B irds of America

E D ITOR- IN-CH IEFT . G i lbert Pearson

Pres iden t of the Na t iona l Assoc ia t ion of Audubon Soc ie t ies

CON SULT ING E D I TORJohn Burroughs

CONTRIBUT ING E D ITORSEdward H . Forbush Herbe rt K . JobS ta te Orn i tholog is t , Massachuset ts Econorn ic Orn i tho log is t

\V i l l iam L . Fin ley L . Ne l son N icho l sNa tura l is t , Au thor , and Lec turer Member L innazan Soc iety

MANAG ING E D ITOR ASSOCIATE E D ITORGeorge G l adden J El l is Burdick

Assoc iate Member of Am er icanOrn i tho log ists '

UnionART IST S

R . I . B rasher R . Bruce Horsfa l l Hen ry Thurs ton

VOLUME

T H E U N I V E R S IT Y SO C I ET Y INC.

N ew Yor k

1923

e fléf e'

r $ 4

554”

M ax/l

Copyr igh t , 1917 . by

T he Un ivers i ty Soc ie t-y In c.

Man ufac ture d i n th e U . S . A .

composmion ,passswoax, AND éiNO

‘

ING‘

J . a. L-YON COMP'

AN-Y, ALBANIY, N . Y"

.

ADVISORY BOARD

AR THU R A . ALLEN ,

Ass i s tant-

Protessor of Orn itho logy ,Corne l l Un i vers ity .

G'LO'

V E R MOR RTLL ALLEN, Ph .D .

,

Secretary ,Boston Soc iety of Natura l H istory

MORTON JOHN ELROD,Ph .D . ,

Professor of B iol ogy ,Un i vers i ty of Mon tana

WA LTE R KE NDR ICK FI SHER , Ph .D .,

Assoc ia te Professor of Z oo logy ,

‘

Leland Stan ford Un i versityG . CLYDE P IS-HER , Ph .D .

,

Amer i can Mu seum .of Na tura l H i storyHARRY S . HATHAWAY

Ly N=Ds J-ONaEs , Ph .D. ,

Associa te Profiessor of An ima l Ecology , Ober l in Co l legeDR-IN GR AN T LLEEY ,

PhD

Secre tary ,State H i s tor i ca l Soc iet y ,

North . Dako taS

'

LL-A-s A . LOTT-R IDGE ,

Na tura l i s t , A-nthor , an'

d"

Lecturer

J . WALKER M cSPADDEN ,

Au t hor and Lecturer

GEOR GE HEN RY PERKT-s Ph D

S . F RATHIE -

UN,

PAUL M . R EA , A .M . ,

Di -rect 'or ,Cleve land , Oh io, M useum of Natuurl a l H‘i-story

R . W . SIH'UFE LDT , M'

D ,

Author and W i ld Bi 'fe Photographer

W . CLYDE TODD,

R . W. W IL L-LAME

CONTENTS

p‘RfiEEA6E

igRlE-BEES

L-{OJONIS

Ai-J-KS ,M E -R

-REES , AND PUFF-1T S

SK ‘

UAf-S AND j-AEG-E

-

R s

{GEL-L'

s

TE RMS

S ‘Kil tMNI-ER S

QRIDLER OE T-tgt-B IEwNos

-ED SW IN E-

LEN S

AER-AZTEROs'

sEs

JEEflL i v-IARS , SHEARW ATERE ,.AND

' P ETR ‘

EsL-S

ORDER 5011? TOTri-R-AL'

MA'

TED SiwIN-m ER s

ORDE R OF LAME I LTR OSTRA L SW I-Ix-

‘IME RS

ORDER ls-F LAE1.E

OIRJEIEFR TO'

TF HER O-NE , STOR‘K

’S,iIE 'r-sEE,

ETC

SPO ONB'I'

IL L S I -s AND rS'

TO'R‘

K-‘

S

HERON FAMI LY

V i B IRDS OF AMERICA

ORDE R OF MAR SH - DWE L'LE '

R S

CRANEs AND COU RLAN S

R A I LS,GA LL INU LE S , AND COOTs

ORDE R OF SHORE B I RDS

PHA LA ROPE S

Av'

ocETs AND ST I LTS

S-N IRE S , SANDP IPE R S ,PLOV E R S

SU RE-B IRDS AND TL’

RNSTONE S

OYSTE R- CATCHE R S

P R EFACE

HE actual and urgent need for thi s book i s apparent t o the large and steadi l yincreasing num ber of persons who are in te l l igentl y in teres t ed in Amer ican

orn i thol ogy . Thi s need i s due to the fact tha t in al l the l i terature of that sub

ject th ere i s no single work wh ich presents a complete review of what i s knowntod ay about American birds .

The task of preparing a comprehen sive accoun t of the bird l i fe of a con

tinent is far too great to be accompl i shed in a natural l i fetime by any individual work ing al one ; and un t i l recen tl y there has been no sy stematiccooperation between s tuden ts of our native birds . It i s inevitab l e , therefore ,

that continued s tudy of the sub ject , aided by such cooperation , shoul d havereveal ed m an y errors of commi ssion and omi ssion in the l abors of Wi l son , Audubon , B onaparte , an d the other ear l ier studen t s of thi s di fficul t and complex science . Neverthel ess ,i t i s cl ear that the work of these m en l a id the foundation of American orn ithology ; for theirl abor s not on l y furn i shed much materia l of scientific value , but encouraged interest in and

sympath y for b irds , and thereby in spired fur ther s tudy of these beauti ful and u sefu l formsof an imate l i fe .

The orn i tho logical pioneers mentioned recorded not on l y techn ical descrip t ion s o f birds ,but were at much pain s to present observa t ion s ca lcu la ted to give the reader ideas abou tb ird person a l ity . Later wri ters have confined themsel ves general l y to one or the other ofthese a spec t s of bird l i fe or to regional orn i thol ogy .

,Doubt less the devel opmen t of these

two school s has been due to the real i zation of the enormou sness of the task of presen t ingbo th techn ical description s , and accurate as we l l as readabl e characteri za t ion s of thehundredsof species wh ich occur on thi s continent . In the case of the techn ical student however , i t

di scl oses al so the fact that one who i s intent upon gathering purel y scien t ific data abou tb i rds that i s , stati stics and detai l s concern ing their si ze , color ,

di s t ribu t ion , n idifi cation ,

and so on i s l i kel y to overl ook , or at l east to pay l i ttle heed to habi t s or charac teri s t icswhich have no cl assifi catory value .

Yet it i s these very characteri stics , rather than the purel y scien tific data ,which make

the strongest appeal to the imagination and the sympathies of the great ma j ority of personswho are interes ted in b irds . Indeed , it may be doubted whe ther any accoun t of a bird ,

however accurate and detai l ed i t i s in its presentation of mere l y physical facts , is actua l l ycompl ete i f it om i ts or curtai l s referen ce to trai ts which reveal the human and msthetic sign ifi can ce of that bird ’s natura l l i fe . Surel y , the cl everness and the fi ne courage which a

mother bird di spl ay s in conceal ing and protecting her eggs , are as sign ificant as are their

mere number and color .

It i s the purpose of thi s work to present accuratel y and sympathetical l y both of thesephases of bird l i fe , that i s , the physical and the m oral . The utmost pain s have been takento presen t a preci se d escription of the extern al physical appearan ce of each bird sel ectedfor separate treatment . The si ze of the b ird may be con sidered the basic fact in its iden tification , and this i s restri cted (except in a few in stances) to the average l ength , becau se thatis the dim en sion most clear l y di scern ib le in the l iving bird .

The co lor of the bird i s even more impor tant than its si ze , as a mean s of identifica t ion ,

and especial care has been taken in th i s particular . The most accurate and detai led description s of the coloration of American birds are those which are included in R obert R idgway

’s[v i i ]

v i i i B IR DS OF AMERICA

monumental work , The B i rds of North and M i ddle Ameri ca , of which seven parts have beeni ssued by the Un ited States National M useum . These description s

, however , are expressedin terminol ogy much of which i s comprehen sible on l y to the trained and essential l y scien tificorn ithol ogi st . Therefore , in order to empl oy thi s material in the present work

, it becamenecessary to sub sti tute common words for the techn ical terms ; but in doing thi s great carewas taken to reproduce the exact mean ing of the or iginal text . By thi s expedien t therehas been presented in pl ain language a vast amount of scientifical l y accurate descri ptivematerial wh ich , in i ts original form , woul d be comprehen sib le for the l ay reader on l y by thecon stant use of an unabridged dictionary . Simi l ar changes have been made , when they werenecessary , in using R idgway ’s text for the paragraph s on the di stribution o f species

, and

in the section s which characteri z e the generic groups . The description s of bi rds not includedin Parts I to V I I Of The B i rds of North and M i ddle Ameri ca , have been wri tten by R . I .B rasher . Special identification or

“ fiel d mar ks have been i ta l ici sed .

Al though thi s preci se and fair l y compl ete physical description i s essen tial for the purposes Of scien tific orn ithol ogy , and Often i s needed by the layman to suppl emen t or cor

r oborate hi s own ob servation ,what M r . Burroughs cal l s the human sign ifican ce of our

feathered neighbors i s undoubtedl y that which ch iefly interests the very large and increas

ing arm y of bird l overs . Thi s human sign ificance is reflected in natural or acqui red traitswhich , singl y or comb ined , often give a bird a very defin ite personal ity . To the observerwho l earn s to detect and understand these traits , the study of birds becomes far more thana mere science devoted to the co l lection and cl assification of phy sical facts . For on ce he hasadopted th i s poin t of view , he begin s to see something very l i ke di stinct character and per

sona l ity in the bird worl d ; and observing the man ifestation s o f such traces of in dividual itybecomes to him infin itel y more interesting and sign ificant than the mere noting of the si z e ,

con tour , and pl umage pecu l iari ties of a bird , or its occurrence here , there , or el sewhere at

thi s or that time Of the year .

The characteri zation s , or l i fe h i stor ies , of the species which receive separate treatmentin the fo l l owing pages , were prepared with especial regard for portraying their interesting anddi stinctive traits . In most in stances thi s treatment reveal s characteri stics which serve to

d ifferen tiate the species with much defi n iteness . It i s , of course , true that individual differences may occur even with in the species . For example , an individual bird may di splaywhat clear l y seem s to be unusual confidence in man , or uncommon cleverness in concealing i ts nest or protecting its young. And it i s frequentl y remarked that a certain bird may be

a much more accompl i shed singer than are the others of hi s species in the same vicin ity .

Neverthel ess there i s a general simi l arity between the habits and temperament of birdsof the same species , and therefore a description of these habits wi l l be found to appl y tothe average individual b ird of the species concerned .

To the techn ical descriptive matter of especial interest to the sy stematic orn i thol ogi st ,and the popu l ar characteri zation s intended particularl y for the non - scientifi c student Of

b irds , has been added wherever i t i s cal led for much very impor tan t and in terestingmatter concern ing the actual usefu lness of birds . Thi s sub ject of economic orn i tho logyhas been careful l y investigated by the Un ited States Bureau Of Biol ogical Survey , whoseexperts have gathered and compi led a great mass of stati stics and other data con cern ingthe food habits of birds , the ob ject being to convey preci se in formation as to which are the

u sefu l and which are the harmful species . It woul d be di ffi cul t to overstate the value ofth i s work if its resu l ts were general l y understood ,

for these researches demon strate beyondperadven ture the enormous usefu lness of the birds in destroying in sect pests wh ich , but for

thi s check of their natural rate of increase , woul d ruin every year many mi l l ion s of dol larswor th of crops

, and threaten with defo l iation and death many ki nds of trees .

The Bureau of B iol ogical Survey endeavors to di sseminate thi s in formation as widel yas poss ibl e , and in order to assi st in thi s good work the data gathered by i ts experts havebeen free l y used in the fol lowing pages . Thi s has been done not on l y becau se of the obvious

Fr om a D r a w i n g by H e n r y Th u r rwu Copyr ig h t , 1917. by Th e U n i v c r ru y Suc h-(y , I n t .

EGG S O F AM ER ICA N B I RD S(P late Numbe r O ne)

PREFACE ix

va lue and in terest of the in formation thu s con veyed , but becau se the repor t s and bu l l e t in sin which it i s conta ined are l i ke l y with in a few years to become unava i lab le through the

exhaus t ion of the compara t ivel y sma l l suppl y prin ted . Th i s , indeed ,has a l ready happened

in the case of many of the mos t va luable bu l letin s , which are now unob ta inab le except inthe larger pub l ic l ibrari es and other repositories for such documen ts , and therefore haveonl y very restri cted circu la t ion . Possessors of B i rds of Ameri ca wi l l therefore havepermanen t access to the best o f thi s very va luab le materia l .

Final l y ,some expl anation of the genera l form in which thi s work i s presen ted may not

come ami ss in th i s connection . In their arrangement most orn i thol ogies fol low the evolu~

tionary pl an of proceeding from the l owest to the h ighest form s which , in the ca se of the

birds , mean s from the Diving Birds which are con sidered by the scien ti sts the l owest form s ,to the Thrushes wh ich are ran ked as the h ighest . Thi s i s the order in wh ich the bi rds arearranged in the Check —Li st of the Ameri can Orn ithol ogi sts

’ Un ion , and the one which has

been fo l l owed in these pages .

The Check—L i st of the American Orn i thol ogi sts’ Un ion includes the names of abou t

twel ve hundred b irds to wh ich sy stematic orn ithol ogi sts accord ful l specific or sub - specifi c"

ran k . Thi s sub - specifi c di stinction i s often based upon very incon siderab l e p lumage d ifferences Of l i ttl e or no interest or sign ifican ce to the l ay studen t of birds , whi le the character ofthe bi rd remain s unchanged . In other words , a R obin i s a R ob in ,

whether he has wh i tetips to the outer tail —feathers , as in the comm on R obin ,

or whether he l ack s these spots ,as in the Western R ob in . B i rds of Ameri ca d i scu sses about one thou sand b i rds . It

practical l y covers every species and subspecies with wh ich a studen t of birds i s l i kel y tocome in con tact in North America .

The pub l i shers wi sh to than k M r . T . Gi l bert Pearson ,who,

in addition to h i s serv icesas Edi tor —in -chief , has given freel y of the photograph s and material assemb l ed by the Nati onalAssociation of Audubon Socie t ies ; M r . Herbert K . Job ,

for hi s photograph s and helpfu l suggestion s ; M r . Edward H . Forbu sh ,

for h i s advice , and ,through him , the Massachu setts

Board of Agri cu l ture for orn i thol ogical l iterature prin ted by them ; M r . Wi l l iam L . F in l eyand M r . H . T . Boh lm an for pictures suppl ied ; Dr . Jonathan Dwight , jr .

,for valuabl e sug

gestion s and critici sms , and perm i ssion to quote from The Auk ; Dr . R . W . Shufeldt for

critical suggestion s ; M r . C . Wal ter Short for hi s interest and practical advice on manu

facturing detai l s ; M r . Vredenburgh for h is carefu l superv i sion o f the photo - engrav ing ;Dr . Fran k M . Chapman for permi ssion to quote from h is books ; M rs . F l orence MerriamBai ley for perm i ssion to quote from her book , H andbook of Western B i rds of the Un i ted

S tates ; M rs . Mabel Osgood Wright , for permi ssion to quote from her book B i rdcraft ; Mr .

John Burrough s for permi ssion to quote from hi s Works ; M r . C . Wi l l iam B eebe for

photograph s ; E l i zabeth Torrey and John W . Seabury for permi ssion to quote from the

Works of B radford Torrey ; M r . Winthrop Parkhurst for permi ssion to quote fromthe Works of H . E . Parkhurst ; M r . Wi l l iam Leon Dawson for permi ssion to quote fromB i rds of Ohio, B i rds of Washington , and B i rds of Ca l iforn i a ; M rs . Ol ive Thorne M i l ler forpermi ssion to quote from The Chi ldren

’

s B ook of B i rds and A B i rd Lover i n the West ; M r .

F . Schuyl er Mathews for quotation s from hi s Fi eld B ook of Wi ld B i rds and thei r Jl -Ius ic ;

M r . R a l ph Hoffman for quotation s from hi s Gu ide to the B i rds of N ew England and Eas tern

New York ; M r . Wal ter H . R ich for permi ssion to quote from h is Feathered Game of the North

east ; M r . H . T . M iddl eton , M r . Si las A . Lottr idge , M r . A . A . A l l en , and al l o thers who haveso generou s l y con tributed of their best in photograph ic studies ; the Un ited Frui t Companyfor the use of paintings for reproduc t ion on the ti t le pages ; and the Hercu l es Powder Co .

,

for quotation s from GameFarmi ngfor P rofi t and P leasure.

The fol l owing pub l i shers have courteous l y granted these permi ssion s : D . AppletonCO . for quotation s from the Works of Frank M . Chapman ; Houghton M iffi in CO . for Toan Orio le by Edgar A . Fawcett

,quotation s from The Chi ldren

’

s B ook of B i rds and A B i rd

Lover i n the West by O l ive Thorne M i l ler ,quotation s from H andbook of B i rds of the Western

x BIRDS OF AMER ICA

Un i ted S tates by F lorence Merr iam Bai ley ,quotation s from the Works of John Burroughs ,

quotation s from the Works of Bradford Torrey , and quotation s from Gu ide to the B i rds ofNew England and Eastern N ew York by R alph Hoffman ; The John Lane Co . for quotation sfrom B i rds by S ea and Land by John M acl air Boarston ; the M acmi l lan Co . for quotation s from the Works of M abel Osgood Wright ; E l i z abeth C . T . M i l l er for quotation s fromB i rds of Ohi o by Wi l l iam Leon Dawson ; G . P . Putnam ’s Son s for quotation s from Field

Book of Wi ld B i rds an d thei r [Mus ic by F . Schuy ler M athews ; T . Y . Crowel l CO ., for quo

tation from Feathered Game of the Northeast by Wal ter H . Ri ch ; and Charl es Scribner ’s Son sfor quotation s from the Works of H . E . Parkhurst .

To the Un ited States Department of Agricu l ture and the members of the BiologicalSurvey , to the New Yor k State Museum and its director Dr . John M . Cl arke , and to the

Ameri can Museum of Natural H i story and its director Dr . Frederi c A . Lucas and the

m embers of i ts scien tific staff are due special than k s for the m aterial and p icture s supp l iedby them .

The carefu l workman ship o f The J . B . Lyon Compan y of Albany , the Phoen ix Engraving Company , of New York Ci ty ,

and the Z eese-Wi l k in son Compan y , of New York Ci t y ,

have made possib le the mechan ica l perfec t ion of these volumes .

Courtesy ofH . T . M idd letonWILD-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER SNAPPING A PIED-EILLED GREBE IN A POND

INTRO DUCT I ON

By T . G I LB ER T PE AR SON ,B . S .

HERE i s to-day in the Un i ted S tates a very wide interest in the con servationof wi ld birds . Thi s i s man i fested in the great in terest which the pub l ic showsin proposed l egi sl ative enactmen ts for bird—pro tection

,in the propagation

of vari ous game—b irds on priva te and publ ic proper t ies ,“

in the bui ld ing and

erection of innumerabl e boxes for the conven ien ce of n esting birds , and in

the con stan t l y increasing finan cial support given to the Nati ona l Association of Audubon Societies , and its man y affi l iated state and l ocal bird protection clubs throughout the coun try .

A l ivel y curiosity has spread among a l l cla sses of th in k ing peopl e as to

the n ames o f the bi rds they see,what they feed on , and something of their

com ing and going,wi th the resu l t that the demand for bird books has become very grea t .

No pub l i sher of general l i terature wou ld to-day deem his l i st of book s adequate wi thoutone or more standard works on some phase of orn i thology . L iterary maga zines con

stantly are pub l i shing articl es on the habits of birds , the migra t ion of birds , the economicvalue of birds , the aesthetic in terest in bird l i fe .

There have been recorded in Nor th America eight hundred di stinct spec ies of wi ldbi rds , and four hundred addi t iona l subspecies , or c l ima t ic varieties . Th i s refers to the ter

ritory l y ing north of the Ri o Grande and not to M iddl e Amer ica ,which includes M exico

and Central America . Natural l y the individual s of some of these species are far‘

more

num erou s than are others . For example ,during hi storic times there probabl y never were

more than a few thousand specimen s of the Ca l i forn ia V u l ture , wh i le such common speciesas the R obin and the M ourn ing Dove run into the m i l l ion s .

Some b i rds are extreme l y rare , for examp l e on l y one specimen of the Sca led Petrelhas ever been taken in North Am erica , and that was in Livingston coun t y , New York ,al though the n atural habitat of al l Petrel s i s on the open seas .

No one state contain s al l these various form s of bird - l i fe . From the latest avai lablein formation the fol l owing l i st shows the number of birds that have been recorded in the

variou s states of the Un ion :

Al abama ,2 75 ; Ar i zona , 3 71 ; Arkan sas , 255 ; Cal i forn ia , 54 1 ; Co lorado , 403 ; Conn ect

icut , 3 3 4 ; Del aware ,2 29 ; Di stri ct of Columbia , 293 ; F l orida , 3 62 ; Idaho , 2 1 0 ; I l l inoi s , 3 90 ;

Indian a , 3 2 1 ; Iowa , 3 56 ; Kan sa s , 3 79 ; Ken tucky ,2 28 ; Loui siana , 3 23 ; M aine , 3 2 7 ; M ary

l and,2 90 ; M assachu setts

, 3 69 ; M ichigan , 3 26 ; M innesota , 3 04 ; M i ssouri , 3 83 ;'

Nebraska ,

4 1 8 ; Nevada ,2 50 ; New Hampsh ire ,

283 ; New Jer sey , 3 58 ; New Mexico , 3 14 ; New York ,

4 1 2 ; Nor th Carol ina , 3 3 1 ; Nor th Dakota , 3 3 8 ; Oh io , 3 3 0 ; Oregon , 3 28 ; Penn sy l van i a , 3 00 ;

Rhode I sl and , 293 ; South Carol ina , 3 3 7 ; Tenn essee ,2 23 ; Texas , 546 ; Utah ,

2 14 ; V ermont .

255 ; Vi rgin ia , 3 02 ; Wa sh ington , 3 72 ; West V irgin ia , 246 ; Wi scon sin , 3 57 ; Wyom ing ,288 .

For the remain ing fi ve states no l i st of bi rds has been pub l i shed .

Among the twel ve hundred species and sub species there are a con siderab le numberthat are exotic and are never seen in thi s coun try save on rare occasion s when bl own far bystorm s they wander to our shores . Among thi s class may be men tioned such species as

the Scar let Ibi s from South Ameri ca , the Mew Gu l l from northern Europe , the G iant Ful

mar of the sou thern ocean s , and the Lapwing,R ook

,and Wheatear from the old wor ld .

[xi ]

xi i B IRDS OF AMER ICA

Birds vary greatl y in the extent of their natural range and here again compari son may

be made between the Cal i forn ia Vul ture and the R obin ; the one ranging in suitable l ocal itiesfrom southern Fl orida to Al aska , the other being restricted to the Cal i forn ia moun tain s .

The bird of greatest range in the worl d i s the Arctic Tern ,which in the northern summer

haunts the North American coastl ine from M aine to the Arctic seas , and during our winter

feeds al ong the shores of the An tarctic continen t . M ost birds have a much more restrictedrange and but few are found in every state . Some species occur on l y al ong the Pacific coast ,others on l y in the northeastern States and Canada , and sti l l others are confined to the southAtl antic and Gul f States .

The earl ier l egi sl ative enactments for b ird—protection in the Un ited States deal t almostentirel y with game-birds . So persi stentl y was thi s cl ass of birds shot , trapped , and nettedafter the coming of the European s , that it soon became apparen t that restri ctive mea suresmu st be taken i f some of the more popu l ar game-birds were to be preserved for posterity .

These l aws at fir st were qui te amateuri sh , but as a resul t of experien ce they l ater were establ ished al ong certain defin i te l ines , v i z .

, first , those setting aside certain season s Of the yearwhen the birds cou l d be k il l ed , the idea of thi s being to a fford them protection during theperiod of incubation and caring for the young ; secon d , forbidding certain methods Of captureas for exampl e fi re l ighting at n ight , netting, and shooting into flocks with l arge swivelgun s ; and , th ird , l imi ting the number that m ight be taken in a day or season .

It was found that the ordinary civi l Officers cou l d not , or woul d not , en force the game

l aws sati sfactor i l y ,hence there soon devel oped a pl an of empl oying special state offi cer s

kn own as game warden s whose specific duty i t was to see that the l aws protecting b irds andgame were Ob served . In order to rai se funds for the empl oying of these officer s and al soto in crease the restri ction s on gunn er s the custom arose of requiring hun ters

’

l icen se feesof al l who desired to k i l l these State assets . These fees run from one dol lar to three dol l arsfor a resident of the State and from fi v e to seven ty —fi v e do l l ars for a non —residen t of theState . Thi s hun ting l icen se fund in some of the l arger States at times amoun ts toor m ore annual l y .

It was not un ti l about the m idd le eighties that pub l ic atten tion was drawn strongl y tothe desirab i l ity o f preserv ing that group of bi rds u sual l y referred to as non -

game b irds .By a campaign of education the Audubon Society , first formed at that time , began to edu

cate the pub l ic sentiment on the sub ject with the resu l t that the law u sual l y known as the

Audubon Law and which has for its purpose the protection of thi s l arge group of bi rds , hasbeen enacted in the Legi slatures of al l the States wi th the exception of Six. By the enact

ment of the Federal M igratory Bird Law on M arch 4 ,1 9 1 3 , a provi sion protecting these

birds was created which cover s the Un i ted States . On December 1 0 , 1 9 16, a treaty betweenth i s country an d Great B ri tain was ratified ,

wh ich extends protection to non —

game birds inthe Domi n ion of Canada .

The best pl ace to study wi ld birds i s on a B ird R eservation for here the bi rds havegreatl y l ost thei r fear of man , and pri m itive condition s , so far as the birds are concerned ,

have thu s l argel y been restored . In one of the protected sea—bird colon ies of North Caro l inaI have photographed R oyal Tern s standing unafraid on the sands not twel ve feet di stan t .

They had become so accu stomed to the warden in charge that they had regained their

confidence in man . At Lake Worth I saw a man feed Scaup Ducks that swam to with in

two yards of h is boat . In thousands of door - yards throughout the country wi l d bi rds , wonby k ind treatment , now take their food or drin k within a few feet of their human protec

tors . Th i s i s becau se the door - yards have been made l ittle bird reservation s . I hav e a numberof friends who regu lar l y feed Chickadees in win ter as the birds perch on their outs tretchedhands . It i s aston i sh ing how quick l y wi l d creatures respond to a l ittl e reasonable treat

men t , as m ay readi l y be l earned by any househol der who wi l l try the exper imen t . W ith a

l i t tl e patien ce any teacher may in struct her pupi l s in the simp l e art of making the birdsfeel at hom e in the v icin ity of the school -hou se .

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Eggs of Amer ican B irds

PLATE NO. 2

W h ip-

poor-w i l l

N ighthawk

Ye l low-bi l led CuckooB e l ted K ingfi sherL eas t B it ternSora

B ob-whiteR ed Phal arope

W i l son’s Pha larope

Spot ted SandpiperW i l son ’

s P loverCal i forn ia Quai lSem ipa lma ted SandpiperK i l ldeerF lor ida Ga l l inu leSparrow HawkRuffed Grouse

W i l son ’

s Sn ipe

W oodcock

Sharp-sh inned H awk

W hi te Ib isL i tt le B lue H eron

C lapper R ai lW h i te-faced Glossy Ibis

From a D r a w i n g by H e n r y Th u r n on Copy r i g h l . 191 7 . by Th e l'

n i v c r xl fy S o r ic ty , I n c .

EGG S O F AM ER I CAN B I R D S(P l a te Numbe r Two)

INTRODUCT ION x i i i

There are some k inds of birds tha t , as far as we know their hi s tory , have a lway s bui l ttheir n ests in the ho les of trees . “foodpeck ers have strong ch i se l - shaped bi l l s and are ab le toexcava te nes t ing cav i t ies , but there are o ther s tha t do not possess such powers . These mustdepen d on findi ng the abandoned hole of some YVOOdpeck er , or the na tura l ho l low of some

t ree . I t not in frequen t ly happen s tha t such birds are ob l iged to search far and wide for a

ho le in wh ich they can make thei r abode . I t i s the cu s tom of those who take care of lawn sand ci t y parks t o chop away and remove a l l dead l imb s or t rees that may die . As there are

very few VVoodpeck ers that ever a t tempt to dig a nesting ho le in l iv ing t rees , such work of

the axeman mean s tha t when the season comes for the rear ing of young. al l mated Woodpecker s mu st move on to where more natural

condi tion s awai t them . Th i s resu l t s in an

abnorma l reduction of the number of ho les forthe u se of the weaker bi l l ed hol e—ne s t ing specieswhich mu st now seek for the few avail ab leho l lows and kno t -holes . But even these placesare often taken away from them for al ongcomes the t ree doc tor ,

who on the pretext ofa iding to preserve the trees , fil l s up the

natural open ings wi th cemen t and the birdsare l i teral l y l ef t ou t in the col d . I t i s plainto see , therefore , that one reason why manybirds do not rema in in our town s through thespring mon th s , i s due to the ab sence of p laceswhere they may lav their eggs and rear their

young.

To overcome thi s difficu l ty the AudubonSociety severa l years ago began to advocatethe bui lding and erec t ion of sui tab le nes t ingboxes , and to- day the prac t ice i s gain ing wideu sage . M ore people every year are put t ingsuch boxes upon po les or n ai l ing them to treesabou t their homes , and ci ty authori ties in somein s tances now include bird -boxes among the

annual expend itures in the care of their park s .

Some of the boxes that may be purchased are

very orn ate and make beauti fu l addi t ion s evento the most careful l y kept estates . One may

buy these boxes at prices varying from th irtyfi ve cen ts to th irty - fi ve dol l ars each . I t i snot necessary ,

however , to buy the boxes to be pu t up for birds . Equa l l y u sefu l ones may

readi l y be made in the M anual Train ing Depar tmen t of the school , or in the ba semen t or

wood - shed at home . I f one does not know how to begin one may buy a bird —box, or wri teto the Audubon Society for a free circul ar of direction s , and con s truct simi lar ones for h imsel f . People sometimes make the m i stake Of thin ki ng it i s ab so lu tel y necessary tha t suchboxes shou ld con form stric t l y to certain set dimen sion s . Remember , however ,

tha t thecavi ties in trees and stumps which the bi rds natura l l y use ,

show a wide variety of si ze , shapeand l ocation . A large , commodious , many - roomed , and we l l painted M artin hou se , makesa pl easing appearance on the landscape , but i t may not be at t rac t i ve to the Mar t in s . As a

boy I bui l t up a co lony of more than fifteen pairs of these bi rds by the simple device of rude l ypar t i t ion ing a coupl e of soap boxes . The open ings of the d ifferen t room swere nei ther un i formin si ze or shape , but were such as an un trained boy wou ld cut out wi th a hatchet . A do zen

Photo by A . A . A l lenH OU SE WREN

Bu i ld ing its nes t in a nes ting box on a porch

xiv BIRDS OF AMER ICA

gourds each wi th a l arge hol e in the s ide completed the tenements for thi s we l l conten tedMartin commun i ty .

There are a few simple rules on the making and pl acing of bird -boxes that shoul d beobserved .

1 . In the case of al l nest—boxes , except those designed for Martin s , the Open ing shoul dbe several inches above the floor , thus con forming to the general pl an of the Woodpecker

’shole

,or the natural cavity in a tree .

2 . As a rul e nest-boxes shoul d be erected on poles from ten to th irty feet from theground ,

or fastened to the sides of trees where l imb s do not interfere with the outlook . The mainexception to th i s ru l e i s in the case of Wren s , where the boxes or gourds intended for theiruse may be nai led or wired in frui t trees or about out -bui l dings .

3 . M artin houses shou ld be erected on pol es at l east twenty feet high and p l aced wel lout in the open , not le ss than one hundred feet from bui ldings or large trees .

4 . Al l boxes shoul d be taken down after the nesting season and the old nesting materialremoved .

Much may be done to bring the birds about the home by placing food where they may

readi l y get it . The ma j ori ty of l and -birds that pass the win ter in Canada or the col der partsof the Un ited States , feed main l y on seeds . Cracked corn ,

wheat , ri ce , sunflower seed , and

bird - seed which may be purchased readi l y in any town , are therefore exceedingl y attrae

tive articl es of diet . B read crumb s are en j oyed by man y species . Food shou ld not be thrownout on the snow un l ess there i s a cru st or the snow has been wel l trampled down . Usuall yit shoul d be pl aced on boards . Variou s feeding devices have been made of such character

as to preven t the food being covered or washed away by snow or rain . Suet tied to the

l imb s of trees on the lawn wi l l give comfort and nouri shment to many a Chickadee ,Nuthatch ,

and Downy Woodpecker . To make a bird sanctuary ,therefore , nesting sites and food are

among the first requirements . There appears to be no reason why town and city parkseverywhere shoul d not be made into pl aces of great attraction for the wi ld birds .

At M eri den , New Hamp shire ,there i s a tract of land con tain ing thirty - two acres of fiel d

and woods , which i s dedicated to the comfort and happiness of wi l d birds . It i s owned bythe Meriden Bird Club . The en tire commun ity takes an in terest in i ts maintenance , and

here b irds are fed and nesting pl aces provided It i s in the widest sen se a“

commun itysanctuary . There are now a number of these cooperative b ird -haven s establ i shed and caredfor in much the same manner . One i s in Cincinnati , another in I thaca , New York , and sti l lan other at Greenwich , Connecticut .

The best equipped of thi s class of commun ity bird - refuges , as di stingui shed from pr ivateestates , or Audubon Society , State ,

or Federal bird- reservation s , i s B irdcraft San ctuary ,l ocated in Fa irfi el d , Connecticut . Th i s tract of ten acres was presented to the ConnecticutAudubon Society in June , 1 9 14 . A cat-proof fence surrounds the entire place . That itmay not l ook aggressive ,

it i s set wel l in side the picturesque Old wal l . Stone gate—posts anda ru stic gate greet the v i sitor at the entrance on the highway . There i s a bungal ow for thecaretaker and a tool and work shop of corresponding style . Several rustic shel ter s and man yseats are about . The variou s springs on the place were assembled into a pond . Trai l s werecut through the bru sh and the turf grass , and a charming bit of Ol d orchard on the hi l l - top,

was restored for the benefit of worm -pu l l ing R obin s . Stone basin s were con structed forbird -bath s , hou ses are put up for al l sorts of bi rds , from Wren boxes , von Berlepsch model ,F l icker boxes and Owl boxes , to a Martin hotel ; and l astl y , the natural growth has beensupp l emen ted by planting pines , spruce , and heml ocks for W indbreakers , and mountain ash ,

mu lberries , sweet cherries , flowering shrub s , and vines for berries . Not on l y were al l thesethings don e , but there has been bui l t and equipped a smal l mu seum of Natural H i story ,

which for good taste and u seful ness one wou ld need to travel far to fi nd its equal .The interest in thi s sub ject is growing every day , in fact , Ameri ca is tod ay plann ing

new homes for her birds homes where they may l ive with unrestri cted freedom , where

INTRODUCT ION xv

food and lodging in abundance , and of the best , wi l l be suppl ied , where bathing-

poo l s wi l lbe at their service ,

where b lossoming trees wi l l we lcome them in the spring, and fie lds of grainin the fa l l , quiet pl aces where these privi leges wi l l bring to the birds much j oy and con

ten tment . Throughout thi s coun t ry there shou ld be a concer ted effor t to convert the ceme

ter ies ,ci t y parks , and es tates in to sanctuaries for the bird - l i fe of th i s l and .

Wi th a l ittle trouble , seasoned with good judgmen t , one may soon have birds feedingon a tray within a few yards of the window or even on the w indow si l l . Abundan t oppor

tun ity is thu s given for photographing birds under the best possible condi t ion s for successfu lresu lts . Wi th every possib le conven ience at hand one may get better pictures of bi rds on a

feeding tray than one cou ld ever hope to do in a s tate of wi ld Nature .

