this group may be known by their brownish crown. The male and female are
alike in color; the young bird closely resembles them but has the crown
somewhat darker, and the winter plumage differs from that worn in summer
only in being slightly deeper in tone. Three races of this species are
known: The Bush-Tit (_P. m. minimus_) of the Pacific coast from northern
Lower California to Washington, in which the crown is sooty brown; the
California Bush-Tit (_P. m. californicus_), which occupies the interior
of California and Oregon, and has the crown much brighter than in the
coast form; and Grinda's Bush-Tit (_P. m. grindae_), a form of the Cape
Region of Lower California with a grayer back.
=Lead-colored Bush-Tit= (_Psaltriparus plumbeus._ Fig. 2). The gray
crown, of the same color as the back distinguishes this species from the
Bush-Tits living west of the Sierras. The male and the female are alike
in color; the young is essentially like them, but has less brownish on
the sides of the head, and there are no seasonal changes in color.
=Lloyd's Bush-Tit= (_Psaltriparus melanotis lloydi._ Figs. 3, 4).
Lloyd's Bush-Tit is a northern form of the Black-eared Bush-Tit of the
Mexican tableland. Occurring over our border only in western Texas,
southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona, it is rarely observed by the
field ornithologist. The adult male may always be known by its black
cheeks; and when the female has any black on the sides of the head (as
in Fig. 4), no difficulty is experienced in identifying her. But
immature males and often some apparently adult females are without
black, and they then so closely resemble the Lead-colored Bush-Tit that
it is impossible to distinguish them by color alone.
=Verdin= (_Auriparus flaviceps._ Fig. 5). When it leaves the nest, the
young Verdin is a gray bird with no yellow on its head or chestnut on
its wing-coverts, but at the postjuvenal molt both yellow head and
chestnut patch are acquired, and the bird, now in its first winter
plumage, cannot be distinguished from its parents. These closely
resemble each other, but the female sometimes has less yellow on the
head. After the colors of maturity are acquired, they are retained, and
thereafter there is essentially no change in the Verdin's appearance
throughout the year.
There are but two races of the Verdin. One (_A. f. flaviceps_) occupies
our Mexican border from coast to coast. The other, the Cape Verdin (_A.
f. lamprocephalus_), a smaller bird with a brighter yellow head, is
found only in the Cape Region of Lower California.
=Wren-Tit= (_Chamaea fasciata._ Fig. 6). The Wren-Tit enjoys the
distinction of being the only species in the only family of birds
peculiar to North America. It is restricted to the Pacific coast region
from northern Lower California north to Oregon. While it presents
practically no variation in color with age, sex, or season, it varies
considerably with locality, four races of it being recognized. Since
they are non-migratory, the purposes of field identification will best
be served by outlining their distribution as it is given in Dr.
Grinnell's recent, authoritative 'Distributional List of the Birds of
California' as follows:
=Pallid Wren-Tit= (_Chamaea fasciata henshawi_). Common resident of the
Upper Sonoran Zone west of the deserts and Great Basin drainage from the
Mexican line through the San Diegan district, northward coastwise to San
Luis Obispo and San Benito counties, and interiorly along the western
foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the lower McCloud River, in Shasta
County; also along the inner northern coast ranges from Helena, Trinity
County, and Scott River, Siskiyou County, south to Covelo, Mendocino
County, and Vacaville, Solano County. The easternmost stations for this
form are: vicinity of Walker Pass, Kern County, and Campo, San Diego
County.
=Intermediate Wren-Tit= (_Chamaea fasciata fasciata_). Common resident of
the coast region south of San Francisco Bay, from the Golden Gate to
southern Monterey County; east to include the Berkeley hills and at
least the west slopes of the Mount Hamilton range.
=Ruddy Wren-Tit= (_Chamaea fasciata rufula_). Common resident of the
humid coast belt immediately north of San Francisco Bay, in Marin,
Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. Northernmost station for this form:
Mendocino City.
=Coast Wren-Tit= (_Chamaea fasciata phaea_). Fairly common resident
locally in the extreme northern humid coast belt. Humboldt and Del Norte
Counties.
