117 Just before nightfall the flock again convenes, but after a half hour or so of spasmodic dancing, groups fly silently away in different directions to grassy depressions, where they spend the night. One pair nested in this vicinity and I was fortunate enough to find the simple nest. It was upon a slight rise in a large moist meadow. The two yellowish green, brown-spotted eggs were kept off the ground only by a few blades of grass. EFFECTS OF WEATHER IN NORTH-EASTERN ^lOWA, SPRING, 1910. BY ALTHEA R. SHERMAN. The '"ffect of weather conditions on bird movements this spring in north-eastern Iowa has been similar, no doubt, to that in other portions of the country. Here the average noon temperature for March was fifty-five degrees, which was twelve degrees above the average for the past eleven years. This unseasonably warm weather continued during the first half of April, followed by a second edition of winter, north winds and frosty nights prevailing until the middle of May. Temperature for the first half of May fell seven degrees be- low the average. Of the earlier migrants most of the breeding species came at their usual time, and took their places, having few attendant birds even of such abundant species as the Junco, Robin and Blackbirds. Not an individual was seen of several species that are regarded as tolerably common in most years. The warm weather brought but two birds out of sea- son that were seen, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, on March 28, and a Solitary Sandpiper on April 14 : both of them a little more than two weeks in advance of their average dates for first arrivals. Dates for migration and nesting in this locality will have no suggestive value unless it is kept in mind that ordinarily they are from one to two weeks later than are such dates in northern Ohio, or the vicinity of New York City. The cool weather during the second half of the migration 118 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 71. season seems to have retarded first arrivals, from two to six days beyond the average time. A south wind and bright sun- shine on ]\Iay 1-i l^rought a strong influx of birds, nineteen species being seen on that day for the first time this year. It was upon activities connected with nesting that the variant weather appears to have had the greatest influence. Prairie Chickens were heard booming on March 24, and White- rumped Shrikes were courting on the following day. Nests of the latter species were found, one containing one egg on May 2, and another with four eggs on the next day. A Screech Owl on our place laid her first egg on March 27, and her last egg was hatched in the afternoon of April 29. Five eggs of a Crow hatched between the mornings of April 30 and May 2. A Meadowlark's nest found early in the last week of April containing four eggs had the first one hatched on May 6. Three Flickers went to roost in our barn on the evening of INIarch 31, which was fifteen days earlier than any previous record, and the first Flicker's egg was laid there on May 5, ten days in advance of the average date. The male Brown Thrasher, that is a summer resident of this place, ar- rived on April 29, but his mate did not join him here until May 6, unless she escaped the close watchfulness of three peo- ple. The pair began nest-building early the next morning and the first egg was deposited on May 13. This is the most ex- peditious settlement to nesting ever observed here. Far less fortunate has been the early nesting of some other birds. A Song Sparrow's nest, containing five eggs, found on April 19, was deserted and filled with snow four days later. The snow storms and freezing weather of this period caused a Bluebird to desert her nest in which the first egg was laid on April 14 ; and a few Robins' nests were found with broken eggs in them. Kotiojial, loiva. Henninger — OiV Eggs Supposed New to Science. Ill) ON SOME EGGS SUPPOSED TO BE NEW TO SCIENCE. BY VV. F. HENNINGER. Lately it has been my g-ood fortune to come into the pos- sesssion of some eggs, which hitherto have remained unde- scribed to my knowledge. They have perhaps been taken pre- viously, but nothing seems to have been published concerning them in our leading bird journals or bird books. And if so, it might still be of some use to the readers of the Bulletin to have before them an accurate account o f them, easily acces- sible. The first species, whose eggs I wish to describe are those of the Slatybacked Gull {Lams schistisagus). There are three sets of them, one of 3, one of 2, and one of 1, a very large egg, abnormal in size and coloration. They were all taken on the coast of Siberia, near the Bering Strait, on June 4, 1905. The nest was a mere depression or hollow in some moss. Just as the bird itself is intermediate in size between Lams niarinus and Lams cachinnans, the eggs show the same relation, barring the one of abnormal size, which is equal in size to those of marinus, measuring SI x 52 mm. The other five measure TG x 52 : 71 x 51 ; ()9 x 49.5 ; 76.25 x 54 ; 72 x 53. The six eggs average 74.28 x 51.91. The other species are Allen's Ptarmigan (Lagopits lagopiis allcni) and Welch's Ptarmigan (Lagopus zvclchi). Major Bendire expressed the opinion that these eggs would prove to be indistinguishable from those of Lagopus lagopus proper and Lagopus rupcstris. And this is exactly the case. I have handled hundreds of Ptarmigan eggs in the past in Europe and find that here are no distinguishing features that prove to be constant. The two sets have eight eggs each, Allen's Ptamigan's eggs were taken June 6, 1900, Welch's on June 1, 1900, both of course in Newfoundland. Both nests were prac- tically alike in structure, according to the data. The eight Allen's Ptarmigan's eggs measure 41 x 30 ; 43.5 x 31 ; 45 x 31 ; 44 X 32 ; 40 x 31 ; 44.5 x 31 ; 44.5 x 31 ; 43 x 31, and they have ]20 The Wilsox Bulletin — Xo. 71. perhaps a darker, less reddish, shade, than those o fthe next species. These the eight eggs of \\'elch"s Ptarmigan measure 43x31; 44x31; 43x30; 40x31; 42.5x31.5; 41.5x30.5; 42 x 31 ; 42 x 31. Average 42.12 x 30.87. Average of Allen's Ptarmingan 43.78 x 31. Bendire gives the measurements of the eggs of Lagopus lagopus as 43 x 31 (average) of rupes- tris as 42 x 30. THE WILSON BULLETIN A Quarterly Magazine Devoted to the Study of Birds. Official Organ of the Wilson Ornithological Club. Edited by LYNDS JONES. PUBLISHED BY THE CLUB, AT OBERLIX, OHIO. Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico, one dollar a year, 30 cents a number, post- paid. Price in all countries in the International Postal Union, SI. 25 a year, 40 cents a number. Subscriptions may be sent to Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio, or to Mr. Frank L. Bums. Berwyn, Penn. Officers of the Wilson Ornithological Club for 1010: Presiuent — Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa. Vice-President — W. E. Saunders. London, Ont. Secretary— Benj. T. Gault, Glenn Ellyn. 111. Treasurer — W. F. Henninger. New Bremen. Ohio. Members of the Executive Council — Lynds Jones. Oberlin, O. ; H. C. Oberholser, Washington, D. C. ; B. H. Swales. Grosse Isle, Mich. EDITORIAL. So much good material was offered for the present number of the Bulletin that it has been necessary to again defer the paper on FaUones. The delay will result in a much better paper. The editor will spend all of August and the first twelve days of September with a group of students on Pelee island as headquar- ters, studying the ecology of the region and investigating the fall migrations of the birds which pass that way. Fi-om the beginning of .July until the middle of September mail should be addressed to hnu at Birmingham. Ohio. Mail will reath him if addressed to Oberlin. but it is likely to be delayed if so addressed, during the time stated. If any one needed to be convinced that weather conditions pro- foundly influence the migrations of the birds, particularly the later migrants, he nuist have convincing proof in the weather and mi- grations of the past three months. We ought not to permit such an ocrasion to pass without enquiring into the extent of the influ- ence. If persons who read this note will take the trouble to send to the editor a brief, or more extended note of the conditions which 123 Thk Wii-SON Bulletin — No. 71. prevailed in his or her region a report will be prepared for publi- cation in this magazine. The questions asked are : How long were birds held back by weather? How many species were affected? Were individuals of late arriving species less numerous than usual? Was there noticeable increase in mortality? REVIE,WS " The Nature Study Review," official organ of American Nature Study Society, March, 1910, Bird 'Study number. A splendid num- ber, replete with excellent photos and good sound common sense ou bird protection by C. F. Hodge, J. E. Hess, G. H. Trafton, T. L. Hankinson, Fred L. Charles and others, with a bird identification chart especially adapted to the public schools, proves its sterling worth without any further advertisements. We wish it God-speed on its journey and hope it will prosper and grow to be a permanent stronghold in the protection of birds. " Notes on Some of the Rarer Birds of Washtenaw Co., Mich. (Reprint from the Auk, Vol. XXVII, No. 2, April, 1910.) This is an excellent list of 34 species, with annotations, prepared with great care and accuracy by two well known field-workers of the Wjlson Club, Norman A. Wood and A. D. Tinker. The com- parisons with former lists are thorough, errors of these are cor- rected, evidence always being furnished by the actual capture of specimens. We note with surprise the apparent scarcity of some species compared with conditions in northern Ohio. We would like to point out to the authors the fact that the Pine Warbler is not necessarily confined to coniferous woods as its breeding haunts, Professor Ridgway's records from southern Illinois and the re- viewer's own from southern Ohio proving as much. We only re- gret that the list was not first sent to the Wilson Bulletin, the best and only bird journal of the middle west, which should be the me- dium of publication for all the bird students of this region. W. F. H. " Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, 1909." This most valuable book contains a splendid article by W. L. McAfee on " Plants useful to attract birds and protect fruit," which is timely indeed. In European countries careful attention has long since been paid to the restoration of conditions favorable to bird life on land from which cultivation and civilization have Reviews. 133 driven the birds. Similar results can be produced in America, if the farmers are once awakened to the fact that the ruthless destruction of trees and underbrush and the present robber system of farming will finally make a, howling wilderness and solitude out of this glorious country as far as bird life is concerned. Mr. McAfee's article is practical ; it shows what kinds of plants, shrubs and trees should be planted, in the various zones and faunal areas to attract birds, to induce them to nest with us and how their attention can be diverted from fruits, the planting of mul- berry trees being especially recommended in this respect. If the sound advice in this article is heeded the country over, a great ad- vance will be made towards keeping our birds — what few there are still left — with us. In an article, " Pocket Gophers as Enemies of Trees," Mr. Da- vid E. Lantz calls our attention to numerous Mammals and Birds, that keep these pests in check, the Great Blue Heron and the Barn Owl being foremost in this respect, while all the Hawks and Owls come in for their share of praise. Apropos it is about time the insane and indiscriminate slaughter of the Hawks and Owls is stopped. It is not sufficient to merely point out the good these birds do, but the murderous custom of shooting them at random should be stopped. The third article in this book relating to birds is entitled " Intro- duction of the Hungarian Partridge into the United States." " Birds Collected and Observed During the Cruise of the United State Fisheries Steamer 'Albatross ' in the North Pacific Ocean and in the Behring, Ochotsk, Japan, and Eastern 'Seas," April to December, 1906. By Austin Hobart Clark. Dx". Clark, in a pamphlet of forty-nine pages [reprint from U. S. N. M. proceedings], gives us a thorough and excellent report of work done in those remote regions by himself, often under most provoking circumstances. The Linschoten Islands, absolutely terra incognita, were only touched during the cruise. No trace of Pal- las' Cormorant was found : under the remarks of the lagoijus groups we notice some careful, work of the author, but the last word in regard to the various races of these birds has certainly not yet been spoken. Why the name of Larus barrovianus is retained in view of recent investigations by Dr. Dwight, is a mystery. In- cidentally a timely remark is made concerning the A. O. U. check list being out of date. It has often been a surprise to us that such a check list is retained by the A. O. U., when it is well known that the science of ornithology has progressed in its classification, based upon the anatomical structure of birds, away beyond the clumsy 124 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. method employed in the Check List. It is an ultra conservatism that is annoying, exasperating and at the same time ridiculous. The same clumsy method is adhered to, however, when the meas- urements of Hutchin's Goose are given in inches by Dr, Clark, while he uses the metric system at other times. Wdiy we should fol- low England in this respect and employ such an out-of-date system of measuring, trailing along 120 years behind the times, passes the miderstanding of man. " Report on a Collection of Birds Made by Pierre Louis Jouy in Korea." By Austin II. Clark. A careful enumeration of a collection of birds made by the late Mr. Jouy. with annotations, covering twenty-nine pages. As the references are given in regard to the European and Asiatic species mostly, it will be of interest only to those who have a good knowl- edge of those species. We have in the past had an acquaintance with most of these and are therefore in a position to say that the list as published is a most welcome and important addition to the literature relating to the birds of P^astern Asia. w. f. ii. FIELD NOTE^S Notes from Eastern Ohio. — Snowy Owl in Jefferson Co.. Ohio. — About the 10th day of May of last year a Snowy Owl was captured by Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Gerke at Rayland. Ohio. It was taken to Steubenville by R. E. Large and was pronounced a " snow owl " by the Steubenville papers. In order to be sure of its identity I wrote to Mr. Large for a description of the bird. It is an unusually late date for this owl in eastern Ohio. Red-tailed Hawk.— I have the names of two farmers who are do- ing all they can to exterminate the Red-tailed Hawk. Both reside about ten miles from Cadiz. One of them caught forty hawks last year, mostl.v Red-tails, by trapping them with dead poultry. I have noticed fewer hawks in this vicinity as a consequence. Prothonotary Warbler. — On the morning of May 11, 190S), while in my favorite woods looking for migrants, a yellowish warbler flew directly at me, missing my face by less than a yard. That eve- ning, in the same woods, a yellow streak came swiftly along the line of the rays of the setting sun. passed me at arm's length, and caused me to reflect that it was unusual for the Kentucky W^irbler to behave in that manner, for I judged it to be one of that species. Field Notes. 135 As I tiii-ned to see what become of tbe bird I saw that it liad alighted on a log but a few feet away. At once I saw that it was not the Kentucky, and as the bird afforded me every opportunity for a perfect identification I had" the pleasure of making a study of my first Prothonotary Warbler at very close range, as it re- mained within less than twenty-five feet of me for at least twenty minutes. Purple Martin. — On March 19, 1907, a single Purple Martin made its appearance at the martin box owned by E. M, Long in Cadiz. They usually appear here before the end of that month. Cowblrd. — From February 23, 1906, on to the end of the month, I saw a Cowbird in my garden every day. I find it the most irreg- ular in its arrival of all our summer residents. Whistling Swan.