Photograph ing birds then i s an exce l len t occupa t ion , for the merest nov ice may hopefor success . It is a good th ing to do thi s too from the standpoin t of the b i rd ’s we l l be ing.

I have never . known a bird photographer who was not a bird l over ; for to know the birds isto pro tect them .

Photogra ph by W. L . Fin leyH . T . BOHLMAN PHO TOGRAPH ING A COLONY OF WH ITE PEL I CANS AND CORMORANT S IN TULE LAKE ,

NOR THERN CALIFORN IA

Present operat ion s in the Un ited S tates , in the l ine of bird — reservation s , grew out of thedi stinct need of preserving certain c lasses of birds from becom ing extinct . The birds that wemay di stinctl y ca l l farm — land birds , such as the native Sparrows , the Warbl ers , Wrens ,Orio les , and man y other common in sectivorous birds , have increased in Ameri ca sin ce theadvent of white man .

It i s ch iefly the birds that could be commercial i zed , either for their flesh ,or their feathers

that have suffered great dim inution in number s in North America as a resu l t of man’s activ

i t ies . An importan t effort to preserve thi s class of birds i s now being carr ied on in the Un itedStates by the establ i shmen t of bird - reservation s . R eservation work began in 1 902 ,

underthe Nationa l Association of Audubon Societ ies . Thi s i s the best organ i zed and most l ibera l l yfinanced bird protective organ i zation in the world , and has been in active operation for

man y years .

One of the States that earl y adopted the Audubon Law was F l orida . On the At lan t iccoast of tha t state, in Indian R iver , there i s an i sland of abou t four acres , where two thou sand

xv i B IRDS OF AMER ICA

B rown Pel ican s have been coming, from the time whereof the memory of man runneth not

to the con trary , to lay their eggs and rear their young. About the time thi s law was enactedl ong qui l l s became very popular in the mi l l inery trade . Some of us found that the mi l l inerystores in large cities were sel l ing feathers taken from the Bush Turkey , the Al batross , theBrown Pe l ican , and al so from the old Turkey Bu z z ard of the South . Certain people triedto secure the repeal of the Florida l aw , so that the Pel ican s might be ki l led for their feathers .

Thi s cau sed the question to ri se : Wou ld it be possible to get the government o fthe Un ited States to take hold of that i sland in some way ? A man who k il l s a b ird wouldrather be haled before a l ocal magi strate where the jury probabl y would be composed offriends and neighbors , who themselves had ki l l ed birds . In such a case it was a simple matter

Photo by H . L. D il laway Courtesy of Nat. AS SU . Aud . Soc .

RANGER AND CAMP ROBBER (GRAY JAY)Moun t Ran ier in background

to leave the p l ough for a day and stand trial . But in a Federal court i t i s a different proposition . Here a man may have to travel hal f way across the state to attend court , and mu stappear before a jury composed of strangers a si tuation to be dreaded .

There did not seem to be any way whereby thi s Federal con trol cou ld be secured unti l

the matter was final l y taken up with President R oosevel t , who said , I f the lan d office wi l lrecommen d that thi s land i s not good for agricul tural purposes we wi l l make it a bi rd- reserveunder the care of the Depar tm ent of Agri cul ture , provided the Audubon Society wi l l agreeto hire a man to act as guardian on the i sl and . In a very shor t time the matter was arranged ,

and the Presiden t decl ared the i s land a bird- sanctuary in perpetuity — a breeding placefor wi ld birds for al l time . He took a shor t cut in doing this for there was no specific l awgiv ing the executive such authori ty . Along the coast of F lori da were found n ine other smal li slands su itable for thi s purpose , and M r . R oosevel t made them al l Federal bird - reservation s .

Later inquiry was made about places suitab le for sanctuaries for other birds , for , bear

in mind,many large birds over extended areas were threatened with extirpation to suppl y

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xv i i i B IR DS OF AMER ICA

The Audubon Society is trying to guard the Egrets in the South and we know of abouttwen ty thousand of these birds l eft in the Un ited States . Two of the Society ’s agen ts , whi leon guard , have been shot and k i l led by plume-hunters , and the colon ies have been raidedand the p lumes sent to New York .

In North America the great nursery for wi ld Ducks and Geese is the region between the

Great Lakes and Hudson B ay on the east and the R ocky M ountain s on the west . Thereare three great flights of Ducks and Geese in autumn from that section of the coun try . Thoseheading for the Atlan tic Seaboard ch iefly cross the States diagonal l y , reaching the Atlantic

Coast about Mary l and . In a reactionary migratory movement , man y of them go back alongthe coast at l east to Long I slan d and swing back and forth , accord ing to weather con dition s .The other end of th i s movement goes down the coast . There is a l so a great flight down the

M issi ssippi Val ley . Under the migratory bird laws , the M i ssi ssippi , between M emphi s and

St . Pau l , is a reservation . In the sun ken ground ofArkan sas there are two l arge bird—reserves,

and on one of these man y Ducks fi nd a refuge . Thi s was a famou s place for market hun tersin days gone by . M ore than Ducks were taken there in one year . An other largerseries of bird - reservation s is situated in the State of Lou i siana . These inc lude acresof marsh - lan d , where numbers of Ducks and Geese now fi nd a safe refuge . These reservation s were made by the pri vate purchase of Charles Wi l l i s Ward , E . A . M cIlhen

‘

ny , M rs .

Ru ssel l Sage, and the R ockefe l ler Foundation .

Th i s widespread in terest in birds both on the part of the Governmen t and private indiv idual s has had happy resul ts . Not on l y are our birds protected , but unu sual opportun ityhas been given to study them . The advan ce in fiel d work , coupl ed wi th the con stantimprovement of photography ,

has obta in ed resu l ts l ittle short of astoun ding .

When the present work on B i rds of Ameri ca was projected , some mon ths ago , we ofthe editorial board began as a first move , to take stock of the situation . We fel t that thetim e was at l ast r ipe for a new book on the sub ject that shoul d be a final reposi tory of al lthi s vast treasure of scattered in formation . Patient fie ld orn itho logi sts , on the one hand ,

and l aboratory n atural i sts , on the other , had given us wonderfu l l y ri ch material -which on l yawaited a ssemb l ing . The task even ten years ago wou l d have proved far more di fficul t .

What was cl earl y needed , was to make a thorough canva ss of the fiel d and produce a workat once popu l ar and scien tific , and at the same time comprehensive — a record of our wi ldbirds prepared in such form as to meet the needs of both the laymen and the trainednatural i st . Orn i thol ogi sts a l l over the country hearti l y endorsed the project ; indeed wehave sel dom seen a work wh ich arou sed more en thu siasm in the doing than B i rds of Ameri ca .

The offi cial check l i st of the Am er ican Orn ithol ogi sts’ Un ion has been fol l owed for classi

fi cation , and we have in cluded not on l y our common l iving birds as found to—day , but a l soman y rarer forms and some recen tl y extinct , such as the Passenger Pigeon . We have tried ,

in a word , to presen t a comp lete p icture and story of our feathered wi ld bird l i fe .

O RDER OF D IV ING B IR D S

Order Pygopodes

OST aquatic of a l l our birds are the Diving Birds . Not on l y are their bodiesmade so tha t they can propel themsel ves on l and on l y wi th difficu l t y , but thei r

food con si s t s en t irel y of fi sh and o ther aquatic an ima l s . Their flesh i s coarseand unpa la tab le . They are the lowest form of bird l i fe and are the mostclose l y a l l ied to the repti les , from wh ich birds are supposed to have originated .

Birds of thi s order spend nearl y their enti re time in '

the water . They neston the ground or on rocks . The young a re covered with down when hatched ,

and as soon as th i s nata l down i s dry they are ab le to take to the wa ter .

The scien t ific name given to th i s order , Pygopodes , i s from two Greekwords mean ing rump and foot ,

”and refers to the posi t ion of the legs

in rela t ion to the rest of the body a characteri stic pecu l iar to th i s order .

The t ibia or drum s t ick i s buried beneath the Ski n and feathers , bri nging the hee l j oint cl ose tothe tai l . The bi rds , therefore , si t or stand in an a lmost perpendicu l ar position ,

and wa l kwi th great d ifficu l ty and awkwardness . The toes are either webbed or broad l y l obed . Bo thbody and n eck are e longated , giv ing a boat- shaped appearance to the bird . The bi l l ishorn y and poin ted and has no pouch ; i t can be open ed very wide . The wings are veryshort , scarcel y reaching the base of the tai l . The latter i s n ever long, and sometim es i t i s.

so rudimen tary as to m ake the bird appear tai l l ess . The plumage i s den se , and there i s no

sexua l variation in co lor . The body is a lmost en tirel y en cased in a l ayer of fat .

According to the devel opmen t o f the ta i l , the Diving Birds are divided into two sub

orders : the first i s the Golynrbi , and contain s the one fami l y of Grebes ; and the second i s theCepphi , and contain s two fami l ies , the Loon s and the Auks , Murres , and Puffi ns .

G R E B E S

Order P_1 suborder Colymbi ; fami l y Golyni bida’

HE Grebes are much less pronounced , and con sequentl y less in teres t ing birdcharacters , than are the Loon s , though both fam i l ies have some of the same

phy sica l characteri s t ics,notab l y sk i l l in the water and c lumsiness on land .

They are sma l ler than the Loon s and are more l i kel y to be found in in landbodies of fresh wa ter , though their m igration s take them to the sea where

they are by no mean s en tire l y out of their element . Li ke the Loon s , whenpursued the Grebes try to escape by diving and swimm ing under water ,

where

they propel themsel ves by their feet ; and genera l l y they show decided d i sincl ination to take to their wings , though they are swi ft and strong flyers .

Grebes undoubted l y dive with remarkab le quickness , but , as in the case of

the Loon s (and for the same rea son s) , their cleverness in thi s operation hasbeen much exaggerated , as at any reasonab le di stance they are quite unab le to dodge a riflebu l let , especia l l y if it be propel led by smoke less powder .

Grebes have feet which are l obate , that i s , each toe has one or more separate mem

branes wh ich are joined on l y at the base . The toes are fla t tened and the nai l s short and

round . The shanks are so fla t tened as to be near l y b l ade- l ike . The b i l l , wh ich i s cone~

shaped ,is about the length of the head . The head i s genera l l y ruffed or cres ted , at lea st

in the breeding season , and the neck l ong . The wings are shor t and the tai l is inv i sib le .

The plum age is compact , smooth , and rather hair - l ike ; when we l l dressed by the bird i t isabsolute l y waterproof , and , therefore , Grebes , though wa ter bi rds , are never wet . The

[I ]

2 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

extreme posteri or position of the l egs cau ses the birds to sit up l i ke Penguin s . On land theysometim es progress on their bel l ies after the manner of seal s . In flight the feet are extendedbackward and serve as a rudder , as the tai l wou l d in another b ird .

A den se ,matted , raft- l ike structure , made of rushes and the l ike , and often floating,

but u sual l y anchored to some aquatic pl an t , form s the nest of these strange birds . On thi sp l a t form are laid from two to n ine eggs of du l l white or green i sh —wh ite . The nest i s alwaysdamp and the eggs sometimes are hatched when they actual l y are part l y covered with water .

When out of the shel l , ” say s one ob server , the young has not far to walk ; he l ooks fora few moments over the edge of hi s water - drenched cradle and down he goes with the expertness of an old diver . Grebes u sual l y are gregariou s . When incubation of the ful l numberof eggs has actual l y begun , the si tting b ird upon l eaving the nest (un less she i s frightenedaway ) comp l etel y conceal s the eggs with moss and rushes .

Few birds have suffered more from the mi l l inery trade than have the Grebes , whoseden se and beautifu l breast p lumage has been much u sed for decorating hats . Legi slationo f var ious k inds curbs thi s barbaric practice in many parts of the country .

Photo by w. L . F inl ey and H. T . Boh lmanWESTERN GREBE

The most rem arkab le poin t about the food habits of Grebes is that the s tomach s a lmostinvariabl y con tain a con siderabl e mass of feathers . Fea thers are fed to the young, and

there i s no question that they p lay some essen tial though un known part in the digestiveeconomy . As they are fine l y ground in the gi z zards it i s probab le that fi na l ly

-they are

d igested and the avai lable nutrimen t assim i lated . Feathers con sti tuted practical l y 66 percent . of the con ten ts of the 57 Horned Grebe

’s stomach s examined . However , it is not l ike l ytha t they furn i sh a very l arge percentage of the nouri shment needed by the birds . As the

nu t ri tive va lue of the feathers is un known , th i s part of the stomach con ten ts is ignored . The

other items of food are assigned 1 00 per cen t , and the percentages are given on that basi s .

Variou s beet les , chiefly aquatic , compose per cen t . of the food ; other in sects (includingaquatic bugs , caddi s and chironomid l arvm,

dragon -fly nymph s , nearl y 1 2 per cent . ;

fi shes , per cent . ; crawfi sh per cent . ; and other crustacea per cen t . A l itt leother an imal matter i s taken , including snai l s and sp iders , and a smal l quantity of vegetab le food was found in two stomach s .

GR EBES 3

It has been claimed that Grebes l ive exc lu sivel y on fi sh and do mi schief in fi sh

ha tcheries . The resu l t s obtained by stomach examina t ion show that they do not dependwho l l y or even chiefly upon fi sh . On the con trary , they eat a large number of crawfi shes ,which often severe l y damage crops , and con sume number s of aqua t ic in sec t s which devoursma l l fi shes and the food of such fishes .

W E STERN GREBE

A . O . U . Number 1

Z E chmoph-orus occ i den ta l i s (Lawrence )

O t her Name s . Wes tern Dabch ick ; Swan Grebe .

Gen era l De scr ipt i on . Leng t h , 24 to 29 in c hes .Co lor above, brown i sh - black ; be low sa t iny-w h i te . H eadw i t h shor t cres t on top but non e on s ides ; b i l l , s lender ;neck near ly the leng t h o f the body .

Co lor . ADULTS : Forehead , dark ash ; c res t and

nar row l ine down bac k o f nec k , soo ty-b lack i sh shadingon upper pa r t s in to brown i sh -b lac k ; the fea t hers of backw i th g ray i sh marg in s ; pr imar ies , dusky -b rown ,

w h i teat base ; seconda r ies , w h i te , some dark on ou ter webs ;s ides o f head , ch in , t h roa t , and en t i re under par t s , puresa t iny-w h i te ; b i l l , ye l low i sh—o l i ve ; feet , du l l o l i ve , yel

low i sh on webs ; ou ter edge and so les of fee t , b lack i sh :i r i s , orange , pink , or carm in e w i t h a w h i te r ing ; a

nar row bare space f rom b i l l to eye . lavender .

For year s , the lake regi on o f sou thern O re

gon was the mo s t profi table fiel d in the “fes t forthe plume hun ter . The Grebe was the

grea test sufferer . Th i s ( l i v er o f gl i s ten ing-wh i tebrea s t and s i lvery-

gray back was s ough t not

w i thout rea s on . The Grebe hun ters ca l l the sk ino f th i s b i rd fur rather than feathers , becau se i tis so tough i t can be scraped and han d led l ike a

h i de , and becau se the th ick warm plumage seem smo re l i k e the fur o f a mamma l than the sk in o fa b i rd . These sk in s

,when prepared and placed

on the mark et in the f o rm o f coat s and cape s .brought the pr ice s o f the mo s t expen s ive fur s .Former ly there were immen se co lon i es o f

\Vestern Grebes l iv ing a l ong the nor th shore o fTu le

, or Rhet t , L ake,L ower K lamath L ake ,

and

M a lheur L ake . P lume hun ters , however ,sough t

out these big co l on i e s and sho t great number s Ofthe b i rd s dur ing the ne s t ing sea son ,

leav ing the

eggs to spo i l and the young t o s tarve t o death .

Th i s decrea sed the number s so rapi d ly that w i th ina few season s the b i rd s were ex term inated inplaces .Ma lheur L ak e is a large body o f sha l l ow watersurrounded on a l l s i des by great s tretches o ftu le s . The who le border i s a ver i table jungle ,

an a lmo s t end les s area o f float ing tu le i s land sbetween wh ich is a netwo rk o f channe l s . H ere i s

the typi ca l home o f the Wes tern Grebe . In the

edge o f the tu le s the Grebe gather s tu le s tem sand other v egetat i on ,

mak ing a float ing raf t

N es t an d Egg s . NEST : A ma t ted s t ruc tu re of tu les tems , gra s s . and wa ter -

plan t s , w i t h a s l igh t depress ion in the cen ter ; afloa t on the wa ter : usua l lv l igh t lyfa s tened to the l i v ing reeds so t ha t i t w i l l move up and

down but not be ca rr ied away f rom i t s pos i t ion . EGGS :Somet imes 3 but usua l l y 4 o r 5 , pa le blu i sh -green but

s ta ined a l igh t brown f rom con tac t w i t h the decom

posed vege table ma t ter O f the nes t .D i s tr ibu ti on . W

'

es tern Nor th Amer i ca ; breeds f romB r i t i sh Co lumbia , sou t hern Saska tchewan ,

sout hernA lber ta ,

and sou t hern Man i toba sou t h to no r t hern Ca l iforn ia . U tah , and no r thern Nor t h Dako ta ; w in ter s f romsou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumbia and Ca l i fo rn ia sou t hwardto c en t ra l M ex ico ; ca sua l eas t to Nebraska , Kan sas\V iscon s in , M inneso ta,

and Quebec .

Photo by F . M . Cha pman Cou rtesy of Nat . Asso . Aud . Soc .

TWO WESTERN GREBES JUST HATCHED

4 B IRDS OF AMERICA

wh ich is anchored . A round the edges o f one of"

these i s land s , wh ich was two acres in ex ten t , wefoun d between forty and fi f ty nes t s . The u sua lnumber o f eggs was f our or fi ve .

On severa l occas i ons , we watched a Grebe

ch ick cut hi s way out o f the she l l and l iberateh im sel f . A f ter he get s h is b i l l through in one

place; he goes at the task l ike c l ockwork . H e

turn s h imse l f a l i t t le and begin s hammer ing ina new place and keeps th i s up un t i l he has madea complete revo lut i on in h is she l l . The end or

cap o f the egg. cut clear around , drops off, andthe youngs ter k i ck s h im sel f out in t o the sun sh ine .

I t doesn ’t take h is coat l ong to dry .

H O L BCEL L’

S GREBE

Co l ymbu s holbaal l i (R einhardt)A . O . U . Number 2

O t h er Nam es — Amer i can Red-necked Grebe ; R ed

necked Grebe ; H olbuel l'

s D i ver .

Genera l De scr ipt i on . L ength , 19 in c hes .M ER : Glos sy green i sh —black above, and s i lvery-w h i tebe low . IN W INTER : Gray i sh -brown above, and gray

i sh -w h i te be low . Neck shor ter t han body ; b i l l , near lyas long as head ; c res t lack ing or incon spi cuou s . Larges to f the (Erebes .

Co l or . A DULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown , back of neck ,

(Mbd upper parLg g lossy gr ee insh-blaek

;darker on head

ih o re bronunsh (H1 bac k i vhere the fea t hers are edgedw i t h g ray i sh ; w ing -cover t s and pr imar ies , du sky-brown ;s econdar ies , whi te w i t h brown t ips and b lack sha f t s ;a broad ar ea nu iudnnc n n , thr0an and snh m' of head ,

s ilaevgv-

g ray . l igh ten ing a long j uncture w i t h black o f

c rown ; res t o f neck and upper par t of breas t , deepbronun sh- ru fou s ; under par ts sflvery -udi ne shadeda long s ides w i t h pa le ash , eac h fea t her wi t h a da rksha f t l ine and term ina l spo t , produc ing a dappled effec t ;

IN S U M

S ome Grebe s co l on i ze in breed i ng, as do the

Wes tern and Eared Grebe s . In Holbuel l'

s Grebe,however

,we have the one large spec ies o f No rth

Amer ica wh ich is d i s t inct ly a l over o f per s ona ls o l i tude . Its breed ing grounds , or perhaps moreproper ly water s , are the s l ough s and mar she s o fthe no r thwe s t S tates and Canad ian prov inces .Here ,

in the deep bogs , i t places its s oggy sem ifi oating pi le o f decaying vegetat i on am i d the areasof reed s or canes grow ing f rom the water i One

can sel dom see the brood ing b i rd on the nes t .O n be ing approached she hast i ly pu l ls débr i s

S ee Co lor Plate r

over the three or f our d i rty—wh i te eggs , com

pletely cover ing them , then s l ips in t o the waterand d ives

,show i ng her sel f no m o re un t i l the ia

truder has surely van i shed .

Dur ing the breed ing sea s on these Grebes are

very no i sy . The ma le (probably i t is he ) sw imsi n to the open water o f the lake s , i f such there be,and em i ts the mo s t a s ton i sh ing success i on o fye l l s and wa i l ings , wh i ch probab ly are the happyexpress i on o f the t or ren t o f hi s tender emot i on s ,though t o our ear s they mav ra ther re semble cr i e so f d i s t re s s . L ater in the sea s on he get s bravely

The Grebe paren ts have an in tere s t ing way of

tak ing the i r young w i th them . The ch i cks r ideon the back o f the mother or father j u s t underthe w ing- cover t s w i th the head s t ick ing out.

Somet imes one may see an o l d Grebe carryingtwo

“

or three young on h is back . At the s l igh tes talarm , the o l d b i rd ra i ses the feather s and Cover sthe ch i cks completely . One can read i ly tel l whena Grebe has ch i ck s on his back , even i f not

v i s ible , becau se he appear s to sw im h igher inthe water . Norma l ly , the body is a lmo s t submerged . An o ld Grebe not on ly sw ims , but d ivesread i ly , keeping the young in place on his back .

W I LL IAM L . F I NLEY .

b i l l . dusky , ye l low be low and at base ; i r i s . carm ine w i tha w h i te r ing . ADULTS IN VV INTER , AND YOUNG : Crown ,

nec k a l l around , and upper par ts , gray i sh -brown , the

fea ther s of back w i t h l igh ter edges ; s ides of head and

t h roa t , w h i t i sh ; under par ts , gray i sh -w h i te, the mo t t l ingof summer plumage obso le te ; bi l l , obscured but show ingsome pa le y e l low be low ; i r i s , as in summer .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : A ttached to l i ve rushes ;con s t ructed o f reeds . decayed vegetab le ma t ter . g ra s s ,and mud . EGGS : 3 to 5 , du l l wh i te , u sua l ly so i led w i t hbrown i sh .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor t h Amer i ca at large, eas ternS iber ia , and sout hwes t to Japan ; breeds f rom nor t hw es tern A la ska acros s B r i t i sh Amer i ca to nor t hernUngava , sout h to nor thern W a sh ing ton , Mon tana , and

sou thwes tern M inneso ta ; common t h roughout the

Un i ted S ta tes in win ter ; sou th to sou t hern Ca l i forn ia,sou t hern Co lorado , the O h io va l ley and Nor t h Caro l ina ;ca sua l in Georg ia and Green land .

GREBES 5

over such man i fes tat i on s o f weakne s s and i s

s i len t enough for anyone . Then he is u sual ly seen“

by h is l one s ome,

”out on s ome body o f water ,

f requen t ly on the ocean ,wel l off the beach , where

he can exerc i se to fi ne advan tage h is rea l ly greatpower s o f d i v ing.

Holboel l’

s Grebes are hardy b i rd s , and o f tenw in ter as far t o the no r th as they can fi nd openwater , and are f requen t in w in ter a l ong our Nor thA t lan t ic coa s t . They ha ve a fa ta l ten dency tol inger too late in the no r thern lake s . and thu sthey get caught in the ice or , d r i v en t o fl y s outh .

cannot fi nd open water,and fal l exhau s ted on

the land or in to snow ban k s . Th i s is notablythe ca se in the mon th o f March , when theym igra te nor th ear l ier than is sa fe . S ince theycannot r i se on w ing except f rom water . as the i rw ings are sma l l , many o f them per i sh out o fthe i r elemen t . I t i s a common occurrence for

farmer s and o ther s t o pick them up in fiel d s orroad s , helples s ly wadd l ing about on legs set t oofar aft t o make them handy a sho re . But in

the wa ter there is no bi rd mo re sw i f t and fac i le,

bet ter able to take care o f i t sel f , mo re able in the

pu r su i t o f the sma l l fry wh ich con s t i tute its norma l prev . H ERBER T K . Jon .

Photo by H . K . Job

NES T OF HOLBGELL’S GREBE

HORNED GREBE

Co l ymbu s aur itus L in-ri cer”A . O . U . Number 3

O t her Name s . H e l l -di ver ; Dev i ldiver ; P ink - eyed D i ver ; D ipper .

Gen era l De scr ipt i on — L eng t h , 14 in ch es . Co lorabove, gray i sh -brown or dusky—

gray ; be low ,wh i te. In

summer, adu l t s have cres t s or ruff s on cheek s and

s ides of head.Col or . AD ULTS TN

'

SU M M ER : Crown ,c h in

,t h roa t

,

an d c res t . g lossy gr een ish-bla ck ; a s tr ipe f rom b i l l

t h rough eye and above i t,w iden ing beh ind to nape,

br own ish-

ye l low ; upper par ts , gray i sh -brown ; fea t hers ,pa ler-edged ; pr imar ies , dusky-brown ; s econdari es ,

wh ite ; neck a l l around (except for dusky s t r ipe beh ind ) ,s ides . and flanks . r i ch brown i sh —ru fou s ; res t of underpar ts s i lky -wh i te : b i l l , dusky t ipped w i t h ye l low ; i r i s ,carm ine wi th wh i te r ing ; feet , dusky ou ts ide, ye l lowin s ide . ADULTS IN W INTER

, AND YOUNG ; Ru ff , obso lete ;

VV ater-w i tc h

Ho rned Grebes are common ly known as

Hel l - d i v er s ” or W'

ater-w i tche s,

”becau se o f

the i r fac i l i ty in d i sappear ing and the mys tery as

t o where they go . Th i s spec ies o f ten mystifi esthe hun ter by s ink ing s l owly backward un t i lnear ly out o f s igh t or by d iv ing and d i sappear inga l together , un t i l the nov ice is ready to make oath

S ee Co lor P late 1

foreh ead,c rown to leve l of ey es , a na r row s t r ip down

back of n eck and upper par ts , dusky -

gray ; fea t hers o fbac k w i t h l igh ter edges : w ings . as in summer ; c h in ,

t h roa t , and s ides of head, pu re s i lky -w h i te ; f ron t of

n eck and lower abdomen ,wa shed w i t h g ray ; b i l l , dusky ,

yel low i sh or blu i sh - w h i te be low .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : A buoyan t pla t form of deadreeds , g ras s . and vegeta t ion . Eccs : 3 to 7, wh i te.

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor t hern par t o f nor t hern hem isphere ; breeds f rom the lower Yukon ac ros s B r i t i shAmer i ca to sou thern Ungava and the Magda len Is lands ,sout h to sou thern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , ac ros s U n i tedS tates on abou t the para l le l 45 ° to Ma in e ; w in ter s f romsou thern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou t hern On tar io , and Ma in esou t h to the Gu l f coas t and F lor ida ; casua l in

Green land .

that the b i rd has comm i t ted su ic i de for fear o fh is dead ly mark sman sh ip ; but the Grebe merelysubmerge s and sw im s benea th the sur face unt i lamong the water plan t s , where i t rema in s se

cure w i th its beak ju s t protrud ing unno t i cedabove the water , or h i dden by some overhanging lea f .

-Vhen wounded i t somet imes d i ve s

6 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

and sw ims a l ong under water t o the cover of

overhang ing v egetat i on on the ban k,when i t

creeps a shore un seen and h i des am i d the verdan tcover .

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

HORNED GREBE (S pring Plumage )

EARED GREBE

Co l ymbus n igr icol l i s ca l i forn icus (H eermann )

A . O . U . Number 4

O t h er Name s . Amer ican Eared Grebe ; Eared D i ver .

Gen eral D es c r ipt ion . Leng t h , 12 to 14 in c hes .Co lor above

,dusky ; be low , w h i te . In summer adu l ts

have long , fan - shaped ea r - tufts of fi ne fea thers .

Col or . ADULT S IN S UM M ER : Ear - tufts , golden

brozc'n,

’

crotc'n,ch in

,throa t

, and n eck a l l around ,black ;

upper par t s , dusky ; pr ima r ies , du sky ; secondar ies , w h i te,dusky at ba se ; s ides , deep purpl i sh -brown w i t h a washof the same co lor ac ross breas t and on under ta i lcover t s ; under par t s , s i lky w h i te ; abdomen

,t inged w i th

gray ; b i l l , blac k ; fee t , o l i ve , dusky ou t s ide and on so les ;i r i s , red ; ey e l i ds , orange . AD ULTS IN W INTER : No ear

tu f t s ; crown and nar row band on back of n eck and

Out on the ma in part o f Ma lheur L ake in

s outhea s tern O regon ,we came upon a co l ony o f

Eared Grebe s . The se b i rds were ne s t ing wel lout in the open water . I coun ted one hund redand s ix ty—fi ve nes t s scat tered o ver an area o ftwo or three acre s . S ome homes were but a few

feet apar t . The ne s t i t sel f was a very in teres t

upper par t s , gray i sh-dusky ; ch in , th roa t , and s ides ofhead , w h i te ; under pa r t s , s i lvery-w h i te ; s ides and flanks ,t inged w i t h gray .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : A floa t ing pla t form of reedsand vegeta t ion , on sha l low lagoon s , ponds , or lakes .EGGS : 4 to 6, so i led wh i te.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Wes tern Nor t h Amer ica ; breedsfrom Cen t ra l B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , Grea t S lave Lake, Saskatchewan , and Man i toba sou t h to sou t hern Ca l i forn ia

,

nor thern A r i zona,nor t hern Nebra ska , and nor t hern

Iowa ; w in ter s f rom cen t ra l Ca l i forn ia sout hward to

Cape San Luca s and Gua tema la ; ea s t to Kan sa s inm ig ra t ion ; casua l in M i s sour i , Indiana, and On tar io .

ing s t ructure . I t was bu i l t en t i rely o f waterweed s , common ly ca l led m i l f o i l , wh ich grew in

the sha l l ow wa ter . The nes t con si sted o f thel ong S lender runner s pu l led together from a d is

tance o f severa l feet aroun d . I t l ooked to me

as i f these weed s when pi led together , wou l ds ink . On the con t rary ,

I f ound the nes t qu i te

Th i s Grebe is one o f the qu ickest o f d ivers ,o f ten e scaping a charge o f shot by its act iv i ty ingo ing under . \/Vhen a larmed i t l i es very low in

the water , and , i f i t can get its head and neckbeneath the sur face before the shot reaches thespot , its v i ta l par t s are l ikely t o escape unharmed .

I t f requen t s sma l l pond s and l i t t le s t ream s w i thgrassy banks , but where much persecu ted bygunners seek s the larger lak es or the sea for

grea ter sa fety . O rd inar i ly in sw imm ing underwater i t does not appear to use its w ings , butprobably a l l d i v ing b i rd s ut i l i ze the i r w ing powerwhen in pur su i t o f e lu s ive prey . M r . C. W'

.

V ibert o f South W indsor , Connect i cut , kept ab i rd o f th i s spec ies that was seen t o ra i se its

w ings s l igh t ly when sw imm ing benea th the sur

face .

When s torm s preva i l at sea in fa l l and w in terfl ock s o f Grebes o f ten are dr iven in t o the pon d so f the in ter i or . At such t imes they may be seenas leep on the water in the dayt ime w i th the headd rawn down on the back and the b i l l thrust in t othe feather s o f the shou l der or brea s t

,keeping

the i r place head t o the w ind by a s or t o f automa t ic padd l ing. Somet imes a s leepy b i rd u ses .

on ly one f oot and so sw ings about in a c i rcle .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

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8 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

band a l i t t le forward of the cen ter ; feet , green i shdusky ou t s ide, leaden -

gray in s ide ; i r i s , brown ; eye l ids ,w h i t i sh . ADULTS IN W INTER : Genera l co lo ra t ion on

head and upper par ts more brown i sh than in summer ;the feather s of bac k w i t h pa ler edges ; neck . brea s t ,and s ides , l igh t brown mo t t led w i t h du sky ; under par t s ,pure s i lky w h i te ; lower abdomen , gray i sh .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : A fl oa t ing s tructure of dead

The P i ed -b i l led Grebe i s the mo st w i de ly distr ibuted o f the Amer ican Grebe s and in the

U n i ted S tates is the on ly one that breeds overmo s t o f the reg i on eas t o f the M i s s i s s ippi . I t

Draw ing by R . I . B rasher

gra s s , reeds , mud, and vegetable ma t ter , una t tached or

fa s tened to l i v ing rushes . EGGS : 6 to 9, w h i te, some

t im es t inged w i t h green i sh .

Di s tr ibut ion . Nor t h and Sout h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , southern Macken z ie,

sou thernKeewa t in , Quebec, and New B run sw i ck sou t hward to

Ch i le and A rgen t ina ; win ters f rom Wash ington , Texas ,M i s s i s s ippi , and the Po tomac va l ley sou t hward .

appo in ted H awk has gone hi s way . As a d i v eri t has few equa l s in the b i rd wo r l d . Manyt ime s , e spec ia l ly in the days when muz z le- l oad ingsho tgun s were s t i l l in vogue ,

I have seen it

Pl ED—BILLED GREBE (1. nat. s ize)A more accomp l ished swimmer than any Duck

i s at home in the water t o an a s t on i sh i ng degree ,

in fact “

VVater-w i tch is one o f the favor i tel oca l name s by wh ich i t i s known . I t is a mo reaccompl i shed sw immer than any Duck o f wh ichI have know ledge, for i t po s ses se s the wonder fu lfacu l ty o f l ower ing its body in the water t o anydes i red stage o f submer s i on , and th i s i t can doe i ther wh i le sw imm ing or wh i le rema in ing sta

tionary , as may su i t its fancy . At t imes on ly theb i l l and eye s w i l l appear above the sur face ,

and in

th i s at t i tude i t can rema in apparen t ly w i thoutd i s tress un t i l the bew i l dered hun ter or the d is

d ive at the fla sh o f d i scharge and be safe ly beneath the sur face befo re the death- seek ing sho tcame over the water . Hel l -d iver ,” by the way,

is ano ther name appl ied to Grebe s as wel l as t oL oon s .The remarkable nes t made by th i s spec i es isqu i te in keeping w i th its o ther unusua l and se

cretive character i s t ics . I t is made o f decayingvegetat i on brough t up f rom the bo t t om o f thesha l l ow pon d where i t breed s . Th i s unat t ract ivema s s is usua l ly pi led on a plat form o f greenstems o f water plan ts , wh ich , because o f the i r

GR EBES

f re sh cond i t i on , w i l l read i ly floa t and are o f suffic ien t buoyancy to bear the we igh t o f the nes t . theeggs , and the brood ing b i rd . In F l o r i da

,where

I have exam ined perhaps fi ftv o f the i r nes t s,I

never found mo re than S ix eggs in any one o fthem . but observer s far ther no rth speak o f find i ngas many a s e ight and n ine . In co lo r they are du l lwh i te , un spot ted , but s omet ime s t inged w i thgreen i sh ,

and a lway s s o i led or s ta i ned .

leav ing its ne s t the Grebe pu l l s the

wa ter- s oak ed mater ia l wel l over the eggs , so tha tu sua l ly they are completel y h i dden f rom v i ew .

in th i s cond i t i on anyone not acqua in tedw i th the ne s t ing hab i t s o f the b i rd. woul d surelypa s s i t by unnot i ced , never dream ing that in thatl i t t le ma s s o f floa t ing. rot t i ng water -

plan t s thecher i shed t rea su re s o f a w i l d b i rd lay concea led .