[Illustration (birds on branch)]
=Notes from Field and Study=
A Correction
Through a typographical error the Tree Sparrow was included in the
Census of Mrs. Herbert R. Mills of Tampa, Florida, published in the
January-February, 1916, issue of BIRD-LORE. The record should have read
Tree Swallow.--EDITOR.
Hints for Bird Clubs
The greatest problem with most of our bird clubs seems to be: What can
we do to make our meetings interesting, so that all the members,
especially the younger ones, will be anxious to come?
In planning for parties, picnics, or other entertainments of that sort,
we usually expect to have everyone present take a part in whatever games
or sports there are, and, no matter how often we have them, there is
never any question but that all who can do so will be there. I believe
that bird-club meetings can be made equally attractive if we go about
them in the same way, rather than to plan some sort of entertainment
where only a few are to have a part, as is usually the case.
There is almost no limit to the number of interesting and instructive
things we can do, and it will be possible for even the more advanced
bird students to learn something new at nearly every meeting.
Every member should have a notebook for keeping a record of the birds
seen and identified, with any new or interesting things observed, for
comparison with others at each meeting; and each member should have a
standing in the club according to the number of birds identified and the
amount of work done for the birds. This will be an inducement for each
member to do something or learn something new before the next meeting,
and to be present at all the meetings, to learn what others have done.
It will also be found helpful in learning about birds and in remembering
what is seen; for, unless we have some special reason for noting
carefully all that may be seen on our walks, even the most interested
observers will miss many things, and will forget much of what they did
see.
When about to start on a walk of about three miles, one bright pleasant
morning last June, I decided to keep a list of all the birds seen and
heard from the time I started until I returned. The walk was finished
between twelve and one o'clock, when most of the birds were quiet and
few were seen; yet I saw 105 birds on the trip, and had a good idea of
the number and variety of birds one might see at this time of the year.
If I had kept no record of the number, I could not have told how many I
was likely to see, or which species would be seen oftenest. All such
things will prove interesting at the meetings, and will add largely to
our knowledge of birds in the course of a year.
In winter, we should note the feeding habits of the different birds and
the number and kinds of winter visitors seen; it is also a good time to
make a study of nests, where they are placed, and the material used in
each.
In summer, there will be something for every day if we have our eyes
open; nesting habits, bird-baths, and occasionally some rare migrant to
tell about. It would be impossible to give a complete list of the
interesting things to be seen at this time.
Every club should own a few good reference books, and have them at their
meetings, to settle any questions that may arise. The 'Color Key to
North American Birds,' by Chapman, will be found useful for
identification, 'Wild Bird Guests,' by Baynes, for matters pertaining to
bird clubs and bird protection, also 'Useful Birds and their
Protection,' by Forbush.
There are many others that would prove beneficial, but these three are
almost indispensable, if we would learn the ways of our wild bird
friends and what we can do to help them.
It is understood that every family of bird lovers will be subscribers to
BIRD-LORE, for few would be willing to miss the interesting bits of
information to be found in every number of this bird magazine.
Selections from BIRD-LORE, the Audubon Leaflets, books on Nature by
standard authors, and occasionally articles from some of the popular
magazines, might be read at each meeting. This will prove a very
interesting part of the program, and there will always be material
enough to fill out any schedule.
Good plates of birds like those obtained with the Audubon Leaflets and
the set published with the 'Birds of New York' will help in
identifications, and, as the cost is very small, every club should have
at least one set of each.
If we can get our clubs once started along these lines, it seems
possible that it might become more of a problem to find time for
everything than to find something to do.
One year's course in a bird club of this kind should give every member a
fairly good knowledge of what we can do for the birds, and what they are
doing for us.--W. M. BUSWELL, _Superintendent Meriden, (N. H.) Bird
Club_.
Ornithological Possibilities of a Bit of Swamp-Land
For several years, I have had a bit of swamp-land under my eye,
especially during the cooler months. It is not exactly a beauty-spot,
being bordered by ragged backyards, city dumps, a small tannery, and a
dismantled factory, formerly used by a company engaged in cleaning hair
for plasterers' use.
A part of the surface is covered by cat-tails, the rest by a mixed
growth of water-loving shrubs, as sweet-gale, leather-leaf, andromeda,
and other shrubs which like to dabble their roots in ooze. A brook,
connecting two large ponds, runs through the swamp, giving current and
temperature enough to make certain a large amount of open water, even in
the coldest weather.