— On March 18, 1907, Frank McCombs shot a Whistling Swan five miles north of Cadiz, and four days later one was shot by W. E. Mong about ten miles north of Cadiz. The birds were shot simply because they were rare and furnished a target for the gunner. Harry B. McConnell, Cadiz, Ohio. Henslow's Sparrow Nesting in Ohio. — On June M. 1904, at Tif- fin, Seneca County, Ohio, I took a nest and four eggs in a rather swampy clover field three miles northeast of town. I flushed the bird from the nest, but could not get the proper identifying glance at him, although I heard the note " tse seep " several times, and I knew the bird from former experience in the Mississippi Valley. On September 25, 190G. I was lucky enough to see the species there as recorded in the Wilson Bulletin, December, 1900, page 130, which confirmed my former identification. In order to be absolutely cer- tain I had Mr. J. Claire Wood, our fellow member, send me his set, taken in Michigan. On comparing the two sets of eggs they at once showed to be the same species' eggs, viz., Henslow's Spar- rows. My whole set is more uniform in coloration than his, the greenish tint is not quite so heavy in my eggs ; the pattern of the spots is the same. Ground color greenish white, a wreath of red- dish and lavender specks on the blunt end, smaller reddish specks over the body of the egg. His set of three eggs averages 1S.G3 x 13.55 mm. ; my set averages lS.87,x 13.75 mm. The location of the nests was the same, built on the bottom side of a grass tus- sock, sunk in the ground and arched over as some Meadowlark's nests are. They were both composed of grass, rather loosely made, but still more substantial than those of the Grasshopper Sparrow. H'ence there is no doubt but what my original identification was correct, and that I took on that memorable day the prnt aiithoitic set of cf/f/s of IIcit.' Nt'st AT THE SIGN OF THE NORTHERN FLICKER. r.V AI.TIIEA R. SHERMAN. The apartment buildin.Q" that displays flicker-sig'ns all the year around is our barn. These sig-ns consist of the holes chiseled through the siding; the marks left by the birds' muddy loes and tails, and the splashes of gastric juice which some- times adher to the walls of the barn for a distance of two feet aljove and seven feet below the hole, and remain many weeks before they are washed off by the rain. The date of the making of the first hole has not been kept, but as long ago as 1S07 a pair of Flickers nested in the space into which this hole opens, a space four by fifteen by twenty- three inches formed by a board parallel to the rafters, nailed to the studding which kept the hay back from the wall of the barn. For purposes of (observation it was covered with a mov- able board which had a peep-hole in it. In this accidentally formed cavity three years out of four Flickers raised their young, but in the spring of 1903 there came a frantic female that would not settle in the old nesting place in the east end until the pair had drilled two other holes, one in the west end, and the other in the south side of the barn. Back of each of these new holes a box was placed in the following spring, but 136 The Wilson BI'Lletin, No. T3-T3. these proved too shallow to suit the birds for other than roost- ing places. Early in 1908 the first boxes were replaced by boxes made to hold one hundred cakes of that fair emblem of civilization — soap. These offer a nest room eight by twelve inches on the bottom and eighteen inches deep. In the top of each box a hole was made for observations, and a few inches from the bottom a hole large enough to withdraw the hand while lit held a well-grown nestling. This hand-hole was closed by a trap-door, and the bottom of the nest was covered with excelsior, into which sawdust was firmly packed. (Ine male Flicker has been the subject of study for four summers. The conviction that it is the same bird each season is founded on the facts of his increasing tameness year after year, hi^ unhesitating occupancy of the barn, and the shape of his almost circular malar stripes. On the fifteenth of April. 1908, he had taken possession of the south box, and was call- ing, drumim'ng and practicing flicker-antics in the presence of a female, believed to be his mate. That he with his spacious ready furnished apartment may have proved unusually attrac- tive to the female heart is an incident, which ought not to be too severely condemned by a race of beings among whom male creation is often courted for no superior reasons. Whatever were the underlying motives it is certain that by the twenty- fourth of the month two females were conducting an ardent competitive courtship which lasted five or six days. It was impossible to detect any new methods in their manner of woo- ing. There were the same struttings and spreading of feath- ers, the same dancing, bobbing and bowing that is practiced by the males in a similar situation. On the evening of April 30. the rivalry having- ended, a female was found roosting in the west box, two nights later the male was there. On half of the remaining nights before the first egg was laid the female roosted in the west box while the male occupied the south one. A burning question arose as to which box would be used for breeding purposes. The south one was much better located for human observations, also for Characteristic Posttjees Sherman — Sign of Xortherx Flicker. 13^- bird comfort, it being in the shade of tall maples and a walnut tree. Both holes had been used by the birds during the court- ing season, and in both boxes the excelsior had been torn up and carried out. therefore the finding of an egg in the south box on the morning of May 15 was a pleasurable , occasion. From what has been related it easily may be seen that the male bird chose the nesting place, and persuaded his mate to lay her eggs there, even when she was inclined to nest else- where, and when she had a box quite as good as his. The preliminaries to nesting this season differed little from those of last. Again the male suffered a dual courtship, but it lasted one day only. Three days thereafter his mate cleaned house although the sawdust was fresh and needed not to be cast out. Again there was a seeming indecision as to choice of box for ne«:ting, and again on May 15 the first egg was laid in the south box. This made the third year when laying had commenced on that date. On other seasons the date had been a little earlier, and once a month later. Before the egg< were laid in 19<»8 the male roosted part of the time in the south hole, and the female part of the time in the west hole. While the eggs were being laid, and before incuba- tion began the male roosted in the box with the eggs. After that, incubation or the brooding of the young at night was per- formed mainly by the male, but on several nights the female took these tasks, and he went to lodge in the west box. where •?he generally, but not always, spent her nights. This noctur- nal interchange of duties appears to be somewhat unusual. In 1909 the order of things was changed a trifle. The male bird began roosting in the south box on the evening of April IT. and spent every night there until that of June 23. sixty-seven nights in all. With the exception of five nights the female was a regular occupant of the west box from April "24 to Time 3. after which she spent a few nights in the east hole. This de- sertion of her lodging place may have been caused by imwel- come visits made there by Screech Owls. For it %\as in thi- west box on April 5 that a Screech Owl was found sitting on 140 The Wilson Bulletin. Xo. T2-To. four fresh eggs. This nesting was mined Ijy a violent wind storm, yet it was beHeved that the owls occasionally returnei! to their chosen quarters. It may be in place to say a few words regarding the popular conception of a Flicker's nest. It is usually described as "a hot, dark hole." The nest in the hollow tree cannot be vastly different from that in the barn. There it is hot when it is hot elsewhere, and it is cold when it is cold elsewhere, even when it is windy outside enough of the breeze enters to stir the feath- ers on the bird's back. But the worst misa])prehension exists regarding the darkness in the nest. It is surprising how much light enters through a hole two and one-half inches in diameter. In the case of the south hole in our barn it lights the box suf- ficiently in the daytime for one to read a newspaper spread on the bottom, when the eye is at the customary distance nf aliout twenty-two inches. The number of eggs laid in these barn nests has been from seven to nine, with generally one to three infertile. They were deposited on the hay in the old nest, on the level surface of the sawdust in the new without any eft'ort to hollow out a place for them. Beginning with the laying of the first egg it is the custom for one of the pair to remain in the hole as a guard for the jewel-like treasures that lie there. A lapse in this guardianship duty must have occurred some time in the day of Alay 16 last, for an enemy entered and destroyed the two eggs of the nest. Circumstantial evidence pointed to a pair of Red-headed Wood]:)eckers that in their search for a n.esting-]Tlace were acting like beings possessed by an evil spirit. The next morning the distressed female Flicker flew about as if seeking a new nest. Pier mate sittir.g in the south hole, called to her. evidently coaxing her to return to the old place, which she did. A study of the growth of the young by weight has included the weighing and the marking of the eggs in the order in which they were laid. The usual time for depositing the eggs in the nest appears to be the hom' between five and six o'clock in the Sherman — Sign of Northern Flicker. 141 morning. The first exact data was obtained May 20, 1908, when the sixth egg was laid at five o'clock and forty-eight minutes. It was five o'clock and eighteen minutes on May 22 of this year when the sixth egg of the new series was laid, and the seventh was on the following morning at five o'clock and forty-nine minutes. The marking of this seventh egg had Ijeen ])ostponed until fcnu' o'clock in the afternoon when a little sur- prise was in store. Beside it lay the eighth egg left there some- time between the hours of eleven and four o'clock. It made the identification of the seventh egg impossible so the two were marked as twins. The weight of one of these eggs was a trifle in excess of that of any of the others, and the weight of the other twin was above the average. Before six o'clock the next morning the ninth egg of the new series — the eleventh one of all — had been deposited. At this juncture a message summoned me to a distant state. My absence extended over the greater part of the time of incubation, Avhich probably did not differ much in history from that of the nests of previous years from which 1 shall describe the nest activities of this period. I am greatly indebted to a friend, who in my absence visited the barn every evening and ascertained that incubation was performed by the male bird during all of the nights, while the female roosted in the west box every night exce])t three. By day the duties of incubation seem to be shared about equally between the two birds, who are close sitters, the eggs seldom being found alone. Of the length of the sittings no adecjuate record has been kept, but those lasting from one hour and a half to two hours have been noted. The bird that is returning to the nest announces its approach by a soft "wick- ah-wick" note, which the sitter answers as a rule, and at once takes its departure, flying past the mate that is hanging to the outside of the liole. It is contrary to Flicker etiquette for both of the pair to occupy the nest at the same time, and never but once have I seen one enter the hole until its mate had left. Then it was the male, who in his headlong haste, blundered in while the mother was feeding the vonug, and hurried her de- 142 The \\'ilsox Bulletix. Xo. 72-73. parture. In the years of close study of this species 1 have never seen anything" that suggested the feeding of one mate by the other and I doubt very much if this is done. The in- coming bird enters cautiously, turns, inspects the works of creation without, hangs an instant with one foot grasping the lower edge of the hole and the other the wall below, then with a thud it drops to the bottom of the nest, but never upon the eggs. To cover the eggs the bird goes to one side of them, straddles those nearest to it. then with a hitching motion moves along imtil all are covered. Xo matter how wet and muddy it is out of doors the eggs have never been soiled. After the nesting took place on the sawdust in the south box a new feature has been added to the routine of the nest. Be- fore the bird covers the eggs or the young, whichever it chances to be, it eats some sawdust. The craving for sawdust seems to be limited to this period of the bird's life since no signs have been found to show that it eats any of the sawdust while it occupies the boxes before and after the nesting time. The amount eaten is considerable. That at one time the male ate three tablespoonfuls is deemed a modest estimate. An attempt to measure the amoimt both ate by a fresh supply daily showed the consumption of three or more handfuls. The sawdust came from sugar maple, white and red oak wood. After the bird has arranged itself comfortably upon the eggs it goes to sleep. The female sleeps most frequently with her head turned until her bill rests among the feathers of her back. The male sometimes takes this position but not often. He sleeps with his neck flexed until his bill touches one wing, or with his head straight forward and turned down until it rests on the crown, or. the favorite position of all. with his head ly- nig flat upon the bottom of the nest, thus making as fine a "picture of calm content as mortal ever saw." From some former nests it had been learned that sometimes the eggs hatched in nine days, but more frequently in ten days after the laying of the last egg. On May 20. 1908. the sixth esrST wa'i seen to have been laid at five o'clock and fortv-eight Sherman — Sign of Xorthern Flicker. 143 minutes. Incubation began that day. On the morning of June 1, the eggs were hatching; four tiny Flickers were squirming in the nest, and as the father raised himself into a standing position one of the remaining eggs broke slowly open and another Flicker kicked itself into the world. It was a moment thrilling with interest when bird and shell were lifted from the nest, and the shell was found to bear the number six. The hour was nine o'clock and forty" minutes. The exact time for incubation had been twelve days, three hours and fifty-two minutes. The seventh egg hatched four hours later making its period of incubation eleven days and eight hours nearly. I was anxious to be beside the Flicker's box when their eggs hatched this year. Two periods for incubation had now been furnished, nine days and ten days from the date of the laying of the last egg. Therefore my return was planned for June 2. During the thirt)-six hours that the iron horse bore two of us swiftly homeward, crossing and recrossing our longest rivers, and rushino" over our most beautiful plains, one question kept recurring with insistent frequency: Was there danger in this case that the period might be shorter than ten days ? If so, we -hould be too late for part of the hatching at least. When at length the Sign of the Xorthern Flicker had been reached, one peep into the nest revealed the facts that all nine eggs were safe, and dark with the embryos of the living birds. The next morning being the tenth one from the date when the last egg was laid, and the eleventh from the time incuba- tion heoran. a very early stand was taken beside the nesting box. hut it was not until five o'clock and forty-two minutes that the occupant of egg No. 1 was sprawling in the nest. Three hours later the shells of eggs No. 2 and No. 3 were chipped, but the bird in No. 2, as well as that in No. 4. died in the shell after it had been pierced. The bird from the third egg was hatched at ten o'clock and two minutes, and the one from the fifth egg at ten o'clock and twenty-five minutes. At half-past one in the af- ternoon a shell that proved to be No. 6 broke open. This was the egg that was laid on May 22 at five o'clock and eighteen 144 The \\'ilsox But.letix. Xo. T^-To. minutes, hence its period of inculcation had been twelve days, eight hours and twelve minutes, while that of the sixth egg of the previous year had been twelve days, three hours and fifty- two minutes. Although the shell of one of the twin eggs was chipped several hours before dark both of these eggs were hatched in the night, and the ninth or last egg at ten o'clock and forty-eight minutes on the following day, making its period of incubation eleven da\s and five hours, while eleven days and eight hours had been the period for the last egg of the clutch of the preceeding year. Roughly speaking, then, the time that our Flickers take for incubation is from eleven to twelve days. The i)ellucid color of the newly hatched Flicker resembles that of freshlv sun-lnirned human >kin. but so translucent is the nestling's skin that immediately after a feeding one can see the line of ants that stretches down the bird's throat and remains in view two or three minutes before passing onward, This may be witnessed for several days while the skin assumes a coarser red, until it begins to thicken and become a bluish hue, before the appearance of the pin-feathers. These may be detected under the skin on the fifth, day at the same time that bristle-like projections about one-sixteenth of an inch long an- nounce the coming of the rectrices and remiges. Until the young are about eleven days old, they lie in a circle m the nest, their long necks stretched over each other, then for nearly a week they press against the side of the nest. At sev- enteen or eighteen days of age. their claws having acquired a needle-like sharpness, they begin to cling to the wall of the nest, and when three weeks old they are able to climb to the hole and be fed while the parent hangs outside. Although the eyes of the nestlings are not open until they are ten days old yet these organs are by no means dormant. An easy ]iroof of this is made by placing the hand noiselessly over the entrance hole when they are no more than three or four days old, and are lying apparently asleep : up comes every head and they beg for food, getting none they soon sleep, when Siii:k-ma.