Audubon sa i d tha t the f ood o f the P i ed —b i l ledGrebe con s i s t s o f sma l l frv . plan t - seed s , aqua t ic

Photograph by A . A . A l len PIED-B ILLED GREBESwimmi ng up to its newly hatched young tha t has s truggled from the nes t

in sect s . and sna i l s '

a l ong w i th th i s they swa l l owgra ve l . ayne wr i tes : Dur i ng the breed ingsea son , the food con s i s t s m a i n ly of leeche s .They shou l d nev er be sho t , for they are wo r sethan u se le s s for f ood . They cer ta in ly do no

harm , and an ev er — increa s ing c la s s o f b i rd - stu

den t s take much plea su re in spying upon the i rin tere s t ing movemen t s .They hav e many enem i es , among wh ich may be

men t i oned m ink s , fi sh, f rogs , sna ke s , and mu s krat s . B i rd s o f prey undoubted ly take the i r Share .

O ne day w i th much labo r I c l imbed an eno rmou spine t ree t o a ne s t o f the Ba l d Eagle aroundwh ich the o l d b i rd s were c i rcl ing. Upon reach

ing i t a f ter a pro longed and heart -break ing effor tI found i t t o con ta in on ly one obj ect — a P iedb i l led Grebe

,w i th its feather s s t i l l damp and the

bl ood spot s on head but ha l f d r i ed .

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

I O B IRDS OF AMER ICA

L O ON S

Order Pygopodes ; suborder Cepphi ; fami l y Gavi i dce

S a fami l y the Loon s o f the presen t seem to be very much the same k ind ofb irds as were those of wh ich we have fossi l remain s in strata represen tingwhat the geo l ogi sts ca l l the M iocene Epoch of the Tertiary Period . Theyare b irds o f con siderab le si ze , and are famou s especia l l y for their Sk i l l andswi ftn ess in swimm ing and div ing and for their weird and unearth l y cries .

Their quickn ess in d iv ing to escape danger i s trul y a ston i sh ing , and has ,n at

ural ly enough ,furn i shed occasion for frequen t exaggeration , a l so excuses for

much bad Shooting by gunner s who assert that they hel d true , but the Loon“ dodged the Shot . They have a pecu l iar facu l ty of S in k ing gradua l l y inthe water wi thou t apparen t effort and wi th l i ttl e or no r ipp l ing of the sur faceof the water .

Summer W in ter

Draw ing by R . I . B rasherLOON té na t . s ize ;

A clumsy, awkward trave ler upon land , but a lmos t unexce l led as a d ive:

Loon s take wing with con siderab l e difficu l ty , but once in the air their flight i s swi ftand usua l l y in a straight l ine . At al l times the sexes present the same general appearan ce .

Their prevai l ing col ors are bl ack i sh or gray i sh above , with the under parts wh iti sh ; in summerthe darker parts become speck led with white . These mark ings do nbt appear in the youngnor in the winter plumage of the adu l ts ; the very young are covered with a sooty gray i shdown , changing to white on the lower abdomen . The head i s never crested , but bo th headand neck are vel vety . The p lumage of the body i s hard and compact . The wings are

pointed . short , and rather narrow . The eighteen or twen ty tai l feathers are Shor t and stiff .The hind toe i s sma l l and the fron t toes are fu l l y webbed . The bi l l i s stout , straight , narrow ,

sharp —poin ted , and Sharp- edged ; i t i s so con structed that it serves as a Spear for catch ingand hol ding the s l ippery fi sh which are the b ird ’s ch ief diet .

Though rel a ted to the Auk s , wh ich Show a h ighl y devel oped gregar iou s in stinct , the

Loon s are essentia l l y so l itary b irds , and common l y are found singl y or in pairs . The for

mation of ice in their natural habi tats , however , at times forces a con siderab le number o findiv idual s to occupy the same comparativel y sma l l stretches of open wa ter .

The d i s tr ibution of the Loom i s ci rcumpol ar , and the S ingle genus inc ludes fi ve Species .

In the breeding period they occur genera l l y in the coo ler region s of the northern hemi sphere ,

and frequentl y some di stan ce north o f the Arctic Circ le ; in winter they scatter southward

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I 2 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

in to the temperate region s , especia l l y al ong the seacoasts . The nests are rude structures ,composed o f moss and grass sometimes p l as tered with a l ittle mud , and are bui l t on the

ground usua l l y al ong the shore o f a l ake and frequen tl y on top of the abandoned l odge of amu skrat . The birds seem to make no at tempt to h ide their nests , but the two eggs , by reasonof their ol ive or brown i sh shades , wh ich are broken by bl ack i sh or brown i sh spots , are

decided l y in con sp icuou s .

The cry of the Loon has been variousl y described as mourn fu l , mirth fu l , Sin i ster , defiant ,uncann y ,

demon iaca l , and so on . At any rate , i t i s unden iabl y di s t inctive and character

i stic ,and i s a lmost certain to chal lenge the du l l est ear and the m ost inert imagination , whi le

in those who know in stinctivel y the voices of Nature ,especia l l y when She i s fran k l y and

un restrainedl y natura l , it produces a thri l l and el ici ts a respon se which on l y the elect

understand .

L OON

Gavia imm er (B r iinn ich )

S ee Color Plate 2A . O . U . Number 7

O t her Name s . Common Loon ; B ig Loon ; GreatNor t hern D i ver ; Imber D i ver ; H e l l -di ver ; Ember

Goose ; Wa l loon ; R ing-necked Loon ; B lack-b i l led Loon ;

YOUNG : Crown ,neck and upper par t s , in genera l , gray

i sh —brown ,the feathers of ba ck wi th l igh ter edges ;

pr imaries , b lack ; ta i l , gray- t ipped ; s ides of breas t ,

Gu inea Duck ; Green head .

Gen era l De scr ipt ion . Leng t h , 28 to 36 inches . IN

SUM M ER : Upper par t s , g los sy blac k w i th w h i te spo t s ;under par t s , w h i te. IN W INTER : Upper par ts , gray i shbrown w i thout spo t s .COIO I’ .— A DULTS IN S UM MER : H ead and neck a l l

a round , g los sy purpl isheblack w i t h g reen i s h reflect i on s ;a pa tc h of sharp w h i te s t reak s on lower t h roat ; ano therof the same k ind on eac h s ide of neck , separa ted inf ron t , but some t imes mee t ing beh ind ; en t ir e upper par ts ,

tt'l rlg and i nner s econdar ies , g los sy black,

th ick ly mar /z ed w i th wh ite spots — t hose of Shou lders ,inner secondar ies . and back , large, square, and regu

la r ly arranged t raverse ly , t hose o f o t her par t s ova l ,sma l les t on rump and w ing- cover t s ; upper ta i l - cover ts ,green i sh -b lack ; pr ima r ies , du sky ; l ower par ts fr omnode, wh ite ; s ides o f breas t , s t reaked w i th b lack ; b i l land feet , b la ck ; i r i s , red . A DULTS IN W I NTER , AND

O f a l l the w i l d creatures wh ich s t i l l per s i stin the Ian-d ,

despi te set t lemen t and c iv i l i zat i on, the

L oon seem s be s t to typi fy the un tamed savageryo f the w i l dernes s . Its wo l f - l i ke cry i s the w i l destsoun d now heard in M a s sachu set t s , where na

ture has l ong been subdued by the r i fle , ax, and

pl ow . Somet imes at sea, when I hav e heard theca l l o f the L oon f rom afar , and seen its wh i tebreast fla sh f rom the crest o f a d i s tan t wave, 1hav e imagined i t the s igna l and ca l l for he lp o fsome s t rong sw immer

, bat t l ing w i th the waves .

I t is general ly be l i eved that in m igrat i on at

least the L oon pa s ses the n ight upon the sea or

the bo som o f some lak e or r iver . The Gu l l s,

mo t t led ; ch in ,t h roa t , and neck in f ron t (narrowly ) ,

and under par t s , w h i te w i th some dark fea thers on s idesand under ta i l—cover t s , t hus no black or w h i te spo ts ;bi l l , dusky , b lu i sh -w h i te at ba se and be low ; feet , l igh terthan in summer ; i r i s , brown .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : U sua l ly a ho l low in the

sand , w i thou t nes t ing ma ter ia l ; in some loca l i t ies a

rough n es t i s con s truc ted of s t i c k s and reeds ; oc cas iona l ly the top o f an old mu sk ra t house i s u t i l i zed .

EGGS : 2 ,dark o l i ve-gray , s ta ined w i t h brown and

spo t ted w i t h b lack .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern par t of nor t hern h em isphere ; in Nor t h Amer ica breeds f rom A laska ac rossA rct ic Nor t h Amer ica to Green land , sou t h to nor t hernCa l i fo rn ia , ac ros s the Un i ted S ta tes at abou t the para llel 42

°

to Nova S co t ia ; w in ter s f rom sou t hern B r i t i shCo lumb ia , the Grea t Lakes , and sou t hern New Eng landto Lower Ca l i fo rn ia , the Gu l f coas t , and F lor ida .

Auk s,Puffi ns

,and Co rmoran t s , wh ich l ive upon

the sea,u sua l ly -a l ight upon the h igh sho res o f

s ome rocky i s land or on s ome l one ly sand barat n igh t , but the L oon i s O f ten seen at sea when

n igh t fa l l s , and its cr ie s are heard by the sa i l o r sdur ing the hour s o f darknes s . Notw i th s tand ingthe genera l bel i ef that i t norma l ly S leeps on the

water ,I bel ieve that i t prefers t o rest on shore

at n ight , when i t can sa fe ly do so . Audubonsat i sfied h im sel f that on its breed ing grounds i twas accu s t omed to spend the n ight on shore . O n

an i s land off the coa s t o f B r i t i sh Co lumb ia ,

where there was no One t o t rouble the b i rd s , Ionce saw ,

ju s t at n ight fa l l , a pa i r o f L oon s

LOONS

res t ing flat on the i r breast s at the end o f a l ongsandy po in t . Cr ipples in s t inct ively seek the

sho re when s orely wounded . but on our coa s t aL oon mu s t k eepwel l off sho re t o in su re its safety ,and probably few but cr ipple s ever land on Shoresf requen ted by man .

The L oon ’s ne s t i s u sua l ly a mere ho l l ow in

the bog or sho re near the water ’s edge on s ome

i s land in a lak e or pond . S omet ime s the ne s t i sl ined w i th gra s ses and b i t s o f tur f ; mo re rarelyi t is a mere depres s i on on the top o f a mu s k rat ’shou se , and mo re rarely s t i l l it is placed on the

sho re o f the lak e or in s ome debouch ing s t ream .

Where the b i rd s a re not much d i s turbed , and

where food is plen t i fu l , two or th ree pa i r s s ome

t ime s ne s t ou the same i s land . No doubt therewas a t ime when near ly every n or thern pond o fmore than a few acres con ta ined its pa i r o fL oon s , in the breed ing sea son ,

and th i s i s trueto - day o

'

f pond s in par t s o f s ome Canad i an P ro vinces . The ne s t is usua l ly so near the marginthat the b i rd can spr ing d i rect ly i n to the water ,but s omet imes in summ er the wa ter r ecedes un t i lthe nes t is le f t s ome d i s tance in land .

The L oon i s a clum sy . awkward t rav eler uponlan d

,where, when hurr ied , i t flounders fo rward ,

u s ing both w ings and feet . Audubon ,howev er ,

says that his son , I . W . Audubon , w inged a L oonwh ich ran about one hund red yard s and reachedthe water bef o re i t was over taken . Its u sua lmethod o f tak ing t o the water f rom its nes t isby plung ing fo rward and s l i d ing on its brea s t .I t cannot r i se f rom the lan d ,

hence the nece s s i tyo f hav i ng the ne s t at the water’s edge .

-

"

hen the young are hatched the mo ther carr iesthem about on her back a few day s . a f ter wh ichthey rema in afloat much o f the t ime un t i l theyare fu l ly grown . If f ood become s scarce in the i rnat i v e pond they s omet imes leav e i t and t ravelover land to another . Dr . Jame s P . Hatch o fSpr ingfie l d . M a s s , say s tha t ear ly in the mo rn ingthe paren t s and the wel l -grown y oung run raceson the lake , u s ing the i r broad padd le s for propu l s i on and the i r ha l f —ex tended w ings for par t ia lsupport . S tar t ing a l l t ogether they race downthe lake , and then , turn i ng , ru sh back t o the i rs tar t ing po in t . Such ex erc i ses no doubts t rengthen the young b i rd s for the l ong fl ight s t ocome .

The L oon find s s ome d i fficu l ty in r i s i ng f romthe water , and is obl iged to run a l ong the sur

face . flapping its shor t w ings , un t i l i t get s impetu senough t o r i se . I t is sa i d that i t cannot r i se at

al l un le s s there. i s w ind to a s s i s t i t . Its greatwe ight (f rom e ight t o near l y twelve pound s )and its sho r t w i ngs mak e fl igh t labo r i ou s , but its

13

rapi d w ing-beat s carry i t through the ai r at greatspeed . When i t a l ight s i t o f ten shoo t s spi ra l lydown f rom a grea t he ight , and plunge s i n to thewa ter l i k e an arrow f rom a bow . I t land s w i tha spla sh , and shoot s a l ong the su r face un t i l itsimpetu s i s arres ted by the res i s ta nce o f the water .

The L oon i s a lmo s t unexcel led as a d i ver . It

is suppo sed to be able t o d i sappear so sudden lyat the fla sh o f a r i fle as t o dodge the bu l let

,

un less the shoo ter i s at po in t —blan k range , but

when two or three crack shot s surround a sma l lpond in wh i ch a L oon i s res t ing i t can usual ly besecured by good s t rategy. I once saw a L oonk i l led on the water w i th a shotgun . but the b i rdwas taken at a d i sad van tage . I t was on the

Banana R i ver,Fla

,in January ,

1900 , and i t hadfo l l owed the fi sh (wh ich were then very numer

ous ) in to the sha l l ow water near the sho re .

Shoa l s ex tended out f rom the sho re fu l l y threehund red yards

, 50 that th e b i rd,in d i v ing and

sw imm ing under water . cou l d not use its w ings toadvantage . I t was much impeded by the shoa l sand the v egetat i on on the bot tom , and in sw imm ing was so near the sur face that its cour se cou l dbe fo l l owed read i ly by the r ipple that i t made .

Two s t rong rower s were thu s enabled to fo l l owand over take i t . I t escaped the fi r s t charge o fshot , but its pur suer s came so cl o se the secondt ime that the sho t wen t home . In deep water ,where the b i rd can use its w ings and fly underwater l i ke a bo l t f rom a cro s sbow , i t can eas i lyelude a boat . In o l d t ime s the gunner u sed to“ to l l ” the L oon w i th in gun shot by concea l ingh im se l f and wav ing a br ight ly co lo red hand kerch i ef . wh i le im i tat ing the b i rd ’s ca l l . But th i sw i l l rarely succeed to -day in lur ing one w i th inreach Of a shotgun .

Loon s are rather s o l i tary in the‘

autumn m i

gration . They leave the i r no r thern home s and

some begin to mo v e s ou thward in September ,

but many rema in in the northern lakes un t i l theice come s . They mo v e s outh a l ong the largerr iver s o f the in ter i or , but mo s t o f tho se near the

A t lan t ic take the sea as the i r h ighway .

The L oon feed s v ery large ly on fi sh . As i tres t s l igh t ly on the sur face i t f requen t ly th ru s t sits head in to the water and l ook s about in searcho f its prey . W

'

hen pur su ing sw i f t fi sh underwater i t o f ten u se s its w ings , by mean s o f wh ichi t can o ver take the sw i f te s t . Th i s has been re

peated ly obser ved . It can t ravel much fa s terunder wa ter in th i s manner than i t can on the

sur face by use o f the fee t a l one .

EDWA RD f l own FORBU S H . in Game Bi rds .

l -‘

V i lcl -Fott'l and. S hare Bi rds .

14

The Yel l ow-b i l led L oon , (Gav ia adams i )-"h i te-b i l led L oon

,or Adam s ’s L oon

,as i t is

var i ou s ly ca l led , i s o f the same genera l co l o rat i on as the Common L oon . The throat and neckpatche s , however . are sma l ler and the b i l l

,wh ich

i s larger and d ifferen t ly shaped , is pa le yel l ow i shwh i te . I t i s subj ect t o co rrespond ing sea s ona lchanges .

I t breed s in n or thern S iber ia , on the i s lands

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

B LACK-THROATED L OON

Gavia arc t ica (L innceus )A . O . U . Number 9

O t h er Names — A rc t ic Loon ; A rct ic D i ver ; B lac kth roa ted D i ver .

Gen eral Descr ipt ion . L eng th , 2” to 30 inches . IN

S UM M ER : Upper par t s , g los sy green i sh -b lack w i t hw h i te spo ts ; lower par t s w h i te . IN W INTER : Upper

par t s , gray i sh -brown w i t hou t spo t s .Col or . ADULTS IN S UM M ER : Chin ,

throat, and fron tof neck , purpl ish-bla ck , shading gradua l ly in to c l earsoft warm gray of c rown . ba ck of head , and hind

-

neck ,

deepes t on forehead and face . l igh tes t beh ind , and sep

a rated f rom b lack of f ron t of nec k by w h i te s t reak s ;a shor t c rescen t of w h i te s t reaks ac ros s upper t h roa t ;s ides of brea s t and neck s tr iped w i t h pure w h i te and

g lossy b lack , the black dim in i sh ing beh ind in to pure

w h i te O f under par t s ; upper par t s . g los sy green i shb lac k eac h fea t her on shou lders and back w i t h two

whitélf‘ square spo t s near end form ing t raverse row s ;

w ing- cover t s th i c k ly specked w i t h sma l l ova l w h i tespot s ; a nar row dusky band ac ros s lower be l ly ; underta i l -cover ts , w i t h dusky spo t s ; b i l l , black ; fee t , dusky ;i r i s . red . A DULTS IN W IN TER , AND YOUNG : Upper par t s

The genera l appearance of the B lack- throatedL oon i s l i ke that o f its rela t ive

, the CommonLoon . but i t is s omewhat sma l ler and not near lyso we l l known in Amer ica S ince i t i s se l d om seens outh o f the nor thern S tate s . There seems t o beno rel iable reco rd o f its appearance s outh o fL ong I s lan d . Throughou t the in ter i or o f Norway and Sweden and far up in to L apland , i tbreed s qu i te common ly . I t i s con s i dered to be o frare occurrence in mo s t pa rt s Of the B r i t i shI s les

,but on the l i t t le i s lan d s in the f re sh-water

l och s f rom cen t ra l Scot land no r thward , and on

the O rkney and Shet land i s land s , may be f oun dits ne s ts .

Its hab i t s al s o are l i ke tho se o f the larger mem

S ee Color Plate 2

of head and neck , dark g ray i sh -brown ; s ides of head ,g ray i sh -w h i te fine ly s t reaked w i t h brown ; upper par ts ,

brown i sh- black , fea thers wi th broad gray marg ins , g iving a s ca ly appearan ce ; rump,

brown i sh -gray ; pr i

mar ies and t he i r cover ts , brown i sh -b lack ; secondar iesand ta i l — feat hers , dusky marg ined w i t h gray ; forepar tof nec k , gray i sh -w h i te fa in t ly do t ted w i th brown , i t ss ides s t reaked w i t h same ; lower par t s , pure w h i te ;s ides of body and lower ta i l -cover t s , dusky edged w i t hb lu i sh -gray ; b i l l , l igh t blu i sh -gray , dusky on r idge ;feet , du sky ; i r i s , brown .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : A depres s ion in the tundraor con s t ruc ted rough ly o f decayed vegetat ion . EGGS :2,deep amber to pa le g reen i sh -gray .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern pa r t O f nor t hern hem isphere ; breeds f rom Ko t zebue Sound , A laska , w es ta long nor t hern coas t of S iber ia ,

on i s lands nor t h o f

Europe , and f rom Cumber land Sound sout h to U ngava ;winter s in the sou thern Canadian prov inces ; rarelysout h to Co lorado . Nebra ska , Iowa . nor t hern Oh io , andLong I s land , N . Y

nor th o f Europe , and in No rth Amer ica fromn o r thwestern A laska , northern Mackens ie

, and

Boo-th ia Pen i n su la south t o the mouth o f theYukon and t o Great S lave L ake . Its nest s andeggs , as far as known , are s im i lar to those o f themo re fami lar L oon . In m igrat i on the Ye l l ow~

b i l led i s f ound a l i t t le s outh o f its breed ing range,and Spec imen s have been repo rted from Co loradoand Green land .

ber o f its spec i es . Its progre s s under water hasbeen est imated at not le s s than e igh t m i le s an

hourThe Pac i fic L oon or Pac i fic D iver (Gav ia

pacifi ca ) i s confined t o the “fest . I t breed sf rom Po in t Barrow Bank s L an d

,nor thern M ac

ken z ie , and Me lv i l le Pen in su la , sou th t o the baseo f the A las kan Pen in su la . Great S lave Lake ,

and cen tral Keewat in and w i n ter s a l ong the Pac ifi c coas t f rom s ou thern Br i t i sh Co lumb i a t oL ower Ca l i fo rn ia , and Guadalupe I s land . In

co lorat i on i t i s s im i lar t o the B lack- throatedL oon . but the gray o f the head average s l igh terand the l igh t spot s o f the back larger and fewerin number .

LOONS

R ED -THROATED L OON

Gavia s te l la ta (Pon toppidan )

A . O . U . Number l l

O t h er Nam e s . Spra t Loon . Red- t h roa ted D i ver ;L i t t le Loon ; Cape R ace ; Cape R acer ; Scape-

g race .

Genera l De scr ipt i on . Leng t h . 25 in c hes . Co lorabove , brown i sh —b lack w i t h w h i te spo t s ; be low , wh i te .

Col or . A DULTS IN S U M M ER : C rown and broad s t r ipedown back of nec k , s t reaked in abou t equa l amoun t sw i t h g lossy green i sh -b lack and w h i te ; thr oa t , s ides ofhead ,

and s ides of nee/e , c lear tea-rm g ray w i th a tr i

angu lar ches tnu t pa t ch on lower throa t ; upper pa r t s ,brown i sh -black w i t h a green g los s , t h i ck ly spo t ted w i t hdu l l w h i t i sh ; pr imar ies , du sky ; ta i l , dusky ,

na rrow lyt ipped w i t h wh i te ; under par t s , pu re w h i te , shadeda long s ides and on under ta i l - cover t s w i t h du sky brown ;b i l l , dusky lead co lor ; feet . b lac k ; i r i s , haze l . ADULTSIN W I N TER, AND YOUNG : Crown and hindneck . blu i shg ray ; s ides of neck , mot t led w i t h brown i sh and w h i te ;upper par t s , brown i sh -black , ev envzel zere th i ck ly mark ed

wi th sma l l ow l and l in ear spots of wh i ti sh ; c h in , th roa t ,

The Red - throated L oon i s ma in ly a sa l t—waterb i rd wh i le i t s o j ourn s in M a s sachu set t s , a l thoughocca s i ona l ly i t is seen on some lake or r i v er .

Probably ,l i k e many other b i rd s , i t was o f tener

seen on f re sh water in ear ly t ime s than now . I ti s s t i l l not uncommon on the Great L ake s , and

Dav i d B ruce o f B rockpo r t , N . Y . , s tated that hehad foun d i t on Lake On tar i o dur ing every mon tho f the year . I II severe weather , when the lak esf reeze

,th i s b i rd , l i ke the “Common L oon ,

is s ome

t ime s tak en on the ice ,f rom wh ich i t is unabl e

t o r i se , and i s ea s i ly captured . In autumn i t may

be seen in sma l l par t i es or flock s float i ng and

feed ing near our coa s t s . L i k e Grebe s and s ome

Photo by H . T . M idd leton

See Color Plate

o ther wa ter — f ow l , i t o f ten l i es on its s i de or backwh i le afloa t , expo s ing its wh i te under part s wh i leengaged in dres s ing or preen i ng the plumage .

Th i s spec ies m igrates ma in ly a l ong the coa s t inautumn , but as i t is not so common ly seen therein spr in

cr, some por t i on o f the fl igh t may go

no r th through the i n ter i o r .

Its hab i ts are s im i lar to tho s e o f the CommonL oon . I t is perhaps equa l ly d ifficu l t t o shoot onthe water . When surpr i sed on land i t seek s t oescape by a ser ie s o f hops or leaps . u s ing bo thw ings and feet .

EDWA RD HOWE FORBU S I I , in Game B irds ,

Pl/ ild-Foa”! and S hore B irds .

B IR D-STUDYING

y ou I —3

s ides o f head . w h i te ; no co lored t h roa t pa tch ; underpar ts , as in summer ; amoun t o f spo t t ing va r iab le ; inyoung b i rds spo t s usua l ly leng thened in to ob l ique l ines ,produc ing a regu la r diamond- shaped re t i cu la t ion .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : On banks of sma l l ponds ;a mere ho l low in the ground . EGGS : 2

,f rom deep

reddi sh -brown to g ray i sh -g reen ,t h in ly spo t ted w i t h

brown i sh e black .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor thern par t of nor thern hem isphere ; breeds f rom A laska acros s A rc t i c Amer i ca to

Green land , sou t h to Commander I s lands , w es tern A leut ian I s lands , Glac ier Bay , ac ros s B r i t i sh Amer i ca to

New B run sw i c k and New found land ; w in ter s f romsou thern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia to sou t hern Ca l i forn ia , and

f rom the Grea t Lakes and Ma ine to F lor ida ; rare in

the in ter ior ; breeds a l so in A rc t i c Europe and A s ia ,

and w in ter s sou th to the Medi ter ranean and sout hernCh ina .

16 B IRDS OF AMER ICA

AUK S , M U R R E S , AND P UFFIN S

Order Pygopodes ; suborder Cepphi ; fami l y Alcidd

T is a curi ou s and in teresting fact that at opposite ends of the earth there

Shou ld be forms of b ird —l i fe which , though en tire l y unre lated and differingfrom each other even in the Signal respect that one is equipped with wings anduses them ,

wh i l e the other i s flightl ess , neverthel ess presen t simi lar and somewhat grotesque phy sical pecu l iari ties , and much simi lari ty in their habits .These birds are the Auks of the Arctic and the Pengu in s of theAntarctic region s ,and their external Simi larity l ies in the fact that in both the l egs are set so farback on the body that the b irds assume a man - l i ke posture , and are c lumsyand un couth in their appearance on shore . In the water both are expertswimmer s and d ivers , though here again they differ in that the Au k s use theirfeet in swimming ,

wherea s the Pengu in s swim entirel y with their wings , and

u se their feet on l y in steering their cour se .

The Auks , M urres , and Puffi n s in clude diving Arctic sea-birds grouped under the

scien tific name Alcidm, and embracing about a do zen genera and some th irty species . Al l

members of the fami l y are essen tial l y birds of the Arctic region s , and are especial l y numerou son the Alaskan and Siberian coasts . Though the Auk s resemb le the Pengu in s superficial l yand in their habi ts , anatomica l l y their nearest re latives are the Loon s and Grebes . Fromthe Loon s , however ,

they differ in l ack ing a hind toe , and from the Grebes in the possessi onof a wel l - devel oped tai l .

Photo by W . L . F in ley and H . T . BohlmanTUFTED PUFF IN ON NE S T

Burrow unear thed

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18 BIR DS OF

waver ing un rea l i ty to a l l the scene. In th i s enchan ted rea lm thou san d s of queer b i rd s move toand fro , and n one is queerer than the Tu f tedPuffin .

Each l ooks l ike a masked car ica ture o f a b i rdas i t comes on

, push ing its grea t red beak stra igh tahead

,its red ,

splay feet spread w idely , its l ong,

cream - col ored s ide plumes flying in the w ind,

and its l i t t le W ings“

work ing for two.

”In

spr ing bo th ma le and fema le acqu i re a wh i teface , wh i ch gives them a ma sked appearance, andthe grea t , gaud i ly co l ored beak rem ind s one o fM r . Punch and h is big red n ose . The beak , a

remarkable appendage, is much larger and

Show ier in the breed ing season than at any othert ime . There are e igh teen horny plate s , ingen ious ly f o rmed and arranged ,

s ix teen o f wh ich fa l lOff a f ter the breed ing seas on ,

much reduc ing thed imen s i on s o f the ba sa l par t . The under ly ingplates are then brown in co l or . At the same

t ime the Wh i te o f the face w i th its plumes di sappear s , the en t i re head become s b lack i sh , and

the bi rd rema in s mere ly a commonpl ace Puffinun t i l the nex t breed ing season .

O n the Fara l l on s , off the Cal i f orn ia coast ,W here these Puffi ns nest on bar ren rock s , theydepos i t the i r eggs in ho le s or cav i t i e s among therock s

,but on the no r thern coa s t , where each

rocky i s let has a cap o f some four feet o f ear th ,

they burrow in t o th i s at the top o f the prec ipi ceover l ook ing the sea . Some o f the i r tunnel s extend but a few inches . These are bel ie ved to bemade by the young b i rd s . O ther s delve deeply ,and in an o ld col ony a bank w i l l be honeycombedin every d i rect i on . I f one w i shes t o exam inein to the i r hou sekeeping , un der these c i rcums tances he must fasten a rope t o rock or t ree,

r ig a“

bo ’sun ’s cha i r ,

”and let h im sel f over the

c l iff,excavat ing w i th his hand s l ike a dog d ig

g ing out a woodchuck,the s tream o f d i r t pas s ing

down the cl i ff un t i l i t reaches the sea far be low.

Even then he may not eas i ly succeed in find ingthe eggs or young in the in term inable labyr in th o f

AMER ICA

pa s sages penetrat ing the ear th . Where the topso f i s land s are h i l ly , the Puffi n s dig in t o the tur f ,where the lan d s lopes at an angle o f aboutand O f ten they go in t o a depth o f three or fourfeet .The S ingle egg,

wh ich appears wh i te, i s in

rea l i ty spot ted in s ide the shel l structure ,

'

as maybe seen by ho l d ing i t up to a very s trong l igh t .The young one i s a rea l Puffin

,as i t i s covered

w i th down l ike a powder puff , but as i t s i ts at themouth o f the burrow i t l ook s

, at a d i s tance ,l ike

a l i t t le rat peeping out o f its hole .

There has been much specu lat i on regard ingthe ut i l i ty o f the b i l l o f the Puffin ,

and i t has beensugges ted tha t i t is u sed t o cru sh mo l lusk s , butth i s does not seem t o be the case, at leas t dur ingthe breed ing season , as sma l l fi sh appear to f ormits pr inc ipa l food . Apparen t ly i t doe s not u se

its b i l l , but rather its feet , in d igging,though th i s

may be an er ro r,and po s s ibly both are u sed ; but

cer ta in ly the beak is an excel len t weapon o fde fen se as al l who have at tempted to dig out

Puffi n s w i l l test i fy. Nature has put the mostpower fu l weapon o f the mo ther b i rd Where itw i l l have m ost effect . As she s i ts fac ing the

en trance t o her burrow she can de l iver the mo reeffect ive bl ow s in de fen se o f her nest and youngbecause o f the great s i ze and cru sh ing s trength o fher weapon , backed as i t is by her hard head and

s turdy neck .

Puffi ns breed on i s land s occupied a l so by Gu l l s ,Gu i l lemot s

,Murres , Co rmoran ts , and other b i rd s .

A f ter the breed ing sea s on they go t o sea where

they rema in a l l w in ter . The i r hab i t s and roo s ting place s at th i s season are pract ica l ly unkn own .

The na t ives o f the coa s ts and i s lands o f then orth Pac i fic catch Puffi n s in net s , us ing the i rbod i es for food and the i r sk in s for cloth ing. The

sk in s are tough and are sewn together w i th the

feathered S i de in ,to make coat s or parkas , as

they are ca l led . Thus the Puffi ns con tr ibu te t othe com for t and wel fare o f these s imple, pr im it ive people . EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

PU FF IN

Fratercu la arct ica arct ica (L inneeus )A . O . U . Number I 3

O ther Names . Common Pufli n ; Puf’fi n Auk ; Labra

dor Auk ; Sea Parro t ; Pope ; Bot t le- nose ; TammyNor ie ; Coul terner ; T inker .

Gen eral Descr ipt ion — L engt h , I 3 in ches . Co lorabove, black ; be low, wh i te ; bi l l very deep and r idged .

S ee Co lor Plate 3

Description . ADULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown , gray i shb lack , separa ted by a narrow ashy co l lar f rom darkco lor of upper par t s ; s ides of head w i t h ch in and

th roat , ashy ; near ly wh i te be tween eyes and b i l l , w i t ha dark dusky pa tch on S ide of t h roa t ; upper par t s ,

Cou rte sv of the New Yo rk S tate Mu s eumPlate 3

BLACK GUILLEMOT BRUNNICH ’S_MURRE RAZ OR- B ILL C D AU

_K

('

eppnus gry l l e (Is l n nacus l U r iu l ament. I'aw f uc (L i n naeus ) A lva tor tla L i n nae usWINTE R S U M M E R S U M M E R WIN TE R S U M M E R

PUFFINFVatercu la ac ca a rch ed (Inn rni eus l

S U M M E RA l l i nut . S Iz e DOV EKIE

.~l l l e a l l e (L innaeus )

AUKS ,MUR RES , AND PUFF INS

g lossy b lue-black con t inuo us w i t h a broad co l lar aroundneck in f ron t , not reac h ing b i l l ; under par t s f romnec k . pure w h i te ; s ides , du sky ; bas e of bil l. and fi r s tr idge ,

du l l yel l ow ish ,next space , gray ish

- blue ; r es t ofbi l l , b erm-175011 , yel low below ,

roset te of mou t h , orange ;feet , verm i l ion ; i r i s . pa le b lu i sh -w h i te ; con i ca l shapedproj ec t ion s above and beh ind eye , gray i sh -blue : eve

l ids,verm i l-ion . ADULTS IN W IN TER : Face, du sky ; no

eye- r ing or appendages on eye l id ; roset te of mou t h .

Drawing by R . I . BrasherPUFF IN (é nat. s ize)

The Sea Parrot of the north A tlan tic

Whether at res t or on the w ing,the Puffin i s

a cur i ous l o ok ing creature, says John Maclai r

B o ra s ton,the Engl i sh orn i tho l ogi s t .

'

A t restthey s tand rank above rank on the topmo s t rockyledge s fac ing the sea

,the i r b lack back s

,co l lar s ,

and crown s, wh i te faces and underpar t s , com

b in ing wi th the i r erect a t t i tude and d i spo s i t i on ,

inc l ine t o g ive them s ometh ing o f m i l i tary un i

form i ty and regu lar i ty . But when one noted thegrea t tr i—col ored beak , the apparen t ly spectacledeyes

, and re marked the m i l d surpr i se w i th wh i chthe b i rd s regarded our in t rus i on

,one cou ld not

res i s t the i dea that there was s om eth ing lud icrous ly ar t i fic ia l in the make-up o f the Puffin ;for surely there never was a b i rd les s b i rd— l i ke inits appearance than the Puffin at res t . They were

tame enough t o a l l ow us t o approach a lmo s tw i th in s t r ik ing d i s tance, had we been d i spo sed to

sh runken ; feet , orange ; mos t of horny appendages onh i l l have been shed , leav ing i t sma l l and pa le .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : A burrow in the groundI to 4 fee t in lengt h . Enos : I , w h i te or brown i shwh i te . pla in or marked w i th fa in t spo ts , do t s , or

sc ra t ch es of lavender : la id at the end of bur row on a

t h in l in ing o f gra s s .D i s tr ibu t i on . Coas t s and i s lands of nor t h A t lan t i c ;

breeds in Nor t h Amer i ca f rom Ungava south to the

Bay of Fundy and Ma ine : w in ter s sou th to Mas sachusetts ; rare ly to Long Is land , and De laware Bay .

s tr ike anyth ing so m i l d -mannered as a Puffin .

When the b i rd is on the w ing,the fl igh t is rapi d ,

but labo red , the wings beat ing v i o len t ly , and as

the b i rd fl i es , espec ia l ly i f return ing to its b-ur

row w i th fi sh ,i t u t ter s a pecu l iar sound a deep

throated,m i rthless laugh ter , as i t were , wh i ch

may be im i tated by laugh ing in the throa t wi ththe l ips cl o sed .