A little colony of Wilson's Snipe have made this swamp their winter home
for at least fifteen years, and probably much longer. Song, and
generally Swamp Sparrows can be found here all winter. This winter, we
have a Green-winged Teal, finding feed enough to induce her to remain;
and over beside the cat-tails, about some fallen willows, a Winter Wren
seems much at home.
During recent years, a sort of beach, made by dumping gravel to cover
refuse from the hair factory, has been a favored feeding place for
various Sandpipers, as well as the Snipe. The last of the Sandpipers
leave in November, while the Snipe remain.
Bitterns and Black-crowned Night Herons drop in during the fall and
summer, and our increasing Ring-neck Pheasant, the gunner's pet, loves
to skulk around the edges.
Tree Sparrows, Goldfinches, and their kin attract an occasional
Butcherbird and the smaller Hawks, Pigeon, Sparrow, and Sharp-shin in
season.
Early spring brings a host of Blackbirds, Redwings, Bronzed Grackles,
and Rusties; while a Cowbird hung about with some English Sparrows,
until Thanksgiving time, this year.
We are always on the lookout for something new to turn up in the swamp,
and are seldom disappointed. For so small a place, not over five acres,
it surely is a bird haven; especially does it seem so when, but a few
rods away on the nearby ponds, the ice-men are harvesting twelve-inch
ice. Naturally, local bird-lovers are praying that the hand of
"improvement" will be stayed a long time in wiping out this neglected
little nook.--ARTHUR P. STUBBS, _Lynn, Mass._
My Neighbor's Sparrow Trap
My neighbor one block to the north, Professor E. R. Ristine, who gives
me leave to use his name in the present connection, finally lost his
patience with English Sparrows (_Passer domesticus_), on or about May
15, 1915. The fact that an elderly person sharing the home with his
family could not sleep at reasonable hours on account of Sparrow chatter
was an element in the decision to which he soon came. For into his hands
fell an advertisement of a Sparrow trap, just such a two-funnel wire
affair as was described and recommended as early as 1912 by the
Department of Agriculture in Farmers' Bulletin 493. On May 20, 1915, the
trap arrived, and was duly installed and baited. It was at first placed
on the ground in the small chicken-yard at the rear of the house, and
the outer funnel was baited with a small amount of cracked grain, the
finer "chick-feed" proving to be most efficacious. The location of the
trap was changed at different times during the spring, summer, and fall,
and the total results on the Sparrow population were satisfactory beyond
expectations.
By June 11, only twenty-two days after the trap was set out, 78 Sparrows
had passed the fatal inner funnel of that simple contrivance, and at
this, fortunately for the accurate details of the present account, my
neighbor's interest was aroused to know precisely what the powers of his
most recent purchase might really be. With a pencil he marked thereafter
on the siding of his hen-house the mortuary record: 6/13--84, 6/17--100,
7/9--202, and so forth. That is to say, a total of 202 birds had been
gathered in by July 9, fifty days after the trap was put into action, or
an average of a little more than four per day. This rate of destruction
was much increased during the following month, the 300 mark being passed
on July 27, and the 400 mark on August 11. The rate of capture then
declined, and it was not until September 18 that the figure 508 was
registered. The trap remained set until December 5, at which time the
deadly record stood at 597. A few dozens more had entered the trap but
escaped through the insufficient latching of the "clean-out" door. After
December 5 heavy snows fell, followed by sleet storms, and my neighbor
temporarily placed his trap out of service on a back porch.
A few facts in connection with the above record will prove of interest.
The heaviest catches were made when the currants became very ripe and
the trap was placed under the laden bushes. Fewest Sparrows were caught
when the sweet corn in the garden was in the milk stage, the birds
preferring the contents of the juicy kernels to the dry grain with which
the trap was baited. The largest catch on any one day was 20 birds, this
number being reached on two different dates, June 27 and August 4. The
Sparrows seemed to arrive in flocks of greater or less size, and the
record would mount rapidly until these were gathered in. Then, for
several days possibly, no birds at all would be trapped. And the fine
feature of the entire season's experience was that this trap caught
English Sparrows and no other bird whatsoever. The only exception to
English Sparrows was a single hoary old house rat that had evidently
followed a Sparrow in; at any rate, the latter was found partially
devoured.