\ — Skin oi- X()Rriii:R.\ I^'licker. 14:5 the (.■x])t'riment niav be repeated, gaining- from the young the same res])onse that is given when a parent darkens the hole. That cr\- of the young whfch is so often described as a hiss- ing' sound, beg^ins very soon after they are hatched. At first exceedingly faint it soon grows stronger and still stronger, and is uttered day and night for two weeks. A ])arent upon taking its place to brood these wailing nestlings begins to croon a lullal)y and continues this musical murnnu" until it falls asleej), which often is quite soon. It has no effect in lessening the noise (jf the youngsters, yet the parent faithfully renders its cradle song until the young cease to make this noise which is about the time they begin to show fear. Of other cries that they make there is the chuckling noise uttered when the little one is in the act of seizing the food-bearing bill, and there is a cry that sounds like a whine. Still another one is a note of alarm given when the young are disturbed by some such thing as the opening of the trap door. This uttered in unison has a very theatrical effect strongi)- suggesting the chorus of the stage, .\fter they have commenced to move about freely in the nest they make much of the time a pleasant sound like a chatter or quack, as if talking to each other. And lastly comes the grown-u]) Flicker "])e-ap." which they begin to call as soon as they climb to the hole. As one sits in the hole it appears the personification of juvenile impudence shouting its man- datory call. .\ change may be detected in the accent of this note after a feeding, when the fellow, that has received little or nothing having gained the hole, hurls after the retiring parent a yelp that sounds trul\' flerisive. This arrival at the entrance hole works a decided change in the young Flicker ; he utters for the first time a call of his adult years, and he shows pugnacity remarkable because of its contrast with his earlier and later peacefid dis]iosition. The versifier who wrote "liirds in their nest agree; And 'tis a shameful sight. When children of one famil\- h'all out and chide and fii-ht."' 146 The Wilson Burj.ETiN, No. 72-73. evidently was not familiar with the inside of a Flicker's nest, where they fig"ht like little demons at times. Some broods are much more quarrelsome than others. Their battle-ground is in the vicinity of the hole. The one in possession of the hole maintains his supremacy there by occasional withdraw-als of his head from the hole in order to deliver vigorous blows on the heads of all within his reach, causing- them to shrink down- ward. This is the case with the stronger ones, the weaker ones frequently are driven from the vantage place. When the hole is large enough for two to thrust out their heads together, they draw within after the serving of a meal and fight furious- ly, while a waiting third may slip up and gain the coveted hole. l*)Ut all their fighting days seeem to be confined to a few in the fourth week of their lives. They have other occupations besides fighting during the last ten or twelve days spent in the nest. Preening themselves comes first, immediately followed by the amusement of running out their long tongues. This organ is extended the length of an inch and a half from the tip of the bill which seems extreme for such small birds. It is run over the wall of the nest, through each others feathers, or over a hand introduced into the box. The tongue is extended straight out from the bill, and the withdrawal is straight backward at times, but at other times it is whipped around almost at right angles to the bill, then disappears like a flash. They peck good-naturedly at each inher and at their own toes ; they hammer with the point of the bill, and of course they sleep much of the time either on the bottom of the nest or clinging to its walls. In sleep the head rests in various positions ; when it is turned backward one can see exactly where the bill is placed ; on these half fledged little creatures there is a naked strip between the feath- ers of the dorsal tract and those growing on the wing, upon this naked surface the bill rests, hence not under the wing but back of it — paraptcnuini, beside the wing, describes it.. The tables of growth give the daily weights of the nestling Flickers from the time thev were hatched until thev left the youNG Flickp:r on the Day it Left the Nest Sherman — Sign of Northern Flicker. 149 I nest. In 1909 the eggs, when fresh, weighed from 106 to 111 grains, and the same eggs just before they were hatched weighed from 91 to 96 grain's. The young birds freed from the shells weighed from 83 to 85 grains. The hour for hatch- ing was reckoned from the time an egg burst open ; the rest of the act of exclusion from the shell took place either in my hand or in the weighing bag, hence there was no chance for the nestling to receive food before the first weighing. The first little Flicker was not fed until it was two hours and twenty- two minutes old, then the mother inserting her bill very, very gently fed it until its weight had increased three grains. In very early life a meal is served to baby Flicker with many insertions of the parent's bill, as many as thirty-four have been counted, but from eight to twenty are the ordinary number, decreasing to three or four before the young leave the nest. A record made during a continuous watch of six hours and thirty-two minutes shows that each parent fed five times ; that the father delivered his supi)ly with eighty-two insertions of the bill, while the mother used but forty-one. Probably the father brought more food since on every count he proved himself the more devoted parent. In grasping the bill the point of the youngster's bill is at right angles with that of the parent's, thus the opening between the food-bearing mandibles is covered af- ter the young have attained a few days of age, and any over- dropping of food is prevented. This accident frequently hap- pens in the early days of the nest, then the mussed up ants that fall are carefully picked up by the frugal parent when the feed- ing is over. Those persons, who have watched and weighed birds from the hour of their hatching, realize what an advantage is held by the first-born. The fe\\' meals it receives in advance of the others give it a start that makes it stronger, its neck longer, and its mouth wider, so that it easily holds the lead in the race for food. This great advantage may be seen by comparing the daily gain of the oldest Flicker with that made by the oth- ers in the record for 1908, which is of nest life normal in all respects. 150 TiJi: W'ji SON IUllktix, Xo. 72-73. This record shows that the increase in the average weights is upward of one hundred grains per day for the first eleven or twelve days, after that from twenty-five to forty grains daily. All my records show that there is a period of four or five days somewhere hetween the thirteenth and twenty-second day when there is little increase, or sometimes a decrease in weights for a few days. Several other species, whose growth by weight has been studied, have furnished similar examples, and as this period of very slight increase, or possibly decrease in weight occurs not far from the time the nestlings begin to show- fear, and their wing-feathers burst from enclosing sheaths, it is probable that three points of interest center about this period of their lives. Although Flickers remain in the nest much longer than luany of our common birds, and their rate of growth is very fast at first, yet the scales show that this growth is not proportionately very much greater than that of some other birds. Taking the following species on the ninth day of their lives we may find that the Flicker weighs twelve times as much as it did when hatched. Phoebe and Red-winged Blackbird have each in- creased their weight ten times, the Song Sparrow and Catbird eight times, while the Mourning Dove weighs but seven and a half times its first weight. Numerous attempts have been made to ascertain the amount of food brought to the nest for one meal. The young were all removed from the nest except one hungry fellow that was weighed just before and after the visit of the parent. The in- crease in weight must have been that of the dinner just deliver- ed. Experiments show that to a nestling weighing 7 4;i grains was given a breakfast that weighed 70 grains, to one weighing 1430 grains a dinner of 118 grains, and to another that tipped the scales at 1530 grains a supper of 103 grains. Proba])ly the wei<7ht of the averac^e load is not far from one hundred grains. The numher of daily visits increases with the age of the nestling from about ten on the first day to four or five times that nuiuber later. Six or seven meals niav be served within an Siii-:rmax — Sic.x (»i- Xoriiii-.rx Fi.tcki:r. lol earh- hour, as many as four arriving witliin seventeen minutes, while at other times nearly an hour may intervene between two visits. When the )oung were eighteen days old during a watch of four and one-half hours twenty-five meals were given to five nestlings that wore distinguishing marks. Three of these are positivelv known to have received five meals apiece, and two received four apiece, if the two undetermined feed- ings went to the latter pair, then each one was fed at the rate of one meal every fifty-four minutes. On the following day a count was made of meals given during four hours, which numbered twenty-two. At this age the young Flickers every hourjpartake of food to the amount of one-sixteenth of their own weight, or in one day consume their full weight of food, yet the table of growth shows that it does not add to their weight to any noticeable extent. In delivering the food the parents give Scripture measure, yet the young are never too full for utterance. With the food literally hanging over the edges of their bills they clamor for more until the parent leaves the hole. From this exposed food there comes a strong odor that fills the box and penetrates to the nostrils of the observer for three or four minutes after the feeding is over. The odor is not a disagreeable one, but strongly reminds us of that of a slightly over-ripe orange. It remains for the entomologist to tell us if this is the aroma of emmet jam. The filled up fledgeling slowly slips down to the bottom of the nest, there to sleep for a half hour or more ; but before tranquility is restored to the nest there is a violent shak- ing of wings. The subject of the cleaning of the nest would not be dis- cussed here at length if it had not long been somewhat of a mystery to many, and if Flickers had not often been called very untid\- hf)u^e-kecDers. The fact is thev are verv solicitous to keep a cleanl}- nest. Like many other altrical birds the Flicker eats the excrements for several days, generally for nine or ten days, then it begins to carry them out after feeding, of- ten going out three times with the dejecta before settling down 152 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 73-73. to brood. If none of these are lying in the nest when the pa- rent enters it begins after the feeding to soHcit them. This is done by biting the heel joints sometimes, but more often the fleshy protuberance that bears that budding promise of the tail. That this nagging is no gentle measure may be judged from the way the nestling cries and tries to wriggle out of reach, for the parent is not content with three or four bites, but frequent- ly inflicts as many as a dozen on one bird before it turns its attention to another. The victim of one parent's cleanly habit may receive the attention of the other parent in a very few minutes, and be worried until it yields a second excrement, then soon fall under the blows of the first parent again. Such triple importunities do occur, but not often. By such means the pa- rents keep the nest scrupulously clean for three weeks. The fecal matter is enclosed in a tough white sac that will withstand much rough handling without breaking. When the young are from fifteen to eighteen days of age the weight of these dejecta is the greatest. One of these weighed 146 grains, from a nestling of 1666 grains, another of 156 grains from a bird of 190S grains, and another of 207 grains from a bird of 1828 grains. Statistics of this period of their lives show that each nestling is fed about once an hour, and the nest is cleaned for it once in two hours. When fledgelings begin to move about the enclosing sac is no longer formed. With the Flicker it disappears gradually : from the time they commence to climl) the excrements decrease m size to about thirty grains, and one or two are dropped by each fledgling in an hour. The parents struggle heroically with the new condition.?, but nature is against them. By the time the young take possession of the entrance holt they cease entering the nest at any tiivic. But the tidiness of the parents does not extend to the ridchng of the nest of the egg-shells which are rarely carried out on the day of hatching; they may lie a week before they are taken out, or are broken into tiny fragments. Until 1909 the only menace to young Flicker life was a plague of lice. .An infested English Sparrows" nest had been Sherman — Sign of Northern Flicker. 153 routed from their nesting place shortly before a pair of Flick- ers settled there. They had reared a lusty brood to about their eleventh day, when the second generation of the plague, intro- duced by the sparrows, broke out. There were some chicken lice, but of chicken mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) there were myriads. Drastic measures were necessary: the nest was scald- ed with boiling water, then treated with a soap and kerosene emulsion. Daily the little Flickers were hand picked for ver- min, and dusted with sulphur until the plague was abated. This year trouble began because of three very cool days when the temperature did not rise above fifty-five degrees, and because there was a nestling twenty-nine hours younger than the eldest one. Flickers, like other birds, feed more the young that receive the food most readily. The youngster that has the widest mouth, or can suck the hardest gets the lion's share. Jostled to one side the baby of the brood soon became so weak- ened by the cold and the lack of food that it would fall over in its attempt to seize the parent's bill ; before it could rise again perhaps the meal had been served. When it did secure the bill it was so weak it could not suck with a strong pull and was dropped by the parent in order to feed those that took the food with greater ease. From cold and starvation the baby died, aged four days. The next morning one of the twins was passing through a similar experience. It was found very cold and straightened out in the rigor of death, but gasped a little when taken in the hand. It was carried into the house to the fire and warmed thoroughly ; when returned to the nest it was too weak to hold the bill after grasping it, and fell back unnourished. Then it was that a human will rose up against what has been termed Providence, which in plainer English is often merely parental stupidity and indifiFerence among mankind as well as among birds. Earthworms were dug, beheaded, and washed for the little starveling, for which it eagerly opened its mouth, but it could not swallow until the worm was started down its throat by means of the bent end of a wire hairpin. This was true of lo4 The Wjlson Bulletin, No. 72-73. the strongest of the Flickers : they made no effort to swallow until the hairpin, to the length of an inch or more, had been thrust down their throats ; upon this they would suck vigor- ously with a loud smacking noise; but even then it 'was an onerous task to feed them, for earthworms, even when decap- itated, are very sensitive about the order of their going, and positively refuse to back down a young Flicker's throat. This year the young of the brood were named from the color of the cotton string each wore upon its left foot as a distin- guishing mark. A'ery briefly the history of raising little Red- foot from death's door is this: After a long hard struggle in the feeding of the first worms it was sufficiently nourished to be returned to the nest, still it stood slight chance in the con- test against the stronger ones. In this disadvantage Grayfoot, the other twin, shared : therefore the other nestlings were fre- quently taken from the nest and fed earthworms giving the twins opporttmities to gain tlic whole meal. Later a better scheme was devised ; by introducing a hand into the nest Red- foot was held in readiness for the return of Father Flicker, and by offering Redfoot's mouth to him first, the little one re- ceived all it could take. From extra attention through six days Redfoot made such rapid growth that it was able thereafter to hold its own, and the figures of the record show that as far as weight is a requisite it went forth into the world as well pre- pared as any. On the warm, pleasant day following that of the successful resuscitation of Redfoot both twins had received extra feedings from the father, and could hold on to the bill like little leeches ; after the daily weighing they were occupying the nest by them- selves for a few minutes, when the mother came in. If alien- ists were called in to pass judgment upon what followed T am sure they would pronounce it a case of "brainstorm." Cer- tainly it bordered on the extraordinary; probably there was a shock to the mother's nervous system caused by the absence of the rest of the brood, however it may have been she very rough- ly shook the twins about as they held tightly to her bill ; then Sherman — Sign of Northern Flicker. 