I t is a ma t ter o f speculat i on how the Puffin,

wh i ch catches fi sh by d i v ing, con tr i ves t o reta inthe fi r s t fi sh in its b i l l wh i le i t captures a secondor a th i rd . Po s s ibly the tongue is u sed to ho l d i tto the roo f o f the mouth ,

wh i le the under man

d ible is l owered to make the later captures . ”

(B irds by L and and S ea )Much o f the grotesquene s s o f th i s b i rd

' s appearance is due t o its uncouth beak , wh i ch is

very large ,flat tened la teral ly , banded w i th red

,

20 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

blue,and yel l ow , and embo ssed wi th horny ex

crescences . These growths appear on ly in the

mat ing sea s on , and are s l oughed ofic when tha tper i od is at an end

,wh ich mean s , as one observer

put s i t , tha t“

the Puffi n d i splays his wedd i nggarmen ts on h is beak .

"Puffi n s are not l ikely t o

be seen near land a f ter the breed ing sea s on is

over . They are sk i l l fu l sw immer s and expertd ivers in the i r d iv ing they o ften descend t o a

great depth ,and they are exceed ingly qu i ck and

sure in the i r mot i on s under the sur face . At the i rbreed ing place s the b i rd s are l ikely t o appear

w i th remarkable punctua l i ty , and they d i sappearw i th the i r young w i th co rrespond ing regu lar i ty .

In fact th i s depar ture is method ica l t o the ex ten ttha t young b i rd s wh ich have not got the fu l l useo f the i r w ings are le f t beh in d when the t ime for

m igra t ing arr ives . I t seem s probable that thebi rd s rema in mated for l i fe .

CASS IN’S AU KL ET

Ptychoramphus al euticu s (P al las )

A . O . U . Number 16

O ther Name . Sea Qua i l .Gen eral Descr ipt ion . L engt h , 9% inches . Co lor

above, b lack i sh ; be low , w h i t i sh ; b i l l , shor ter t han head,w ider than broad at ba se, i t s upper out l ine near lys t ra igh t .Col or . Upper par ts , black ish-plumbeous ; head,w ing s and ta i l , near ly black ; 3 gray i sh shade ex tendinga round head , neck , fore-breas t , and a long s ides of body ,

fading to w h i te on abdomen ; bi l l , blac k , ye l lowi sh at

Wh i le the Cass in Auk let has been found l iv ingon . some o f the rocky i s lands from the A leu t ianst o L ower Cal i fo rn ia

, yet I have never f ound one

o f the b i rds nest ing on the rock s off the O regoncoastDur ing the summer o f 1903 ,

M r . Herman

T . B oh lman and I camped for fi ve days and

n igh t s on Three A rch R ocks wh ich con ta in the

greates t co l on i e s o f sea b i rd s off the O regoncoast . Aga in . in 19 14,

we l ived for four daysand n ight s on the se rock s and cl imbed from topto bo tt om s tudying the var i ous b i rd s tha t l ivethere . We have yet to see our fir s t Auk let aboutThree A rch R ock s . Th i s has led me t o bel ievethat i t is rather uncer ta in as t o ju s t where the

b i rd may be found . Mr . L . M . L oom i s f oundthe bi rd s nest ing on the Fara l l ons and M r . W il

base ; fee t , blu i sh in f ront , black i sh beh ind and on webs ;i r i s , w h i te ; a touch of w h i te on lower eye l id .

Nes t and Eggs . The s ing le egg, cha lky-wh i te or

fa in t ly t inged w i t h green or blue, unmarked , i s depos i ted in a bur row in the ground or in a crev i ce inrocks on an i s land or coas t adj acen t to the sea .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Pac i fi c coas t of Nor th Amer i ca f romA leu t ian I s lands to la t i tude 27

°

in Lower Ca l i forn ia ;breeds loca l ly t h roughout i t s range .

l iam L . Dawson found them nes t ing on s ome o fthe rocks off the Wa sh ingt on coa s t .Because o f its plump shape and s i ze

,i t has

been cal led a Sea Qua i l . ” In h is study of

Ca s s iu’s Auk let on one o f the i s lands off the

Wa sh ington coa s t,M r . W i l l iam L . Daws on

speaks o f spend ing the n igh t on the s l ope o f thei s land where the Auk let s had the i r nes t s . The

b i rd s burrow in under the so i l , l i ke the Petrel sand Puffi ns , and are large ly nocturna l in the i rne s t ing hab i ts . The o ld b i rd s come in at n igh tto change places in the burrows . The Auk letchoru s o f b i rd s in the burrow s . he says , rem i ndsone o f a f rog pond in ful l cry . A l though the

Auk let s are qu i et in dayt ime, yet the tumu l t in

crea ses as the n igh t progre s ses .

W I LL I AM L . F I N LEY .

On land the b i rd places the whole length'

of the

f oot and heel on the ground and proceeds w i th a

wadd l ing s tr ide . R obb ing a Puffi n’s nest is

dangerou s bus ines s when e i ther o f the b i rd s is athome

,for they fight despera tely and can infl ict

ugly wounds w i th the i r power fu l mand ibles andsharp inner na i l s .The b i rd s show st rong affect i on for one

ano ther . I f one i s shot and fa l l s in the water ,others are l ike ly t o al ight near i t , sw im aroundi t , push i t w i th the i r b i l ls , and d i splay in manyways the i r d i stress .From old records we l earn tha t in var i ous

part s o f the Puffi n’

s European range i t was thecustom to sal t down large quan t i t i es o f the youngb i rd s t o be eaten e spec ia l ly in L en t . To be surethe b i rd wasn ’t actua l ly fi sh , but i t tas ted enoughl ike fi sh t o sat i s fy adaptable consc i ences amongthe devout .

AUKS , MURRES ,AND PUFF INS 2 1

CRESTED AU KL ET

IE thia cr i s ta te l la (Pal las )A . O . U .

O t her Nam e s . Snub-nosed Auk let , or Auk ; Du skyAuk let ; Cres ted S tar i k i ; S ea Qua i l ; Kanooska .

Genera l Des cr ipt i on . L engt h , 9 in c hes . Co lora’bove, brown i sh -blac k ; be low , brown i sh -

gray . B i l l,

shor ter than head , w i t h knob at base ; a beau t i fu l c res tof f rom to 20 s lender black plumes spr ing ing f romforehead , recurved grace fu l ly over b i l l . about two incheslong ; a s lender ser ies o f w h i te fi lamen ts beh ind eac heye. drooping downward and backward .

Th i s i s es sen t ia l ly a sea -b i rd o f the far No rthits no rma l hab i tat be i ng the no r th Pacific Oceanand the i s land s o f Ber ing Sea . In Yukon Harborthey have been seen in myr iad s . The i r appear

ance there is thu s de scr ibed by Dr . Char les Townsend in a leaflet prepared for the Na t i ona l A ssociation o f Audubon Soc iet i es :

The sur face o f the water was covered w i ththem , and the a ir was fi l led w i th them . Large ,

compact flock s launched them selves in t o the a ir

f rom the l o fty c l i ffs,and careened toward the

ves sel w i th grea t speed and wh i rr ing o f wi ngs .

Twi l ight d id not come un t i l a f ter 9 o’

c lock , and

dur ing the l ong even i ng the b i rd s were amaz inglyact ive . F l ock s o f them con t inued to come in

rapi d succes s i on f rom the cl i ffs , many pa s s ingcl o se to the sh ip at h igh speed and sw inging abou tthe harbor . A fter the ancho r was d ropped near

the c l i ffs , a l oud blas t o f the wh i s t le made the

Auk let s s t i l l more abundan t .Thes e b i rd s appeared to be nesting

’

chiefly in

crev ices in the c l i ff s, a l though they cou l d be

heard under the bou l der s near the beaches . Tod is co ver the ne s t ing l oca l i t ie s is ea sy . O ne has

but t o wa lk al ong the great r i dges o f v o lcan ics tones thrown up by the sea . The s ton e s are

rounded and sea-wo rn l i ke pebble s , but they are

g igan t ic pebbles and cannot read i ly be moved .

The Auk let s go far down among them , perhapsthree or four feet , and can be heard chat ter i ngthere dur ing any par t o f the ne s t ing- sea s on .

-\f’e

found that a con s i derable par t o f the food o f th i sand other k ind s o f Auk let s con s i s ted o f amp'h ipodcrus tacean s

,or beach-fleas

,as they are ca l led ,

when found under b i t s o f seaweed al ong the

shore . The na t ive A l eu t s eat Auk let s,j u s t as

Number | 8

Col or . ADU Lr s : B rown i sh -b lack above . brown i shg ray be low ; no w h i te anywhere ; b i l l , cora l or orange ,

horn co lor at tip ; feet , blu i sh -b lack ; i r i s , wh i te . YOUNG :Lack ing b i l l pla tes , c res t s . and w h i te fi lamen t s on s ideo f head ; a wh i te spo t be low eye ; i r i s , brown ; o t herw i seas in adu l t s .D i s tr ibu t ion . Coa s t s and i s lands of Ber ing S ea

“

and nor t h Pac i fic, f rom Ber ing S t ra i t sout h to KodiakI s land and Japan .

they do mo s t other k inds o f sea-b i rd s and cap

ture them w i th net s that are l ike a large d ip- net

w i th a l ong hand le .

Drawing by R . I . B rasherCRE STED AUKLET (gna t. s ize )A s trange ly ornamen ted b ird

W’e need not concern our sel ves . I th i nk . about

the pre ser va t i on o f the Auk let s . They dwe l lamong the h igh cl i ffs and the boul der— s t rewnbeaches o f a thou sand un inhab i ted i s land s , and

k now how t o s t ow away thei r eggs so sa fely tha tn e i ther nat ive s nor blue fo x e s can get themea s i ly .

22 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

L EAST AU KL ET

IEthia pus i l la (Pa l las )A . O . U . Number 20

O t h er Name s . M inu te Auk let ; Knob-nosed Auk let ;Knob-b il led Auk let ; Choochk ie.

Gen eral Descr ipt ion .— Leng t h , inches . Co lor

above, b lack ; be low , w h i te ; b i l l , shor ter than head , w i t hknob at base ; no cres t .D escript ion . A DULTS IN SUM M ER : Fron t , top, and

s ides of head , spr ink led w i t h wh i te de l ica te feat hers ;a ser ies of exceeding ly fi ne ha i r- l i ke feat hers f rom backof eye down back of head and nape ; some w h i te on

shou lders and on tips of some secondar ies ; o therw i seen t i re upper par t s , g lossy-black ; t h roa t and under par t s ,w h i te c louded w i t h dusky , u sua l ly more t h i c k ly ac rossbreas t ; b i l l , red , da rker above at base ; legs , dusky ;

The Least Auk let is one o f the commones t o fthe wa ter fowl in Ber ing Sea . I t congregates incoun t les s thousand s on the rocks in Ber ing S t ra i t ,mak ing them l ook l ike great beeh ives . In the

spr ing they are very playful , espec ia l ly wh i lethey are in the water ,

where they chase each

o ther in great apparen t good nature , meanwh i lekeeping up an inces san t but subdued chat ter ing.

L ike the o ther Auk let s , they bu i l d no nest , butlay a s ingle egg deep in the crev i ce of a cl i ff , oramong the rock s we l l be l ow the sur face,

or in

a burrow in the ground .

“

A wa lk over the i r breed ing ground s at th i s

l l‘

l S w h i te . ADULTS IN W INTER : B r i s t les of head , fewerand les s deve loped ; wh i te of under par t s , more ex tens i ve,

reac h ing a lmost around neck ; b i l l , brown i sh .

Nes t and Eggs . The s ing le egg,c ha lky-wh i te or

fa in t ly t inged w i t h green i sh or b lu i sh , unmarked , i sdepos i ted in a burrow in the ground or in a c rev i ceamong rock s on an i s land or on a coas t adj acen t to the

sea .

D i s tribu t ion . Coas t and i s lands of the nor t hPac i fic ; breeds f rom Ber ing S tra i t sou t h to A leut ianIs lands ; w in ter s f rom A leu t ian and Commander i s landssou t h to Wa sh ing ton on the Amer i can s ide and to

Japan on the As ia t i c .

seas on ,wrote Doctor Ba i rd , is exceed ingly

in teres t ing and amus ing,as the no i se o f hund red s

o f these l i t t le b i rd s d i rect ly under f oot gives r i set o an end less var ia t i on of s ound as i t come s upf rom the s tony ho les and cavern-s bel ow

,wh i le

the b i rds come and go,in and out

,w ith bew i l der

ing rapid i ty , com i ca l ly b l ink ing and flut ter ing.

The male b i rd s , and many o f the fema le s,reg

ular ly leave the breed ing ground s in the morn ing,

and go off t o sea , where they feed on sma l l wa tershr imps and sea fleas , return ing t o the i r nestsand s i t t ing par tners in the even ing. (North

Amer ican B i rds . )

ANCIENT MUR RELET

Synthl iboramphus an tiquu s (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 2 1

O t her Names . Gray-h eaded Murre le t ; B lackt h roa ted Murre let ; B lack - t h roa ted Gu i l lemo t ; O ld Man .

Gen eral D escr ipt ion . L engt h , 10% inches . Co lorabove, dark s la te ; be low ,

w h i te ; b i l l , sma l l and shor t ,w i th. no hor ny grow th a t base .

Col on — ADULTS IN S UM M ER : H ead, black , soo ty

on ch in and t h roa t ; a con spi cuous w h i te s tr ipe over_

each

eye to nape , spreading on s ides and back of neck in toa ser ies of sharp w h i te s t reaks ; a trace of wh i te on eacheye l id ; upper par t s , dark s la te, blacken ing on ta i l ;under par t s , w h i te ; s ides of body , ve lvety-b lack , the

b lack feat hers leng t hen ing beh ind and over lay ing the

wh i te flank s , extending upward in f ron t of w ings , meeting that of nape and t here m i x ing w i t h the w h i tes t reak s ; b i l l , ye l low i sh -wh i te, black on r idge and ba se ;feet , ye l low i sh , webs . b lack ; i r i s , dark brown . A DULTS

IN W IN TER : Upper par ts , darker, the s late obscured bydu sky , espec ia l ly on w ing ,

ta i l- cover t s , and rump ; forehead , crown , and nape, soo ty-b lack w i t hout w h i tes treaks ; eye l ids , somet imes large ly w h i te ; no b lack on

th roat , but dusky mo t t l ing at ba se of b i l l ; w h i te of

under par t s ex tend ing near ly to eyes and far aroundon s ides of nape.

Nes t and Eggs . The s ing le egg , buff w i t h mark ingsof gray i sh - lavender and l igh t brown ,

i s depos i ted in

ho les or burrows in bank s on the coa s t o r on a sea

i s land .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Coast s and i s lands of the Nor t hPac i fic ; breeds f rom A leut ian I s lands to Near I s landsand from Kamcha tka to Commander I s lands ; w in ter sfrom the A leu t ian s sout h to San D iego , Ca l i forn ia , and

to Japan ; acc iden ta l in W i s con s in .

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24 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

A l ong the coast o f Ma ine the numerous rockyi s land s ex tend ing in an i rregu lar l ine out t o sea

affo rd favor i te nes t ing places for numerous seafowl

, among wh ich the B lack Gu i l lemo t , or Sea

P igeon ,

”is by no means rare . Far ther north

they are more numerous and breed in number son Grand Manan I s land ,

New B run sw ick , at

var i ou s place s in the Gu l f o f St. Lawrence , and

al ong the L abrador coast . In approach ing the i rnes t ing i s land s one w i l l observe what appear t obe shor t , black Duck s sw imm ing ahead o f theboa t

, usual ly severa l t ogether . One by one theyw i l l sudden ly d i sappear , as w i th surpr i s ing sw i f t~nes s they d ive beneath the sur face . Under waterthey are much at home

,and by the use o f w ings ,

as wel l as legs , they take the i r submar ine fl igh tto a con s i derable d i stance befo re reappear ing .

U sua l ly one does not see them aga in un t i l thevr i se t o the sur face we l l beyond gun sho t range .

On tak ing w ing th ey r i se read i ly f rom the water .

The i r progress is sw i f t , s trong, and u sual lyd i rected in a s tra igh t l ine . In fl igh t they rarelyr i se more than a few feet above the wa ter .

The B lack Gu i l lemo t ’s nest is placed in the

clef t o f rock s wel l above the reach o f h igh t i des .

Wh i le clamber ing over the great j umble o f gian tbow l ders

,that reach f rom the water t o the h igher

P IGEON GU IL L EMOT

Cepphu s co lumba P al lasA . O . U . Number 29

O t her Name . Sea P igeon .

Genera l De scr ipt ion . Leng t h , I 3 in ches . P reva i ling co lor , in summer . soo ty -b lack ; in w in ter , b lac k and

wh i te ; b i l l , s lender and s t ra igh t , w i th no hor ny grow that base .

Pl umage . t i te m ir ror of upper surfa ce spl i t byan obl ique dark l i ne caused by ex ten s ion of dark basesof greater cover ts increa s ing f rom w i t h in outward

M r . Daw son says that the P igeon Gu i l lemo tis unquest i onably the mo s t character i s t i c waterb i rd o f the Puget Sound regi on ,

”and expla in s

its shar ing the popu lar name Sea P igeon w i ththe Bonapar te Gu l l as fo l l ows : The Gu l l s aredove— l ike in po s ture (at lea s t a-w ing ) , and in

the i r manner o f fl ock ing ; wh i le the Gu i l lemo towes its name bo th t o its plumpnes s and t o itsvery unsoph i s t ica ted , not t o say s tupi d , appear

ance .

”

(B irds of l Vashington . )E . W . Nel s on f ound th i s b i rd the most abun

un t i l the out s ide ones are scarce ly t ipped w i t h w h i te ;plumage and changes o therw i se as in B lack Gu i l lemo t .Nes t and Eggs . S im i lar to those of the B lack

Gu i l lemo t .D i s tr ibu t ion . Coa s t s and i s lands of the A rct i c

O cean ,Ber ing Sea and Cape L isburne , and bo th coas t s

of the nor th Pac i fic f rom Ber ing S t ra i t south to San taCata l ina I s land , Ca l i forn ia , and to nor t hern Japan .

dan t o f the sma l l Gu i l lemo t s throughou t the

No r th,f rom A leut ian I s land s t o tho se o f \Vran

gel and Hera l d , where we found i t breed ingabundan t ly dur ing our v i s i t there on the

Corw in .

”H e note s tha t the b i rd s are very con

spicuous by rea s on o f the i r wh i te w ing pa tchesand br igh t red

’ legs . \t en perched on the rock sthey squa t l ike Duck s

,and when sw imm ing they

o ften padd le a l ong w i th the i r head s bel ow the

sur face .

For breed ing operat i ons a few pa i rs may take

ground on some o f the Ma ine is lands , I haveo f ten come upon these b i rds brood ing the i r eggs

or young. The fir s t knowledge o f the i r presence wou ld be when one woul d spr ing out f romamong the bowl der s and go dash ing away to thesea . The i r black bod ies and wh i te- l ined w ings ,comb ined w i th the red o f the dangl ing,

w idespradd led legs , made a co l or s cheme wel l worthsee ing. H idden general ly wel l from v iew i s the

nes t , and o f ten i t wou ld take a s team derr i ckt o reach i t . Not the s l ighte s t effor t at nestbu i l d ing is at tempted . The two handsomelyspot ted eggs are depo s i ted on the bare rockyfloor o f the l i t t le cave . The young are coveredw i th down

,l i tera l ly as black as the

“

ace o fspades .

”The b i rds feed on var i ou s crustacean s

and shel l -fish wh ich are secured by d iv ing.

Many sea—b i rd s o f the North j ourney to s outhern waters to spend the w in ter

, but the Sea

P igeon apparen t ly sees no need for exert ing itse l f to such an ex ten t . In fact i t can hard ly besa i d t o m igrate at al l , for i t is rarely foun d southo f Cape Cod ,

scarcely two hundred m i les beyondits s ou thernmos t nes t ing ground s . At al l t ime sthey are coa s t -w i se b i rds , se l dom be ing seen out

o f s ight o f land , and never under any c i rcums tance s go ing in land . T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

AUKS , MURRES ,AND PUFF INS

po s ses s i on o f a group o f sma l l rock s , or a co lonyo f sev era l hund red may share c l i ffs w i th Cor

moran ts,Tu fted Puffi n s , and Glaucou s Gu l l s .

M r . F in ley observes (M S ) that off the O regoncoas t these Gu i l lem ots nest in i so la ted places and

2 3

not in co l on ies . They l ike a crev i ce or a ho lein the face o f a cl i ff for a nes t s i te .

”On land

they have an awkward shambl ing ga i t , but inthe water they are en t i rely at ea se

, and are swi f tswimmers and expert d i ver s .

MURRE

U r ia troi l l e troi l l e (L innaeus )

A . O . U . Number 30

O ther Names .- Foo l i sh Gu i l lemo t ; Gu i l lem , or

Gw i lym ; T inker ; T inkersh i re ; K iddaw ; S k iddaw ;Ma rrock ; W i l lock ; S cut tock ; S cou t ; S t rany ; Lavy ;F row l .General De scr ipt ion — Length , I7 in c hes . Co lor

above, brown ; be low , wh i te . B i l l, narrow and s lender .

Col on — ADULTS IN S UM M ER : H ead an d n eck a l l

around“

, ri ch mar oon -brown shad ing on upper par t s in todark s laty-brown ; some fea t hers of back and rumpw i t h gray i sh -brown edges ; secondar ies , narrow ly t ippedw i t h w h i te ; under par t s , pure w h i te ; s ides and flanksw i t h dusky mark ings ; b i l l , bla‘

ck , feet , dusky ; i r i s ,brown . ADULTS IN W INTER : Wh i te of under parts ,

The common Murre’s natura l habi ta t is the

n o rthern A t lan t ic O cean,and var i ou s i s lan d s

therei n , butt in w in ter i t wander s southward as

far as New England . and po s s ibly to New York .

though, the record s o f its appearances there seemnot t o be en t i rely rel iable . On the water th i sbi rd looks much l ike a Duck , though its neck i sshor ter and its b i l l more po in ted than charac

MURRE nat. s ize )D raw ing by R . I . Brasher

reach ing b i l l , on s ides of head to leve l of gape. ex tending fur t her a round on s ides of neck , leav ing on ly a

nar row l in e of dark co lor ; the two co lor s shading w i t hout sharp l ine of demarca t ion .

Ne s t an d Eggs — A s ing le egg , remarkably var iablein co lorat ion , i s la id on the rock of c l iff s , w i t hou t anyat tempt at nes t bu i lding ; i t var ies f rom wh i te to darkg reen ,

spo t ted , blotc-hed , and sc ra tc hed w i t h black ,brown , and l i lac over the en t i re sur face.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Coa s t s and i s lands o f Nort h A t lan t i c ;breeds in Nor t h Amer ica f rom sout hern Green land and

sou t hern U ngava sout h to New found land and Mag

da len I s lands ; w in ters sout h to Ma ine .

26 B IRDS OF

ter istic in that fam i ly . In the i r nes t ing placeson ledges o f rocky i s let s they somet imes gatherin such number s as t o presen t a seem ingly almo s ts o l i d ma s s o f bi rds, wh i le the eggs are f oundly ing so cl o se t ogether that i t is actua l ly d ifficu l t t o walk w i thout tread ing upon them .

A l l the M urres are ocean ic b i rd s , on ly v i s i t ingthe rock s dur ing the breed ing sea s on ,

and foundin land on ly when d r iven there by s torm s . The i rfood co n s i st s o f fi sh and var i ous cru s taceans ;th i s part icu lar Spec ies i s espec ia l ly part ia l t o thefry o f herr ings and pi lchards , wh ich are capturedat n ight in the open sea .

AMER ICA

Doct o r Chapman remarks that l ong- con t inued s tud i es o f Murres on the coast o f Yo rk sh i rewarran t the bel i ef that

,a l though the eggs o f

no two Murres (or Gu i l lemo t as i t i s termed inEngland ) are a l ike, those o f the same ind iv id~ua l more or less cl o sely agree ,

and that the same

b i rd lays year a f ter year on the same ledge .

Murres perch on the en t i re f oot or tarsu s,and

‘

when und i s turbed u sua l ly turn the i r backs to thesea and ho ld the i r eggs between the i r legs wi thits po int ou tward . When a larmed they faceabout , bob and bow and ut ter the i r low-vo i cedmur re.

CAL IFO RN IA MU R RE

U r ia tro i l l e ca l i forn ica (H . B ryant)

A . O . U . Number 303

O ther Names . Ca l i forn ia Gu i l lemo t ; Ca l i forn iaEgg

—bi rd ; Fara l lon B i rd .

General Descript ion . S im i lar to the commonMurre, but averag ing abou t an inch longer .

Nest an d Eggs . L i ke those of common Murre .

The Ca l i fo rn ia Murre is the mo s t abun dan tsea-b i rd on the off- sho re rock s o f the Pac i ficfrom A la ska to the Faral l on s . I t i s read i ly

Photo by W . L . F inl ey Courtesy of Nat . Asso . Aud . Soc .

AN INCUBAT ING CAL IFORN IA MURREDur ing incuba tion the s ingle egg is he ld between th e legs wi thi ts poin t outward . Photo taken on is lan d ofi the coas t ofOregon

recogn i zed by i ts snow—wh i te breas t and s ootybrown back . Its legs are placed c lear at the end

o f its body , so i t doe s a good dea l o f its s i t t ings tand ing up. Its at tempt t o wa lk is a very awk

ward per fo rmance resembl ing a boy in a sackrace . But in water the b i rd is very exper t . I t

D i str ibu t ion .— Coas t s and i s lands of the north

Pac i fic ; breeds f rom Nor ton Sound and P r ib i lo fI s lands sou t h to the Fara l lon s , Ca l i forn ia ; w in tersf rom the A leut ian I s lands sout h to San ta Mon i ca ,

Ca l i forn ia .

u ses its feet as propell ers and its wings as oar s ,fla sh ing under water w i th such swi f tnes s that itcan over take and capture a fi sh .

The Murre is a crea ture o f the crowd . To seeth i s b i rd in grea t co l on ies and t o watch its home

l i fe , one get s the idea tha t a Murre woul d dieof l ones omene s s i f i so lated . They hudd le t ogether in such grea t number s on the narrow sea

ledges that they occupy every ava i lable s tand ing'

place . There i s not the lea s t s ign o f a n est . Thefema le lays a s ingle egg on the bare rock . O ne

egg is al l tha t can be a t tended t o under the cir

cumstances . One m igh t wonder why the b i rd spers i s t in crowd ing so c l o se t ogether . Ne ighbor s .a lways seem to be quarre l ing and spar r ing w i ththe i r sharp b i l l s . They rarely hit each o ther ,becau se they are exper ts at dodging. The babbleis con t inuous ; everyone ta lk s at the same t ime .

The pecu l iar top— shape o f the Murre

' s egg“

preven ts i t f rom ro l l ing. The pract ica l va lue o fth i s may be seen every day on the s l opi ng ledges .

We t r ied severa l exper imen t s and the eggs wereof such taper that not one ro l led over the edge .

When an egg s tar t s down grade, i t does not ro l l'

straight,'

but sw ings around l ike a top and comes .

to a s tand s t i l l . The shel l s are a l s o very toughand not ea s i ly broken .

One day we lay s t retched out on a ledge ju s t :

AUKS , MUR RES ,AND PUFF INS 27

above a big co l ony where we coul d watch the

o rd inary run o f l i fe and not d i sturb the b i rd s inany way . When a Murre ar r ived f rom the

fi sh ing ground s , he a l ighted on the ou ter edge

o f the shel f . Then ,l ike a man in a Four th o f

Ju ly crowd ,he l oo ked for an open ing in the

den se f ron t rank s . See ing none, he bo ld ly

squeezed in , pus-h ing and shov ing t o r igh t and

le ft . The ne ighbor s resen ted such beha v i o r and

s quawked and p-eck ed at the new arr ival . But

he pres sed on am i d much Oppos i t i on and com

Photo by W. L . F in ley and H . T. Boh lmanCALIFORNIA MURRES

on Oregon coas t on Three Arch Rocks Reservation

BRUNN ICH’

S MURRE

U r ia l omv ia l omv ia (L inua’us )A . O . U . Number 3 1

O t her Names . Franks ’ Gu i l lemo t ; Th ick -b i l ledGu i l lemo t ; Th ick -b i l led Murre ; B r iinn ich

’

s Gu i l lemo t ;Po lar Gu i l lemo t ; Egg—b i rd .

General D e scr ipt i on . L eng th , I8 in ches . S im i larto common Mu r re in plumages and changes , but c rowndarker in con t ra s t w i t h th roa t and s ides of neck ; bi l l ,shor ter and s touter w i t h cut t ing edge of upper jawfl esh - co lored .

S ee Co lor Plate 3

Ne s t and Egg s . Indi s t ingu i shable f rom t hose of the

Mur re.

D i s tr ibu t i on . Coas t s and i s lands of nor t h A t lan t i c '

breeds f rom sout hern E l lesme re Land , and nor thernGreen land to H udson Bay and Gu l f of S t. Law ren ce ;res iden t in Green land and H udson Bay ; sou t h rare ly inw in ter , from Ma ine to South Caro l ina . and in in ter iorto nort hern Oh io , cen t ra l Ind iana and cen t ra l Iowa .

pla in t un t i l he reached h is mate . They changedplaces and he took up hi s v ig i l on the egg . The

mate, upon leav ing the co l ony,in s tead o f tak ing

fl ight from where she s tood, wen t through the

former proceed ing, o ften knock ing over severa lne ighbors who protes ted v igo rou s ly, jabb ing at

the part ing s i ster . Arr iv ing at the edge o f theledge, she dropped off in to space. The con t inuous go ing and com ing made an in teres t ing performance for the on l ooker .

W I LL I AM L . F I N LEY .

28 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

B runn ich’

s Murre comes as near be ing l i ke theAn tarct ic Pengu in s as any other North Amer

i can spec i es . I t i s bu i l t pr imar i ly for sw imm ingand d iv ing, and is a poor walker , wadd l ing awk

wardly in an upr igh t po s i t ion .

Except as i t may cl imb out o f the co ld wateron a cake o f ice ,

its on l y chance t o exerc i se thesepoor gi f ts i s dur ing the shor t summer in the

Far North on its breed ing groun ds . There theMur re s

,m ingled w i th the other spec ies , resor t

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy ofHough ton Murlin C0BRUNNICH 'S MURRE

Presen tly i t wi l l li ft its egg on to its feet and hold i t there forincubat ion

t o prec ipi t ous sho res or rocky i s lands , f rom the

Gu l f o f St. L awrence away up t o n or thernGreen land . I have v i s i ted the co l ony on GreatB i rd R ock , Magda len I s land s . Here , in June, Ifound them s tand ing in rows on the narrowledge s o f the cl i ff

,usua l ly w i th back t o the sea,

each b i rd ho ld ing between its legs one large pearshaped egg. These eggs have very hard she l l s ,and are so shaped that they ro l l in a c i rcle, wh ichhelps to preven t the i r fa l l ing off the cl i ff . Theyare colored a great var iety o f t in ts o f green ,

blue, buff, wh i t i sh , and are so var i ous ly markedthat i t is imposs ible t o fi nd any two a l ike . U sua l lythe Murres crowd upon these ledges as th i ck lyas they can fi nd room t o s tand or s quat .From these ledge s they throw themse lves w i th

confiden t abandon,and

,w i th exceed ingly rapi d

w ing beat s , c i rcle out over the sea and backaga in to the rock . O therw i se they al igh t on the

water wi th rather a hea vy spla sh ,and are apt t o

d ive f o r thw i th . They can be seen here and theresw imm ing abou t

,d i st ingu i shable f rom Ducks by

the fact tha t the i r po s te r i or par t float s ratherh igh rem ind i ng one o f the anc i en t sh ips as descr ibed by V ergi l , w i th l o f ty stem s .”The i r hoar se bar i t one vo i ce is a lmo s t human ,

and they are suppo sed to say mu rre. When Ifi r s t heard them on the rocky ledges cl ose at

hand,I was involun tar i ly start led

,so much did

i t s oun d t o me l ike someone ca l l ing my boyhoodn ickname, Herb,

H erb !”

U n l ess one can v i s i t a breed ing co l ony , abou tthe on ly way to cu l t ivate the i r acqua in tance is t oget off sho re in w in ter , on the bleak , w ind- sweptocean

,not much further s outh than Nan tucket

sh oal s , or , bet ter , the coa s t Of Ma ine . M i les offCape Cod in m id

—w in ter , f rom fish ing vesse l s Ihave seen them by hundred s . F l ocks o f themdot ted the ocean in a l l d i rect i on s , or moved inl in es sw i f t ly through the air , t o plunge in t o thewa ter and d i sappear l ike st ones , presen t l y to bobup many rod s further Off. Occas i ona l ly at the

en t rance o f harbors , in b i t ter cold weather , I havese en them perched on some s lan t ing po le or

beacon ,from wh ich they wou l d plunge d i rect ly

in t o the water .

Though ocean ic in hab i t , th i s part icu lar spec iesseems to have a pecu l iar facu l ty , as has the

Dovek i e,for get t ing in to t rouble by wander ing

f rom its rea l e lemen t . A f ter w in ter st orms theyare l iable to be found far in land, somet imess t randed in a sn ow bank out in some field ,

or on

the ice o f a pond or s tream , va in ly seek ing tofi nd water . In such cases they are emac iatedand mus t per i sh , as they are unab le t o r i se on

w ing f rom auv sur face exc ept water . Whenwo rd comes o f a queer unknown b i rd wh i chstand s upr igh t on the ice or in the snow, i t is a

l ikely gues s to cal l i t a B runn ich’

s Murre .

HERBERT K . JOB .

AUKS , M UR RES , AND PUFF INS 29

RAZ OR -B IL L ED AUK

A l ca t orda Li nna’usA . O . U . Number 3 2

O t h er Name s . Razor-bi l l ; T inker .

General De scr ipt i on — Lengt h , I 8

above , black ; be low , w h i te.

poin ted .

Co lor .— A DULTS IN SUM M ER : H ead and neck a l l

a round, and upper par t s , black , mo re brown i sh on

former , a s l igh t green i sh -g loss on lat ter ; t ips of secondar ies and en t i re under par t s f rom neck , w h i te ; a sunkenl ine of w h i te f rom eye a longs ide o f forehead to b i l l ;bi l l . b lack , c ros sed by a w h i te l ine ; feet . dusky ; i r i s ,brown . ADULTS IN W' I NTER : W h i te ex tending to bi l l ,invading s ides of head to leve l of eyes and n eck ; no

in c hes . Co lorB i l l , flat ly compres sed ; ta i l ,

The Razor—b i l led Auk pre sent s a s t r i k ing and

i nteres t ing appearance in the wa ter ,wh i ch i t

r id-es as buoyan t ly as a co rk . L ike al l o f its k ind .

i t is exceed ingly qu i ck and clever at d iv ing, a

method o f escape wh ich i t a lways adopt s in pre ference t o fl igh t , when i t can . I t sl ips under thesur face w i th hard ly any percept ible or aud iblesplash ,

and i t is qu i te impos s ible t o tel l where i tw i l l reappear . W

’

hen fa i r ly submerged the b i rdsw ims — u s ing both w ings and feet — w i th as

ton ishing speed and o ften descend s t o a con s id

erable depth . I t feed s largely upon fi sh and

var i ous sma l l mar ine crea ture s,and take s v ir

tua l ly a l l o f its food f rom the sea . When i tchoo ses t o take t o its w i ngs , i t can fly w i th much

rapi d i ty . In summer i t i s dec i ded ly gregar i ousand the flock s o f ten are seen far from land . I fthen over taken by hea vy ga le s , large number s o fthe b i rd s are d rowned .