Relief from the Sparrow nuisance began to come to our neighborhood about
the middle of August, after full 400 of the noisy chatterers had fallen
victim to the innocent-looking wire cage. And by the time the Indian
summer days of October came, the English Sparrow tribe in our part of
town had dropped from the status of "abundant" to only "fairly common."
Indeed, I have not seen more than six individuals together in our end of
the little city at any time in the last three months.
Is it possible that my neighbor's experience was out of the ordinary? I
do not see why it should be, but I have found a similar record only in
the above-mentioned Farmers' Bulletin, where the capture of 300 Sparrows
in six weeks in the Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis, is noted. If
it is at all typical of what may be accomplished, then one or two things
seem clear. An easy method is at hand for holding in check the Sparrow
nuisance and more attention should be given to Farmers' Bulletin 493
than seems thus far to have been accorded this worthy
publication.--CHARLES R. KEYES, _Mt. Vernon, Iowa_.
A Tropical Migration Tragedy
[We are indebted to Prof. M. H. Saville for a copy of 'El Comercio' for
October 18, 1915, a newspaper published at San Pedro Sula, Honduras,
which contains the following account of a migration tragedy.--EDITOR.]
"At midnight, on October 10, 1915, there commenced to appear groups of
birds flying in a southerly direction. At the time darkness set in, we
began to hear the call of a great number of birds that were circling
constantly over the city. This avian invasion increased considerably
during the night. The main part of the army of invasion crossing the
Gulf of Honduras arrived in the evening off the coast of Puerto Cortes.
These birds do not travel by day, but follow the eastern shore, guided
by certain groups that, toward night, exhausted, ceasing their flight,
turn inland. The bright rays from the electric lights projected high in
among the clouds, serving to indicate the position of San Pedro Sula
and, attracted by its splendor, the bird emigrants, greatly fatigued by
their vigorous exercise in the long flight against contrary winds in
their travel across the Gulf of Mexico (approximately 700 miles), their
short stay in Yucatan, and their flight across the Gulf of Honduras, the
greater part of them fell one upon another in their revolutions about
the lights, some dropping half-crazed against the roofs and fences,
breaking wings and legs, some dying outright.
"At two o'clock in the morning, the greater part of the expedition
directed toward this zone had arrived in the neighborhood of the city.
It was at that time that the sound of their striking against the posts
and the electric wires was a continual tattoo. It seemed almost as
though the stones in the streets had been awakened, and were being
hurled against the inhabitants. Numbers of birds striking against the
zinc roofs gave off a sound like hurrying footsteps, the drumming on the
zinc extending over the entire city. At one spot within a radius of two
yards there fell dying six wounded birds. In the morning the streets
were strewn with bodies; the greater part of them dead, others wounded."
A Shower of Birds
In the fall of 1915, a violent wind-storm passed through the southern
states, just grazing the edge of Spartanburg, in upper South Carolina.
Here the minister of the First Presbyterian Church was about to take
shelter in his home, from the fury of the wind, when he saw what
appeared to be a small, black cloud swoop down upon his roof and
disappear. He hastened in, and found, to his and his family's dismay,
that little black birds were fairly pouring down one of the chimneys.
The birds seemed to have been stunned by the force of the gale to which
they had been exposed, and the floor was soon covered, several inches
deep, with their inanimate bodies. They were picked up by the bucketful,
and thrown out, but soon revived and flew away, none the worse,
apparently, for their unusual experience. Two little fellows who were
overlooked took refuge on a curtain pole, where they were discovered by
a little girl, several hours later.
This is probably the only time on record when it literally rained birds.
The birds were common Chimney Swifts.--R. L. FRIPP, _Spartanburg, S. C._
A Heron's Involuntary Bath
Some of the little comedies of bird life are amusing to the onlooker,
although, like those happening to human beings, not always so pleasant
to the individuals participating. A neighbor of mine where I live on the
shores of an island in the Great South Bay, took up his dock for the
winter season and left a stake in the water. It is beneath the surface
except at low tide when it projects an inch or two above. At dusk on the
evening of October 23, 1915, two Black-crowned Night Herons came winging
along. The one in the lead, happening to spy the top of the nearly
submerged stake, immediately dropped down and appropriated it for a
temporary fishing-station. Its mate, probably trusting it had landed in
very shallow water, dropped down also beside it. But it kept on going
down until only its head and shoulders protruded. It was a surprised
bird, and stood there a few minutes in its awkward predicament, looking
around as if vainly trying to grasp the situation. Then, finally giving
it up, it managed to spring out and fly off.--JOHN R. TOOKER, _Babylon,
Long Island_.