155 she stopped feeding, solicited an excrement, obtained and ate it, after which she began feeding again — an unheard of thing to do — then with Grayfoot hanging to her bih she chished out of the nest. Possibly she was alarmed by some noise, but I heard none. On the preceding day mistaking her arrival for that of the father T began to open the trap door whereupon she flew out like a flash. For the hapless little creature the ground in ever widening circles was searched fruitlessly during sev- eral hours, scarcely a leaf remaining unturned ; if it was not killed by its fall to the earth, it perished most miserably. The study of former Flicker nests revealed the fact that it is the male bird that shows the fer.rlessness and devotion that we are wont to find more prominent in the mother in most species. Until the cases of starvation in the nest of 1909 oc- curred great pains had been taken not to disturb the natural activities of the nest; only in taking out and returning the young at weighing time did any one so much as show a hand. At such times the father, eager to return to brooding", frequent- ly came down and touched the hand. This year it was decided to let the hand touch him. To patting and stroking he fear- lessly submitted although evidently not relishing it. He suf- fered the hand to poke under liim in taking and returning the nestlings and finally he did not shrink from it when it held up one of the twins for him to feed. This so called tameness, which more truly is the cngulfment of fear by the overwhelm- ing instinct to brood and care for the young, gradually disap- peared, and by the time the young ceased to need brooding he was as timorous as before. His timidity, however, was far less than that of any other Flicker that has been a tenant of the barn. Generally the sounds that aroused fear in this species were made by some one back of their nest, yet the bird always sought the hole and looked for the cause of alarm outside. After two seasons of experience with the tive-fingered terror that entered the hand-hole so often, and removed their young, they failed to learn to look for any disturbance from that direc- 15(; The Wilson Bulletin, No. 72-73. tion. Another illustration similar to this is the careful inspec- tion of the hole before entering it at night, a Screech Owl or other enemy might be lurking there, and experiences through millions of generations, have created an instinct of caution akin to that racial instinct that leads human beings to search for the hidden enemy, the man under the bed. It has already been mentioned that this year the male Flicker covered the eggs every night ; he also staid with the young every night until they were three weeks old. brooding all of them imtil nearly two weeks of age, when they began pressing their breasts against the side of the nest, and he could cover the tails of two or three only, after which for two or three nights he sat upon the bottom of the nest apart from the young ; then for four nights he hung upon the wall of the nest near the hole ; thereafter he staid with them no more. The date of this desertion is coincident with the fledgelings' attainment of the entrance hole, which is the time the parents begin to fail to keep the nest perfectly clean. The parents fed so late in the even- ing that it was often impossible to identify the brooding bird without the aid of a flash-light lantern ; this did not disturb him and he sometimes slumbered on regardless of it. Pronounced individual characteristics could be recognized in the fledg'elings ; Blackfoot and Whitefoot were over-bear- ing little gluttons ; Pink was the pert one of the brood ; Blue was a spunky little creature, the hardest biter of all ; Redfoot was timid and demure, perhaps the early ordeal of cold and hunger had a sobering effect on it. As models for drawing or painting the little Flickers are the best posers of any spe- cies I have tried. They have posed for their pictures from one to two hours on occasions when there has been scarcely a movement other than the winking of their eyes. As the eggs hatched in the order in which they were laid, so the fledgelings went forth in the order in which they were hatched ; Blackfoot early in the morning of their twenty- sixth da}-, Whitefoot and Pink late that afternoon. The next day the father brought at least one meal to Blue and Red- t>/>- /o HuKLiJvu A Derisive Yelp Sherman — Sign of Northern P^ijcker. 15!) foot, but most of the time they fasted. Late in the after- noon Bkie flew from the nest, leaving Redfoot to spend the night alone. The next morning Redfoot still clung to the hole, although good strong branches swung invitingly only four feet away. For two months and a half the Flickers' nest had claimed more than its share of attention. Of the twenty-five species that have been found nesting on our grounds, more than half of that number had nests there this year. Many of these were advantageous subjects for study, and were demanding atten- tion on that morning of June 30 while the little Flicker timid- ly lingered. Somewhere in the tree-tops was Blue and the two answered call for call. The hand might still caress the form of the little bird as it hesitated to make the frightful plunge. Finally, at nine o'clock and eight minutes, standard time, there was a flash of feathers, light streamed through the erst- while darkened hole, for the wilderness of green had enfolded little Redfoot. Both Whitefoot and Blue were seen and identified on the mornings following their departure from the nest. For six days Redfoot remained in the tops of the maples ; sometimes it could be heard crying for food, and sometimes a parent could be seen trying to coax it away. On the morning of July 5 both parents were seen to leave its neighborhood, and it soon flew to an old apple tree, then along a fence : this was its first excursion. Several times thereafter it was identified by means of its crimson badge. For a few weeks all was very quiet in Flicker-land. On July 22 weaning time must have been near at hand, when the jjarents appeared followed by three youngsters, and Due begging for food was pecked a decided refusal 1)y the mother. On the nights of the eighth, ninth, tenth and thirteenth of August a young Flicker roosted in the old nest box. On two nights in July and two in September the father occupied the west hole. Possibly it was the unusual dryness of the sum- mer tliat caused him to desert liis old lodging-place. I be- ]()() TuR Wilson IJi'i.i.ktix, No. 'I^-Io. lieve him to be the timid FHcker that l^egan roosting in the west hole in August, 1906, but soon changed to the east hole : that he came again the next summer, and before the middle of July had cleared out a boxful of trash carried in by English Sparrows, but did not begin to roost there until August 3, then, excepting a few nights, was a regular lodger until Sep- tember 29. By the end of that season he had become quite fearless. Of all our birds the Flickers are the earliest to retire at night, sometimes going to their lodgings an hour before sun- down, the customary time being about a half hour before sun- set. Generally they g'o out soon after sunrise, but on cool autumn mornings they have been known to linger much longer. During a rainstorm in the middle of the day they have been seen to seek their apartments, also in fine weather they have been found there enjoying the seclusion thus af- forded. It sounds like a simple matter to say that barring about two dozen nights a certain Plicker roosted in the barn every night from April 19 to October 2, yet this ascertain- ment involved an examination of the holes from the outside once every evening for six months, sometimes three or four times if the visit be made too early, if too late then a loud clapping of the hands may be insufficient to wake the heavy sleeper, and a sharp blow on the barn wall or a continuous bombardment with any convenient missiles may be necessary to force the lodger to show himself. To examine the boxes from the inside too greatly disturbs the birds. Many unsuc- cessful attempts were made to see just where and how the Flicker roosted in the box ; at last the fearless male fur- nished the much sought opportunity. Not far from the hole he clung to the u])per edge of the siding", and slept with his head turned backward, his bill resting- in his interscapulars. In the summer of 1908 three Flickers roosted in the barn ; the one in the east hole was timid, making it difficult to learn of his movements; however, it is certain that he went to roost there at least half of the nights from July 12 to Seotembet Sherman — Sign of Northern Flicker. 161 25. The next spring a bird of corresponding behavior re- turned to this hole on April 12 and continued his roo'^t there for almost a month. The bird in the south hole was a regu- lar lodger from the seventh of August to the first of Octo- ber, excepting two nights when he was frightened away. The occupant of the west hole was the father of the brood raised in the south box, where he took lodgings on April 15 and stayed there the greater part of the time until the young ceased to need his care. This box was cleaned thoroughly as soon as the young had gone out, but apparently it was re- garded as the nursery, and not as a sleeping apartment by this Flicker, who returned to his old quarters in the west end on the sixth of July, preferring it to the cooler place in the f^ast end. On some hot evenings he must have found there a temperature of one hundred degrees, the thermome- ter having shown a mark nine degrees higher two hours earlier. Before July 20 he had failed to come in on four nights, after that he came every night until that of October 2. He was there as usual on the evening of the first of Oc- tober, whether he began his southward journey at some time in the night or at an earlier hour than he was accustomed to go out, no one can tell. He wore no tag, therefore gave no one a pretext for killing him ; he returned in safety the fol- lowing spring, and this, it is hoped, he may continue to do for many years to come. flickers in 1910. Some points of interest in the summer life of the Flicker, omitted from the preceding paper, together with a resume of the history of this species for 1910, are given in the following pages. In this portion of northern Iowa the young Flickers meet with few destructive enemies and a goodly number go south- ward every autumn, yet there appears slight, if any increase, in their numbers when they return in the spring. To each of the old nest sites there returns a pair ; these nests in my immediate neighborhood are about a quarter of a mile apart: 16ioht~of~ eg^Mtchin^ grams grams n08 95 draws 96 93 orains 109 96 grams grams "95' weidht ofSlaoa Black- foot White- foot Pink Blue %^r R6>d- foot BAhif 1 85 85 83 84 2 197 173 164 156 117 1 16 83 1006 143 3 286 257 244 210 193 176 113 1479 21 1 4 426 370 346 332 302 296 202 2274 327 5 428 413 405 362 354 324 230 2516 358 6 606 516 500 422 396 314 184 2938 419 7 666 534 489 440 404 303 2836 472 8 855 725 643 623 554 413 3813 625 9 1104 847 830 712 697 4190 838 10 1260 1118 1154 1048 936 5516 1103 II 1410 1267 1218 1210 1081 6 186 1237 \l 1604 1330 1297 1286 1208 6725 1345 13 1647 1590 1540 1410 1352 7539 1507 14 1680 1602 1594 1436 1511 7823 1564 15 1855 1790 1782 1634 1666 8727 1745 16 1882 1832 1834 1574 1730 8852 1770 17 1958 1966 1765 1635 1635 8949 1789 18 1964 1990 1837 1746 1731 9 1 78 1835 19 1929 aios 1867 1732 1783 9416 1883 20 2100 2016 1968 1808 1902 9794 1958 Z\ 2012 1966 1824 1698 1855 9355 1871 22 2115 2037 1920 1866 1969 9907 1981 23 2150 2079 1954 1806 1871 9860 1972 24 1980 1920 1858 1846 1954 9558 1911 25 1950 197 5 1869 1788 1900 9482 1896 26 1990 1794 1823 1745 27 1640 1811 28 LEFT NEST Tlie egg of the twins here marked No.7 hatched first, hence thought to he the ^'"" ""^ r> j r- ieft the nest before it wds wei} eight day. ShFK.MAX SiCX OF XdRTHERX l-"i.icKr-:R. WoJoAfs of Flickers Brood of 1910 in Wei^i ofeg^s-Ire3h-Nol-97gmNo210^gs. ORAINS GRAINS G/Ulf/S (UMINS OXAIT/S GKAINS A^re- gate weidit of mm Aver- age daily weight 0 1st (!) 1 1 10 1 100 88 z eoo 194 177 169 150 112 902 150 3 £95 279 270 26 7 175 137 1423 237 4 418 396 375 340 275 199 2003 334 5 525 514 488 480 400 327 2834 472 6 686 603 579 554 505 390 3317 553 7 796 734 719 695 637 490 4071 678 8 871 832 795 793 647 601 4539 751 9 968 964 945 920 748 68! 5226 871 IC 1 1 83 938 1026 1078 906 880 60! 1 1001 II 1242 1227 1204 1133 976 969 6751 M25 12 1385 1248 1241 1256 1244 1 175 7549 1258 13 1429 1271 1274 1455 1 182 1 140 7751 1291 14 1531 1543 1375 1342 1 173 1 120 8084 1347 15 1745 1634 1529 1495 1417 976 8 796 1466 16 1725 1568 1627 1617 1302 1148 9187 1531 17 1595 1625 1613 1523 1519 1265 9140 1523 18 16 14 1559 1426 1581 1615 1270 9065 1510 19 1639 1579 1535 1563 1481 1305 9102 1517 ZO 1846 1656 1614 1665 1513 1396 9690 1615 Z\ 1800 1639 1625 1616 1440 1486 9606 1601 22 1687 1648 1672 1565 1483 1492 9547 1591 23 1722 1676 1665 1694 1 519 1536 9812 1635 a4 1758 1685 1729 1653 1492 1479 9 796 163 2 25 1725 1670 1643 1627 157 1 1457 9693 161 5 26 1462 27 1494 28 LEFT KEST Tlie smallest one le/t the nest on its twenty-eighth day while aiiempHnQ to iakeji out lor Us daily weighing. TTie young of ihis hirood wore disiinguishinQ marks. 172 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 72-73. THE BIRDS OF CEDAR POINT AND VICINITY. ]\\ LYNDS JONES. 223. Oporornis forwosa. — ^Kentucky Warbler. At best an irregular spring migrant. Probably the venturesome males which over-reach the migrating host during the height of the fever of spring migration retire southward when no mates appear. Records for the immediate vicinity of Oberlin are : May, 12, 1903 ; May 15, 1906 ; May 13, 1907 ; May 14, 1908 ; one on each occasion. Cedar Point sand spit records are April 27 and May 23, 1904 ; May 13, 1907. two birds ; these records are actually for the marsh at Rye Beach, at the extreme east end of the series of marshes. The birds have always been found in wet or swampy situations, always near the ground on some fallen wood. The increasing frequency of occur- rence in later years gives me hope that this interesting warbler may ultimately become a summer resident and enliven our woods with his rich melody. 222. Oporornis agiiis. — Connecticut Warbler. A spring migrant in small numbers, never having lieen noted in fall. The migration dates fall within the last two weeks of May, with the exception of May 7 and 9, 1904. These early dates would indicate that this warbler belongs in the early May group rather than among the latest of the migrants. I have invariably found it in places of which the marsh border of the sand spit is typical — in the vicinity of water. It has been heard singing but once, then faintly. 223. Opororvis Philadelphia. — Mourning Warliler. A spring migrant in small numbers, but decidedly more numer- ous than the last species. The median date of arrival for nine years is May 31, and of departui'e northward. May 25. It has never been found in fall. The typical habitat of this bird while it tarries with us is a low, wet place, thickly grown with rose bushes. Along the sand spit it frequents the button bush thickets along the marsh border. It seldom sings during its passage. 