As the breed ing season approaches , the b i rd sabandon temporar i ly the i r nomad sea l i fe and

gather in large flock s at e s tabl i shed breed ingplace s , pre ferab ly on c l i ffs over look ing the ocean ,

and con ta in ing an abundance o f n iche s and re

ce s ses , where the s ingle egg is la i d , no nes t be ingmade . The incubat ing b i rd is very loath t o lea ve

See Color Pla te 3

w h i te l ine f rom b i l l to eye ; co lor O f upper pa r t s . du l ler .

Ne s t and Egg s . U sua l ly one egg ,somet imes two ,

i s la i d on the bare rock o f c l i ff s or i s lands a long the

coas t , very va r iab le in shape and s i ze o f mark ings ;wh i te or blu i sh , Spo t ted and blotc hed w i th sepia or

black , t hese spo t s somet imes w rea t hed in a c i rcle aroundthe large end ; in ot hers d i ff used over en t i re sur fac e .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Coa s t s and i s lands of the nor thA t lan t ic ; breeds on Amer i can s ide f rom sout hernGreen land to New found land and New Brun sw i ck ;w in ter s f rom New B run sw i ck and On tar io to LongI s land and rare ly to Nor t h Caro l ina .

the egg, and o ften when so engaged may be

taken in the hand . There are many ev i dence sthat b i rds ma te l i fe .

Draw ing by R . I . B rasherRA Z OR-B ILLED AUK (é nat. s ize)

It rides the ocean as buoyan tly as a cork

GREAT AUK

P lau tu s impenn is (Li nnrens )A . O . U . Number 3 3

O t her Name s . Garefow l ; Pengu in ; Wobb le .

General Descr ipt ion .— Leng th , 30 in c hes . Co lor

above, black ; below , wh i te .

Col or .— ADULTS : H ood and en t i re upper par t s

inc luding w ings , b lack ; ends of secondar ies , w h i teform ing a traver se band : under par t s , wh i te ex tendingto a po in t on th roa t ; a wh i te ova l spo t between b i l l andeye ; b i l l , black wi t h l igh ter grooves ; feet , black ; i r i s ,brown .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : S i te probably s im i lar to

tha t of the Razor -b i l led Auk . E00 : 1 . w h i te or b lu i shw h i te, spot ted and blo tched w i th shades o f umber

brown and sepia .

D i s tr ibu t i on Former ly inhab i ted coa s t s and i s landsof the nor t h A t lan t i c f rom near the Arc t i c C i rc le sout hto Ma s sac huset t s and I reland . and probably sou th ca sua l ly to Sout h Caro l ina and F lor ida and the Bay of

B i scay ; now ex t in c t .

3 0 B IRDS OF

The Grea t Auk was. the most power fu l andsw i f tes t d iv ing and swimming b i rd in NorthAmer ica . I t had t o be

,as i t coul d not fly . In

order to surv ive i t mus t be fast en ough not on lyt o pur sue and over take the sw i f t - sw imm ing fi shin the i r na t ive elemen t , but ‘

a lso act ive enought o escape sharks and o ther predat ory fi sh thatO therw i se m ight have ex-term ina ted i t . A lso i twas obl iged t o fol l ow the smal ler migrat o ry fi shsouthward in w in ter and nor thward in spr ing.

I t has been pictured of ten among the icebergs ,but i t was not a b i rd of the A rct ic regi ons andwa s not f ound w ith in the Arct ic Ci rcle. I t isbel ieved t o have in hab i ted s ou thern Green land ,

but that was cen tur ies ago when the cl imate o fGreen land probably was warmer than i t is now.

In pr im i t ive t imes , when man was a savage ,the

Auk was sa fe upon i ts i s land home in the ragingsea ,

wh ich men in the i r f ra i l can oes v i s i ted rarelyand in sma l l numbers ; but c iv i l i zed man , com ingin large compan i es in sh ips that sai led the sevensea s

,armed w i th fi rearms, brough t ex term ina

t i on t o al l flightless b i rd s wh ich came under hisn ot ice

,and so the Great Auk was one o f the fi rst

o f the North Amer ican b i rds t o become ex t inc tin the n ineteen th cen tury , the centu ry that w i l la lways be n oted for its great destruct i on o f bi rdsand mamma l s at the hand o f man .

The Great Auk had been known in Europefor cen tur ie s when i t was first d i scovered in

Nor th Amer i ca . Thi s was in 1497 or 1498 ,when

adven turous French fishermen began fi sh ing on

the banks of New foundland . The b i rd s weretaken there in such en ormous numbers that i twas unn ecessary to prov i s i on the ves sel s , as thefleet could secure a l l the fresh meat and eggsneeded by v i s i ti ng the b i rd i s land s . JacquesCart ier

,on his fi rst voyage t o Newf ound land in

1534,v i s i ted an

“ I s land Of B i rd s wh i ch f romthe course and d i stance sa i led from Buen a V i sta ,

mu s t have been what i s now kn own as FunkI s land

,the last breed ing place o f the Great Auk

in Amer i ca,where the crews fi l led two boa t s

w i th the b i rds in “ le s s than ha l f an hour and

every sh ip sa l ted down fi ve or s ix bar r'

el fu ls .

H e al so found the Great Auk on the Magda lenI s lan ds in the Gu l f Of St . Lawrence . The b i rdbecame kn own among the Fren ch fi shermen as

the P ingou in (Pengu in ) . There were at leastthree Pengu in i sland s about Newfound land and

another near the tip o f the pen in sula of NovaSco-tia

,wh i le numerous b i rds apparen t ly sum

AMER ICA

mer ed at the head o f Buzzards Bay and abou tCape Cod .

The Auk migrated from L abrador to F l o r ida .

I t was common at Nahan t , Mas s , and abou tthe i s land s in Mas sachuset t s Bay in the ear lyyear s o f the n ineteenth cen tury and was takennow and then near P lym outh , but had d isap

peared at tha t t ime from the upper end o f Buzz ards Bay . When Audubon v i s i ted Labrador in183 2 ,

he was to ld' that! fishermen st i l l t ook grea tnumbers from an i s land off the coas t o f New

found land, but, f rom a l l accoun t s , i t seems probable that the b i rd was ex t i rpated on the coastso f Nor th Amer ica befo re 1840 . Apparen t ly theGrea t Auk was destroyed in Amer ica be fore i twas ex t i rpated in Europe, where the last recordedspec imen was taken , Off Iceland , in 1844.

Its des t ruct i on was accompl i shed firs t by the

demand for the eggs and flesh for v i ctua l ingfi shermen and set t lers , nex t by the demand forthe feather s

,and las t by un res tr icted shoot ing.

When the supply o f c i der-down and feather s forfea ther beds and cover lets gave out

,about. 1760,

because o f the des truct i on Of the breed ing f owla l ong the coast o f Labrador , some o f the featherhun ters turned t o the Pengu in i s land s off the

coas t o f Newfound land . Car twr ight sa id (1775 )that severa l crews o f men l ived al l summer on

Funk I s land,k i l l ing the b i rds for thei r feather s ;

that the destruct i on was incred ible ; and that th i swas the on ly i s land tha t was lef t for them t obreed upon . Neverthele s s the spec ies con t inuedmo re or les s numerous about the shores o f New

foundland un t i l about 1823 and then gradual lyd i sappeared be fo re con t inuous per secut i on . Dr .

F . A . Lucas , who v i s i ted Funk I s land in 1878 ,

f ound such enormou s number s Of the bones o fth i s spec ies tha t he concluded tha t “

m i l l i onsmust have d ied there . Today there are aboute ighty moun ted spec imen s in ex i stence and not

many over 70 eggs preserved in museums and

co l lect i ons .

Th i s Auk was read i ly alarmed by a no i se, asits hear ing was very keen , but i t was not waryi f approached s i len t ly . When on land i t s to odupr ight or re s ted on its brea s t , and its l ocom ot i onwas s l ow and d ifficu l t , so that i t m ight be eas i lyover taken and k i l led w i th a c lub . In the wa ter ,however , i t was so sw i f t that a boat propel ledby s ix oars cou l d not overtake one. I t is bel ieved to have fed ma in ly upon fi sh , but its hab i tsnever were s tud i ed and descr ibed . and , therefore,they are unknown . EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

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O R D E R O F L O NG-W I NGE D SW IMM E R S

Order Longipennes

IRDS of the order of Long—winged Swimmers are cosmopol itan in di stributionand are general l y seen on the wing over or near water . In the order are threefami l ies : Skuas and Jaegers , Gul l s and Tern s , and Sk immer s . They resemblemost nearl y the Tube-nosed Swimmers of al l the water birds , but the charac tero f the nostri l s pl ain l y di stingui shes themwi thout reference to internal anatomy .

These bi rds have the nostri l s l ateral and open . The wings are l ongand pointed .

Usual l y the tai l i s l ong. The l egs are comparativel y free and pro ject fromnear the center of the body ; the thigh s are bare for a short di stance ; the tarsiare covered with horn y Shiel ds of varying si z es . The toes are four in number ,

but the hind one , which is elevated , is very smal l (sometimes rudimentary ) ;the fron t toes are webbed . Thei r b i l l s are strong and th ick ; the Skuas , Jaegers , and Gul l shave hooked , hawk l i ke bil l s ; the Tern s have sharpl y pointed ones ; and those o f the Skimmersa re bl ade l i ke .

Al though there i s no sexual variation in col oration in the species included in th i s order ,there are seasonal and age differences . Their voices are shri l l or harsh . Fi sh i s the mainitem of their diet .

The eggs are few , u sua l l y numbering but three . The young are covered with downwhen hatched , but are helpl ess and the paren ts care for them in and out o f the nest forsome time .

SKUAS AND JAE GER S

Order Longipennes ; fam i l y S tercorari i da’z

HE Skuas and Jaegers are cl ose l y related to the Gu l l s and Tern s ; in fact theyare Gu l l s with habits and structure modified sufficien t l y to jus t i fy thei r inclu sionin a di stinct fami l y , the S tercorari ia

’w

,whi le sti l l remain ing in the same order ,

the Long—winged Swimm ers . Not the lea st stri k ing of these modification s i sa we l l - deve loped thiev ing propen sity ,

with the resu l t that they are often and

var iou s l y ca l led R obber Gu l l s , Sea Hawk s ,” “ Teasers , an d B oat

swain s . Genera l l y they are aggressive and daring birds , graceful , sk i l l fu land powerfu l in flight ,

by reason o f wh ich they are ab le to overtake theirweakerand more timid relatives and force them to di sgorge their food ,

which the pur

suer catches in its fa l l . Becau se of these practices they are often Spoken Of

as parasites , but the practice itsel f i s essen tia l l y predatory rather than parasi t ic .

The birds’ bad habits are not confined to thi s aerial robbery , however , for certain speciesare known actual l y to eat young birds and eggs , and even sma l l mammal s .

The Skuas and Jaegers have wings of on l y moderate l ength for thi s group, the primariesare unusua l l y wide and are rounded at the ends . The tai l i s rel ativel y very shor t , but i sbroad and near l y even , the midd le pair of feathers being larger than the others in adu lts .

The body i s stocky and heavy and powerfu l l y musc led . The claws are strong, Sharp, and

curved .

There i s general tendency toward a sooty bl ack i sh co loration of the upper parts in the

o lder b irds wi th a gi l ding of the head and h indneck and a wh iten ing of the shafts of the

wh i te feather s toward their bases . The young are smal ler than the adu l ts and are: profusel ystreaked wi th ru fou s ; several years are required to reach the col or and dimen sion s of theadul ts .

POMARINE JAEGER S tercora r i u s puma rfn u s (T emm inc k ) PARAS IT IC JAEGER S teroura r r’

us pa ras itiaus (L in naeus )LONG- TAILED JAEGER S tcrcom r i us l unuica u.cl us V ie i l lo t OARK pHAsg

AD U LT INTERMEDl A-TE LIGH T PHASE

IM MAT U R E S . pa rawtu‘

us SKUA Al e-ua l cs l r l s sk ua (B run n l ch )A l l énut. s i z e

SKUAS AND JAEGER S

SKUA

M ega l estr i s s kua (B -

ri irzn icl z )

O . U . Numbe r 3 5 S ee Co lo r P late 4

O t her Nam e s . S ea H awk ; Sea H en ; Bon x ie ; SkuaGu l l .Genera l De s c r ipt i on . L eng th , 22 in ch es . Co lo r ,

b lac k i sh -brown .

P l umage . ADU LTS : B Iac/e ish-brozwz_, t '

ar icd above

w i th ches tnu t and whi tish (each feat her da rk - co loredw i t h a spo t of ches tnu t toward end

,shading in to wh i t i sh

a long sha f t ) ; on n ape and ac ros s th roa t,reddi sh -yel

low w i t h na r row w h i te s treak ou eac h fea t her ; c rownand s ides o f head , w i t h l i t t le w h i t i sh ; w ings and ta i l ,dusky ,

w h i te for some di s tan ce f rom ba se — con cea ledon ta i l by long cover ts , but show ing on pr imar ies as a

con spi cuou s spo t ; b i l l , b lack w i t h g ray cere : f eet , b lack ;

The S kua is one o f the largest and s t ronge s tmember s o f its rapac i ou s genus , and is much

g iven t o robbi ng the sma l ler sea b i rd s , in the

manner o f its re lat ives . I t occas i ona l ly s tray sa l ong the Nor th Amer ican coas t s as far south as

the northern boundary o f the U n i ted S tates .There are reco rd s o f its hav ing been taken at

leas t three t imes off the coa s t o f M a s sachu set t s .A single ind i v i dua l was shot on the N iagaraR iver in 1886, and ano ther was k i l led in 1896 byco l l i d ing w i th the l igh thou se at M on tauk Po in t

,

L ong I s land , N . Y .

POMAR INE JAEGER

S tercorar iu s pom ar inus (m i -x-ni nck )

A . O . U . Number 3 6 S ee Co lor P la te 4

O t h er Nam es — Gu l l H un ter ; S ea Robber ; Gu-l l

Cha ser ; Jaeger Gu l l .General De s c r ipt ion — Leng t h , 24 in ch es . Co lor

above , brown i sh —b lac k ; be low ,wh i te.

Descr ipt ion — AD ULTS IN BREED ING PLU MAGE : Crownbrown i s h -black ex tending below eyes and on s ides o f

lower b i l l ; back , w ing s , ta i l , upper an d under ta i lcover ts , deep brown i sh —blac k ; under par t s f rom ch inand neck a l l around , pure w h i te — the sharp fea t hersof back and n eck

,l igh t ye l low ; b i l l , horn co lor shad ing

to b lack ; feet . b lack ; i r i s , brown . NEARL Y ADULT ? A

row o f brown spo t s ac ross breas t ; s ides barred w i t hwh i te and brown . INTERM ED IATE STAGE : En t i re breas t .brown mo t t led w i t h wh i te : upper ta i l — cover ts an d some

wing- cover ts , barred w i t h wh i te ; feet , b lo tch ed w i thch rome ye l low . In breeding and near ly adu l t plumage

i r i s , hrmvn . Ano t her plumage, not known to be cha racter i stic o f age or sea son . i s un i form soo ty-b lack i sh w i ththe wh ite t i ring spots t 'Ci

‘

y conspicuous .

N e s t an d Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in the g ras s ;l in ed w i t h g ra s s and mos s . E2005 : 2 o r 3 , o l i ve o r d rab ,

i rregu lar ly ma rked and b lo tc hed w i t h da rk o l i ve- brownand sepia .

D i s t r ibu t ion . Coa s t and i s lands o f the Nor t h A t lant i c ; breeds on Lady F ran k l in I s land (H udson S t ra i t ) ,in Ice land , and on the Fa roe and S het land i s lands :w in ter s on fi sh ing bank s off New found land and NovaS co t ia : ra re l y sou t h to Long I s land , N . Y . ; in Europesout h to G ibra l tar .

L i t t le seem s to have been set down concern ingthe hab i t s o f the b i rd , wh i ch ,

howev er , probablydo not d i ffer e s sen t i a l ly f rom tho se o f the Jaegers . I t doe s not as semble in flock s . Sel dom are

even two pa i r s seen together . I t is famed for i t scourage and da r ing in at tack ing and tea s i ngGu l l s and f o rc ing them to gi ve up the fi shthey have caugh t . Indeed , its sci en t i fic na me

is an apt character i zat i on mega l es ti' is i s f rom

two Greek wo rd s wh ich , t ran s la ted , are largepi rate cra f t . ” In fl igh t i t has a st r i k ingappea ranc e .

the taco ( an tra l ta il -feathers project about four inchesan d. a re ttc'is tcd a t r igh t ang l es to the shafts ; in the

in termedia te plumage the cen t ra l ta i l— fea ther s proj ec ton ly one inc h and are not tw i s ted ; these cen t ra l fea th er sa re rounded a t the tip. YOUNG or TH E YEAR : W' ho lebody traver se ly barred w i t h ( lu l l ru fous : on head , neck ,

and under par t s t h i s co lor preva i l s , the bands verynumerous , abou t same w id t h as the dark co lor ; on

flanks and under ta i l - cover t s the bar s are w ider , pa lerand a lmos t w h i te ; on bac k and w ing - cove r t s , brown i shblac k , near l y un i form , predom ina tes ; pr ima r ies and

ta i l - fea t her s , dusky ,darker at t ips ; head and nec k

,

mos t ly pa le ru fou s w i t h a dusky spo t in f ron t o f eye ;

feet , br igh t ye l low . These plumages a re ev iden t ly pro

g res s ive w i t h age and a re independen t o f sex and sea

son , and di fferen t f rom the fo l low ing : DARK P H ASE :

34 B IR DS OF AMERICA

P lumage . black i sh -brown a l l over , shading in to b lackOn c rown ,

l igh ten ing on abdom en ; pr imar ies , w h i t i shat ba se ; fee t , b lo t c hed w i t h ye l low and du sky ; m idd leta i l - fea t hers proj ect ing but ha l f an inch .

Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : On the ground in nor th ernma r shes , of gra s s and mos s . EGG S : 2 or 3 ,

o l i ve, pa legreen i sh , or brown i sh . spo t ted w i t h da rk brown .

D i s t r ibu t i on .— Nor th ern par t of nor t hern h em i

My fi r s t exper i ence w i th that bo l d mar i t ime

robber , the Pomar ine Jaeger , was on a day latein Augu s t , many year s ago,

when I cro sseds ome Cape Cod san d - dunes and came in s igh t o fthe sea . F l ocks o f Tern s and smal l Gu l l s wereho v er ing o v er the water in a l l d i rect i on s . O verthem were big dark- co l o red b i rds w i th l ong ta i l s

Young - Da rk Phase

D rawing by R . I . Brasher

sphere ; breeds f rom Mel v i l le I s land and cen t ra l Green

land sou t h to nor th ern A laska , nor thern Macken z ie, and

Baffin Land, and a l so on Ar c t i c i s lands of easternhem i sphere ; w in ters off A t lan t ic coas t sou t h to New

Jer sey ; in fa l l m igra t ion common a long the Ca l i forn iacoas t ; win ter s sou t h to the Ga lapagos , Peru , A fr ica ,

and Aus t ra l ia ; ac c iden ta l in Nebraska ; occu r s irregular ly on the Grea t Lakes .

O n the fi shing-banks out at sea

,wherever the

Shearwaters and Pet rel s ga ther , f rom Augu s t onthrough the autumn

, I ha v e usua l ly f ound th i sIaeger in at tendance . W’i th them are apt to beabou t as many Paras i t i c Jaegers and an occas i oua l one o f the L ong— ta i led spec ie s . The Jaegersare seen flying about , not cl o se to the water l ike

POMAR INE JAEGER nat. s ize )A bold mar i t ime robber

cours ing about w i th st rong, sw i f t fl igh t . Now

and then one o f these wou l d select for its v ict ima Tern wh ich had j u s t caught a fi sh , and givecha se . No mat ter how the un for tunate one m igh tdar t and dodge ,

the Jaeger f o l l owed every move,

and by savage at tack s flna l lv compel led i t tod rop the fi sh . Then by a spectacu lar Swoop therobber wou l d se i ze the booty in mid- a ir . Whenno v i ct im s are ava i lable for a ho l d—up, the

Jaeger turn s scavenger and pick s up deadmar i ne l i fe l i k e a t rue Gu l l

,but its pre ference

is for depredat i on .

the other s , but h igher up,say fi f ty to seven ty

hy e feet , as though t o get a bet ter v i ew, to detectany weaker b i rd wh i ch makes a lucky str ike .

Though s omewha t shyer than the re s t , they are

bo l d enough upon occas i on ,espec ia l ly when

eatables are be ing pa s sed around . S omet ime s Ihave brough t them up qu i te cl o se by mak ingbe l ieve t o throw s ometh ing overboard . I haveba i ted up number s o f them by throw ing out fi sh

l iver s,and made the mo s t o f the oppo r tun i t y in

secur ing photograph s . At cl o se range i t wasfa sc ina t ing t o s tudy the d ifferen t in d iv i dua l s as

SKUAS AND JAEGER S 4

5

they appeared , ow ing t o the i r grea t var ia t i on s inplumage . a l l the way f rom the soot y pha se t othat o f the adu l t w i th wh i te under par t s .Jaeger s are Arct ic—breed ing bi rd s , not nes t ing

in co l on ies , l ike the Gu l l s and Tern s , but in

Photogra ph by H . h . Job

0

sca t tered pa i rs . Such de s t ruct i v e b i rd s wou l dhard ly make good co l on i zer s . They are sa i d t obe great ne s t - robber s , and woe to the b i rd wh ichleaves eggs or young expo sed t o the se sa vage s .

H ERBER T K . JOB .

Courtesy of Hough ton M ith in Co .

POMARINE JAEGERIn ques t of a vict im

PARAS ITIC JAEGER

S terco rar ius paras i t i cus (L iana -

as )

A . O . U . Numbe r 3 7

O t her Name s . Ska it-bi rd ; Boa t swa in ; Ma r l in espi ke ; Teaser ; Dung H un ter ; Man -o

'

-war ; R i c hardson ’s J aeger ; B lack - toed Gu l l ; A rc t i c H awk Gu l l .Gen era l D e scr ipt ion . Leng th , 20 in ches . Co lor

above , brown i sh -b lac k ; be low , w h i te . Two m idd le ta i lfcatlwrs ,

mar -rote and po in ted , as we l l as e longa ted .

Co l or . ADULTS IN BREED I N G PLU M AGE I Crown and

ba ck o f h ead . c res ted , the feat her s sha rp and s t i ff ;c rown and who le upper par t s , s la ty brown i sh —b lac k ,

shading in to blac k on w ings and ta i l ; ch in ,th roa t , s ides

of h ead , neck a l l around and under pa r t s , pu re w h i te,

the sha rp fea t her s on back o f n ec k , l igh t ye l low ; underta i l - cover t s , dusky ; b i l l , horn co lor , da rker at end ; feet ,black ; i r i s , brown . NEARLY ADU LT : Under par t s , w h i tebut mo t t led everywhere w i th dusky pa t ches , heav ies tac ros s breas t , on s ides , and unde r ta i l — cover t s ; cen terl ine of t h roa t and abdomen , n ear ly pu re w h i te ; feet ,w i t h sma l l ye l low blotc hes or not ; ot herw i se a s in

breed ing plumage . DARK PHASE : En t i re plumage ,

dusky , da rker and more s la te- co lored above,l igh ter and

b rowner be low ; c rown ,b la ck ; back o f head and neck

,

ye l low ; w ing s and ta i l , b lack : fee t , blac k . YOU NG or

TH E YEAR : En t i re plumage , ba r red w i t h ru fous and

S ee Co lor Plate 4

brown i sh -b lack ; yel low i sh—ru fous preva i l s on h ead and

n eck w i t h dark sha f t l ine on eac h fea t her ; these sha f tl ine s en large un t i l between shou lders t hey occupy the

w ho le of each fea t her exc ept a narrow ru fous border ;on brea s t ru fous becomes a lmos t w h i te , w i t h t raverseba r s of brown , t h i s pa t tern con t inu ing over the en t i reunder par t s ; pr imar ies , dusky ,

na rrow ly t ipped w i t hru fou s .Nes t an d Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in the ground

n ear wa ter , spa r se ly l ined w i t h g ra s s and dead leaves .EGG S ? 2 or 3 , o l i ve , g reen i sh , g ray . or brown

,ma rked

and blotched w i th shades o f brown and pa le lavenderover en t i re sur face .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor thern par t o f nor t he rn hem isph ere : breeds f rom no r t hwes tern A la ska

,Me lv i l le

l s land , and nor t hern Green land sout h to A leu t ianl s lands , cen t ra l Macken z ie ,

cen t ra l K eewa t in , and on

A rc t i c i s lands o f S iber ia and o f no r thern Eu rope sou thto S co t land ; w in ter s f rom A leu t ian I s lands sou t h to

Ca l i forn ia ,f rom New Eng land coa s t sou t hward to

B raz i l , in Aus t ra l ia,and f rom the coas t of Europe

sou t h to the Cape o f Good H ope ; casua l in in ter io r to

the Grea t Lakes,M i s sour i , Kan sas , and Co lorado .

3 6 B IRDS

A s its name impl ie s , the Para s i t ic Jaeger is a

robber and l ive s largely on wha t i t can take byf o rce f rom its sma l ler brethren . I t i s large , and

very st rong and sw i f t in fl igh t , and the Esk imosca l l i t “

the cann ibal ” becau se ,they say , once

upon a t ime i t k i l led and dev oured men . I t i s

much sw i f ter and qu icker than the Pomar in espec ie s , wh ich i t at tack s and dr ive s away , but i ti s less gracefu l on the w ing. Acco rd ing t o Edward W . Ne l son

,these b i rd s bu l ly and rob the

Gu l l s and Te rn s , f orc ing them t o d i sgorge fi sh

wh ich they have caugh t , and swooping bel ow

OF AMERICA

L ONG-TA ILED JAEGER

S tercorar ius l ongicaudus V iei l lot

A . O . U . Number 3 8

O ther Names — A rct ic Jaeger ; Gu l l - teaser .

Genera l Descr ipt ion . L eng t h , 23 in ches . Co lorabove , deep purpl i sh - s la te ; be low , w h i te deepen ing intos late . Dur ing breeding season c rown s have s l igh tc res t s . Th i s i s a sma l ler bi rd than the Para s i t i c Jaeger ,the g rea ter leng t h be ing due to the a r tr rnwly long tai lfeather s .

Col or . ADU LT S IN BREED ING PLUMAGE : Lores and

s ide of head above eye to nape, brown i sh -black ; neck a l laround l igh t s traw -

yel low ; above w i t h w ing and ta i lcover t s , deep purpl i sh - s la te,

deepen ing on pr imar ies ,secondar ies , ou ts ide ta i l - fea ther s , and ends of cen t ra lpa i r in to lus trous brozt'n ish- blach ; c h in , t h roa t , and

upper breas t , w h i te gradua l ly shading in to the darks la te of abdomen and under ta i l - covert s ; bi l l , dusky w i t h

Ne l son descr ibes the L ong- ta i led Jaeger as

the mo s t elegan t o f the Jaeger s in its genera lmake-up, and e spec i a l ly when on the w ing. At

th i s t ime, the b i rd show s a l l the grace. and ea se

o f m ovemen t wh ich character i ze such b i rds as

the Swa l l ow- ta i led K i te , and other spec i es w i thvery l ong w ings and S lender bod ie s . I t appear st o del igh t in exh ib i t i ng its agi l i ty , and two or

more frequen t ly per f orm s trange gyrat i on s andevo lu t i on s dur ing the i r fl ight as they pa s s backand f o r th over the low

,flat coun t ry wh ich they

frequen t . I t i s , l i k e the Para s i t ic Jaeger ,foun d

more plen t i fu l ly a l ong the low po rt i on s o f the

S ee Co lor Pla te 4

black tip ; fee t , g ray i sh -b lue ; toes . webs , and c law s ,black ; i r i s , brown . IM MATURE : Changes of plumage

iden t ica l w i t h t hose o f prev ious spec ies . DARK PH ASE :Very rare.

Nest and Eggs . NEST : Depress ion in the ground,s can t i ly l ined w i t h dry gra s s and leaves . EGG S : 2 or 3 ,

da rk green i sh , t h i c k ly spo t ted and blo tched w i t h brown .

D i s tr ibuti on . Nor th ern par t of nor thern hem i~sphere ; breeds on A rct ic i s lands of Europe and A s ia

,

and coa s t s of Ko tzebue and Nor ton sounds , nor t hernMacken z ie and nor t hern H udson Bay to nor thernGreen land ; w in ter s sou t h to Gibra l tar and Japan ; inm igra t i on not ra re off New Eng land coas t ; ca sua l onthe Pac i fi c coa s t sou th to Ca l i forn ia ; acc iden ta l inMan i toba , Iowa,

I l l inoi s, and F lor ida .

coa s t than at sea, and i s very numerou s a l ong the

coa s t o f No r t on Sound .

”

L ike the other member s o f the genus , th i sJaeger i s a per s i s ten t and merc i le s s robber o f thesma l ler Gu l l s , swooping down on them and forc

ing them t o d i sgo rge fi sh or mo l lusks they havetaken , and captur ing the food as i t fa l l s . F l ock so f K i t t iwak es are l i ke ly t o be accompan i ed byone or mo re o f the se Jaeger s indu s t r i ou s ly en

gaged in th i s br igand i sm .

The spec ie s may be read i ly i den t i fied by the

marked e l ongat i on o f the cen tra l ta i l - feather s .GEORGE GL ADDEN .

them sna tch the food as i t fal l s,very much

in the manner o f the Ba l d Eagle robb ing the

F i sh Hawk .

These Jaegers o f ten hun t in pa i r s and wi l l thenat tack and rob even the Glaucou s -w inged Gul l ,wh ich cou l d make sho r t work o f its t ormen to r s i fi t cou l d on ly get at them .

“

But the paras i tesare to o ad ro i t , t oo e lu s ive , and t o o desperate lyper s i s ten t ,

” says M r . Daw s on . The Gu l l hatest o do i t

,but a l s o he hates t o be buffeted and

hu s t led away f rom the fi sh ing-

ground s . Here,take i t , you scum ,

and be off w i th you !

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3 8 B IRDS or AMERICA

GU L L S

Order Longipennes ; fam i ly L a r idaz ; subfami l y Lari na’

:

HE Gul l s compr i se the sub fam i l y L or i ne: of the Gul l and Tern fami l y (Lari dm)which i s part of the order of long-winged swimmers (L ongipennes) . Thereare about fi fty species of Gu l l s , some of which are often found far in l and , but

most of which show an especial fondness for the seacoas t s and their immediatevicin i ty . AS a rul e they are larger than their a l l ies , the Tern s , from whomthey differ al so in genera l l y hav ing a lmost square tai l s , though there are

exception s to thi s ru le in the form of Tern s wi th near l y square tai l s and ofGul l s wi th tai l s wh ich are more or less forked . An invariab le difference ,

however ,i s in the s t ructure o f the upper bi l l , wh ich i s ridged and hooked at

the end in Gu l l s and vir tua l l y s t raigh t in Tern s . When hun ting food , Gu l l su sua l l y fly with their bi l l near l y on a l ine with the body ,

whi le Tern s carrytheirs poin ted downward . Again ,

the Gul l s al igh t freel y on the water to feed ,whereas

the Tern s hover and p lunge for their food .

The Gu l l s Show con siderab le varia t ion in co lor and some seasonal changes in plum age

which have cau sed con fusion in iden t i fying Species . The predom inating co lor of the adul tbirds ,

” say s Stejneger ,i s white wi th a gray man t le , varying in shade from the most del icate

pearl —gray to dark b lack i sh —s la te or nearl y bl ack ,and the head is often more or less marked

with b l ack in summer . The seasonal change is not great , and affec t s chiefly the col or of thehead ,

wh ich ,in species wi th b lack heads , turn s whi te in w in ter ,

whi le the Whi te-headedGu l l s u sual l y get that part streaked wi th dark during the same season .

Al l o f the spec ies are web— footed and swim readi l y ; they Show l i tt le sk i l l in diving, how

ever , and the l iving fi sh they prey upon are ch iefly the k ind wh ich come near the surfaceof the water , l ike the herring. On the wing they Show perfect ease , and remarkab le qu ickness and cl everness in the i r maneuvering, espec i a l l y in the wind . It i s certain , too , thatthey are capab le of very long flights .

Gul l s are m arked l y gregari ou s , and thi s in s t in ct i s especia l l y in evidence during the

breeding sea son , when severa l species may congregate on favori te nesting ledges to the

number of thou sands , if not mi l l ion s . Their nests are composed u sua l l y of seaweeds andmoss

, and the eggs , u sual l y no more than two or three , range in co lor from b lui sh -whi teto brown i sh ,

wi th bl otches and spo t s of b lack , brown , or purp l i sh .

F lock s of Gu l l s resting l igh t l y on the waters of our harbors or fo l lowing the wake ofwater craft are a fam i l iar Sight , but not every observer of the gracefu l motion s of the bi rdsi s aware of the fact that Gu l l s are the original whi te-wings . AS sea scavengers theywel com e as food dead fi sh , garbage , and offal of various sor t s , and their services in cl ean ingupsuch mater ia l are not to be regarded l ight l y . It wi l l surpr i se many to l earn that certain

Gu l l s ren der importan t in land service , especia l l y to agricu l ture . At l east one species , theCa l i forn ia Gu l l , i s ex treme l y fond of fie ld m ice , and during an outbreak of that pest in

Nevada in 1 907— 8 hundreds of Gu l l s assemb led in and near the devastated al fal fa fie lds and

fed entire l y on m ice , thu s lending the farmers ma terial a id in their war fare again st the

pesti ferou s l i t t le roden t s . Severa l species of Gu l l s render va luab le serv ice to agricu l tureby des troy ing in sec t s a l so , and in spring hundreds of Frank l in

’s Gu l l s in Wi scon sin and

the Dakotas fo l low the plowman to pick up the in sect larvae uncovered by the share .

That at l eas t one commun ity has not been unmindfu l of the sub stantial deb t i t owesthe Gu l l is attes ted in Sa l t Lake Ci t y ,

where s tands a monument surmoun ted by bron zefigures of two Gu l l s , erected by the peopl e of that ci t y in gra tefu l remembran ce of theS ignal service rendered by these b i rds at a cri tica l t ime in the hi s tory of the commun i ty .

For three con secu ti ve years 1 848 to I Sso— b lack crickets by m i l l ion s threa tened to

ruin the crops upon which depended the very l ives of the sett lers . Large flocks of Cal i forn iaGu l l s cam e to the rescue and devoured vast numbers of the des t ructive in sects , un ti l the

fie lds were en tire l y freed from them . It i s no wonder that the sen t imen t of the people ofUtah , as reflected through their laws , affords Gu l l s the fu l lest protection . I t wou ld be wel l

Cow tesv of th e New York State Museum Pl a te 5

R iNG - BILLED GULL HERRING GULLa . a s i l el a tua umsm 0 rd L a rus a rgon /(n us l ’on toppi da n

ADUL r m S U M MER tMMATURE IM MATURE ADU LT IN S U M MERGREAT B LACK- BACKED GULL GLAUCOUS GULL

La r us 7Il tu‘

t l l u8 L i n n aeus Lar us hyperbon'us Gun ne rus

IM MAT URE ADU LT m S U M MER E N D OF SECOND YEAR ADU LT m S U M MERIM MATU RE

A l l }. ua t . S i z e

GULLS 2

9

if such sen t iment prevai led e l sewhere throughout the Un i ted Sta tes .

0

However , wi thinthe las t few years much progress has been made in pro tec t ing these most beauti ful dwe l lersof coasts and marshes .

IV ORY GUL L

Pagoph i la a lba Gruntw as )

A . O . U . Number 3 9

O t her Name . Snow —w h i te Gu l l .General D e scr ipt ion . Leng th , in c hes . W h i te .

Col or .— ADULTs : En t i re plum age , pure zt'l z-i-te ,

‘ sha f tof pr imar ies s traw yel low ; b i l l , du l l g reen i sh , ye l low at

tip and a long cu t t ing edges ; feet , black ; i r i s , brown ;eyel i ds , red . YOUNG : F ron t and s ides of head , dusky‘

gray ; n eck a l l aroun d w i t h i rregu lar spo t t ing of brownis h-

gray ; shou lder s and w ing—cover t s w i t h brown i shblack “spo ts , t h i c ker on les ser cover t s ; t ips of pr imar iesand ta il — fea thers w i t h dusky spo t s .