Winter Notes from Carlisle, Ind.
We are having a very mild winter, with heavy rains. During last week it
has been warm, and numerous Robins have been here. There is a
twenty-acre alfalfa field adjoining town, and some eight acres of it was
mown only once and the other crop left on the ground. This makes a
regular haven for the Meadow Larks, and during the past week they have
been having a regular carnival. You can hear dozens of them singing at a
time. There must be hundreds of them in this field. Song Sparrows have
also been singing.--J. H. GILLILAND, _Carlisle, Ind._
Notes from Nebraska
What is the most abundant bird in a given locality? This a question
often conjectured upon by both ornithologists and casual observers. The
terms "abundant," "common," "scarce," or "very scarce," form poor
records of actual abundance, as suggested in recent issues of BIRD-LORE.
So, to get data on actual abundance, I took weekly bird censuses during
the months of May, June, July, and a part of August, 1915, making counts
of both number of species and number of individuals.
Of eight such censuses, taken during June, July, and August, in
northeastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska, Dickcissels proved to be
the most abundant in six, if the exception is made of English Sparrows,
which led in numbers in two censuses. This, I should say, would be the
case over a large part of the middle West, of which the above-mentioned
vicinities are typical.
Here are my figures on the Dickcissel:
*June 5. Sabetha, Kan., 99 individuals noted in 4-3/4 hours afield.
*June 12. Du Bois, Nebr., 64 individuals noted in 5 hours afield.
*June 19. Pawnee, Nebr., 35 individuals noted in 5 hours afield.
*June 27. Lewiston, Nebr., 109 individuals noted in 6-1/2 hours afield.
*July 5. Beatrice, Nebr., 25 individuals noted in 4-1/2 hours afield.
July 11. Beatrice, Nebr., 46 individuals noted in 6 hours afield.
July 25. Hebron, Nebr., 36 individuals noted in 3-3/4 hours afield.
*Aug. 1. Ruskin, Nebr., 39 individuals noted in 5 hours afield.
Dates preceded by an asterisk are those upon which the counts showed the
Dickcissel to be the most abundant species, English Sparrows excepted.
These figures indicate an average of 11-1/4 Dickcissels seen or heard
per hour.
And, in spite of this prominent place the Dickcissel holds in our bird
life, I have talked numbers of times with intelligent people who not
only disclaim any knowledge of the bird, but say they have never heard
the name 'Dickcissel' before.
On July 11, 1915, in and around Beatrice, Nebr., I counted 5,483
Blackbirds, which I am reasonably sure were Bronzed Grackles. Of this
number, 5,260 were counted from one location on the bank of the Big Blue
River, the flock passing continuously for about one hour. This is
mentioned as being further indicative of actual abundance, and it might
be suggested that, in actual numbers, the Bronzed Grackles might
outweigh the Dickcissels, their immense numbers in flocks more than
making up for the more uniform local distribution of the non-flocking
Dickcissels.
In the May-June, 1915, number of BIRD-LORE, I note that Mr. Ridgway
classes the Upland Plover as a "species verging toward extermination,"
speaking of it as now very scarce in southern Illinois. This bird of
the prairies is still to be found in southeastern Nebraska, and I
believe it could not be called very scarce in that locality. On June 27,
1915, in Pawnee County, Nebraska, I saw a flock of nine of these birds;
on July 11, in Gage County, I noted one; on July 12, in Gage County, I
noted eight; on July 23, in Thayer County, I noted one; and on August 1,
in Nuckolls County, I saw a flock of ten.
Mr. Ridgway's description of the song of the Upland Plover is a fitting
one. Its peculiar, mournful whistle _is_ "one of the most thrilling of
bird songs."--HOWARD PARET, _Kansas City, Mo._
A Gannet Over the Hudson River