224. Geothlypis trichas hrachidactyla. — Northern Yellow-throat. Common all summer in growths which accompany wet or damp situations, whether the growths be of grass, weeds, reeds, or bushes. The marsh border of the sand spit, and the grassy "islands" are therefore typical habitats. The median date of arrival is April 30. the range being from April 25 to May 2. The median date of departure is September 23. the last being October 1, 1906, at the Jones — On T'irds of Cedar Point. 173 Cedar Point saud spit. The bullv is gone by the middle of Sep- tember usuall.v. Nests liave been found May 30. While there is considerable variation in the rendition of the song, each bird be- ing able to vary its song to a considerable degree, the song pattern is so distinctive that novices have little difficulty in learning it. As one might readily infer, this warbler is present on the larger Islands where typical habitats are plentiful. 225. Icteria vireiis.- — Yellow-breasted Chat. A summer resident which is increasing in numbers year by year. Nearly every brushy tangle now harbors a pair. When my studies of the birds of the region began in 1891 it was not easy to locate a pair outside of two or three favored localities. Several pairs nest along the sand spit. Three pairs nested within twenty rods of the Lake Laboratory in the summer of 1907. The median date of arrival is May 5. My latest fall record is September 9, 1899. There were three young found in a nest on August (3, 1897. The birds become silent and apparently slip away soutli without at- tracting attention. My visits to Pelee Island have been too late in the season for it. There can be little doubt that it nests there. 22<;. Wilxoiiia niitiata.- — Hooded Warbler. The flrst record for the region is May 9, 1903. when two were found singing in the old "South Woods." None were found the following year, but since 1903, when one was found on May 9 and another on May 22, both in the "South Woods," it has been regu- larly recorded, seldom more than one at a time. It certainly does not remain to breed. It has been found well toward the east end of the sand spit about the middle of May. Apparently individuals do not work much westward. There are no summer nor fall rec- ords. 227. Wil'iia piisiUa. — Wilson's Warbler. Fairly regular as a spring migrant in limited numbers; record- ed but twice in fall. It ranges along the sand spit in the bushes bordering the sand plains. On the mainland it frequents the brushy borders of woods and the siualler growths of the woods. It does not sing much during its stay. The median date of spring arrival is May 13, and of departure northward May 20, the latest spring record being June 2, 1903. The fall records are September 8, 1904, one bird ; September 14, 1906, three males in high color, and two birds in immature plumage. One of the remarkable things about this region as contrasted with central Iowa, is that this warbler passed south in swarms in Iowa and is practically absent in fall here. 174 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 73-73. 228. Wt?-so»/r/ ranarUnsis. — rniiadian Warbler. Comnioii during the spring migrations in tlie more open woods, especially heech woods. Only once noted in fall. It has* been com- mon along the sand spit during each migration which I have studied there in spring. The median date of arrival is May 8, and of de- parture May 23. In 1901, 1901: and 1907 it tarried until May 27. The fall occurrence was September 7, 1901, one bird. It will be interesting to compare records on Telee island with those from the Oberlin region for the fall weeks. 229. Septophaga ruticilla. — Redstart. Everywhere common in the woods of the mainland, and on the larger islands, as a summer resident. In moderately large second growth beech woods it is even abundant. The median date of ar- rival is May 1. It is often common from the first. I have found nests with young June 1. The latest fall record is October 7, 1907, when three individuals were noted. It is not uncommon along the sand spit in the spring migrations, but is uncommon or absent in summer. I did not find any in the summer of 1907. In its pas- sage northward it comes into towns and parks, singing almost inces- antly. 2.30. A7ithui< rubescens. — Pipit. Regular Imt seldom common as a spring migrant, irregular in fall. Always seen in flocks numbering from a few individuals to several hundred, and most often found on freshly plowed fields in spring, where it is feeding. Flocks have been seen flying over the sand spit and marsh, both spring and fall. The median date of spring arrival is May 4, but the range is from f March 28, 1907, when a flock of 15 was noted, to May 26, 1899, which is the latest spring record. Fall records range from September 14 to October 19. Clearly these records are too variable to afford any clue to the usual times of migration, if there be any. Flocks of Pipits can be readily distinguished from flocks of the larks or any other flocking birds by their erratic flight and by the vertical criscros.s ing of the individuals of the flock. 2.31. Mimus poli/glottofi. — Mockingbord. The only absolutely authentic record is of a specimen in the pos- session of Mr. R. E. Jump, who captured it at Oberlin, date not known. Professor Edward Dickinson, who knows the bird well, re- ported one seen and heard singing by him near Oberlin in May, 1908. Persistent reports of its occurrence near Cleveland, and its evident increase in numbers southward in the state, lead one to hope that it is gradually extending its range well northward. JoNKS — On ]>irus op Cedar Point. 175 232. Dumetella caiolinensis. — Catbird. Common all summer in bushy situations. It is a familiar bird ill door-yards if the back lot's furnish suitable breeding places. In the borders of woods it seems to prefer to nest in hawthorn trees. It is one of the most familiar birds about the, Lake Laboratory, and all along the sand spit, where it nests in great numbers. The me- dian date of arrival is April 27. The latest fall record is October It'.. 1905. The most of the birds have gone south by the tirst week in October. It seems strange that there are still persons who regard the Catbird as a witch, and who destroy its nest and young on every opportunity. Unlike the P.rown Thrasher, this bird prefers the seclusion of a tangle from which to sing. In my opinion its ventrilO(iuil j towers have been a good deal overstated. It has some powers of mimiiiy, Imt it also has its own song pattern, to which it is inclined to adhere pretty closely. 233. Toxostoma rufuni. — Bruwn Thrasher. Far less common than the ((receding species, except during the spring migration along the sand spit, when it is usually almost abundant. Its proper setting in this region is an osage orange hedge-row. at least during the nesting season. It also freciuents brushy woods and neglected fence rows. Along the sand spit it 's pretty closely confined to the bushes, nesting about the Lake La boratory. The median date of arrival is April 11, but there arc four March records, the earliest being March 22, 1902 and 1904. One individual remained in Oberlin all winter 1906-7. The latest fall date is October 16, 1905. It has not seemed to I)e present along the sand spit with the advent of fall weather, much to my surprise. Its spring arrival is heralded -by a burst of song, which the birtl pours forth from the topmost point of an osage orange plant. In snowy weather it retires to the brush and becomes silent. Nests are most numerous in the osage orange hedge-rows, but the birds occasionally build elsewhere. One pair successfully reared a brood of five in the midst of a brush heap in a hog pasture, in 19y a few individuals. It is to be found in the deep woods in winter, anywhere where there are trees at other times. 24.3. Bceolophus hicolor. — Tufted Titmouse. Tolerably cunnnon over the whole wooded i)arts of the main- land region, all the year. I have not found it on the islands. It is found on the sand spit in small numbers. In winter it ranges along the sand spit, but in sunnner seems to be confined to the west end. 178 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 7:^-73. It is less frequently seen in town than the next species in winter, but singing males regularly visit the college campus during the courting season. This is one of the species always comprising the winter troop of small birds in woodlands. It readily responds to its imitated calls, but is more wary than the Chicl<. — Chickadee. Common over the whole wooded and iidiabited parts of the re- gion all the year. It is less common on the sand spit during the coldest part of the winter. It nests in orchards where suitable nesting sites are left. Its confiding habits make it the favorite among our resident birds. The lunch counter is patronized with thanks and the birds proceed to pay their way by visiting the or- chard and destroying the eggs of the apple pests. T have never been able to detect any migration of these two tit- mice in this region at any time of year. They are decidedly local in their preferences, and can be located even when nesting. On numerous occasions I have started them from their night roost in the thiclc of a leafy grape vine in midwinter 245. Rcuulua satraiia. — Golden-crowned Kinglet. Common during the spring migration, less often conunon in the fall ; wintering in small numbers in cemeteries and other places where there are evergreen trees. In the migrations it occus over the whole region where there are trees and bushes. It was com- mon Septemlier 24 to October 23, and a few to November 5, ir)(!<> ; conunon March 25 to April 29, 1907, on the sand spit, but I have not found it there in winter. The spring migration occurs the first week in April, and the bulk has departed before the first of May. ;\Iy latest spring date is May 10, 1907. The fall migration occurs about the first of October, the earliest being September 24, 1906. The bull? has gone south by the first of November. 24(j. Rcyulus ccilctidula. — Kub.v-crowned Kinglet. Common in the spring migrations, less common in the fall. It is found with the last species, but tarries longer in the spring. I liave never found it in winter. The median date of spring arrival is April 13, the earliest being March 25, 1905. The bulk leaves about the first of May, but individuals tarry until May 18 (1907 and 1908). The fall migrations occupy the whole of October. Ex- treme dates are September 24. 190G, and November 3, 1901. Some- times these little birds literally swarm over the bushes in the yard and among the ap])le trees. Rival males display the hiden flame Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 179 until one imasines the whole head is fire red. At other times it Is hard to ?ee the concealed red at all. Those who have difficulty in distinguishing the immature kinglets from some of the plainly colored small warhlers may do so readily by noting the nervous Hitting of the wings of the kinglets. 247. Polioptila carulca. — Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Regular as a summer resident, but not common. It is partial to beech or oak woods during the nesting season, but may be found anywhere in woodland where the growth is not too dense, during the migrations. It has been common on the sand spit during the days of heavy migration, more common eastward where the width of forest growth is less. The median date of migration in spring is April 2.3, but the earliest is March 29, 3907. I have never seen this bird after August 15 (1899). 248. HylochicJiIa mustcUna. — Wood Thrush. Common in woodland all sununer. It is also a familiar bird in Oberlin back yards and orchards, where it nests. It seems to pre- fer thick second growth woods, or the lower borders of larger woods. It has always been common during the spring migrations on the sand spit, but it nests sparingly west of the re^^ort grounds, near the Lake Laboratory, and on one of the considerable widen- ings of the sand spit a half mile east of tbe Lake Laboratory. The median date of spring arrival is Apiil 27, the earliest being Ai)ril 10. 1904. My latest fall record is September 24. 1906. T have not found it on the sand spit in late summer and early fall, nor have 1 noted any southward migration of considerable numbers, which woiald be the case did the more northerly breeding birds pass south- ward across this region. Nests containing eggs have been found by May 22. This bird ife par excrllance the nightingale of our woods. To its singing in Oberlin is probably due nore than to any other one thing the awakening interest of middle-aged people in the bird life of the town. One can hardly remain indifferent to his sur- roundings after having heard the song of the Wood Thrush. 249. Hylociclila fusccsccns. — Wilson's Thrush. Common in the spring migrations in suitable woods, a few re- maining all summer to breed. The Cedar Point sand spit does not seem to furnish the necessary conditions for this thrush. It has been met with there In small numbers during the migrations, but has never been found in such numbers as to be called common. The typical habitat in this region is a woods of tall trees which stand close enough together to furiii«-h a ( omplete shade, with a liftU' un- 18(1 TiTi- ^^'lLsox Bulletin. No. 73-73. derbriish or berry bnslies. Woods of this character are not numer- ous. Its associations are with the Wood Tlirush and tlie Oven-bird in summer, and with the Hermit and Wood Thrushes in the spring migrations. The median date of s]n'ing arrival is April 29, the earliest record is April 20, 1890. 1 have no reliable fall records. There has never been any fall movement noted. 250. Eylocichla alidic- — Gray-cheeked Thrush. Prior to 1898 the problem of distinguishing this thrush from the next had not been solved. Since that time it has been found fairly ciiiiniiDn in the sjiring migrations, but irregular in the fall. It has always been found associated with the next species, and the gen- eral remarks will lie giA'en under that heading. The median date of spring arrival for seven years is May 2, and of departure. Ma.v 19. Fall records indicate that it returns near the first week of September and remains a month. 251. Hylocichla f. They usu- ally remain common up to the day of their departure, both spring and fair. On the day of my arrival on Pelee island, August 29. there were none found, nor any the next da.v in spite of a careful search, itut with the first faint dawn of the 31st tiie ]teculiar notes of this bird were heard, and the full light revealed hundreds of them in the bushes and everywhere in the woods. They remained tlin-< nuii'c-r:n< until I'v (Ippartiirc the evening ul' tlie next day. and were conunon on Middle and Kelley's islands. Jones — On IJirds of Cedar F^oint. 181 'J52. Hyldcichhi (jiittatd ixiIUixii. — Hermit Thrush. Always present, but not always common, during the spring mi- gration, and practically ah^uiys present during the fall migra- tion, always in the woods or door-yards which have trees or 1:ushes. It has lit'cn common <»n the sand spit in each migration tiiat I have studied the hirds there, and usually so numerous that tlie birds spread well over the whole of the sand spit. The median date of spring arrival is April 2, the earliest ]Mavch 21. 11)03; the median date of spring departure is May 5. the latest May 20, 1907. The birds usually return late in September and remain about a month. One was louud in the thicket covering an old quarry dump on December 4. 190:i, in the Oberlin quadrangle. This thrush seldom sings during its passage, and then apparently only the ghost of the song which is characteristic of its summer home. 253. Plaucsticiis iiii(jiu1oriiis\- — Robin. Always abundant during the migrations, and common in the vi- cinity of human habitations during the summer. It might rightly be termed abundant in towns. It has not been really common on the sand spit in tlie summer, and is usually not as numerous there in the migrations as it is on the mainland on the same dates. In the spring migrations it sometimes forms into great tlocks. The median date of spring arrival is February 28, the earliest for act- ually migrating birds being February 14, 1897. The great south- ward migration occurs late in October, with the ttrst touch of win- ter. Since the winter of 1894-5, when the great storm in Kentucky and Tenessee killed countless nund)ers of this and the next si)ecies, Robins have been found in this region all winter in small numbers. Several regularly pass the winter in Oberlin. Nest building is in [irogrei-s late in Marcli. and two or three broods are raised. 