The fi r s t wo rd o f the sc ien t i fic name o f theIvory Gu l l expre s se s its ch ief character i s t ic ,

justas the second wo rd— a lba

, the L at in for wh i te— i ls descr ipt i v e o f its plumage . P agophi la is

fro-m two Greek wo rd s mean ing“

ice”

and

l ov ing .

” Hence th i s beau t i fu l snow—wh i te Gu l lis a rare v i s i tan t t o the temperate zone o f th i scon t inen t f rom its home in the A rct ic seas . The

on ly ver i fied recor d o f the appearance o f theb i rd in New Yor k seem s to be tha t furn i shed by

-

’

i l l iam D-utcher o f one Sho t in Great South Bay ,

L . I .,near Sayv i l le

,in January

,1893 . Another

Observer reports hav ing seen a S ingl e member

See Co lo r l ’late 6

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : In n i c hes of c l i ff s ; con

s t ruc ted of gra s s and seaweed , and l in ed w i t h mos sand a few fea ther s . EGG S : 2 to 4, o l i ve-buff , spo t tedw i t h differen t shades of brown and g ray .

D i s tr ibut ion — A rc t i c seas ; breeds f rom Me l v i l leI s land and nor thern Baffin Land to nor thern Green

land and A rc t i c i sl ands of ea s tern hem i sphere ; winter s in the ex t reme nor t h , rare ly sou t h to Br i t i sh Co lumb-ia , Lake On tar io , and Lon-g I s lan-d ,

N . Y . ; in Europesout h to F ran ce.

K ITT IWAKE

R i s s a tr idacty l a tr idacty l a (L innccus )

A . O . U . Number 40

O t h er Names . Common K i t t i wake ; K i t t i wake Gu l l ;P i ck -me-up ; Coddy-Moddy ; Ta rrock .Gen era l De s cr i-ption . Leng th , 18

wh i te w i t h pa le g ray i sh -b lue man t le .

or rudimen t-anv ; ta i l , s l igh t ly not ched.Col or . ADU LTS IN S U M M ER : H ead an d neck a l l

a round , under par t s , and ta il , pure wh i te ; man t le ,

pa le gray i sh -b lue ; w ing- cover t s and secondar ies s im i la r ,

in ch es . Co lor ,

H ind toe , abs en t

S ee Co lor Plate 6

la t ter w h i te on t ips ; pr i i-i im' i cs , blacki sh- blue w i t h wh i teoblong spaces on inner webs , the second , t hi rd and

four t h w i t h w h i te t ips ; fc’ct, blac-laish ,

’ bi l l , ligh t yel low

t inged w i t h o l i ve ; i r i s , brown ; eye l ids , red . ADU LT S INW IN TER : Back o f head , nape . and s ides of brea s t , Shadedw i t h co lor o f back ; a du sky patc h beh ind eye and a

sma l l black c rescen t in f ron t of eye ; b i l l , dusky-o l i ve ;o therw i se as in summe r . YOUNG ? Ey e- crescen t and spo t

o f the spec i es n-ear M t. S ina i Harbor,in Su ffo lk

Coun ty ,N . Y . In summe r i t occur s f requen t ly

on the A rct ic i s land s o f the ea s tern hem i sphere ,

and in w in ter i t range s s ou thward to France .

The green is lr ye l low beak and the black legs arein s tr i k ing con tra s t to its beaut i fu l snow-wh i teplum age . It d iffer s f rom other Gu l l s in the com

parative Sho rtnes s o f its beak , and s l ight ly tapering ta i l .The Ivo ry Gu l l is a glut ton when-

ever i t canobta in the flesh o f sea l s or the blubber o f wha les .

I t w i l l watch a sea l -hol e in the ice , wa i t ing forthe sea l

,who se excremen t i t devours .

40 B IRDS OF

beh ind eye as in w in ter adu l t plumage ; a broad bara c ros s back of n eck , les ser and m idd le w ing- cover ts ,inner secondar ies , and a term ina l bar on ta i l

,black ;

fi r s t four pr imar ies w i t h outer w ebs , ou ter ha l f o f

inner webs and ends for some di s tance, black ; the res t ,pear ly -w h i te .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : On rocky ledges over looking the wa ter ; made of g ras s and seaweed . EGG S : 2 or

3 , somet imes 5 , buff , brown i sh —g ray , or green i sh

The grace fu l and in du s t r i ou s l i t t le K i t t iwakehas severa l in teres t ing and character i s t i c t ra i ts .

I t pursues its prey a f ter the manner o f the Tern s,

h over ing over the wa ter and plunging head fo remost in t o the sea

,w i th a l l o f the dash and v igor

o f a K ingfi sher . These Gu l l s are o f ten seenfo l l ow ing r ight wha les apparen t ly t o get the

f ragmen t s o f fi sh re j ected or d ropped by tho semonsters . Observer s who ha v e watched the

b i rd s do ing th i s say that they act as i f they knewwhen the wha le s mu s t r i se t o breathe .

The K i t t iwake feed s main lv on fi sh, but w i l l

take a lmo s t any an ima l or vegetable refuse i tcan fi nd . For d r ink ing i t pre fers sa l t water t of resh , and i t i s o f ten seen S leeping peace fu l ly ,

float ing on the grea t ro l ler s , w i th its head tuck edun der its w ing l iteral lv

“

rocked in the crad leo f the deep.

” I t is a great wan derer,and de

Photogra ph by H . K . Job

AMER ICA

g ray , i rregu lar ly spo t ted w i t h shades of brown and

lavender .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— A rc t i c reg ion s ; breeds f rom We l

l ington Channe l and nor thern Green land sou t h to Gu l fo f St. Law ren ce , and f rom A rc t i c i s lands o f Europeand wes tern S iber ia to sou thern F ran ce ; w in ters f romGu l f of S t. Law ren ce sou t h to New J ersey , and cas

ua l ly to V i rg in ia , Bermuda , and the Grea t Lakes ;acc iden ta l in M i s sour i , Co lorado , and Wyom ing .

Courtesy of Ou t ing Pub l ishing Co .

KI TT IWAKEIn i ts nes t on a cli ff

cided ly democrat i c in its d i spos i t i on , for it i s

o f ten foun d in the company o f o ther Gu l l s ,Tern s , and var i ous o ther sea—b i rds .

I t takes its vernacu lar name f rom a fanc i edresemblance between its cry and the syl lables“ k i t - t i —wake . In its sc i en t i fic name

,R issa i s

its Iceland ic name , and tr idac tyla is f rom the

Greek ,mean ing

“ three- t oed,

”and refer s to an

anatom ica l pecu l iar i ty o f the spec ies .The Pac i fic K i t t iwake (R issa tr idactyla pol l i

car is ) i s a geograph ica l var ia t i on o f the CommonK i t t iwake . The two d i ffer but very l i t t le . The

former occur s off the coa s t s o f the no r thPac i fic

,Ber ing Sea

,and the ad jacen t Arct ic

O cean , breed ing from Cape L isburne and Hera ldI s land sou th t o the A leu t ian and Comman derI s lan d s

,and w in ter ing f rom the A leut ian I s lands

south t o no r thern Lower Cal i f o rn ia .

GULLS 41

GLAUCOU S GU L L

L arus hyperboreus G imn erus

A . O . U . Number 42

O t her Name s . Bu rgomaster ;Ice Gu l l ; Harbor Gu l l ; B lue Gu l l .L eng t h . 30 in ches .Col or . A DULT S I N SUM M ER : Man t l e , pa l e blue-

g ray ;

r es t of plumage, en ti rely "whi te ; b i l l , ch rome ye l low ,

more waxy O II end w i th a br igh t verm i l ion spo t at

ang le : legs , pa le fl esh co lor ; i r i s , l igh t ye l low . ADULTSI N W IN TER : S im i lar to summer plumage , but head and

hindneck t inged w i t h pa le brown i sh —gray . YOU NG :Upper pa r t s , tt 'h itish mot t l ed w ith raw umber , pa l e red

d ish—br own, and dusky ,

t h i s co lora t ion heav ies t on back ;under par t s , near ly un i form pa le brown ; w ings and ta i l ,barred w i t h same ; b i l l and legs , pa le flesh co lor , theformer blac k - t ipped ; i r i s , brown .

Burgoma s ter Gu l l ;

Under one o

f

f its popu lar names, the Burgo

ma s ter '

Gu l l, the G laucou s Gu l l was made

famou s, or rather in famou s

,by Cel ia Thax ter

’

s

poem ,wh ich descr ibed its rapac i ou s hab i t s .

Th i s poem found its way in to many schoo l reading book s o f a generat i on ago . I t gives a

v i v i d and subs tan t ia l ly accurate picture o f theappearan ce and act iv i t ies o f a group o f sea b i rd s ,and po r t rays one o f the character i s t ic s o f theBurgoma s ter . Indeed , accord ing t o other ob

ser ver s , the b i rd not on ly rob s sma l ler Gu l l s ando ther sea b i rd s o f the fi sh they catch

,but eat s

the i r eggs and young and s omet ime s the adu l tb i rd s them selves . I t is reco rded tha t a member

o f R o s s ’s exped i t i on to the Arct ic regi on s shotone o f these Gu l l s wh ich , upon be i ng

’

s t ruck ,

d i s g o rged a L i t t le Auk i t had ju s t dev oured , and

when d i ssected was found t o have another mem

ber o f the same spec ie s in its s tomach .

S ee Co lor Plate 5

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : In tussocks of gra s s ; cons t ruc ted of seaw eed and dry g ra s s . EGG S : 2 or 3 ,

wh i teto dark g ray i sh—brown , b lo tc hed w i t h brown and

brown i sh -bla ck .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— A rc t i c reg ion s ; breeds f rom nor t h

wes tern A la ska ,Me lv i l le I s land

, and nor thern Green

land , sout h to A leu t ian I s lands,nor thern Macken z ie

,

and cen t ra l U ngava , and on A rc t i c i s lands o f eas ternhem i sphere ; w in ter s f rom the A leu t ian s and Green

land sou t h to Mon terey , Ca l i forn ia ,the Grea t Lakes ,

and Long Is land , N . Y . , and ca sua l ly to Bermuda ,

Nor t h Ca ro l ina , and Texa s ; in Europe and A s ia sou thto the M edi terranean , B lack , and Ca spian seas , and

Japan .

F i sh ing fleet s are l i ke ly t o have the companyo f one or mo re o f these Gu l l s

,on the watch for

any offa l that may be thrown overboard . U ndersuch con d i t i on s i t has o ft en been caugh t w i th a

hook and l ine w i th a fi sh as ba i t . Thoughnatu ra l ly t im i d and su spic i ou s , its fondness foroffa l i s l i kely t o overcome its cau t i on

,and cau se

i t t o en ter bays and even in land water s . Severa lspec imen s have been taken in the l ower Hud sonR iver and in New Yo rk Bay , and i nd iv i dua l shave been seen in the Great L ake s .A cur i ous t ra i t o f th i s Gu l l is its apparen t disinc l inat i on t o a l igh t in the water . In its natura lhab i tat i t a l ight s genera l ly on the h ighe s t po i n to f an ice hummock . I t d i splay s none o f theaffect i on for its k ind red wh ich is character i st ico f mo s t o f the Tern s and Gu l l s , and w i l lprompt ly de ser t e i ther young or mate when theyare in danger .

GREAT B L ACK-BACKED GU L L

L arus m ar inus L innceus

A . O . U . Number 47

O t her Nam es . Bl ac k -backed Gu l l ; Sadd leback ;Coffi n — carr ier ; Cobb ; Wagel l .

Genera l De scr ipt i on .— L engt h , 30 in ches .

w h i te w i th a deep s late man t le .

Col or .— A DULTS IN SU M MER : Man t l e . deep dark s la te

wi th a. purpl ish t inge , seconda r ies , broad ly t ipped w i t hwh i te : pr ima r ies , blac k , w h i te- t ipped ; res t of plumage ,

pure w h i te ; b i l l , ch rome ye l low , tip wax y e l low w i t ha la rge spo t of br igh t verm i l ion on ang le ; legs , paleflesh co lor ; i r i s , lemon -

ye l low ; eyel ids , verm i l ion .

A DULTS IN -

' INTER : S im i lar to summer plumage . but

head and neck s t reaked w i t h du sky . YOUNG : Above,du l l w h i t i sh , mo t t led w i th brown and pa le c hes tnu t ;w ing - cover t s and secondar ies , du l l brown w i t h l igh tedges ; pr imar ies . pla in dusky ,

t ipped w i t h w h i te ; ta i l ,

Co lor ,

S ee Co lor Plate 5

brown i s h -black , fad ing to w h i te at base , imper fec t lybarred w i th brown ; forehead, c rown , and under pa r t sin genera l , du l l w h i t i sh , mo t t led on abdomen w i th brownand du sky ; t h roa t , usua l ly immacu la te but somet imesl i ke brea s t w i t h fa in t brown i sh s t reaks .Nes t and Egg s . NEST : U sua l ly on sma l l i s land ;large and bu lky ; con s truc ted of dry g ras ses and we l lcupped . EGG S : 2 o r 3 , pa le o l i ve-

gray , b lo tc hed w i t hdark brown and b lack , w i th some purpl i sh spo t s .D i s tr ibu t ion . Coas t s o f Nor t h A t lan t i c ; breedsf rom Nor t h Devon I s land and cen t ra l Green land sout hto Nova S cot ia . and to la t i tude 50°

on European coas t s ;w in ter s f rom sou t hern Green land sou t h to the Grea tLakes and Delaware Bay (ca sua l ly to F lor ida ) , and the

Canar ies ; acc iden ta l in Bermuda .

42 B IRDS OF AMERICA

John Macla ir Bora s ton ,an Engl i sh o rn i thol

ogist, inc luded the fo l l ow ing character i zat i on o fthe Grea t B lack-backed Gu l l in his book B irdsby L and and S ea :

“

A s ta i der and mo re del ibera te fl igh t marks themovemen t s o f the Great B lack —backed and as

he passes s l ow ly bef ore you ,his eye on a level

w i th your own , the brow seem s t o beet le in a set

f rown,and the glass catche s the express i on o f

the deeply set eye . I t seem s an o l d eye ,w i se ,

au tho r i tat ive . And ,in fact

,the b i rd may have

been o ld when you were a ch i l d , for i t requ i re sf our years for a Great B lack -back to acqu i re al l

the marks o f matur i ty , and its l i fet ime may wel l

M W “

Drawing by R . I . BrasherGREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (é nat. s ize)Four years are requ ired for thi s Gu ll to atta in ma tur i ty

be a cen tury . I t w i l l take offence at y ourpresence mo re read i ly than the other Gu l l s , and

as i t pa sses , ut ter s a low H a—ha-ha-ha .

’and sa i l son so lemn ly leav ing you admon i shed . I f hi s d is

ha - ha,a deep keow,

keow,a sho r t bark ing n ote

and a l ong d rawn groan , very loud and dec i ded lyimpres s ive . The k eoro cry sugge s ts the noteo f the Green Heron .

HER R ING GUL L

L arus argen tatus P on toppidan

A . O . U . Number 5 1

O t her Names . Common Gu l l ; H arbor Gu l l ; SeaGu l l ; Lake Gu l l ; W in ter Gu l l .Gen eral De s c r ipt ion . Leng th , 24 inches .

pure wh i te wi th gray i s h -blue man t le.

Co lo r, pr imar ies , dusky w i t h w h i te Spo t s and t ips ;ones , co lor of man t le w i t h black subterm ina l bar and

S ee Color Plate 5

Co l on — AD ULTS IN S U M M ER : H ead , neck , ta i l , and

under par t s , pu re w h i te ; mantl e, g ray ish-blue ; outer

cen ter

pleasu re i s arou sed , he w i l l return aga in and

aga in to swoop at you w i th menac ing cry . The

sea is m i ne ,

’

he seem s t o say ;‘

and the sm i tten rocks . Get back t o your br ick — and —mor tarcage s w i th the i r gla s s peep—ho les .

’

A cen turyo f the sea may wel l give a sen se o f pre scr ipt iver igh t .

”

Th i s beaut i fu l and d ign i fied b i rd is f requen t lyseen as a w in ter v i s i tan t off the shores o f L ongI s land (between September and M arch ) and on

the Great L akes . Its breed ing place s are con

fined t o the A t lan t ic coa s t . I t is very shy but

exceed ingly no i sy . “l i l l iam B rew s ter says thatbe i den t i fied four d i s t inct cr ies : a bray ing ha

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GULLS 45

Herr ing Gu l l s breed on the rocky i s land s offthe coa s t o f Ma i ne and thence no r thward . Fre

quen t ly they a s semble in very large number s atth i s sea s on . Probabl y ne s t annua l ly on

Great Duck I s land and the col ony on the i s lando f No-Man

’s —L and , M a ine , has o f recen t y ear sbeen even larger . The ne s t s are made o f gra s sand are o f ten h i dden in clumps o f gra s s , by the

s i de o f logs or among pi les o f bow l der s . “fith in

a few day s a fter ha tch ing the young are able t orun abou t and when a v i s i t o r wa l k s through a

breed ing co lony at th i s t ime the young b i rd s goscu t t l ing away in every d i rect i on l i k e so manyd i r ty l i t t le sheep. A l though hard to catch theyat once become doc i le when picked up. I haves omet imes amu sed my sel f by laying them on the i rback s where they w i l l o f ten rema in per fect lys t i l l un t i l a row o f ha l f a dozen have thu s beena s semb led .

Apparen t ly the se Gu l l s are the i r own wo r s tenem ies , as hund red s o f y oung are annua l ly

CAL IFO RN IA GUL L

L arus ca l iforn icus L a wrenceA . O . U . Number 53

Genera l De script ion . Leng th 23 in ches .pure w h i te w i t h pear ly -blue man t le .

Col on — A DULTS I N S UM M ER : Man t le, pear ly~blue ;ou ter pr imar ies , black w i t h w h i te Spo t s and t ips , the

Co lo r,

Photo by W . L . Fin ley and H . T. Boh lman

blac k grading to a narrow bar on s i x t h pr imary ; sec

ondar ies , w h i te- t ipped ; res t o f plumage , pure wh i te ;b i l l , ch rome ye l low , 3 verm i l ion spo t at ang le beloww i t h a sma l l black spot above ; feet , dusky blu ish-gram ;

CAL IFORNIA GULL SThey generally nest in colon ies on th e in land lakes of wes tern Un i ted States

k i l led by the o ld b i rd s , who peck them on the

head . Un for tunatel y the voung appear to beunable to d i s t ingu i sh between parent and ne ighbo r s , and when an o ld one a l ight s nearby thev

come up t ru s t ingly in ques t o f food ; f requen t lysw i f t death is the i r reward .

Fo rmer ly hundred s o f thou sand s o f th i sspec i e s were k i l led in summer for the m i l l ineryt rade ; but the Audubon Law now make s th i s a

m i s demeano r in ev ery S tate where they a re

found , and warden s empl oy ed by the Na t i ona lA s s oc iat i on o f Audubon S oc i et i e s to - day guardal l the impo r tan t breed ing co lon ie s in the U n i tedS ta te s .There are nes t ing commun i t i es o f them at

var i ou s places in the in ter i o r as , for example ,

Lake Champla in ,M oo sehead Lake

,and the Great

Lake s . A very s im i lar subspec ie s known as the

\Vestern Gu l l (L arus ocr idcnml is ) inhab i t s thePac i fic coa s t o f No r th Amer ica .

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

B IR DS OF

w ebs, ye l low ; i r i s , brown ; eye l ids , red . ADULTS IN

VV INTER Z S im i la r to summer plumage, but head and necks t reaked w i t h dusky and b i l l muc h du l ler . YOUNG :Du l l w h i t i sh , mo t t led w i t h du sky on head , neck , rump,

w ing - cover ts , and secondar ies ; bac k , gray i sh -b lue ,

feat hers w i th l igh ter edges ; b i l l , du l l flesh co lor ;term ina l ha l f , dusky .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the ground ; con s t ructedo f sma l l s t ick s and gras s . Boos : U sua l ly 3 or 4, some

AMER ICA

t imes 5 , pa le blu i sh -w h i te to brown i sh -c lay co lor ,

b lo tc hed wi t h dark brown and b lac k z igzag mark ings .D i s tr ibu t ion . W es tern Nor th Amer i ca ; breeds f rom

ea s t - cen tra l B r i t i sh Co lumb ia and Grea t S lave Lakesou t h to nor t heas tern Ca l i forn ia , nor t hern U tah , and

nor t hern Nor t h Dako ta ; win ters f rom i t s breedingrange sou t hward to Lower Ca l i forn ia and wes ternMex ico ; acc iden ta l in Kan sas , Texas , Co lorado , Alber ta , and H awa i i .

R ING-B IL L ED GU L L

L aru s de l awaren s is Ord

A . O . U . Number 54

O ther Name s . Common Gu l l ; Lake Gu l l .General Descr ipt ion . Leng t h , 20 in c hes .

pure w h i te w i th pa le blu i sh —gray man t le .

fused wi t h the H er r ing Gu l l .COIO I’ .

—A DULTS IN SUM M ER : Man t le, pa le blu i shg ray ; fi r s t pr imary , black , w h i te spo t near end ; second ,pla in b lac k ; t h i rd , b lac k w i t h gray Space on inner web ;nex t t h ree, b lac k - t ipped ; res t of pr imar ies and sec

ondar ies , co lon of man t le ; res t of plumage, pu re w h i te ;b i l l , green i sh -ye l low w i t h a broad band of black enc ir

c l ing it a t ang l e ; f eet , green i sh -ye l low ; i r i s , pa le yel

low ; eye l i ds , red . A DULTS IN W IN TER : S im i la r to sum

mer plumage , but head and neck beh ind spotted w i t hdus ky . YOUNG : Above , mo t t led w i t h brown and g ray

i sh -b lue ; w ing- cover t s , mos t ly du sky ma rg ined w i t hl igh ter ; seconda r ies and pr imar ies , w i t h a subterm ina l

Co lo r ,Eas i ly con

Photo by H . K . Job

S ee Co lor Plate 5

brown i sh area shading forward in to gray ; ta i l , w i t h a

broad subterm ina l band of du sky and indi s t in c t ly barredw i th brown ; be low ,

fa in t ly mo t t led w i t h brown i sh ; b i l l ,flesh co lor , dusky on term ina l ha l f ; legs, du l l green i shye l low ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In the gra s s in mar shes ;bu i l t of dead reeds . EGGS : 2 to 3 , bluish~white to darkbrown , Spo t ted and b lo tched w i t h di fferen t shades of

brown and lavender .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca at large ; breeds f romsou thern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia ac ros s B r i t i sh Amer i ca to

sou t hern Ungava , sout h to O regon ,Co lorado , Nor t h

Dako ta , cen t ra l W i scon s in , cen t ra l On tar io,nor t hern

New York (casua l ly ) , and nor t hern Quebec ; w in tersf rom nor t hern U n i ted S ta tes sou t hwa rd to Bermuda

,

the Gu l f coas t , Cuba , and sou thern Mex ico .

Courtesy of Houghton M itflmCo.

RING-B ILLED GULLS RETURNING TO NES T

GULLS 47

The ver sa t i l i ty o f the Gu l l show s h is degree o fin te l l igence . H e is equ ipped for l i fe on the wa ter .

H is webbed feet are for sw imm ing, but he doesn ’tseem t o care whether na ture equ ips h im for the

sea or not. H is ta s te o f ten run s t o angle-worm sin s tead o f sard ine s . A s the not i on takes h im ,

he

w i l l take up quar ter s about a pig—

pen or a garbage

pi le,fo l low the pl ow as a B lackb i r d does , pick ing

up angle—worm s , or he w i l l sa i l a long in the wak eo f a ves sel for davs at a t ime to sat i s fy h is ta s tefor scraps .The Ca l i f o rn ia and R ing-b i l led Gu l l s genera l ly

nest together in big co lon ies on the in lan d lakesthrough the wes tern par t o f the U n i ted S tates .

In many place s , the se b i rd s are o f great econom icimpor tance . I have seen them spread out ov erthe fiel d s and through the sagebrush and get

the i r l i v ing by catch ing gras shopper s . In U tah,

the Gu l l l ives '

about the beet fie l d s and a l fa l faland s and f o l l ow s the i rr igat i ng d i tches . Whenthe fie l d s are i r r igated and the water ru she sa l ong, seeping in to ho le s and d r iv ing m ice f romthe i r burrow s , the Gu l l s flock about and gorgethem sel ve s on these roden t s .A f ter the nes t ing sea son , large flock s o f Ca l i

forn ia and R ing—b i l led Gu l l s o f ten co l lect a l ongthe southern coast s t o spend the w in ter . Wh i leat San ta Mon ica ,

Ca l i f o rn ia ,dur ing the w in ter

o f 1905 and 1906,I o f ten watched the flock s o f

Gu l l s retu rn ing every even ing f rom far in lan dwhere they had been s k i rm i sh ing dur ing the day .

I O f ten saw them abou t the garden s and in

the fiel d s . A few m i le s f rom the ocean is the

Sol d ier s ’ Home at Sawtel l-e . The ga rbage i s

hau led two or three t ime s a dav o v er to the pigpen s . When the dump wagon reaches the pen s ,the dr iver not on ly a lways find s h im se l f be s iegedby a l o t o f hungry po rker s , but a flock o f Gu l l s

Cour tesy of Nat. Asso . And . Soc .

NE ST AND EGG S OF CAL IFORNIA GULL

is a lways at hand to we lcome

'

h is arr iva l . Theys it around on the g round or fences wa i t ingpat ien t ly . The Gu l l s and pigs eat together . The

Gu l l doesn ’t care i f his coa t get s so i led , for hereturn s t o the Shore each even ing and takes a

good bath before bedt ime .

W I L L I AM L . F I N LEY .

H EERMANN’

S GUL L

L arus heermann i Cass in

A . O . U . Number 5 7

O t her Nam e . W h i te- headed Gu l l .General Descr ipt ion . Leng th , 20 inc hes .wh i te ; body , b lu i sh -gray .

Col on — ADULTS : H ead al l around, pure w h i te, shad

ing on neck in to blu i sh -ash of under par ts and in to thedark blu ish- s la te of upper par ts ; rump and upper ta i lcover ts , c lear ash ; pr imar ies , black w i t h narrow w h i tet ips ; ta i l , black nar row ly t ipped wi t h w h i te ; bi l l , brigh tr ed

,black on termina l th ird ; feet , dusky - red ; i r i s ,

brown ; eye l ids , red . YOUNG : H ead and th roat , mot

H ead ,

As M r . Daws on says , H eermann’

s Gu l l i s an

in veterate l oafer and sycophan t . O f s outhernbl ood (we have j u s t learned tha t he is bred on

the i s lan d s off the coa s t o f M ex ico ) he comesnor th in June on ly to float and l oaf and dreamthroughou t the rema inder o f the sea s on . V i s i t

V O L . I — S

tled w i t h dusky and dul l wh i te ; upper ta i l -cover t s ,g ray ; ta i l , broad ly w h i te- t ipped ; o t herw i se S im i lar to

adu l t plumage.

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : P robably s im i lar to o t hersof the genus . EGGs : Du l l ye l low i sh -drab, sca t ter ing lymarked w i t h spo t s of brown and l i lac.

D i s tr ibu t i on . Pac i fi c coas t of Nor t h Amer i ca ;breeds in Lower Ca l i forn ia and wes tern Mex i co ;m igra tes nor t h to sout hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia ; Win tersf rom nor t hern Ca l i forn ia sou thward to Gua tema la .

the‘

B i rd R ock s ’ o f R o sar i o S tra i t s ear ly in

July and you w i l l fi nd a col ony o f Glaucousw ings d i s t raught w i th fam i ly care s and wheel ingto and fro in w i l d concern at your presence ,

wh i le upon a rocky knob at one s i de, a wh i tewa shed c lub room

,S i t ha l f a thou sand Heer

48 B IR DS OF

mann s , impass ive ,haughty , s i len t . I f you pre s s

inqu i ry they sudden ly take t o w ing and fi l l thea ir w i th low—

pi tched mel l ow cr i e s o f s trangequa l i ty and sweetnes s . And go where you w i l lat tha t seas on , the H eermann

’s Gu l l i s gu i l t le ss

o f l oca l at tachmen t s — in the No r th .

”

(B irdsof Washington . )Ano ther observer n otes tha t these Gu l l s d is

play con s i derable in tel l igence in thei r pursu i t o fherr ing,

when the fi sh are t rave l ing in schoo l s .The b i rds approach these schoo l s f rom the rear

Photo by W . L . F inl ey and H . T . Boh lman

AMER ICA

a l ong in the d i rect i on the herr ing are Sw imm ingun t i l the fi sh come t o the sur face

,when the b i rd s

renew the i r d iv ing capture s .The systemat ic robbery o f the Pe l ican s

, an

amu s ingly impuden t per fo rmance,i s a l s o de

scr ibed ‘

by M r . Daw s on . O f ten a l ong t ra ino f Pel ican s is Seen , as the t i de i s r i s ing,

S l owlywan der ing aroun d the bay ; each one a t tended byone or more o f these Gu l l s wh ich are u sua l lysome d i s tance beh ind . Whenever a Pel ican awk

wardly plunges in t o the wa te r and emerges w i th

HERRMANN‘S GULLS

They are invetera te loafers , and , whi le other Gu ll s are engaged wi th fami ly cares , they s tan d on one s ide, impas s ive , haugh ty, s il ent:

and take the fi sh near the sur face by d iv i ng forthem . As the herr ing d i scover the i r pur suer sthey S ink s ome d i s tance , but the schoo l con t inuest o travel in the same d i rect i on . The Gu l l s seemt o know th i s

,for a f ter hav ing reached the head

O f the schoo l , they c i rcle t o the rear , and f o l l ow

its en o rmou s scoop net fu l l o f fi sh ,its paras i tes

are sure t o be ready and fear les s ly se i ze the fi shf rom its very j aws, the s tupi d b i rd never resen ting the in su l t

, or appear ing t o take the leastnot i ce o f the l i t t le pi l ferer s wh ich i t coul d ea s i lyr id i t sel f o f by one bl ow , or even swal l ow a l ive .

L AUGH ING GU L L

L arus atr ic i l l a L in nm zs

A . O . U . Number 58

O t h er Nam e . B lack - headed Gu l l .General De scr ipt i on .

— L eng t h , 16 in ches . Co lor,

wh i te w i t h dark S late-gray man t le and a lmos t b lackhood .

S ee Co lor Plate 6

COIO I‘ .— A DULTS IN SUM MER : H ood , dor /e s la ty

-bla ckex tending fur ther on t h roa t t han on back of head ; a

w h i te Spo t above and be low eye ; neck a l l around , rump,

ta i l , t ips of secondar ies and pr imar ies and en t i re under

50 B IR DS OF

par t s , w h i te, the lat ter wi t h a rosy t inge ; man tle, dark

s la te-

g ray ,

“

outer s ix pr imar ies , black ; b i l l , deep car

m ine ; fee t , black ; i r i s and edge of eye l ids , carm ine .

A DULTS IN W INTER : U nder par t s w i t hou t rosy t in t ;head , wh i te , mo t t led wi t h du sky ; b i l l and feet , du l l .YOUNG : Man t le, var iega ted w i th l igh t gray i sh -brown ;pr imar ies , brown i sh —black , l igh ter on t ips ; secondar ies ,dusky on ou ter webs ; ta i l , w i t h a broad term ina l bandof dusky w i th narrow wh i te t ips ; upper ta i l - cover t s ,w h i te ; b i l l and feet , brown i sh -b lack t inged wi t h red .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : On the ground in marsh es ;con s t ructed of seaweed , sedges , and ee lgras s . EGGS :2 to 5 , f rom du l l gray i sh to dark o l i ve, heav i ly markedw i t h spo t s and spla sh es of brown ,

b lac k , ches tnu t , and

lavender .

D i s tr i bu t ion . T ropi ca l and tempera te coa s t s of

Nor t h Amer ica ; breeds f rom Ma ine (rare ly ) and

Mas sac huset ts (abundan t ly but loca l ) sou t h on the

A t lan t ic and Gu l f coas t s to Texas , the Les ser An t i l les ,and Venezue la ; w in ter s f rom Georg ia and Gu l f coa s tsou t h to wes tern Mex ico , Ch i le, and B raz i l ; casua l inCo lorado , Nebra ska ,

W i scon s in , On tar io, and Iowa .

The Laugh ing Gu l l i s wel l named , for seemingly i t laugh s . No great stretch o f the imag inat i on is requ i red to a s sume that its l oud cr i es arethose o f real m i r th . I t i s a han d some creaturein the breed ing season ,

w i th its dark man t le ,

black head , and wh i te breas t fa in t ly t inged w i ththe co l or o f the rose .

I t breeds no rma l ly a l ong mo s t o f the A t lan t iccoast o f the Un i ted S tate s . Un t i l recen t years i thas been a lmo s t ex t irpated by con s tan t persecut i on on the New. England coa s t but now

,under

protect i on ,its number s are increas ing. I t nest s

on sandy i s land s , usua l ly in ta l l th ick gras ses orshrubbery ; in the north i t bu i l d s a subs tan t ialwarm nest o f gras se s and weed s

,but in the

sou th a mere ho l l ow in the sand o f ten suffices .

In plea san t warm weather the b i rd s are seen t oleave the i r n es t s

,t ru s t ing apparen t ly t o the heat

o f the sun ,but in coo l or s t ormy weather the

female incubates c l o sely . The young leave the

AMER ICA

nest s oon a f ter they are hatched and run abou ton the sandy so i l , squat t ing and h i d ing in the

th icke s t cover at the fi r s t a larm . M eanwh i le theparen t s wheel h igh overhead , u t ter ing the i r noteso f apprehen si on . These b i rd s are very gregar ious and breed , as wel l as feed , in flocks .The i r food is largely composed o f mar ineobj ect s picked up on bar s , beaches, flats , in the

beds o f es tuar ie s and even at t imes in the sa l tmar shes but ever near the sea . Audubon tel l show the L augh ing Gul l robs the B rown Pel ican

Photo by H erbert M i l ls Cour tesy of Nat. Asso. And . Soc.

NES T AND EGGS OF LAUGHING GULL

Passage Key, F lor ida

FRANKL IN’

S GU L L

L arus frank l in i R ichardson

A . O . U . Number 59

O th er Nam es . P ra i r ie P igeon ; F rank l in ’s RosyGu l l .Genera l Descr ipt ion . L eng th , 14 inches . Co lor ,w h i te w i t h dark b lu i sh - s la te man t le and dark s late hood .

COIO I’.— ADULTS IN S UM M ER : H ood , dark s la teex tending around upper par t of neck as we l l as on

h ead ; eyel ids , whi te ; man t le, dark blu i sh - s late ; ou terpr imar ies , w i t h dusky bars near tip, t h i s co lor gradua t ing f rom abou t 2 inc hes in w id th on fi rs t to a sma l lbar on s i x t h ; pr ima r ies and secondar ies , w h i te- t ipped ;ta i l , pa le gray i sh -blue, the t h ree ou t s ide pa i rs of fea t hers ,wh i te ; neck a l l around , rump, and who le under parts ,

in F l or i da . Wa i t ing un t i l the Pel ican d ives andcome s t o the sur face the Gu l l al ight s upon its

head and snatches the sma l l fi sh f rom its en ormou s b i l l . Somet imes th i s Gu l l f o l l ows schoo lso f porpo i ses for the sma l l fi sh that they d r iveto the sur face . Everywhere i t add s l i fe, beauty,

and in terest t o the scene .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

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52 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Photo by H . K . Job

FRANKL IN ‘S GULL

Cour tesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

Dropp ing down among the reeds to its nest

BONAPARTE’

S GU L L

L arus ph i lade lph ia (0rd )A . O . U . Number 60

O t h er Names . Bonapar te’s Rosy Gu l l B lackheaded Gu l l ; Sea P igeon .