254. Sialia sUilis. — Bluebird. It is a common sunnner resident over most of the region, and has been so except during the years inunediately following the disas- trous winter of 1S94-5, when most of those which i)assed the win- ter in Kentucky and Tennessee were exterminated. During the last ten years a few individuals have been regularly found all winter in the region. They nest in the more open country in fence j)Osts. in orchards, less cominoidv in the woods, and less commonly about human habitations than before the thinning. On but two occasions have I seen anything like a great migration wave, and then in the middle of Marcli after two weeks of unfavorable ^^eat.her. Then th.e woods near the lake shore were filled with Bluebirds, which seemed to be moving eastward along the lake 182 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 72-73. in bands of several hundred each. The median date of spring ar- rival is Februarj' 27, the earliest being February 17, 1897; the me- dian date of departure is October 25. The bulk moves south about the middle of October, or with the first severe frosts. Only a few breed on the sand spit, and I have never found many in the migra- tions. ONE DAY'S OBSERVATION OF NORTHERN NEW JERl^EY BIRDS. BY LOUIS S. KOHLER. Appended hereto will be found a list of birds observed in several Northern New Jersey towns on May 26, 1910. This date in this locality is one that may be included in the last leg of the vernal mig^ration period, and, also, one on which an observer may locate a number of species nesting. The country canvassed in securing" this list includes Bloomfield, in Essex County, Mountain View, Wayne, Pompton and Pompton Plains, in Morris County, Pompton junction and Pompton Lake, in Passaic County, and Oakland, in Bergen County. This list includes thirty-eight established residents, five late migrants and five casual visitors, making a total of forty-eight species observed. KSTABLTSHED RESIDENTS (1) Actitis maciilaria. — Spotted Sandpiper. One seen at Bloom- Held. (2) Accipiter velox. — Sliarp-shinned Hawic. One seen at Bloom- field. (3) Coccyzus americamis. — Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Two seen along west shore of Pompton Lake. (4) Ceryl alciion. — Belted Kingfisher. Common .-it Pompton Lake and Pompton Junction. (5) Colaptes aiiraUis luteits. — Northern Flicker. Common at Pompton Junction and Oakland. Few found at Bloomfield and Wayne. Nest found at Pompton Lakes. ((;) Clurtura prlnr/ica. — Chimney Swift. Common generally. Nest and four eggs found in chimney at Pompton Junction. (7) Tyrnnus lyranniiK. — Kingbird. Common at I'omiiton Jnn<'- tion and Pompton Lakes. One at Mountain View. KoHLER — New Jersey Birds. 183 (8) Sayornis phoebe. — Phoebe. Two at Pompton Lakes with nest and three eggs. (9) Horizopus virens. — Wood I'ewee. One at Pompton Lake. (10) Etnpidoitax ntinimus.-^ljenst Flycatcher. Common gener- ally. (11) Gyanocitta cristaia. — Blue Jay. Common at Bloomfield and Pompton Junction. (12) Corvus hrachyihynchos. — American Crow. Common at Mount ;! in View. Few tound at Wayne and Pompton Junction. (13) Sturniis vulgaris. — Starling. Common at Bloomfield. Nest with three young birds about ready to leave nest. (14) MoJnthnis ater. — Cowbird. Abundant at Pompton Lakes. (15) Af/claiiis phccnicctis. — ^Red-winged Blackbird. Common at Wayne. (IG) Stiirnella magna. — Meadowlark. Common generally. (17) Icteria spunits. — Orchard Oriole. One at Pompton Lake. (18) Icteria galhula. — Baltimore Oriole. Common generally. Nest and eggs at Pompton Junction. (19) Qiiiscaliis guiscula. — Purple Grackle. Small flock at Pomp- ton Plains. (20) Astragalinits ?r/si/s.— American Goldfinch. Abundant at Pompton Lakes and Pompton Junction. 21) SpiseUa socialis. — Chipping Sparrow. Common at Bloom- field. (22) Spizella pusilla. — Field Sparrow. Common at Pompton Lakes. Several at Pompton. (23) Melospiza cinerea melodia. — Song Sparrow. Common gen- erally. Young birds found at Wayne, Pompton and Ponrnton Lakes. (24) Pipilo erytlirophthahniis. — -Towhee. Abundant at Pompton Junction. (25) Zamelodia liidoriciana. — Rose-breasted Grosbeak. One at Mountain View. (26) Cyanospiza cyanea. — Indigo Bunting. Common generally. (27) Piranga erythromdas. — Scarlet Tanager. Abundant at Pompton Junction. (28) Hinindo erythrogastra. — -Barn Swallow. Common gener- ally. Nest and three young at Pompton Junction (29) Iridoprocne hicolor. — Tree Swallow. Abundant at Pompton Lake. (30) lilparhi riparia.-^Ban'k. Swallow. Common at Pompton Lake. Nesting at Oakland. N. J. (31) Vii'co ollracrus. — Red-eyed Vireo. Common generally. Nest and eggs at Bloomfield. 184 The Wit.sox Bulletin, No. 72-73. (32) Vireo flavifrons.- — Yellow-throated Vireo. Abundant gen- erally. CSH) Dendroica (rstira. — Yellow Warbler. Abundant generally. Nest and three young at Bloonifield. (84) Geothhipis trichas. — Maryland Yellow-throat. Abundant gen- erally. (35) Setopliaga ruiiciUa. — American Redstart. Common at Pompton Junction. (3(!) Galenscopte.'i crfro//»r».s/.s. — Pntbird. rnmmon at Pompton Lakes. Several found in Oakland. (37) Tlylocichla miistcliua.- — Wood Thrush. Common at Bloom- field and Pompton .Junction. Nest and three eggs at Pompton Junction. LATK MlCliAXTS (39) DoJichony.r ori/zivoriis. — Bobolink. One at Wayne. Two at Bloomtield. (40) Zonotrichia alhicollis. — White-throated Sparrow. Common at Pjr (IIP He'd. (41) Dendroica pencil] r a iiiea. — Chestnut-sided Warbler. One at Bloomtield. (42) l^riiini-'^ fiiirofainlliis!. — Oven-bird. Three at Bloonifield. (43) Wilson ia initiatu. — Hooded Warbler. One at Bloomfield. CASUAL VISITORS (44) Pandion iKiliaetus carolinoisis. — American Osprey. One at Lake Inez, Pompton. Lakes. (4.5) GaUiiiafio dcHcata. — Wilson's Snipe. One at Bloomfield. (46) Zenoidiira iiiacroiira. — Mourning Dove. One at Wayne. Was formerly a casual resident, but quite rare now. (47) Vireo nilviis. — Warbling Yireo. One at Lake Inez, Pomp- ton Lakes. (48) Sitta cai-olineiisif). — White-breasted Nuthatch. One at Pompton Lakes. THE END OF THE NIGHT. It was nig'ht. No one was stirring- in the village streets. A few brilliant stars gleamed from out the black sky. The late rising moon was still hid behind a massive bank of clouds piled up in majestic serenity on the eastern horizon. I started home, afoot. It was five miles, but what cared I? Delicious memories of the blissful hours just over were The End of the Night. 185 nestling among the cushions of my brain, and. often, I had walked much farther. In the fields around me and in the air above me, I could hear the calls of the night birds. Every- where was the cry of the kildeer and the plaintive peet ivcct of the woodcock probing for worms in the wet fields. Over- head the night-flying migrants kept calling to one another; but not a bird could I see. A light wind began to blow. I heard a wild. mournfuU agonized, soul-piercing scream, followed by a miserable, high-pitched, it's-all-up-with-me groan. "What in thunder?" There was no way past but by, and I am always interested in ghosts : so I tramped on until I could distinguish the wheel of a farmer's windmill revolving with "soul-piercing" shrieks for grease. Just at three o'clock, the moon flipped up from behind her vapory screen of clouds, and. at the same moment, a song sparrow in a bush by the roadside, woke with a jerk and started off in the middle of his song. Just why he began in the middle, I do not know, unless he had been dreaming and woke with the song on his mind, or he was still so sleepy that be could think only of the last part of it. On I tramped, thinking of this and other things, until a robin began to carol his matutinal hymn from a fence post ; the vesper sparrow^s chanted their matins, and the dickcissel began the monotonous rehearsal of his unmusical lays, which he repeats all through the long summer days. The cock's shrill clarion re-echoed from every chicken-coop, and the flute-like whistle of the meadowlark was the avian bugle-call for breakfast. From the woods beside the road came the energetic zi.'ichity zvichity of the Northern yellowthroat, the earnest song of the indigo bunting, and the sleepy call of the wood pewee. The sky grew lighter and lighter, and all the robins of the neighborhood seemd to have united for one grand concerto, assisted by the tuneful song sparrow and monotonous chippy. As the regal sun swung up over the horizon in gorgeous state, it was greeted by a tinkling burst 1S(; TiiK \\"i I.SOX IkTi.i.K'nx, X(). 72-73. of the golden song of the boboHnk. Then joined the chorus the full-voiced melody of a farmer calling his swine. And the day was begun. Ada, Ohio. Wheeler McMillen. THE BOBOLINK. The metallic tink of the bobolink, As he passes o'er at night. Is the signal gong of the coming throng, In their long-continued flight, From the tropical rains of Brazilian plains To their northern nesting site. The manifold charms of buckeye farms Have drawn him away from the land Of beautiful flowers and verdant bowers That were built by the unseen hand. Soon, the fairy god's dart will pierce his gay heart, And his little brown mate and he Will build them a home, a glorious throne. In a king'dom of musical glee. In rapture he sings and the meadow-land rings With a medley of golden notes : They flow from his throat and onward they float Like a fleet of seolian boats. They tunefully tinkle as their melodies sprinkle O'er the landscape far and near ; They jauntily jingle as they merrily mingle With the summer atmosphere. In sunshine or rain, ever free from all pain. He pours forth his rhapsodies. Over meadow and field, where with lips unsealed, The daisies are kissed by the breeze. Ada, Ohio. — Wheeler McMillen. KoHi.ER — Birds of Esskx Coitnty. 187 PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE BIRDS OF ESSEX COl ^\T Y, , X EW J ERSE Y. RV LOUIS S. KOHLliR. Essex. Xew Jersey's most populous county, is located in the north-east central portion of the Garden State. Topographi- cally the entire county gradually rises from the Passaic River, its eastern boundry, westward to the first and second ranges of the Orange Mountains, and beyond these low lying hills it slightly declines to the Passsic River again which also forms the western and half of the northern boundaries. At the extreme northern end of the county there is located an im- mense tract of marsh land which is known as the Great Piece Meadows. To this latter section the local observer must look to find the representatives of the gulls and ducks and such other water birds which are present during their seasons, as there are but three small ponds and two or three small brooks in the whole county and these are not often visited by the water birds The greater part of the territory here not occupied by the residential and farming districts, is covered by virgin frowths of deciduous timber with one or two small copses of the con- iferous appearing in the Orange Hills. The faunal areas represented are principally Alleghanian and Carolinian. Occasionally Hudsonian and Canadian species visit us but their stays are usually limited. The following list is compiled from observations made by the writer from Janu- ary 1002 to the present time and only includes those species to which no doubt may be attached as to their legibility of their being considered in the compilation : (1) Rissa tridactyla. — Kittiwake. Kare migrant. A flock of twelve were seen migrating over luirtliern Bloomfield on February 22, 1903. The birds alighted for a few moments on Davey's Pond and I obtained an excellent view of same and positively determined their identity. This is the only record 1 have of this l)ird in this county. 188 The Wilson Bulletin, No. 72-73. C'l Lurtis (iif/eiitutux. — Herring Gull. Oominou visitant through- out the year. Individuals appear each year in Branch Brook Park. one of E8S-ex"s largo locreation centers, and on the Great Piece Meadows during the winter niontlis. Is a common visitant along the Passaic TJiver from Xutlcy to Newark Bay throughout the year. (3) ,l//«.s' ohseiira. — Black Duck. Bare winter migrant. Occa- sionally found on the (ireat Piece Meadows near Pine Brook. A pair was seen resting on a small pimd in East Orange on Decem- ber K), 1900. (4) Braiita canaih iisis. — Canada (toosc. A regular si)ring and fall migrant, appearing in eniiy ^Nlarch and returning in November and early December. ( ."> ) Biitorides rircscviis. — Green Heron, ("onunon summer visi- tant. Was first recorded on August 20. 100!>, in Branch Brook Park. It later appeared in the same locality on September 9 of that year. It was found in this park on September 10 and 11 of this year and also at Davey's Pond on August 29. (0) ClalliiiKit/o (hiuata. — Wilson's Snipe. A common migrant and sunnner visitant. (7) Actifis iiKiciildiiii. — Spotted Sandpijicr. .V. i-are siunrnw res- ident, chiefly a cdnnnon transient visitant. Found nest in a corn- field near Clinton on June 12, 190G. with (liree young just out of tlie shell and one uniiroken egg. Most abundant in late June and early July. (8) Oji/echus vocifervs. — Killdeer. A rather rare transient vis- itant. First appeared on a farm on the outskirts of Bloomlield on July :>. 19(!2. It next appeared at the reservoir in the South Moun- tain Reservation, another of Essex's large parks, on July 18, 1909, and on INIarch 0. 1910 a pair were foimd near the waterworks in East Orange. (9) Col ill us riri/iiiidiiHx. — Bob-white. Formerly a common per- manent resident, but now only a rare visitant in the farming dis- tricts where fond is available. (10) Zeiiaiiliira macroiira. — Mourning Dove. Was formerly a conuiion sunnner resident now only a transient visitant. When I first began making observations in 1902 this bird was fairly abim- dant during migrations and July and August, but within the last five years I have record of finding only ten individuals in the en- tire county, and these were taken at such times as would indicate the bird as only a transient visitant. No nests have been found since 190;i KoHi.ER — Birds of Essex County. 189 (11) Circus JiiKlsdiiicii-^. — Marsh Hawk, rermanent resident. Most oommon alunj^ the Newark Bay and on the Great I'iece Mead- ows. Never found breeding. (12) AcclpitkT vclox. — Sharp-shinned Hawk. A connnon perma- nent resident. Have never located a nest of this species, althougli I am advised by a good authority tliat they did nest near Eagle Rock in the Orange Mountains in 1905 and 190G. (13) B II tea horealis. — Red-tailed Hawk. A rare summer visi- tant. Have only found two specimens. One in East Orange on July 10, 1908. This bird was busily engaged in feeding on a freshly killed domestic rabbit and did not heed my approach until with fifteen paces. I approached as quietly as possible and obtained a fair view of the markings of the bird and established its identity. The other bird was shot by a boy in Verona on November 15, 1908. The shot bad destroyed the feathers to such an extent that it was use- less from the standpoint of the taxidermist. (14) Arcliibiitea Jiifioiiiis saiicti-johaiiiiifi. — Rough-legged Hawk. An uncommon summer visitant. (15) Falco sparvcriiis. — Sparrow Hawk. A common permanent resident. Pair with young found in large maple in East Orange on .June 15. I'.tio. Have found that locally this little hawk prefers the telegraph wire^' for jioints of vantage when in search of food. (IG) Hi/niiuiii ruriiiiii. — I'.arred Owl. An irregular visitant. On X()veml>er 17, 18 and 19, 1908, one was about my home constantly and then disappeared. None were again seen until June 2, 1910, when a pair were present for about a half day. (17) Mcgascops asio. — Screecli Owl. A rather common perma- nent resident. A pair found nesting in decayed oak in Bloomfield during April, 1905. (18) Cocciizus iniiericaniis. — Yellow-billed Cuckoo. A common summer resident'. Eountl nest with three eggs in West Orange on June 2, 1907. This is the only nesting record I have. (19) Corciiziift crytJirophtlialuius. — Black-billed Cuckoo. An unconnnon summer resident. Abundant in 190G and 1909. Other >ears about ten were recorded each season. No breeding record for the county. (20) Ccrylc aJcijon. — Belted Kingfisher. A coumion summer res- ident. Found nesting in Glen Ridge and Verona in 1903. (21) Dnjohat-cs rillosiis. — Hairy Woodpecker. A rather uncom- mon permanent resident. 190 The Wilson JJulletin, No. 72-73. (22) Dri/ohatcs puhc-scciis 7ncdianiis. — Downy Woodpcfkor. A common permanent resident. Found nestlni: in several isolated spots in 'South Mountain Reservation in 190(i and in07. These are the only breeding records for tlie county. (23) Mclanerpvx erythruvephalus. — Red-headed Woodpecker. A rather uncommon resident. ."Most abundant in .May and June. No record of nesting:. (24) Colaptes auratiis hitcus. — Northern Flicker. ("oinmon permanent resident. Nests in all available jilaccs tlirdu.u'liinit the section. (2.3) Anstrostomiis rocifrnis. — Whippoorwill. \n occasional summer resident, usually a common transient visitant. Located two sets of eggs in 1900 and one in 3909 on the ground in a small clearing in a patch of timberland in West Orange. (20) Cliordcilcs Virginia luis. — Nighthawk'. A common summer resident. Have no "record of its nesting, but the birds are seen al- most daily during Jmie and .Tuly, both in Newark and over the im- mediate vicinity feeding on mos(iuitoes, which infest this neighbor- hood in great numbers. (27 1 Chat lira pclagica. — Chimney Swiffc. A connnon summer resident. Pairs nest in a number of the unused chimneys thorugh- out the county. Have nested in my own chinniey each year as far back as I can recall. (28) Trochiliis coliihris. — Knby-throated Hummingbird. A com- mon sinumer resident. Not as abundant this year as formerly. (29) Ti/raniiiis fi/raniiiin. — Kingbird. A common summer resi- dent. Have no record of its breeding within the county. (SO) Myiarchiis criiiitux. — Crested Flycatclier. A common sum- mer resident in the wooded sections. (31) Sai/ornis plnrhc. — PlifFbe. A conunon sunnuer resident. Arrives about March 20 and remains witli us until November 1. Nests under bridges and in sheds in the more rural parts of the county. (.'>2) Horizopns rircnx. — Wood I'ewee. A common summer resi- dent. Has nested for four consecutive years in Bloomtield on the horizontal branches of the Honey Locust. (.33) Empidoiiax fiarirciitris;. — Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. A rare summer visitant. Only found on September 8, 1910, in Bloomheld in a copse of Honey Locust. (34) Eiiipidojia.r mininiiis. — 'Least Flycatcher. A common sum- mer resident. Breeds throughout the county. KoHr,ER I'iRDS OF EsSEX CoUNTY. 191 (35) Cyanocitta cristata. — [Blue Jay. A common permanent res- ident. Most abundant in spring and autumn. Have no record of its nesting in the county. (36) Co/'r//.s" hraehiirln/iicllo-'^. — American Crow. A conunon per- manent resident. Nests througlumt the county in tlie more rural sections. (37) Stiinius ndf/aris. — Starling. Formerly (luite rare, but now aii abundant permanent resident. Nests in deserted woodpecker holes, hollow trees, bird boxes and on the station poles of the tele- phone companies. Have record of seven conflicts between these birds and CoUiptcs- u. liiteus and SiaJia sialis wherein the last two named species have been ousted by these exotics. They have one very appai'ent redeeming feature, which covers ui» a lot of their misdemeanors, such as demoralizing our own birds, roosting over the sidewalks in the shade trees and on the jirotected eaves of buildings and making misightly marks from their excrement, and various other objectionable practices, and this is their relentless war upon the /'(/s'sf/- (JoinesticKx. Since these I»irds have become abundant the sparrows have been continually harassed and are seeking new sections where they may live undisturbed. (3S) Ddliclioinj.r ornzirnnis. — Itobolink. A common transient visitant. (39) MIRDS Oi- EsSEX COUXTV. lUo (CO Piranija cri/tJiidincIas. — Scarlet Tanager. Coniiiiou sniiimer resident. Found pair with family of three about a week old on July IS. 1900. in South Mountain Reservation. This is the only breeding record I have. (07) I'etrochcliiloii linnfrons. — Cliff Swallow. Occasionally seen during migrations. (08) Tlinnido crytlnonastra. — Barn Swallow. Abiuulant sum- mer resident. Nests in open barns and hay-lofts with easy access, in rural sections of the county. (()!)) Iridoitrdciie hicoJar. — Tree Swallow. A common sunnner resident. Most abundant in fall it is seen daily in vast niunbers flying from the west to the Newark Meadows, where they roost. Nest on Great I'eace Meadows, in hollow trees. (70) RiiHiriu riparia. — Bank Swallow. A connnon summer res- ident. Nests under bridges and in the canal locks in several places in the coiuity. (7;:) Laiiiiis liofi'aJi.'i. — Northern Shrike. Itare winter visitant, only specimen found on February 7, 3900. at Bloomfield. (72) Aiupclis cciJronim. — Cedar "Waxwing. Resident where found. A pair nested in a mulberry at Bloomfield during ^Nlay. 1004. This nest I still have in my collection. (73) Ylreo oliracciis. — Red-eyed Yireo. A common summer res- ident. Their pensile nests may be found in many iilaces throughout the county. Have found this species is greatly imposed upon by the Molotlrnis (iter. Have located six nests with eggs of the Cow- bird i)resent. (74) V//VO fid rif rolls. — Yellow-throated \'ireo. A conunon siuu- mer resident. Nests in shade trees along highways and much trav- eled thoroughfares in the residential sections. (7~t) ]'ifr() (/(/r//x. — Warbling Vireo. A rare suuuncr visitant.. (70) Miiiotilta raria. — Black and White Warltler. A common migrant and occasional summer visitant. (77) Ilclmitheros rermiroiuK. — Worm-eating Warliler. A rare migrant. (78) Ilcliniutliopliila jtiinis. — Blue-winged W.-irbler. An occa- sional sunnner resident, usually only a migrant. Arrival May .~i to 10th. (79) IIclntiiit]iopIiila <-li riispolcra. — (lolden-winged Warbler. A rare migrant. Arrives about May 7. (80) Compsothlypis (uiicricaiKi. — I'arula Warbler. A connnon migrant. Arrival Mav .I to l~>{h. 19-1: The Wilson P.ur.i.F.TiN, No. 72-73. (81) Dciidroica wstiva. — Yellow Warbler. A cominou summer resident. Nests throughout the county. Arrives from May 1 to Oth. Departs about September 1. (82) Denflroica cwnilcxccns. — Rlack-throated Blue Warbler. A common vernal migrant. Rare in autumn. Arrives May 7 to IGth. (83) Demhoica coroiiata. — Myrtle Warbler. The commonest of :":1I warblers during migrations. Arrives Ai)ril 21 to May 10'. De- I)arts about Xdvember 15. ( S4 I UciKJrok-ii iJidriUdKd — >.I;i'.'nolin Warbler. A common ver- nal migrant. Arrives May 7 to 15th. (85) Dcn ( lul Tojostoma rnftini. — Brown Thrasher. A rather common summer resident. Nests in the more rural sections of the county. (102) Thriiothonis: ludoviciayius. — Carolina Wren. A rare visi- tant. Only record made at BToomfield on September 18, 1905. (103) Tro!/10(li/tes aedon. — House Wren. A couunon summer resident. Nests throughout the county. (104> TcJinatodytes jnilKstris. — Lonis-billed Marsh Wren. A common summer resident. Breeds in the Great Piece and Newark Mieadows in large numl-ers. (105) Certhia faniiIia7-i-'< (innicana. — Brown Creeiier. A rather common winter visitant (lOG) Sitta carolineiisis. — White-breasted Nuthatch. A common winter resident. Rare visitant in summer. (107) Baolophiis hicolor. Tufted Titmouse. A winter visitant. Found it only on February 27. 1910. Mr. C. A. Merrill of East Or- ange, advises me that he has seen specimens throughout the county on numerous occasions. (108) Parus a^r/ca;j»(7?HS.^Bla(k-capped Chickadee. A common winter resident. Also quite common in summer. Found nesting on South Mountain Ke-ervation on April 20. 190:i. Only record I have. (109) licf/itlus ■mUnipa. — Golden-crowned Kinglet. A common winter visitant. (110) Retjulus calendula. — Ruby-crowned Kinglet. A common migrant. (111) Hylocichia miistcli)w. — Wood Thrush. A common summer resident". Nests in many places throughout the county. (112) Uyh>cir-hla- fitscesceiis. — Wilson's Thrush. A rather com- mon summer resident. More abundant some years than others. (113) Hylocichia allc'ur. — Gray-cheeked Thrush. A rather com- mon migrant. (114) Hylocichia xiraiiisotiii. — Olive-backed Thrush. A c-ommon migrant. (115) Hiilocichln yiillata pallasii. — Hermit Thrush. A common migrant. (110) Mcriila miyratora. — Robin. An abundant sinmner resi- dent. Occasional winter visitant. (117) Sialia si«//-y. — Bluebird. An abundant resident throughout the year. (118) i^phyrayicus variiis. — Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A rather common permanent resident. Found nest with young in South Mountain on May 2. 1903. Bloomtifld. N. .7. THE WILSON BULLETIN A Quarterly Mag&zine Devoted to !the Study of Birds. Official Organ of the Wilson Ornithological Club. Edited by LYNDS JONES. PUBLISHED BY THE CLUB, AT OBERLIN, OHIO. Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico, one dollar a year, 30 cents a number, post- paid. Price in all countries in the International Postal Union, $1.25 a year, 40 cents a number. Subscriptions may be sent to Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio, or to Mr. Frank L. Burns. Berwyn. Penn. Officers of the Wilson Ornithological Club for 1910: President — Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa. Vice-President — W. E. Saunders, London, Ont. Secretary— Benj. T. Gault, Glenn Ellyn, 111. Treasurer — W. F. Henninger, New Bremen, Ohio. Members of the Executive Council — Lynds Jones, Oberlin, O. ; H. C. Oberholser, Washington, D. C. ; B. H. Swales, Grosse Isle, Mich. £«ditorial To the many friends and correspondents who have shown their solicitude for the editor in his long illness, the announcement is here made that the probability of complete speedy recovery is ex- cellent. It is almost worth while being desperately ill to learn how many are ones friends I The editor also wishes to express his gratitude to all for your patience over the delay in the appearance of the Bulletin, and de- lay in replying to correspondence, during the long interval. It is with genuine satisfaction that the editor presents the first article in this double number, because it is without question the most notable paper upon field studies which has been imblished. and because it illustrates what the Wilson Club stands for. Studies along similar lines are possible to many of us. Are we equal to the opportunity. Reviews. . . liiT Aeknowleclgement is here made of books, paniiililets and papers which have been received, but which must await renewed strength for review. Ornithological literature is becoming pleasantly abun- dant : The editor hopes to be able to present a full report of the studies of bird movements on Pelee Island, which occupied a class of ten students the whole of August and part of September. It was ex- pected that this report would be ready for this issue, but the un- kindness of the island in presenting to him who was to correlate the facts gathered, with the germs of typhoid, prevented. We are glad to announce that the ^March issue of tlie Bulletin will (outain a jiaper based upon careful studies uf the birds in southern Illinois, in their relation to plant associations, by Frederick C. (Jates of the I'niversity of Michigan, besides other papers and notes of ex:*eptional value and interest. We have inside information that an increasing number of persons are conducting summer studies along the line of the relations of the birds to their environment. Such studies should be written and submitted to the Bulletin for publication. Reviews DlSTRIBUTIOX A^■I) MIGRATION OF XORTH AMERICAN SHOREBIRDS." By Wells W. Cooke, Biol. Survey Bl^ll. No. 13. This pamphlet contains a very thorough and painstaking com- pilation of ornithological data on the Shorebii'ds of North America. Under every species is noted the breeding and winter range, the migration range, the spring and fall migration It is the first pamphlet that has done the lumierous records to be found in the Wilson Bulletin fair justice, in great contrast to Ridgway's Birds of Middle and North America and the new A. O. U. Check List, where records in the Bulletin have been persistently ignored, in the face of the tact that all records and serious articles contain scientific names. Nevertheless, as far as Ohio is concerned, a few errors and omissions can be found, e.g. the earliest Ohio state record in the spring for Toianus mchDiolciiciis is March 14. 1S99, Pisohia ininuUUa. April 19. 1909, for Bartramla loiifiicaiithi. March 21. 1902, for Pis'ihia mucnlata:. March 24. 1909. etc. But we do not want to pick Haws, and believe that these little faults do not 19S Tin- Wilson Rullf.tix, No. 72-73. detract from the value of the vohime, which coiiaius a vast amount of goofl infonnntiou and slionkl be in the hands of every bird student in tlio land. w. f. h. Check List of North American Birds. Third Edition Revised August, IDIO. After preparation of four years tlie •'new" Clieclv List at last has made its appearance. We are both deli.ylited witli it and dis- appointed. Delighted with the nine changes in the construction of the new edition as enumerated on pages 11 and 12, disappointed because some other changes, timely and needed, indeed, have not been t( rthcoming. It may perhaps seem supfrtiuous to give another review of this work, since an extended review of it has already ap- peared in the Auk. Unfortunately, however, the reviewer in the Auk is himself a member (in fact the chairman of the com- mittee) which bad the preitaration o fthe Check List in liands, hence, although we have tlie greatest personal respect and admira- tion for him, cannot though Rie may strenuously strive to be ab- solutely impartial in his review. On the other hand we well know that the Reviews signed J. A. A. stand exactly for the views of J. A. A., and do not necessarily have back of them the authority of the entire A. O. V. Likswlse the initials here appended indi- cate only the writer as responsible for the stand taken. The List as a whole is a great improvement over the former edi- tions, as in giving determination of type species, stating type lo- calities and similar other matters. A purely typographical error is found on ]';"re !'.v collectors as a "Capture" well worth while. In his "Birds of the Chicago Area," Mr. F. M. Woodruff sums up the Cardinals' status thus : "I have heard of the Cardinal .being taken in our pulilic parks, and have myself secured one specimen, which showed, however, unmistakable signs of having been an escaped cage bird. Mr. J. Grafton Parker, Jr., has a specimen of this species which was talven at Kouts, Indiana, on December 11, 1893. Some years ago I found a nest of the Cardinal at River Forest, Illinois. jNIr. O. M. Schantz informs me that in the year 1904 there were two pairs nesting at Riverside, Illinois." 202 The Wilson Bulletin, No. T2-T3. Mr. Woodruff wrote the aliove lin the fall of lOOG and we see that at that time the Cardinal was looked upon as by no means a com- mon species. lias it increased about here durinii the past four years? If not it seems remarkable that I should have wakled into their hiding place the first lung. Their name ajjpears upon the first list of Summer Birds that I made in Illinois I And I, a stranger in the Chicago Area, thought that I had seen a "Common" bird ! I was following the bank of the Desplaines River at River Forest, Illinois, when I heard a Cardinal whistle. I straightway entered his name upon my list and passed on : without so much as a look at him. Back in the Delaware Valley he had ever been a familiar feature in my landscape — winter and summer — and I failed to rec- ognize in that old fdiiiiliar chirp the chirp of a f(irr bird. Perhaps these are the same River Forest Cardinals that Imilt the nest re- ferred to l)y Mr. Woodruff, above? However that may be I found the Cardinals there on June li», ]n]0, and saw them again on Jiuie 24, and they were still about the same woodland on October HO. 1910. It was a novel experience to meet this old l»ird friend in a new field and discover that he had risen from the rank of commonplace to hold the exalted po- sition of a rarity. Chreswell J. Hunt. Migration Notks from Northern New Jersey. — Last winter was notable for Its great scarcity of bird-life. Man.v of our permanent residents were much scarcer than usual, or entirely missing and at the same time, northern I)irds were equally hard to find. The only northern s^pecies that I saw more frequentl.v than usual was the Northern Shrike. Perhaps that may, in a measure, ac- count for the scarcity of some of the smaller birds. The ferocity of the Itird can lie illustiated by an incident I wit- nessed on March 12 of this ,vear. Some Rol)ins were picking worms in a bush-grown field when I noticed that something was alarming them. The.v gave their alarm-call and flew up into the bushes. The cause of this disturbance was a Shrike that had taken his station in a tree and was evidently looking for a meal. I did not suppose that he would attack a bird of his own size, Init the contrary was the case, for when a Robin flew out of a bush the Shrike was after him and actually struck at him, though the Robin escaped by fl.v- ing into some thick bushes. It was my pleasiu'e, during the past winter, to record two very unusual occurrences — a Brown Thrasher seen on , January 2, and again on February 4, and a Red-winged Blackbird on January 28. The warm weather of early March brought Bluebirds, Robins, Grackles and Red-wings in lumsual numbers. It also hastened the Field Notes. 