Genera l Descript ion . L eng th , I4 in c hes . Co lor,

w h i te w i t h pa le b lu i sh -gray man t le and dark s la teco lored head .

COIO I‘ .— A DULTS IN S UM M ER : H ead ,

dark s la te reaching fur t her in f ron t t han beh ind ; a wh ite patch above

and another below eye ; man t le, pa le gray i sh -b lue ; mos t

of pr imar ies w i th black t ips ; neck a l l around , ta i l ,and under par t s , pure w h i te, lat ter rose- t in ted ; bi l l ,black ; gape and eye l ids ca rm ine ; feet , cora l - red ; webs ,verm i l ion . ADULTS IN W I NTER : No hood ; c rown and

back of head , mo t t led w i t h dusky ; back of neck w i t ht in t of co lor o f man t le ; a cres cen t before eye and patch

on s ide of head , deep s la te ; b i l l , l igh t - co lored at ba sebe low ; fee t , flesh co lor . YOUNG : No mo t t l ing on

c rown ; a pa tc h of dusky on s ide of head ; w ing—cover t sand shou lders

,du sky-brown w i t h l igh ter edges ; pr i

B onapar te’s Gu l l is one o f the smal ler Amer i

can Gu l l s , and un l i k e mo s t o f that fam i ly is

somet imes f oun d in fl ock s wh ich o f ten resor t t opl owed fie l ds and swamps where the b i rds feedon in sect s and earth—worm s . Its favo r i te haun ts,however , are coast s , r iver s

, and lakes , where i tfeeds much af ter the manner o f the Herr ing Gu l l .

S ee Co lor Plate 6

mar ies and secondar ies dusky t ipped ; ta i l wh i te w i t ha subterm ina l dusky bar ; b i l l , du l l fl esh co lor ; feet ,l igh t flesh co lor ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the ground in mar shes ,usua l ly on e leva ted hummocks ; con s t ructed of sma l ls t ick s and dead gras ses . EGGS : 3 , o l i ve-

gray w i t h a

w rea t h of dark and l igh t brown spo t s around large end

and some sca t tered mark ings of the same co lor overw ho le sur face .

D i s tr ibu t ion — Nor t h Amer ica in genera l ; breedsf rom nor thwes tern A la ska and nor t hern Macken z iesout h to B r i t i sh Co lumb ia and Keewat in ; w in ters f romMa ine to F lor ida : on the Pac i fi c coas t f rom sout hernB r i t i sh Co lumbia to Lower Ca l i forn ia and wes ternMex ico , and on the Gu l f coas t to Texas and Yuca tan ;in m igra t ion wes t to Ko t zebue Sound and east toUngava ; casua l in the Bahamas and Bermuda ; acc iden ta l in Europe .

A l ong the seacoa s t the Bonapar te s are dec i dedlygregar i ou s and O f ten a s s oc iate w i th Tern s and

other Gu l l s . Un l ike the i r relat ives , however ,

they are not g iven t o fo l l ow ing ferryboat s and

o ther cra f t f rom wh i ch o-flal and garbage are

thrown overboard . In these surround ings the i rd iet is ch iefly mar ine worms and crustacean s

late June and Ju ly the equatic vegetat i on seem sa l ive w i th padd l ing puff -ba l l s .In the i r feed ing hab i t s dur ing the warmer

par t o f the year they are largely in sect ivorous .

O ut in the marshy lakes they feed a great dea lupon nymph s o f the dragon -fly , and on any in

sect s or larvae l oca l ly ava i lable . On the pl owedfields they fi nd many in j ur i ous grubs and cut

worm s . L ater they are act ive in pursu i t o fgrasshopper s .The i r fl ock ing is very spectacu lar , bo th whenthey are prepar ing t o leave in the fa l l , and whenthey arr ive in spr ing. In selected places , es

pecia l ly near the nes t ing-

groun d s , the pra i r ie i ss omet imes fa i r ly wh i te w i th them .

Gu l l s are suppo sed t o be ch i efly mar i t ime b i rds ,but th i s spec i es is a seem ing except i on . In factthe R osy Gu l l s are rarely seen e i ther on the At

lan t ic or the Pac i fic coa s t o f the Un i ted S tate s ,though in w in ter some o f them at least come

out a l ong the Gu l f coa s t , and f o l l ow i t down in toSou th Amer ica . But i t wou l d seem hard t o onewho has known i t in the s l oughs and on the

pra i r ies t o pi cture i t flying over the ocean , where

i t cou l d ea s i ly be m i s taken for the Laugh ingGu l l . HERBER T K . JOB .

Cou rtesy of the New York State Mu s e um

SAB INE’Sr

GULL ADU LT :N S U M M E R BONAPARTE’S GULLLa rus ph i lade l ph ia (I l rd )

ema Rabin-i (J . Sa b i ne )LAUGHING GULL

_AD U LT l N S U M M E R AD U LT IN S U M ME R

a r ux a tri ci l la L in naeus IM MAT U REKITTlWAKE

_

IVORY GULL1mm tr ida cty l a tr i da cty l a (L i n naeus ) l ’aguph i la a l ba (G un ne rns l

IMMAT U R E AD U LT IN S U M M E RAD U LT m S U M M E R

IM MAT U R E . \ l l nut . S t‘

P l a te 6

GULLS 53

wh ich they fi nd on t i de fla t s , in channe l s , and 011

kelp-bed s .A pecu l iar i ty o f th i s b i rd

’s fl ight , wh i ch i s

grace fu l and fa i r ly sw i f t , is that each s t rok e o fthe w ings sw ings the body s l igh t ly upward . l ts

maneuver s on the w i ng are o f ten very s k i l l fu l ,

BONAP AR TE’S GULL (é na t. s ize )A lthough a shore b ird , i t is often foun d in plowed

fi e lds feed ing on earthwormsDrawing by R . I . B ra sher

espec i a l ly a t r ick i t has o f sudden ly s t opping itsprogre s s and sweeping backward and downwardto in spect an obj ect seen on the sur face o f thewater . In genera l its fl ight is mo re l i ke tha to f the than the Gu l l s .

SAB INE ’

S GU LL

! ema sab in i (J . S abine )A . O . U . Numbe r 62

O t h er Name s . Hawk—ta i led Gu l l ; Fork - ta i led Gul l .Genera l D e scr ipt i on . Leng th , I4 inches . Co lo r ,wh i te w i th blu i sh -gray man t le and dark s la te hood .

Ta i l , for /red w ith the fea thers rounded ,not poin ted , at

the ends .Col on — ADULTS IN S UM M ER : H eads w i t h hoods of

dark S la te bounded beh ind by a nar row border of black ;man t le . blu i sh -gray ; edge o f w ing , b lack ; fi ve ou terpr imar ies and the ir cover ts , black w i t h sma l l w h i tet ips ; res t of pr ima r ies ,

wh i te ; ou ter secondar ies , w h i te ;the g ray o f man t le ex tending diagona l ly ac ros s to end

o f inner seconda r ies ; neck , ta i l , and en t i re under pa r t s ,wh i te . the la s t w i th rosy hue ; b i l l , b lack to ang le, ye l low ,

c h rome, or orange f rom ang le to tip ; gape , verm i l ion ;feet , black ; i r i s , reddi sh ; edges of eyel ids , orange .

ADULTS IN W INTER : En t i re head , w h i te w i t h some darkfea ther s on crown and s ides ; b i l l , du l ler ; no rosy hue ;

S ee Color Plate 6

o t he rw i se as in summer plumage . YOUNG : H ead , backo f neck , and upper pa r ts in genera l , t ran s versely ba r redw i t h s la te-

g ray and du l l wh i t i sh ; under par t s , w h i te ;ta i l

,w h i te w i t h a bar o f blac k one in c h w ide on m idd le

fea th er s , thi s co lor narrow ing ou twa rd ; bi l l , duskyflesh co lor ; leg s , flesh co lor .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in moss or

sand , l ined w i t h fi ne d ry g ras s . EGGS : 2 o r 3 , deepo l i ve-brown obscurely Spot ted and b lo tch ed w i t h darkershade s o f the same .

D i s tr i bu t i on — A rc t i c reg ion s to Sout h Amer i ca ;breeds on the coa s t o f A la ska f rom Kuskokw im R i ve rto No r ton Sound , and in no r t hern Mac ken z ie , nor thernKeewa t in , and nor th ern Green land , and on Ta imy r

Pen in su la in nor t hwes tern S iber ia ; in m igrat ion on

bo th coas t s o f Un i ted S ta tes and casua l in in ter ior ;w in ters a long the coas t of Peru .

54 B IRDS OF

Sab ine’s Gu l l i s essen t ia l ly an Arct ic spec ie s ,though i t occas i ona l ly wan der s as far sou th as

the No r th A t lan t ic S tate s and has been taken as

a straggler on L ong I s land , on the Great L akes ,and on Great Sa l t L ake ,

U tah . In any o f itsplumage s i t may read i ly be recogn i zed by its

forked ta i l — whence one o f its names . The

norma l di et o f th i s Gul l appear s to be compo sed

AMER ICA

par t ly o f mar ine insect s , mo st o f wh ich probablyare obta ined on beaches where they are lef t byreced ing waves . The spec i es seems fi rst to havebeen descr ibed by Sab ine ,

f rom spec imen s takenby his brother , a member o f the No rthwe s t Expedition o f 18 18 , on one o f a group o f rockyi s land s off the coast o f Greenl and .

GEORGE GLADDEN .

TE R N S

Order Longipennes ; fami l y L arida’

; sub fam i l y S tern i ncf:

ISTR IBUTED throughou t the worl d are over fi fty species of Tern s , ten occurringregul arl y in North America . These birds bel ong to the fam i l y L ari daz whichincludes the Gul l s , and i s part of the order of Long-winged Swimmers . Al l ofthe species are exceedingl y graceful and expert on the wing, and some showextraordinary endurance in flight . Thi s is true especial l y of the Arctic Tern ,

whose j ourn ey from the Arctic to the Antarc t ic and back each year , is one

of the most aston i shing known feats in the b ird world .

The Tern s are often cal led Sea Swal lows ,”

and for obvious reason s , as

severa l of the species are not un l ike l arge Swal lows bo th in appearance and

in flight . They are gen eral l y smal ler than the Gu l l s , and their bodies are

more e longated , but in col oration they more or l ess resembl e their l arger relatives ,whom they a l so resemb l e in their food and feeding hab i t s , with the excep t ion of their divingpractices . The Tern s hover and p lunge for their food , whi le the Gu l l s al ight on the water

to feed . B ecause of thi s characteri stic, Tern s have often been cal led S tri kers .

”

Again l i ke the Gu l l s , the Tern s are decidedl y gregarious and often breed in colon iesof thou sands on ledges ; some of the species occasional l y p l ace their nests on the l imb s oflarge forest trees . General l y the nests on the grounds are l itt le more than mere depression s ,and of ten they are p laced so c lose together that in wal k ing through a nesting place , i t i s

diffi cul t to avoid treading upon ei ther the eggs or the young. When hatched ,the young

are covered wi th down of a mottl ed pat tern , and , al though sometimes they wi l l en ter thewater of their own accord and swim about , they are dependent upon their parents unti l

they acqu ire the power of flight .

GUL L -B IL L ED TER N

Gel oche l idon n i lot ica (L innreus )A . O . U . Number 63

O t her Nam es . Mar sh Tern ; Egypt ian Tern ; Nu t ta l l ’s Tern ; Ang l i can Tern ; N i le Tern .

Gen eral D e scr ipt i on . Leng t h , 13 to 15 in ches .Co lor , w h i te w i th l igh t blu i sh -gray man t le . B i l l

, s tou tand shor t , and curved over at tit) .

Col on — ADULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown and cres t , g lossygreen ish-bla ck ,

ex tend ing to level of eyes , leav ing on lya narrow w h i te l ine on upper s ide of b i l l ; man t le,

l igh tgray i sh -b lue ; pr imar ies , gray i sh -b lack but heav i ly s i lvered , appear ing muc h l igh ter ; ta i l , co lor of man t lefading to pure w h i te at base ; ch in , th roa t . nec k a l l

around , and under par t s , pure w h i te ; bil l , bloc/e, u sua l lyw i t h narrow ye l low tip ; legs , green i sh - blac k ; i r i s ,brown . A DULTS IN W INTER : The fo rehead and fore

See Color Plate 7

par t of c rown , wh i te ; b lack res tr icted to hind head and

nape ; s ide of h ead and a spot in f ron t of eye, gray ;

o therwi se s im i lar to summer plumage .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A mere depres s ion amongthe reeds of marshes ; somet imes on sandy shores .EGGS : 3 , o l i ve-buff i rregu lar ly marked w i t h umber

brown , black i sh , and lavender .

D i s t r ibu t ion . Near ly cosmopo l i tan ; breeds in Nor t hAmer ica , on coas ts of Texa s , Lou i s iana , Nor t h Carol ina,

V i rg in ia ( former ly to New Jer sey ) , and in the

Bahamas ; wander s casua l ly to Ma ine and O h io ; win ter sin southern M ex ico , Cen tra l Amer ica , and a l l of Sou t hAmer i ca ; breeds a l so in Europe, A s ia , and Aus t ra l ia,w in ter ing to northern A f r i ca .

TER NS 55

I t seems clear that the Gu l l -b i l led Tern is decrea s ing rapi d ly in number s . Once commonor at lea s t not actua l ly rare a l ong the A t lan t i ccoa s t

,i t now , accord ing to Dr . Chapman

, sel dom ,

i f ev er , breed s no rth o f Cobb’s I s land , V a,where

i t was f oun d nes t ing in grea t number s by Dr .

R i dgway and Dr . H en shaw in 1879 . H ere Dr .

R i dgway noted espec ia l ly its cry ,wh ich be de

scr ibed as a chat ter ing laugh ,wherefo re he

though t i t m ight we l l be named the L augh ingTern — its sc i en t i fic name l i tera l ly mean slaugh ing swa l l ow o f the N i le .

”The same

ob server noted that the b i rd showed much mo recourage in defend ing its ne s t than do o therTern s ; i t swooped downward and s t ra ight at thein t ruder

,o f ten near ly s t r i k ing him w i th its b i l l ,

and in its at tempt t o change i ts cour se the ru sho f the a ir through i ts w ings made a boom ingound not un l i k e that produced by the N igh thawk when it check s its downward plunge .

Thi s b i rd di ffer s superfic ia l ly from its k ind inha v ing a sho r ter and comparat i v ely heavy b i l l ,and a Shorter and le s s d i s t inct l y fo rked ta i l . I tis a l s o les s exc i table than the Common Tern .

CASP IAN TERN

S tern a caspia Pa l las

A . O . U . Number 64

O ther Name s . Imper ia l Tern ; Ca spian Sea Tern .

Gen eral De scr ipt i on . L eng th . 20 to 23 in ches .Co lor , wh i te w i t h gray i sh -b lue man t le. Ta i l , s l igh tlyforked w i t h ou ter fea th ers po in ted ; w ings , long and

s lender .

Col or . ADULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown , g los sy g reen

i sh -b lack ; a w h i te spo t on lower eye l id ; man t le , g ray i shblue , but so heav i ly s i lvered w hen new as to appear

l igh t g ray ; res t of plumage , pure w h i te ; bi l l , br igh t t ier

m i l ion : feet , b lac k ; i r i s , brown . A DULTS IN W’INTER :The c rown i s broken by w h i te and some du sky fea ther sshow on w ing —cover t s .

Photo by W. L . Fin ley and H . T . Bohlman

S ee Color Plate 8

COLONY OF CASPIAN TERN S

N e s t an d Egg s . NEST : A mere ho l low scooped indry sand . EGGS : 2 or 3 , pa le o l i ve—buff , ra ther even lymarked w i t h spo ts of dark brown and lavender .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Near ly cosmopo l i tan ; breeds in Nor thAmer i ca at Great S lave Lake , K lama t h Lake

, O regon ,

on i s lands o f nor t hern Lake M i ch igan ,on coas t of

sou th ern Labrador , and on coa s t s of Texas , Lou i s iana,

M i s s i s s ippi , Sout h Caro l ina and ( former ly ) Vi rg in ia ;w in ter s f rom coa s t of cen t ra l Ca l i fo rn ia to Lower Ca l iforn ia and wes tern Mex i co , and on the Sou t h A t lan t i cand Gu l f coas ts ; casua l in m ig ra t ion nor t h to A laska

,

James Bay , and New found land .

56 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

FO R STER ’

S TERN

S tern a fors ter i N utta l l

A . O . U . Number 69

O t h er Names . H avel l'

s Tern ( imma ture ) ; Sea

S wa l low .

General Descr ipt i on . Leng t h , I 5

w h i te w i t h pa le gray i sh -b lue man t le . Ta i l , fork ed forha lf i ts l eng th .

Not di s t ingu i shab le f rom e i t her the

Common Tern or the A rc t i c Tern except w i t h spec imen s in hand .

Col or . AD ULTS I N S UM M ER : Crown , g los sy blacknot ex tending be low eye ; man t le , pa le gray i sh - b lue ;pr imar ies s t rong ly s i lvered ; en t i re under par ts and

rump, w h i te ; the two long ou ts ide ta i l -fea thers , wh i teon ou ter web , dusky g ray on in ner ; bi l l , orange

—ye l lozt

'

,

term ina l ha l f , b lac k w i t h the ex treme tip ye l low ; feet ,br igh t orange ; i r i s , brown . A DULTS IN W IN TER : Crownva r iega ted w i t h w h i te ; nape ,

dusky ; a d i s t in c t b lac k baron s ides of head embrac ing eyes ; ou ts ide ta i l - fea th ers ,

inches . Co lor ,

The Caspian Tern s ne s t in co l on i e s throughthe lak e reg i on o f s outhern O regon . They gatheron one o f the tu le i s land s . “l e f ound two o f thelarge s t col on ies on L ower K lamath and M a lheurlake s , where these b i rd s were l i v ing near a co l onyo f Ca l i f orn ia and R ing—b i l led Gu l ls . \f\-

’

hen we

fi r s t v i s i ted L ower K lamath L ake,in 1905 , we

f ound the se Gu l l s and Tern s t ogether w i thPe l ican s , Fara l l on Co rmo ran t s , \Vestern Grebe s ,and Great B lue Heron s , gathered in wha t m igh thave been ca l led one immen se co l ony in the tu l es

Photo by W . L . Fin ley and H . T. Bohlman

S ee Co lor Pla te 7

shor ter t han in summer ; bi l l , dusky except at ba sebe low ; feet , du sky ye l low i sh .

N e s t an d Eggs . NEST : In mar shes ; con s tructed of

dead reeds and s tem s of wa ter plan ts and l ined w i t hfiner reeds . EGGS : 2 or 3 ,

va ry ing f rom pure w h i te or

pa le green to warm brown i sh -drab i r regu lar ly spot tedw i t h brown ,

umber , and l i lac.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca at large ; breeds inCa l i forn ia

, O regon ,Nevada , sou t hwes tern Sask atche

wan , and Man i toba sou th to nor t hern Co lorado , nor thern Nebraska

,no r theas tern I l l ino i s and sou t hern

On ta r io , and on the coa s t s of Texa s , Lou i s iana , and

V i rg in ia ; w in ters f rom sou t hern Ca l i forn ia , Gu l f of

Mex i co , and Sou t h Caro l ina sou t hward to Guatema la ; rare as far nor t h as Mas sachuset ts ; ca sua l inB raz i l .

on the northwe s t s i de o f the lake . S ince thatt ime

,however ,

ow ing t o d i s turbance , the b i rd shave sca t tered ; the Gu l l s , Tern s , and Grebes havemoved the i r co l on ies t o o ther par t s o f the lake .

As one cru i se s abou t these lakes , he sees thegrace fu l l i t t le B lack and Fo rster’s Tern s fl i t t inga l ong over the sur face ,

dropping here and thereto pick up a bit t o eat. The Caspian Tern i s

much larger than the se two and is s omet ime sm i s taken for a Gu l l . However

,the exceed ingly

l ong w ings , jet-black cap,and deep- red beak are

FORS TER’S TERNOn nes t bui lt on a muskrat house

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TERNS 59

l ike a mo squ i t o . Thei r food con s i s t s ch i efly o fsmal l fi sh wh ich they gather by plung ing d i rect lyin t o the water

, u sua l ly f rom a he ight o f severa lyard s . So much f orce is put in t o the b l ow thatthe bi rd o f ten d i sappear s beneath the sur face. In

F l or i da these Tern s o f ten rob the s l ow-mov ingB rown Pe l ican o f his hard—earned prey . Theyare d i s t inct ively b i rd s of the sa l t water and rarelycome in land . They sel dom appear in sma l l harbo r s , and we never fi nd them flying abou t wharvesand fi sh fact or i es as we do the Gu l l s .L ike most sea—b i rd s the R oya l Tern s assemb le

in co l on ie s to rear the i r young . The i r eggs arela i d on the bare sandy i s land s w i th no at tempt atconcea lmen t . No other b i rd s in No r th Amer icamake the i r ne s ts so near together ; in fact , whenthey are incuba t ing i t is o f t-en d ifficu l t , at a l i t t led i stance , t o see the ground between them , so

c l o sely do they s it.

A few year s ago I v i s i ted a co lony nest ing on

R oya l Shoa l I s land in Pam l i co S ound , NorthCaro l ina , where probably there were s ome fourthou sand eggs scat tered about on the sand amongthe She l l s . A h igh t i de s omet ime befo re had

wa shed at leas t a thousand o f these f rom the i rres t ing place s and left them in a great w indro-wa l ong the beach . The bereaved b i rds had then

m oved over t o h igher groun d on the others i de o f the egg area and scra tched out new

nest ing places . In do ing th i s they took pos sess i on o f a pl o t o f ground a l ready occupi edby a co lony o f B lack S ki mmer s . They s implyk icked the S k immer

’s eggs away or covered themw i th sand and at once took up the dut i es o f ineubation serenely ind i fferen t t o the m i l d prote s tat i on s o f the d iscomfi ted S k immer s . U sua l lyo ther spec i es o f Tern s , and f requen t ly Sk immer sand Oys te r- ca tchers

, breed on the i s lands ocenpi ed by the R oya l Tern s but nev er

,so far as I

have observed , w i th in the actua l boundar i es o fthe i r co l ony . The one except i on to th i s is the

rare Cabo t ’s Tern wh ich the i r big ne ighbo r s seemto hav e tak en under the i r spec i a l protect i on . The

two spec ies fly together , feed t ogether , nesttogether , and perhaps d ie together .

The R oya l Tern s were largely ex term inated inmany sect i on s o f the i r range by the gunner s o fthe m i l l inery trade some year s ago, but underthe protect i on o f the warden s o f the AudubonSoc iety they are aga in increa s ing in number s .The i r ch i ef breed ing places t oday are on the

i s land s off the coast o f V i rg in ia ,North Caro l ina,

South Caro l ina, and L ou i s iana .

T . G I LBERT PEAR SON .

CABOT ’

S TERN

S terna sandv icen s is acuflav ida Cabot

A . O . U . Number 67

O ther Names .— Sandw ich Tern ;

Boys ' Tern ; Duca l Tern .

Gen era l De scr ipt ion .— Leng th , I6 in ches .

w h i te w i t h l igh t blu i sh -gray mantle and ta i l .Col or .

— ADULTS IN S UM M ER : C rown and cres t ,g los sy green i sh -b lack ext ending be low eyes but leav inga space a longs ide of b i l l w h i te to the end of the

feat hers ; man t le , l igh t b lu i sh -gray shading on rumpand upper ta i l - cover t s in to pure w h i te ; fi rs t four ou terpr imar ies w i th black space near ends ; ta i l , co lor of

man t le ; bi l l , bla ck , the tip for abou t one- ha l f inchbr igh t yel low ; feet , b lack i sh ; i r i s , brown . ADULTS IN

W INTER : Crown , w h i te var ied w i t h b lack sha f t l ines ;c res t , brown i sh -black ; out s ide ta i l - feat hers , shor ter t hanin summer ; ye l low tip of b i l l less in ex ten t and du l ler ;o therw i se as in summer . YOUNG : Forehead , c rown ,

Ken t i sh Tern ;

Co lor,

The Cabot ’s Tern in fl igh t at a d i s tance re

sembles i ts more famous relat ive the Arct i c ;however , i t is a more s t out ly bu i l t bi rd ; al s o itsta i l is re lat ively sho r ter

,wh i le its head- feather s

and nape , brown i sh -black var iega ted w i t h wh i te , upper

par t s , marked everyw here w i t h i r regu lar spot s and

tran s verse ba r s of dusky ; pr imar ies , as in adu l t ; ta i lfea t her s , t ipped w i t h dusky ; b i l l , sma l ler and weaker ,brown i sh -black , the ex t reme po in t on ly , and somet imesnot t ha t muc h , ye l low .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : On sandy shores , in

co lon ies . EGGS ; 2 or 3 ,c reamy or buffy , i r regu lar ly

spo t ted and scraw led w i th dark brown , c hes tnu t , black ,and lavender .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer ica ; breedsf rom Nor t h Caro l ina to F lor ida an d Texas ; w in ter sf rom the Bahamas , F lor i da , and Lou i s iana sou t h to

Cen t ra l Amer ica , Grea ter An t i l les , Co lomb ia . and

B raz i l ; ac c iden ta l in On tar io , Mas sachuset ts , New

Jer sey and Les ser An t i l les .

fo rm a cres t , wh ich the b i rd can make qu i te con

spicuous when i t i s angry or exci ted . In d iv ingfor its prey i t o f ten d i sappear s en t i rely beneaththe sur face ,

and apparen t ly descend s to a much

60 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

greater depth than do other Tern s . When breeding in co l on ies

,the Cabot’s Terns O f ten place

the i r ne s ts so c l ose t ogether tha t i t is d ifficu l tt o avo i d s tepping on them wh i le one is expl or ingthe prem i se s .S ome orn i tho l og i s ts at t r ibute the remark able

var iat i on in the co lorat i on Of th i s Tern ’s eggs t othe fact that they are incubated a l ternately bythe ma le and the fema le , one b i rd be ing ready t ocover the eggs the in stan t the other leave s them .

U nder the se cond i t i on s the law o f natural selec

Photo by H . K . Jo b

t i on canno t opera te in such a way as t o e l im inatean egg o f con spicuou s co lo rat i on , wh i ch i s t rueo f many Tern s’ eggs .There i s apparen t ly re l iable ev i dence tha t these

Tern s mate for l i fe , and return year a f ter year tothe same nest ing regi on though not neces sar i lya lways t o the same spo t . Engl i sh observers havenoted that the b i rd s change the i r actua l breed ingground f rom t ime t o t ime , though apparen t ly thesame genera l co l on y i s l ikely t o return t o thesame i s land .

CABO T ’S TERNS AND EGG SBreton Is land R eservation

COMMON TERN

S terna h i run do L in na‘

us

O . U . Number 70

O th er Name s . Sea Swa l low ; W i l son 's Tern ;

Summer Gu l l ; Mackere l Gu l l ; Lake Er ie Gu l l ; Bas sgu l l ; R ed - shank .

General De s c r ipt ion . Leng th , 15 inches .w h i te w i t h man t le of pa le pear l -blue .

Col or . A DULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown ,lu s t rous green

i sh -b lack ex tending to low er leve l of eyes ; man t le, pa le

Co lor ,

S ee Co lor Plate 7

pea r l —b lue deepen ing on back , ending ab'

rupt ly on rumpwh i c h , toget her w i t h upper ta i l - cover t s , i s pure w h i te ;th roa t . ch in , and s ides of head . pure w h i te shad ingin sen s ibly to a much pa ler tone of co lor of man t le on

en t i re under parts ; ou ter pr imar ies , gray i sh-blac ks t rong ly s i l vered ' secondar ies , pure w h i te shading to

g ray i sh -blue on end ; ou ter pa ir of ta i l —feathers . g ray ish

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blue on inner webs , g ray ish—black on outer ; res t of

ta i l - feat her s w i t h inner webs , pure w h i te ,ou ter webs ,

pear l -gray ; bi l l , verm i li on. on basa l ha lf ; res t,black w i th

ye l low on extr eme t-ip; fee t , cora l - red ; i r i s , deep brown .

A DULTS IN Foreh ead and mos t o f c rown,

wh i te ; under par t s , near ly pu re wh i te ; b i l l and feet ,du l ler ; o t herw ise as in summer . IM M ATU RE I S im i larto w in ter adu l t s , but back mo t t led o r wa shed w i t h l igh tbrown i sh and b i l l brown i sh .

N es t an d E gg s . NEST : Somet imes none , but gen

ora l ly a ho l low in the sand l ined w i th gras s and dry

The leve l rays o f the r i s ing sun ,com ing up

f rom the o ther s i de O f the wor l d , s t ream over thehea v ing sea ,

l igh t ing up an i s let where the su r fbea t s unceas ingly upon sh i f t ing sand s . Th i si s let O f recen t o r ig in has r i sen f rom the sea

thrown up by the su rging tempe s tuou s water s o fthe A t lan t ic ari d i s de s t i tute o f a l l vegetable l i fe .

As our boat land s th rough the plunging sur f a

c l oud o f wh i te b i rd s r i se s and s to rm s abou t usw i th har sh re s oun d ing cr i e s . Tee

’- ar r ,

tce’—a.rr

they ca l l w i th many var i an t s ound s un t i l al l blendin one great monotone o f angry en t reaty . A s we

leave the beach a t roop o f downy young r i sesand move s t oward the far ther sho re , augmen tedas i t goes by other s ly ing h i dden beh in d every

Drawing by R . I . B rasher

seaweed . EGGS : 3 , g reen i sh -wh i te to deep brown ,

spot ted and b lot ched w i t h brown,b lac k , and lavender .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor thern hem i sphere, no r thern Sou thAmer i ca , and A f r i ca ; breeds f rom Grea t S lave Lake .

cen t ra l Keewa t in , and sout hern Ungava sou th to sout hwes tern Sa ska tc h ewan , no r t hern Nor t h Dako ta

,sout h

ern W’i s con s in , nor t hern O h io and Nor t h Ca ro l ina ;w in ters f rom F lor ida sou t hwa rd to B raz i l ; casua l inm igra t ion on Pac i fi c coa s t f rom B r i t i sh Co lumb ia to

Lower Ca l i forn ia . In ea s tern hem i sphere, breeds inEu rope an d A s ia and win ter s in India and A f r i ca .

s tone or she l l or bunch o f sea - d r i f t un t i l i t seem s .l i ke a fea thered army march ing in one con t inuou sf ron t acro s s the i s le . A s they reach the far thersho re they do not he s i tate , but throw them sel vesi n t o the sur f , on ly to be t o s sed back aga i nd ren ched and s oggy upon the s t ream ing sand-s .

S tand back now . l ie qu i et ly down , and watchthem sw imm i ng, tumb l ing in the su r f , retu rn ingto the i s land , s ol ic i t ou s ly guarded by the i r watchfu l paren t s . we hav e f ound a co l ony o f Common Tern s ! Now we see that there are man y

eggs la i d on the bare sand or in s l igh t ho l low swhere a few s tone s or b i t s o f seaweed hav e beenco l lected by the paren t b i rd s .

ne s t i ng ma ter ia l i s plen t i fu l th i s Tern

COMMON TERN (5uat. s ize )It is useful to the fi sherman , gu id in g h im to schools of ed ib le fi sh

62 B IRDS OF

somet imes bu i l d s a substan t ial nest o f s t icks ,seaweed , and gras ses , plac ing i t ju s t above h ighwater mark a l ong the beach . At t imes i t ne s t sin th ick gras s on h igh i s land s , and on the M agda~len I s land s M aynard f ound i t breed ing on the

t ops o f gras s - topped rocks 200 feet above the

sea . The eggs are common ly la i d in M ay or

June but many are depo s i ted as la te as Ju ly .

In New England , however , mo s t o f the younga re able t o fly ear ly in August ; and then the

fam i l i e s j o in in flocks , leave the i r breed ingplaces and f orage Over the coun t ry . At th i s season and in September some o f them f requen t lygo up the r iver s and s omet ime s t o in land pon d s ,where they probably fi nd sma l l fry in the warm

waters .

In fi sh ing they usua l ly fly w i th the b i l l po in t ingdownward , and

,when they observe the i r prey ,

d ive l ike a fla sh t o the sur face, o f ten immer s ingthe head but se l dom go ing en t i rely under water .

Severa l natura l i s t s have fo l l owed the lead o fG i raud in a s ser t ing tha t th i s b i rd , though web

f-ooted,never vd'ives and rarely sw im s , appear ing

t o avo i d the water except as i t i s ob l iged t ode scend t o the sur face t o procure f ood . I t i st rue tha t i t does not, l ike Gu l l s , rest o f ten on the

sur face but in hot weather near its breed ingground s sma l l par t ies may be seen float ing on

the wav es bath ing and throw ing the Spray abou tw i th the abandon and en j oymen t o f the t ruewater fowl — and they sw im exceed ingly wel l .The se b i rd s are usefu l t o the fi shermen as they

AMER ICA

serve t o mark the presence o f schoo l s o f ed iblefi sh . The se fi sh d r ive the sma l l fry to the sur

face ,the telescopi c eyes of the Tern s mark the

d i s turbance f rom a far and when the fi shermen

see the gather ing, plunging flocks they put off

Photo by O . E . BaynardEGG S OF COMMON TERN

Courtesy of Nat . Asso . And . Soc .

A hol low in the sand , a few hi ts of grass and dry seaweed , andthe nes t is ready for the three eggs

in the i r boa t s , wel l know ing that the i r wo rk l ie sthere .

Th i s T-ern feeds largely on sma l l fry,shr imps

and other sma l l cru s tacea but al s o at t imes ongrasshopper s and many fly ing in sect s .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

ARCT IC TERN

S tern a paradi saea B r nnn ichA . O . U . Number 7 I

O ther Names . Common Tern ; Sea Swa l low ; Parad i se Tern ; Cr imson -b i l led Tern ; Long- ta i led Tern ;

S hor t - foo ted Tern ; Por t land Tern ; P ike’s Tern .

Gen era l D escr ipt ion . Leng t h , I4 to I7 in c hes .Co lor , pa le b lu i sh -gray , l igh ter be low .

Col or . A DULTS IN S UM M ER : C rown , lus t rous greenish-b lac k en c roach ing on lores so as to leave on ly a

s lender wh i te l ine of fea t her s on upper s ide o f b i l l ;man t le, pa le b lu i sh -g ray ; under par t s , a l i t t le l igh tershade of co lor of back , fading in to w h i te on ch in ,

th roa t , and edges of blac k cap, end ing abruptly at under

ta i l - cover ts wh ich are pur e white ; ou ter pr imar ies ,s i lvery-

g ray ; inner webs , mos t ly w h i te ; inner pr imar ies ,co lor of back , broad ly t ipped wi th w h i te ; ta i l , very long ,

pure wh i te, wi th ou ter web of ou ts ide fea ther gray i sh

S ee Color Plate 7

black ; bi l l , carm ine ; feet , cora l - red ; i r i s , brown . ADULT SIN W INTER : Forehead , w h i te ; crown , w h i te w i t h nar

row b lack sha f t l ines , w iden ing beh ind and merg ingin to so l id blac k on nape ; a dark s t r ipe on s ide of head ;under pa r ts , near ly w h i te ; o t herw i se as in summer .

IM M A’

I‘

URE : L i ke w in ter adu l t , but tip of b i l l black .

Nes t and Eggs . Not di s t ingu i shable f rom t hose of

the Common Tern .

Di s tr ibu t ion . Near ly cosmopo l i tan ; breeds f romMas sachusett s nor t h to nor thern Green land, acros sA rc t i c reg ion s to no r thern A laska , and in en t i re Arc t i creg ion s of Europe and A s ia ; w in ters in An tarc t i cOcean ,

sou t h to la t i tude in m ig ra t ion , Pac i fi ccoas t sou t h to sou thern Ca l i forn ia , and A t lan t i c coas tsou t h to Long I s land ; acc iden ta l in Co lorado .