303 northward nii.iiratioii of several species — Brown Creepers, Winter Wrens, and Fox Sparrows all left lis during the last week of March. This is the first season in which I have failed to record all of these in April. The latter part of April and most of May were unfavorable for migrations, and birds that were due to arrive b.v the first of the week of May were nearly all behind their schedule. It was luiusual to see Hermit Thrush as late as May 14, or Yellow Palm Warbler on May 4. I have never before noted the latter species after April. The Warblers were lUot so numerous as usual during the past spring, due in pai"t to the fact that tlieir arrival was late, and con- sequently the season was a. short one. The always common Myr- tles and Black-polls were unusually abundant, and the generally rare Bay-breasted were fairly common on these successive days, May 23, 24 and 25. But some species I missed entirely, or noted only one or two individuals. Warbling Yireos are heard in the shade-trees of our residential streets this summer after an absence of years. An incident that is worth putting on record, is the appearance, on June 18, of the Red Crossbill. These birds are sometimes pres- ent, in large flocks, during the winter, but were not here last sea- son. Their presence here at this time of year is not to be looked for, but their habits are very erratic, and they have been known to nest far south of their usual breeding-range. The last spring migrants. Black-poll W^arblers, passed northward the first week of June, and now in a few weeks we shall be looking for the first autumn migrations, when the Tree Swallows begin to flock upon our meadows about July 20. Morristown, N. J. R. C. Caskey. Squatarola squatarola in Ohio. — This species is considered rare in Ohio. Wheaton reports in 1882, that Kirtland, Langdon, Drury, and Freeman sjieaks of its rarity; he met with but one speci- men in August. 3875. Oliver Davie took one specimen May 12, LSTf), in Cohunbns. Dawson lias nothing to add to this in his "Birds of Ohio" (1004). Jones in Wilson Bulletin September, 1909, page 130, gives May l(i and 18, 1908. as migration dates, but does not say whether any s])ecimens were taken or not. It gives me great pleasure to add two records to these. On September 1, 1901, 1 met with two birds of this s])ecies on the Grand Reservoir, in fierce, squally weather, and this was verified by the actual taking of a female on Septemlier in. 1910, at the Loramie Reservoir by Mr. F. A. Anthony of Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio. This last 204 1"iii-: A\'i I.SOX BuLi.KTix, Xo. ?2-73. speoinieu is now in my eollectioii, .•iiid in the liL^ht of the ahove statements, seems to lie the .third time only tliat a specimen lias actually been taken in the stae of Ohio. The diagnostic marks of this bird to distinguish it from the American Golden Plover as given in tlie l>ook-. viz. tlie rudimentary fourth toe, heavier legs and liill. will do all right wlien the bird is in your hand, but not in the field. There the white ujijier tail-coverts serve to distinguish it from the (iolden I'lover, whose upper tail-coverts are concolor with the back. The German birdbooks point out this fact, the Americans do not. and still at a distance it will prove the one diag- nostic mark. W. F. IIenninger. Green Heron ix New .Tkrsey. — It may be of interest to some of yotir New Jersey readers to know that the Green Heron {Biitoridcs rir< nccns) is bet'oming (piite conunon in several localities in the northern part of the state. I have personally located individuals in Branch Brook Park, Newark, N. .T.. on August 20 and September 1>, 1909, and on September 10 and 11 of this year. At Pompton Lake on Septend)er 13. 1009. two individuals were seen, and at Green- wood Lake on September 14. 1909. three more were found. At Da- vey's Pond, in the northern part of Bloomfield, one was observed on August 29, 1910, and, in addition to the above records, several were reported to have been shot at Echo Lake during October of 1909. Louis S. Kohler. Septendier i:'., 1910. Bloomfield, N. J. NA.AIES PROI'OSED FOR MEMBERSHIP. The following nominations for active membership in the \Yilson Club have been approved by the Executive Committee. Members will therefore confer a favor in notifying the Secretary at once if objections to any of these are offered. In the absence of objection, candidates are considered duly elected, according to our Constitu- tion : I rank M. Chaimian, American [Museum of Natural History. New York City. William Dreuth, 1845 Oakdale Ave., Chicago. 111. Ruthven Deane, 1.35 Adams St., Chicago, 111. Prof. .Tames S. Hine, Ohio State University, Columbus. Ohio. Prof. Wilfred IT. Osgood, Dept. Zoology. Field Museum, Chi- cago, 111. Rev. P. B. Peabody, Blue Rapids, Kansas. '^^ cn"^-^-W^<~i.-XA_^ _ WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB CONTENTS Oil Painting by J. J. Audubon (frontispiece). 3 An Hitherto Unpublished Painting by Audubon. Dr. R. W. Shufeldt 3 Birds Seen on the Otonabee River, Ontario. Frank N, Shankland 5 The Birds of Cedar Point and Vicinity. Lynds Jones 25 Some Winter Birds About Lake Wimlico, Florida. G. Clyde Fisher 41 The Status of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratoria) in Eastern Pennsylvania. F. L. Burns. 47 Editorial. 49 Field Notes. 55 Additional Vernacular Names of the Flicker (Colaptes au- ratiis). Frank L. Burns 55 Horned Lark and Bohemian Waxwing in Middle Western Ohio. W. F. Henninger 55 Middle Western Ohio Notes. W. F. Henninger 55 An Unusual Flight of the Loon {Gavia immer) in South- eatsern Pennsylvania. A. C. Redfield 56 Notes on the History of Bewick's Wren. W. F, Henninger 57 Notes from Illinois. Benj. T. Gault, 58 Personals. 59 Names Proposed for Membership. 60 Obituary — John Farwell Ferry. b. t. g. 60 Reviews — Bird Magazines. w. f. h. 61 THE WILSON BULLETIN is mailed on the fifteenth of March, June, September and December, by the Wilson Ornithological Club at Oberlin, Ohio, edited by Lynds Jones. Subscription: One Dollar a year, including postage, strictly in ad- vance. Single numbers, 30 cents, unless they are "Special" numbers, when a special price is fixed. The Bulletin, including all "Special" numbers, is free to all paid up members, either Active, Associate, or Honorary, after their election. Subscriptions may be addressed to the editor, or to Mr. Frank L. Bums, Berwyn, Pa. Advertisements should be addressed to The Wilson Bulletin, Oberlin, Ohio. Terms will' be made known upon appHcation. All articles and communications intended for publication, and all publications and books for review, should be addressed to Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio. Articles of general interest relating to bird life are solicited. They should be in the hands of the editor not later than the fifteenth of tlw month preceding publication, Bnterad as seoond-cUsa mail matter at the Poatoffiee at 0b«rlin, Ohio. No. 2 W/^ilson Bulletin No. 71 Oberlin, Ohio WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB J CONTENTS. Bird Migration at Point Pelee, Ontario, in the Fall of 1909. Norman A. Wood 63 Alexander Wilson, VIII. His Early Life and Writings. Frank L. Burns 79 The Birds of Cedar Point and Vicinity. Lynds Jones 97 Notes on the Sandhill Crane. Stephen Sargent Visher 115 Effects of Weather in North-eastern Iowa, Spring, 1910. Althea R. Sherman 117 On Some Eggs Supposed to be New to Science. W. F. Henninger 119 Editorial. 121 Reviews. 122 Field Notes. 124 Notes from Eastern Ohio. Harry B. McConnell. 124 Henslow's Sparrow Nesting in Ohio. W. F. Henninger. 125 Red-headed Woodpecker vs. Blue Jays. L. S. Kohler. 126 Bluebirds vs. English Sparrows. L. S. Kohler. 126 Additional Vernacular Name for the Flicker. G. Clyde Fisher 127 Personals. 127 Our Members Here and There 127 Names Proposed for Membership. 128 THE WILSON BULLETIN is mailed on the fifteenth of March, June, September and December, by the Wilson Ortiithological Club at Oberlin, Ohio, edited by Lynds Jones. Subscription: One Dollar a year, including postage, strictly in ad- vance. Single numbers, 30 cents, unless they are "Special" numbers, when a special price is fixed. The Bulletin, including all "Special" numbers, is free to all paid up members, either Active, Associate, or Honorary, after their election. Subscriptions may be addressed to the editor, or to Mr. Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa. Advertisements should be addressed to The Wilson Bulletin, Oberlin, Ohio. Terms will be made known upon application. All articles and communications intended for publication, and all publications and books for review, should be addressed to Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio. Articles of general interest relating to bird life are solicited. They should be in the hands of the editor not later than the fifteenth of the month preceding publication. Entered as aeoond-class mail matter at the Postoffio* at Oberlin, Ohio. WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB CONTENTS. At the Sig-n of the Northern FHcker. Althea R. Sherman 133 The Birds of Cedar Point and Vicinity. Lynds Jones 172 One Day's Observations of Northern New Jersey Birds. Louis S. Kohler 182 The End of the Night. Wheeler McMillen 184 The Bobolink. Wheeler McMillen 186 Preliminary List of the Birds of Essex County, New Jersey. Louis S. KOHLER 187 Editorial. 196 Reviews 197 Field Notes. 200 Names Proposed for Membership. 204 THE WILSON BULLETIN is mailed on the fifteenth of March, June, September and December, by the Wilson Ornithological Club at Oberlin, Ohio, edited by Lynds Jones. Subscription: One Dollar a year, including postage, strictly in ad- vance. Single numbers, 30 cents, unless they are '"Special" numbers, when a special price is fixed. The Bulletin, including all "Special" numbers, is free to all paid up members, either Active, Associate, or Honorary, after their election. Subscriptions may be addressed to the editor, or to Mr. Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa. Advertisements should be addressed to The Wilson Bulletin, Oberlin, Ohio. Terms will be made known upon application. All articles and communications intended for publication, and all publications and books for review, should be addressed to Lynds Jones, Oberlin, Ohio. Articles of gfeneral interest relating to bird life are solicited. They should be in the hands of the editor not later than the fifteenth of the month preceding publication. Eotered u seeond-cUu mail matter at th« Po9toiIie« at Oberlin. Ohio. WILSON CLUB PUBLICATIONS G>nsist of two Scries : Old and New The Old Series comprise the following issues : Ornithologists' and Oologists' Semi-Annual, Vols. I and II, two numbers each, Vol. Ill, one number. (Only No. 2 of Vol. I, and No. 1 of Vol. Ill are obtainable.) 25 cents a number. Wilson Quarterly, Vol. IV, two numbers. 25 cents a num- ber. The Journal, two numbers. 10 cents a number. The whole series (available numbers) $1.00. The New Series comprise the. Wilson Bulletins, from 1 to 73 inclusive. (Nos. 4, 5, G, 7, 8, 24, are out of print.) Of the Wilson Bulletins, No. 15 is a study of " The Oberlin Crackle Roost," 18 pages, by Lynds Jones. Price 15 cents. No. 30, " Warbler Songs," 56 pages, by Lynds Jones; in which all North American Warblers are discussed, the songs of nearly all described, and a field key to the adult males given. Price $1.00. No. 31, "A Monograph of the Flicker," 82 pages, by Frank L. Burns. Price 50 cents. No. 33, "A Summer Re- connoissance in the West," by Lynds Jones and W. L. Daw- son, being a study of the birds in fourteen states during a Journey of 7000 miles. Price 20 cents. No. 37, "A Sectional Bird Census." By Frank L. Burns. Price 50 cents. The other numbers consist of " Ceneral Notes." Price 15 and 30 cents each. The whole available New Series for $12.50. Address all communications to LYNDS JONES, Oberlin, Ohio BIRD LOrE^ For CKristmas ^ Tell us to whom you wish us to send BIRD LORE for you during 1911, and we will forward a Christmas Card giving your name as donor and a free copy of our December number, containing two full-page plates in color and many other illustrations. These will go in time to be received, with your greeting, on Christmas Day, and BIRD LORE will follow, as published, throughout the year. A valuable present easily made, whether to friend or to yourself. ^ Among the special features for 1911 (Vol. XIII) will be colored plates of our Sparrows, by Fuertes, with migration tables by Cooke and notes on their identification by Chap- man, a series of illustrated papers on the "Birds of my Garden" by Mabel Osgood Wright, a new department for teachers and students edited by Alice Hall Walter, and Teachers' Leaflets with colored plates by Sawyer. $1 a Year; For Christmas Five Subscriptions for $5 Three Subscriptions For $2.50 WILSON GLUB PUBLICATIONS Consist of two Scries : Old and New The Old Scries comprise the following issues : Ornithologists' and Oologists' Semi-Annual, Vols. I and II, two numbers each, Vol. Ill, one number. (Only No. 2 of Vol. I, and No. 1 of Vol. Ill are obtainable.) 25 cents a number. Wilson Quarterly, Vol. IV, two numbers. 25 cents a num- ber. The Journal, two numbers. 10 cents a number. The whole series (available numbers) $1.00. The New Series comprise the. Wilson Bulletins, from 1 to 67 inclusive. (Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, are out of print.) Of the Wilson Bulletins, No. 15 is a study of " The Oberlin Crackle Roost," 18 pages, by Lynds Jones. Price 15 cents. No. 30, " Warbler Songs," 56 pages, by Lynds Jones; in which all North American Warblers are discussed, the songs of nearly all described, and a field key to the adult males given. Price $1.00. No. 31, "A Monograph of the Flicker," 82 pages, by Frank L. Burns. Price 50 cents. No. 33, "A Summer Re- connoissance in the West," by Lynds Jones and W. L. Daw- son, being a study of the birds in fourteen states during a Journey of 7000 miles. Price 20 cents. No. 37, "A Sectional Bird Census." By Frank L. Burns. Price 50 cents. The other numbers consist of " Ceneral Notes." Price 15 and 30 cents each. The whole available New Series for $11.75. Address all communications to LYNDS JONES, Oberlin, Ohio / — =— — '^ Natural History Books New, Second-hand and Out-of-Print Books on Ornithology, Botany, Entomol- ogy, Ichthyology, Zoology, Geology, Etc. CATALOGS ISSUED Special — Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty. By H. Nehrling. Finely colored plates, 2 vols. 4vo, Buck- ram (Published $16.00.) Our price $9.00. Birds of Ohio. By W. L. Dawson. 2 vols, royal 8 vo., cloth with eighty colored plates. Price, $4.00. Birds of New York. By E. H. Eaton. (Just pubHshed.) 42 colored plates, 4 vo., buckram. Price, $4.50. Grapes of Nezv York. By W. P. Hedrick. 100 colored plates, 4 vo., cloth. Price $4.00. Notice — When an order is given for the first time either a remittance or satisfactory reference must accom- pany it. The New York Book Mart. 29-33 West 42 Street. New York City; N. Y. We buy books in any quantity. ^k=__ ^ WILSON CLUB PUBLICATIONS Consist of two Scries : Old and New The Old Series comprise the following issues : Ornithologists' and Oologists' Semi-Annual, Vols. I and II, two niimbers each, Vol. Ill, one number. (Only No. 2 of Vol. I, and No. 1 of Vol. Ill are obtainable.) 35 cents a number. Wilson Quarterly, Vol. IV, two numbers. 25 cents a num- ber. The Journal, two numbers. 10 cents a number. The whole series (available numbers) $1.00. The New Series comprise the. Wilson Bulletins, from 1 to 67 inclusive. (Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, are out of print.) Of the Wilson Bulletins, No, 15 is a study of " The Oberlin Grackle Roost," 18 pages, by Lynds Jones. Price 15 cents. No. 30, " Warbler Songs," 56 pages, by Lynds Jones; in which all North American Warblers are discussed, the songs of nearly all described, and a field key to the adult males given. Price $1.00. No. 31, "A Monograph of the Flicker," 82 pages, by Frank L. Burns. Price 50 cents. No. 33, "A Summer Re- connoissance in the West," by Lynds Jones and W. L. Daw- son, being a study of the birds in fourteen states during a Journey of 7000 miles. Price 20 cents. No. 37, "A Sectional Bird Census." By Frank L. Burns. Price 50 cents. The other numbers consist of " General Notes." Price 15 and 30 cents each. The whole available New Series for $11.75. Address all communications to LYNDS JONES, Oberlin, Ohio THE ONTARIO NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN The Journal of the Wellington Field Naturalists' Club Guelph, Ont. An Annual Devoted to the Fauna and Flora of On- tario. This year's number will contain a large number of articles by the leading scientists of Ontario, and will be of great value to all interested in the Funa and Flora of Ontario. The price is 50 cents. (Free to all paid up members of the Wellington Field Naturalists' Club.) Address subscriptions and applications for adver- tising space to J. E. HO WITT, Editor O. A. C. Guelph, - - - - Canada. The Demand for December, 1 909 BIRD-LORE has so exceeded our estimate that, in spite of the fact that we printed an unusually large edition, the supply is now exhausted. We will, however, send a copy of the Sparrow plate (the first of the series of the Sparrows of North America in color) which appeared in that number to all subscribers to Bird-Lore for 1910 (Vol. XII), in order that their series of these plates may be complete. Annual Subscription $1.00 BIRD-LORE Harrisburg, Pa.