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64 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

The wor l d’s m igrat i on champi on i s the A rct icTern . I t deserves its t i t le o f “

Arct i c,” for i tnes t s as far north as lan d has been d i scovered ;that i s

,as far north as the b i rd can fi nd anyth ing

s table on wh i ch t o con s t ruct its ne s t . In deed , soarct i c are the con d i t i on s under wh ich i t breed sthat the fi r s t nest f ound by man in th i s regi on ,

on ly 7V2° f rom the po le , con ta ined a downy ch ick

sur rounded by a wa l l o f new ly fa l len snow thathad to be scooped out o f the nest by the paren t .When the young are fu l l -grown the en t i re fam i lyleaves the Arct ic and severa l mon ths later theyare f oun d sk i r t ing the edge o f the An tarct ic continent.

Wha t the i r t rack i s over that m i le s ofin terven ing space no one knows . A few scat teredind iv i dua l s have been n o ted a l ong the Un i tedS tates coast sou th t o L ong I s lan d , but the greatflocks o f thousands and thou sands o f the se Tern swh ich range f rom pole t o po le have n ever beennoted by an o rn i tho logi s t competen t t o ind icatethe i r preferred route and the i r t ime schedu le .

The A rct ic Tern s arr ive in the Far No r th aboutJune 15,

and leave about August 25 , thu s s tay~

RO SEATE TERN

S tern a dougal l i l ldontaguA . O . U . Number 72

O t her Names . Grace fu l Tern ; McDouga l l’

s Tern .

Genera l Descr iption . Leng th , I S in c hes . Co lorabove, pear ly-

gray ; be low , de l ica te rose-

pink .

Col or— A DULTS IN S UM MER : Crown , g los sy b lackreach ing to lower border of eyes ; man t le, de l i ca te pa lepear ly-

gray ; neck a l l around and en t ire under par ts , a.

del ica te rose pink ; pr imar ies , g ray i sh -black S t rong lys i l vered ; l ong ta i l -feathers , whi te on. both webs ; b i l l ,blac k , ex t reme tip, ye l low , reddi sh at base ; feet , ver

m i l i on ; i r i s , brown . A DULTS IN W INTER : Foreheadand cheek s , wh i te ; c rown , h ind head , nape, and s ides ofhead , du sky mo t t led w ith wh i te above ; be low , pure

w h i te wi t hout rosy t inge ; les ser w ing- cover t s, brown

The R o seate Tern i s the embod imen t o f symmetry and grace its fl igh t the poet ry o f mot i on .

Its e legan t f o rm taper s and swe l l s in l ine s o fbeauty . Its lu s t rou s plumage reflect s the yel l owrays o f the sun and the pa le ref racted l igh t o fsea and sands in evanescen t pink and rosy t in ts .These are seen in per fect i on on ly in the l iv ingb i rd and fade when the l igh t o f l i fe fades f romits eyes . The s tuffed and d i stor ted spec imen on

S ee Co lor Plate 7

i sh ; ta i l , les s forked , pear ly-

gray l i ke back ; b i l l , du l lb lack w i th ye l low tip and brown ba se . IM MATURE :S im i lar to w in ter adu l t .Nes t an d Eggs . Nes t ing s im i lar and eggs indi s

tingu ishable f rom t hose of the Common Tern except bycompar i son .

D i s t r ibu t ion . Tempera te and tropi ca l reg ion s ;breeds loca l ly f rom Sable I s land to Long I s land , N . Y . ,

and f rom the Bahama s to the Les ser An t i l les and

Venezue la ; former ly f rom Ma ine to F lor ida ; ra re

m igran t in Cen tra l Amer ica ; w in ter s f rom the Bahamasto B raz i l ; acc iden ta l in Oh io : oc cur s on the coa s t s of alarge par t of the eas tern hem i sphere .

the mu seum she l f has l o s t the grace, beauty , andco l o r o f the l iv ing th ing and rema in s but a s orrytrave s ty o f the l i fe that i s gone . I t seem s a b i rdo f etherea l or igin ,

fi t ted on ly for the ba lmy a i rso f trOpic i s les but i t f o l l ow s no r th the coa s t o fbo th hem i sphere s and is f ound in Ma ine on one

s i de o f the A t lan t ic and in Scot land on the o ther .

Years ago,when fa sh i on ca l led for its plumage

and there was none to save,th i s b i rd was a lmost

ing f our teen weeks at the ne s t ing s i te . Theyprobab ly spend a few weeks l onger in the

w in ter than in the summer home, and th i s wou l dleave them scarce ly twen ty week s for the roundt r ip o f m i les . Not les s than 150 m i le sin a s tra igh t l ine mus t be the i r da i ly task ,

and

th i s is un doubted ly mu l t ipl ied severa l t imes bythe i r z igzag twi st ings and turn ings in pur su i to f f ood .

The A rct ic Tern has more hour s o f dayl igh tand sun sh ine than any other an ima l on the gl obe .

At the mos t n or thern nes t ing s i te the m idn igh tsun has a l ready appeared befo re the b i rds’arr ival , and i t never set s dur ing the i r en t i re stayat the breed ing ground s . Dur ing two mon ths o fthe i r s o j ourn in the An tarct ic the b i rds do not seea sun set , and for the res t o f the t ime the sun

d ips on ly a l i t t le way bel ow the h or i z on and

broad dayl igh t i s con t inuous . The b i rd s therefo re have twen ty- f our hour s o f dayl ight for at

lea s t e ight mon th s in the year , and dur ing the

o ther four mon ths have con s i derab ly more dayl igh t than darkness .

-VELL S COOKE,in B ird M igration .

TERNS 65

ex term inated on the A t lan t ic coa s t . The adu l t swere shot on the i r breed ing ground s and the

young lef t t o s tarve in the nes t s, but now , under

protect i on ,they are beginn ing to increa se and

may be foun d breed ing wi th the Common Tern son i s o lated i s land s off the New England coa s t s .Th i s Tern keeps mo s t ly t o the sea and its bays ,s oun d s

,and es tuar ies . Its ne s t i s bu i l t o f ten

among low vegeta t i on and the young can hard lybe d i s t ingu i shed f rom the downy ch ick s o f theComm on Tern . The adu l t b i rd s , however , are

qu i te d i fferen t f rom that spec i es , a l i t t le s l ower

L EAST TERN

S terna an ti l l arum (L esson )

A . O . U . Number 74

O t her Nam e s . S i lver Tern le t ; S ea Swa l low ; L i t t leS t r i ker ; L i t t le Tern ; M inu te Tern .

Gen era l De scr ipt i on . Leng th , 9 in ches .above , pa le g ray i sh -blue ; be low , sa t iny-w h i te .

COIO I' .— ADULTS IN SUM M ER : Crown , g los sy green i shbl-ack w i t h a n ar row wh i te c res cen t w i th horn s r eachi ngabove eyes and a r tending to bil l , but separa ted f romw h i te of cheeks by a dusky l ine th rough eye to b i l l ;en t i re upper par ts , in c luding ta i l , pa l e g ray ish—blue

reach ing to the black cap and fading on s ides of headand n ec k in to sa t iny-w h i te of a l l under par t s ; two

ou ter pr imar ies , b lack w i t h wh i te space on inn er webs ;res t of pr imar ies , a darker shade of co lor of back ; bi l l ,ye l low t ipped w i th bloc/c; fee t , orang e yel low ,

“ i r i s ,brown . A DULTS IN W IN TER : Forehead , lo-res , and

c rown , w h i te, the la t ter w i th black sha f t l ines ; back of

head an d nape, dusky , conn ect ing w i t h a na rrow s t reakth rough eye ; hindneck , w h i te ; man t le, da rker t han in

Co lor

U nques t i onably the mo s t da in ty o f a l l the

Amer ican sea—b i rd s is the L eas t Tern . Th i spet i te l i t t le creature i s ado rned w i th a pa i r o fs i l v ery—

gray w ings that carry i t on l ong voy age sup and down the coa s t . From its w in ter home in

the t ropics i t come s north in spr ing to Ca l i forn iaand M a s sachu set t s and in both S tates i t find s asummer home . A few pa s s up the M i s s i s s ippiva l ley and i t 'has been recorded as far nor th as

South Dak ota . Th i r ty year s ago they swarmedl i tera l ly by thousan ds in our A t lan t ic water s nearthe sho re- l ine but the feather -hun ter s made sad

work o f them . There is a record o f ten thousan d hav ing been shot for the i r feather s on CobbI s land

,V i rgin ia ,

in a s ingle sea s on . Th i s waso f cour se done in the summer and the orphanedyoung were lef t t o per i sh on the beache s .

S ee Co lor Plate 7

At one t ime large co lon i es ex i s ted in the sound so f No r th Caro l ina : but the i r number s became so

reduced that when the Audubon Soc i ety warden swere fi r s t e s tabl i shed in that terr i to ry ,

in the

spr ing o f 1903 . on ly s ix teeneggs were la i d in the

b i rd co lon i es that year . They have re spondedsplend i d ly to protect i on and a l though many year smu s t elapse befo re we can hOpe t o have them as

abundan t as fo rmer ly they are never theles s ihcreas ing in a mo st encouraging way .

L i k e the other member s o f th i s fam i ly they

prey ma in ly upon sma l l fi sh wh i ch they captu reby a sw i f t plunge f rom the a i r . They do not confi ne them se l v e s en t i re ly t o th i s d i et , however , and

o f ten catch such in sects as are found fly i ng o verthe mar she s .L ea s t Tern s are u sual ly seen in sma l l scat tered

and mo re gracefu l in fl igh t . They may be

read i ly i den t i fied by the black b i l l , the long gracefu l wh i te ta i l , the ro sy appearance o f the brea s tand other under part s , and the i r i nc i s i ve note s .

-’hen exc i ted , they ca l l l zoy it, l -z-oyi t, end ing w i th

a pro longed cry,but the a larm note common ly

heard is m e, eae . In the lat i tud e of New Eng

land , abou t the fi rst o f Augu s t , the young are

we l l able t o fly , and they j o in the wan der ingflocks wh ich v i s i t the sho re s . far and near

,be

fo re the s outhern m igrat i on begins .

EDW ARD HOWE FORBU SH .

summer ; edge of w ing and a band a long forearm , g ray

i sh -blac k ; mos t of pr imar ies , pla in du sky .

N es t an d Egg s . NEST ? In pebbly depres s ion or on

the dry sand of beaches . EGGS ; I to 4,f rom pa l e

g reen i sh to du l l drab, spo t ted over en t i re sur face w i t hspla shes and do ts of d ifferen t shades of c lear brownand some lavender .

D i s tri bu t i on . T ropi ca l and temperate Amer ica ;breeds on coas t of sout hern Ca l i forn ia and on Gu l fcoas t f rom Texas ea s tward ; a l so no r t hward to M is

sour i ( former ly Iowa ) and nor t hwes tern Nebraska ;has oc curred in W i s con s in and Sou th Dako ta ; breedsa l so f rom the coas ts of Mas sac hu set t s , V i rg in ia . Nor thCaro l ina , and F lor ida sou th to the Bahamas , W'

es tIndies

,B r i t i sh H onduras

, and Venezue la ; now ra re

everywhere ; in m igrat ion oc curs on the coas t s o f LowerCa li forn ia and wes tern Mex ico ; w in ters f rom Gu l fcoas t to Venezue la and Peru .

66 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

flocks . They are very sympathet ic and sol i c i t ousabout the wel fare o f the i r fel l ows tha t chan ce

t o get in to t rouble . Any o ld Tern hun ter w i l ltel l you tha t , i f one be sho t down ,

its f r ien d s w i l lat on ce come and fly anx i ously abou t em i t t ingthe i r l i t t le squeaky cr ie s o f anx i ety . I t was thu so f ten po s s ible t o bag a lmost the en t i re company .

\/Vhen a flock was seen and the gunners foundd ifficu l ty in obta in ing the fi r s t b i'rd to serve as a

decoy , they were in duced o f ten t o approach the

boa t by the s imple exped ien t o f tying a han dkerch ie f t o a st i ck and throw ing i t in t o the a ir .

The s igh t o f th i s obj ect , wh i ch at a d i stance

Drawing by R . I . B rasherLEAS T TERN na t. s i ze)

The mos t da in ty of al l the Amer ican sea-b irds

B L ACK TERN

H ydroche l idon n igra sur inam en s i s (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 77

O ther Names — Amer ican B lack Tern ; Shor t- ta i ledTern ; Sem ipa lma ted Te’

rn ; Sur inam Tern .

Gen eral Des cr ipt i on . L eng t h , 9 in ches . Upper

par t s , leaden -

gray ; head and under par t s , b lac k . B i l l,

v ery sharp and s lender , shor ter t han head ; wings , longand poin ted w i t h no di s t in c t mark ings ; ta i l , shor t andbut s l igh t ly forked ; fee t , webbed on ly to m idd le of toes .Col on — ADULT S IN S UM M ER : H ead and neck and

en t ire under par ts as far as the tai l — cover ts , jet black ;under ta i l -cover t s , pure w h i te ; on back of neck and

between shou lder s the black shades in to leaden -

gray ,

wh i c h co lor ex tends over en t i re upper par ts to the endsof ta i l - fea th er s ; pr imar ies , gray i sh -black ; ou ter secondar ies s im i la r, inner secondar ies l i ke back ; shou lder of

wing , narrow ly w h i te-bordered ; bi l l , bla ck ; gape, car

m ine ; fee t , da rk red-brown ; i r i s , brown . A DULTS IN

W I N TER : Foreh ead , s ides of head , neck a l l around and

S ee Color P late 8

en t i re under par ts , pure w h i te ; crown , m i xed gray and

w h i te,darker on nape w i t h a dus ky s tr ipe above and

ano t her beh ind eye ; upper par ts , pa le lead-gray ; many

fea t h er s w i t h w h i te edges .Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : On dead reeds in mar shes ;

a care les s s t ruc ture of a few dead sedges and g ras s .EGGS : 2 to 4, pa le brown i sh -o l i ve heav i ly marked w i t hb lo tc hes and spo t s of l igh t brown and sepia .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom sou t hwes tern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , Grea t S lave Lake ,sou t hern Keewat in , and w es tern On tar i o sou t h to in landlakes of Ca l i forn ia ,

Nevada , Co lorado, nor th ern M issour i , and nor th ern O h io ; rare on eas t coas t of U n i tedS ta tes in autumn ; w in ter s f rom M ex ico to Panama,

Peru , and Ch i le ; a c c iden ta l in A laska Nova Sco t ia ,

and New B run sw i c k ; casua l in Wes t Indies and the

Bahamas .

somewha t resembles a fal l ing Tern ,usua l ly

brough t the b i rds on the run .

L i ke many other Tern s the ne s t of th i s speci e sis merely a s l igh t depres s i on ho l l owed out in the

sand . The eggs are usua l ly two in number,a l

though as many as four are foun d at t imes .

I f not d i s turbed the se Tern s s omet imes become

qu i te tame and on mo re than one occa s i on I havebeen pr iv i leged t o wa lk w i th in fi f teen feet o f are s t ing b i rd be fo re i t t ook fl igh t . Ma ted b i rd sare very a t ten t ive t o each other

,and one o f the

mo s t charm ing s igh t s o f a v i s i t t o a Lea s t Ternco l ony i s t o see one o f these l i t t le

, gen t le crea

tures feed his ma te as she s i t s brood ing her eggson the sh immer ing sandy sho re .

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

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TERNS 67

The B lack Tern i s a spec i es o f real ly un i queper s ona l i ty , and m igh t be character i zed as the

aquat ic swa l l ow o f the s l ough s o f the n orthwes t . It may be recogn i zed as the dark gray bi rdw i th black under par t s , in genera l f o rm and mo

t i on s not un l i ke a Purple M ar t in , wh ich may be

seen fl i t t ing about over the pra i r i es , e spec ial lyin the v ic in i ty o f wet ground s or s l ough s , pu r suing insect s l i ke any Swa l l ow . In late summer

and ear ly au tumn the se b i rd s gather in to largel oo se flock s

,and are very much in ev i dence .

\Vhere the Fran k l in ’s Gu l l is found . the B lackTern hard ly can fa i l t o be pre sen t , though . as the

Tern is much mo re w i de ly d i s t r ibuted , the con

verse i s not t rue .

Drawing by R . I . B rasherBLACK TERN nat. s ize )A Tern wi th many Swa l low hab i ts

Here, in these s l ough s and mar she s , i t breedsin abundance

,and i s one o f the la s t o f al l t o

deposi t its eggs abou t the m idd le o f Ju ne . The

nes t is the meres t apo l ogy for such , be i ng a s l igh tdepress i on , l ined w i th a few wet s tem s , on s ome

l i t t le hummock o f mud or de' br i s wh ich may

happen t o pro j ect f rom the wa ter . Somet ime sthe nes t s are par t ly float ing. but heavy ra in s mu s twork havoc w i th them . Two or three eggs arela i d .

The paren t s are very so l ic i t ou s when the i rhome i s approached . They dar t abou t scream ingand make angry swoops at the head o f the intruder . in fact o ften s t r ik ing hard w i th the i rb i l l s . M ore than once I have suffered f rom the i r

a l l in fu l l adu l t plumage ,w i th black breasts .

They were w i th other spec i es o f Tern s , and actedexact ly as on the i r we s tern breed ing—

ground s ,hover ing over me scream ing, and da sh ing fur ious ly at my head . U n fo rtunate ly there had

been a h igh s t o rm t i de , wh ich had de s t royedevery nes t on th i s barren sand bar , inc lud ingtho se o f Fo r s ter ’s Tern s and tho se o f B lack Sk immers . Both o f the se lat ter had con s t ructed new

ne s t s and were resen t fu l o f in t rus i on . \Vhere

the B lack Tern s ho vered there were l i t t le holl ow s in the sand , l ined w i th gra s s , sma l ler thantho se o f the o ther Tern s , j u s t the s i ze that thespec i es con s t ruct s in the -Ve s t . I t was un fortu

nate that I cou l d not return to the i s land later ,

per s i s ten t at tack s . O n one occa s i on they hit me

so hard on the top o f the head that , even thoughI wo re a cl o th cap, the i r bl ow s gave me a severeheadache . A f ter hatch ing , the young do not

rema in l ong in the f ra i l ne s t s , but qu i ck ly taket o the water , and sw im about through the aquat icvegetat i on ,

watched over by the i r paren t s , and

brooded f rom t ime t o t ime wherever they maycrawl out upon any conven ien t spo t .As far as i s defin i tely known

, the se Tern sbreed on l y in the we s tern i n ter i or o f the U n i tedS tate s and Canada . On one occa s i on ,

however ,

when I landed on a low sandy i s land on the At

lan t ic coa s t , near Cape Char le s , V i rgin ia . I wassurpr i sed to fi nd a con s i derable number o f them ,

68 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

as I am po s i t ive they must have been breed ingthere

,and th i s is the on ly case thus far known

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Doub leday . Page 8: Co .

NE S T OF BLACK TERNThe meres t a pology for a nes t, be ing a s l igh t de pres s ion , l ined

wi th a few wet s tems , on some l i tt le hammock wh ich mayhappen to project from the wa ter

o f any ev i dence o f the i r breed ing on the A t lan t iccoas t .

NODDY

Anoli s s tol idus (L inn d’i l s )A . O . U . Number 79

General Descr ipt ion .— Length , 16

of h ead and neck , gray ; of body , brown .

the cen tra l feat her s longes t .Col or . Forehead , w h i te ; c rown ,

leaden-gray ; s ides

of head and nec k a l l around , b lu i sh - s late w i t h a darkspo t in f ron t of eye ; res t of plumage,

deep brownb lacken ing on w ings and ta i l ; b i l l , b lac k ; feet , darkreddi sh -brown ; i r i s , brown .

inches . Co lorTa i l , rounded,

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : In low bushes ; con s tructedo f s t i c k s , leaves , and gra s s . EGGS : I , warm buff,

spo t ted and blo tched,w i t h reddi sh —brown and lavender ,

ch iefly around large end .

D i s tr ibu t i on . T ropica l coas t s . B reeds on F lor idaK eys , the coa s t o f Lou i s iana , and in the Bahamas andWes t Indies : w in ters south to B raz i l and T r i s tan da

Cunha I s land .

SOO TY TERN

S terna fusca ta L imm us

A . O . U . Number 7 5

O t h er Name s . Egg B i rd : W ide-awake.

Gen eral De scr ipt i on . L eng th “ 15 to 17

Co lor above , black ; be low , w h i te .

C010t‘. -ADULTS : En t i re upper par ts , b lack w i th a

s l igh t green i sh -g los s ; a w h i te crescen t on foreheadex tending above eyes , separated f rom w h i te cheeks by a

in ches .

S ee Co lor Plate 7

black band f rom eye obl ique ly downward and forwardto b i l l ; s ides of head to eyes , ha l f way around neck ,and en t i re under par t s w h i te ; pr imar ies and secondar ie s

,b lack , l igh ter on inner webs of former , wh i te on

inner webs o f lat ter ; long out s ide ta i l - feat hers . w h i te ;b i l l and feet , black ; i r i s , red . YOUNG : En t i re plumage,

On another occas i on al s o I w i tnes sed a pecu l iarhappen ing w i th the spec ies . I t is we l l known thatthey do not breed un t i l two years o ld and in

fu l l plumage . In the i r second summer they are

in an immature,wh i te-brea s ted pha se . In

w in ter al l m igrate down in to Cen t ra l and Sou thAmer ica , and on ly a comparat ive few o f the immature plumaged b i rd s o f a year o l d are ob

served in our bo rders . In June,19 15, wh i le

cru i s ing a l ong the wes tern coa s t o f L ou i s iana,I

saw grea t c l oud s o f ra ther sma l l b i rd s , resembl ing in the d is tance fl ights o f Go lden P l over ssuch as I had seen many years ago, per form ingevo lut i on s h igh in the a ir , and then se t t l ing downon the shores o f a sandy in let back o f the outerbeach . we managed t o lan d and cro s s t o i t

, and

were amazed t o fi nd there swarms o f B lackTern s

,near ly al l in the one—year - o l d plumage ,

w i th a very few adu l t s in term ingled .fa i r ly co ver

ing the flat s for probably a couple o f m i les . Theremu s t have been ten s o f thou sand s o f them

, and

the i r i den t i ty was proved by co l lect ing a few .

Th i s wou l d i nd i cate that the young rema in wel lt o the south ,

not m igrat ing no rth t o any con s i derable ex ten t un t i l fu l ly mature .

HERBER T K . jos .

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70 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

fi ve m i les wes t of Key We s t . The Tern s ar

r ived for the ne s t ing sea s on dur ing the la s t week_ \ of Apr_ i lJ It was ob served that the i r f ood con

s is‘

ted"

'

of sma l l fi sh o f v ar i ou s k ind s ; that theynever swam or d i ved

,and tha t they never t ouched

the wa ter except when dr ink ing, bath ing,or fi sh

ing . They d rank sea water , wh ich they took on

the w ing by cl ipping the opened beak in to the

sea . They bathed by d ipping the brea s t and

head , and d i d not immer se the who le body . Fre

quen t ly they fo l l owed schoo l s of' m inn ows wh ichwere dr iven t o the sur face by larger fi sh , and

wh ich they caugh t w i th the i r b i l ls .

-Th i s fi sh ingwas done by groups ofNodd ie s and Sooties t o thenumber o f from fi f ty t o one hundred .

Photogra ph by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t ing Pub l ish ing Co .

SOO TY TERN ON NEST

M r . \Vatson noted that the Nodd ie s lef t thei s land at abou t daybreak

,fi shed for abou t two

hours , and then returned to rel ieve the i r mates ,who thereupon flew out t o sea for the i r turn at

fi shing . ) Be fore the s ingle egg is la i d the maleNoddy does al l o f the fi sh ing and feed s thefema le . A f ter the egg i s la i d the b i rd s rel i ev eeach o ther at i n ter va l s o f abou t two hour s . During the laying and brood ing sea s on the ma leSooty probably stays out over the water a l l daybut dur ing the laying sea s on he return s at n ightt o feed the fema le wh i le in the brood ing sea s onhe rel ieves the female . I t seem s probab le thatthe b i rds feed w i th in fi f teen knot s o f the shore .

The court sh ip o f the Noddy i s a cur i ous per

formance . I t is begun by the ma le ,who n od s

v igo rous ly to the fema le . She respond s bythru s t ing her b i l l down hi s throat wh i le he

regurg i tates the fi sh he has caugh t . Then the

ma le fl ies away to return presen t ly w i th a

s t ick , and the nes t—bu i l d ing operat i on i s be

gun w i thou t fur ther ceremony . The nest ismade o f dead branches , or seaweed , or a com

b inat i on o f both,

and i t may be l in edw i th shel l s

,upon wh i ch the eggs are la id .

The bu i l d ing may be done j o in t ly by both sexesor , apparen t ly , by e i ther wo rk ing ch i efly un

a s s i sted . It is far f rom t rue that the brood ingb i rd d i splays in d ifference when an in t ruder ap

proaches , sav s M r . \V atson . On the con trary ,

though they may perm i t a very cl o se approach .

even t o w i th in hand l ing d i s tance , they s tr ikesavagely w i th the i r sharp beak s , and M r . W at s onsays he has been at tacked by the flying b i rd s w i thsuch spi r i t that h is hat was knocked off and his

sca lp cut by the i r b i l l s . Incubat i on requ i res f romth i r ty- two t o th i r ty — fi ve dav s , and the paren t sshare the labor o f feed ing the young. The Nod

d ies made use o f n e s t s o f the prev i ous sea son ,

by add ing new mater ia l ; and that th i s operat i on ,

apparen t ly , was repeated severa l t imes seemedprobable t o M r . Wat s on

, as s ome o f the nestswere very large and bu lky

,But he found no

proo f that the same pa i r actual ly returned t o thesame ne s t . O f ten the b i rds bu i l t

'

in low bu shes ,

TERNS 7 1

but in no in s tance was the nest placed d i rect ly on

the ground , for i t was not iced tha t even nes t swh i ch seemed to be so placed were in rea l i t yre s t ing on a wo rn — down tur f o f gra s s .The ne s t o f the S ooty Tern , on the other hand ,

was at the mo s t no mo re than a sha l l ow o va ldepre s s i on , ho l l owed out o f the sand by the

bi rd ’s claw s . Somet ime s th i s ne s t was fash i onedunder bayberry bu she s , and occa s i ona l ly a r im

o f leave s was gathered abou t the edge , but the seleav es were on ly such as the b i rd cou l d reach

wh i le she was co ver ing the eggs . The se b i rd sha ve v ery defin i te i dea s abou t the i r propertyr igh t s , acco rd ing t o M r . \Vatson . That is , theyev i den t ly con s i der a pl o t o f ground f rom four ~teen inches t o two feet square w i th in wh ich the i rnes t i s placed as the i r pr ivate prem i se s , and theyw i l l leav e their eggs or even the i r young to d r i v eaway a ny other b i rd tha t comes w i th in the i rdoma in s . Th i s j ea l ou sy cau ses a lmo s t con s tan tcommo t i on and uproar in the co l on y ; for , i fa b i rd upon return ing t o its mate doe s not a l igh tl i tera l ly w i th in its own yard , and at tempt s t owa l k t o its own ne s t . i t w i l l be set upon by ever "

o ther b i rd through wh o se prem i se s i t pa s ses .Aga in s t human in t ruder s

,however , i t defend s its

home s omewhat les s v igorou s ly than does theNoddy . The b i rd s share incubat i on

, and s ome

t ime s one w i l l brood the eggs for two days insucces s i on befo re be ing rel iev ed . Thev nev er

Photo by Herbert , l\'l i l l s Courtesy of Nat . Asso . Aud SOC

A NODDY NEST ING UPON THE BARE GROUNDOn ly a few s ticks have been gathered around the rim of the nes t

res t or sw im on the water and , apparen t ly , getso l i t t le s leep that they are ca l led the W i deawake Terns .

”

SK IM M ER S

Order Longipennes ; fam i l y Rynchopitta-3

HE Sk immers con stitu te a s i ngle fam i l y , Rynchopidw,which includes fi ve

species . Li ke the Loon s and Grebes , they eviden t l y are very old form s , astheir

.

fossi l remain s have been found in Pa tagon ia in the strata of the Ter ti aryPeriod . In severa l respects they s trongl y resemb le the Tern s , but they d ifferfrom them and from al l o ther b i rds in the curious s t ruc ture of the bi l l , wh ichis long , and much compressed la tera l l y , the lower mandib le ,

wh i ch i s much

longer than the upper , being as thin as a kn i fe—b lade . The upper mand ib lei s pecu l iar in that it i s movab le . These d ifferences are pl a in l y mod ifica t ion swh ich fi t the b i rd for its me thod of capturing i ts food (shrimps , sma l l fi sh ,

and other an ima l forms) by sk imm ing the surface of the wa ter wi th the lowermand ib le , the upper being kept s l igh t l y rai sed meanwh i le .

They hun t the i r food in compan i es and arefeed ing i s suggestive of tha t o f the wha les .

par t ia l l y nocturna l in the i r habi ts .

Thi s manner of

The b irds genera l l y are pure whi te be low , and b lack ,wi th some whi te t ippi ng of the

fea th ers on the upper par t s . Their bodies are from s ixteen to abou t twen t y inches long,

their wings s lender and long, the tai l shor t and s l igh t l y forked ; the fee t are sma l l w i th the

web s between the m idd le and the inner toes deepl y no tched .

Sk immers . bui ld no nes t , but l ay three or four eggs in a s l igh t hol low in the sand . The

B lack Sk immer is the on l y member of the fami l y which occurs in Amer i ca .

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74 B IRDS or AMERICA

young. The i r nes t ing places are s i tuated on san dspi t s runn ing out f rom shore or on sma l l i solated i s lan d s o f sand and sea- she l ls . The nest i sa s imple ,

un l ined ho l low in the sand wh ich the

b i rd makes by turn ing its body around manyt imes . The eggs vary f rom three t o fi ve in

number and are var i ously spo t ted and b l o tched ,no two be ing exact ly a l ike . I f the nes t s are

robbed , a second nest i s s oon made and ano therclu tch o f eggs is la i d . V ery o f ten groups o fbreed ing Sk immer s a s semble on the same sandv

sho re where Tern s are nest ing, but use a termto ry mo re or les s separated from that occupi edby the Terns . They are poor fighter s and are

l i t t le d i sposed to de fend aggre s s ive ly the i r r igh t s .

T. GILBER T PEAR SON HUNT ING YOUNG HERR ING GUL L S HIDING IN THE WEED SL i ttle Duck Is lan d , Ma in e

For th i s reason,and a l s o because they begin to

lay wel l a f ter the i r ne ighbo rs have taken up the i rhou seho l d dut i es , they are f orced to take such

accommodat i on s as the Terns mav de ign t o leavethem . I f you approach one o f the i r nes t ingplaces the Sk immer s w i l l leap in t o the air and

bear down upon you w i th hoarse cr ies,but I

have never had one come near enough actua l ly tos tr ike me .

O ne o f the l oca l name s for these b i rd s isShearwa ters . A l ong the V i rg in ia coast they

are kn own as S t o rm Gu l l s . They are nevershot for f ood , but the i r eggs are regu lar ly takenby fi shermen un le s s the co l on i es are carefu l lyguarded . T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

O RDER OF TUB E - NO SED SW IMMERS

Order Tubin ares

OSTR ILS open ing through tubes are the di stingui sh ing characteri stic of thi sgroup o f b i rds . Not on l y i s the order cosmopo l i tan in di stribution , but man yo f the species are found throughout the worl d . Two fam i l ies the Al batrossesand the Fu lmars , Shearwaters , and Petrel s —

represen t the order in Nor thAm eri ca . In the first of these fam i l ies the tubes en closing the nostri l s are

separa t ed and placed one on ei th er side of the bi l l ; in the other the tubes are

connected and are on top of the bi l l .An unusual ran ge in si ze i s exh ibited by th e Tube—nosed Swimmers : th e

Storm Pe t rel is the sma l lest of the na ta tori al b i rds , wh il e the G ian t Al batrossi s un surpassed in wing expan se in the en t ire bird k ingdom . They are unequa ledin the power of fligh t . As a ru le they keep far off shore

,on l y v i siting land

for the purpose of reproduc t ion . They l ive prac t ica l l y in the a ir,flying low over the wa ter

and sna t ching their food of marine l i fe and oi l y m at ter from the surface of the sea . So far

as i s known ,but one egg i s la id each sea son ; some species nes t in a burrow ,

but others l aythe egg on the ground . The young are covered with down when hatched , genera l l y of a

soo t y or gray co lor,but are he lpl ess and in need of the paren ts ’ care for som e time .

B i rds o f th i s order have no bright markings in their plumage and are u sua l l y gray ,or

black , and whi te . There are no sexual variation s in co lora t ion and the seasona l differences ,if any , are undeterm ined . The plum age i s very compact and oi l y . The win-gs are l ong,

narrow, and poin ted , and the ta i l rather shor t . The bi l l is hooked and en larged at the

tip,the upper mandibl e being l onger than the l ower and curved downward . The covering

of the bi l l i s in several horn y plates , showing seam s between . The three fron t toes are

webbed and the hind toe , when presen t , is smal l and el evated .

AL B AT R O S S E S

Order T-

ubi na -

res ; fami l y Diomedeido:

EW birds make a s tronger appea l to the imagination than do the A lbatrosses ,with their complete m astery of an art wh ich has been a profound m y s tery toman un ti l very recent years , and in wh ich he can never hope to be more thana clum sy tyro in compari son wi th these great conquerors of the ai r . M uch

mys tery has been made of the ev iden t ease wi th which these great b irds fo l lowa rapid l y mov ing sh i p for hours or even day s at a time ,

wi th se ldom or neveran apparen t movem en t o f their wings . But an A lba t ross i s not a superna tura lcrea ture and therefore canno t defy the laws of physics . Hence i t i s obv iou sthat the b i rd mu st move as the resul t of the ac t ion of some motive forceei ther the pressure of the wind on i ts wings or th e movemen t of the wingsthem sel ves . On thi s in teres t ing sub ject we have a pret t y defin i tel y expressed

opin ion from a t ra ined na tura l i st,the l a te Henry N . M ose ley , one of the par t y of sc ien t i s t s

who circumnaviga ted the globe in the Cha l lenger exped i t ion of 1 8 72 ~1 8 7o

“ I be l ieve ,wro te l\-

‘

Iosel ey ,

“ that Alba t rosses move the i r w ings much of tener than

is suspected . They often have the appearance of soaring for long periods af ter a ship wi thout flapping their wings at al l , but if they be very closel y watched , very short but ex t reme l y

[75 1

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B IRDS OF

Nest and Eggs . NEST : On the ground , u sua l ly on

i so la ted i s lands of the ocean ; t here i s l i t t le at tempt atnes t bu i lding ,

the s ing le egg be ing sur rounded mere lyby seaweed .

I have a d i s t inct picture in m ind , when out on

the Pac i fic,o f a big dark l ong-w inged b i rd coa s t

ing down the t rough s o f the waves and aeroplaning over the moun ta inous crest s . I scarcely eversaw the b i rd l igh t and feed on the water , yet o fcour se

,i t f o l l ow s the sh ip for scraps . The b i rd

i s more a par t o f the sea than the Gu l l . I t curvesin great c i rcles over the maddened sea pure ly for

AMER ICA

D i s tr ibu t ion . North Paci fic ; breeds on i s landsnor t hwes t of H awa i i and on Marsha l l I s lands ; occursoff the coas t f rom sou t hern A laska to Ca l i forn ia and

wes tern Mex i co, and off coa s t s of Ch ina and Japan .

the l o ve o f flying . I asked its name o f one o f thesa i l o r s and he ca l led i t a “

Goony .

” I tol d h im it

was a B lack - footed A lbatro s s .The A lbat ro s s w i l l a lways be known in Engl i shl i terature through Co ler i dge

’s poem ,The An

c ien t Mar iner . What a le s s on aga in s t the

wan t on k i l l ing o f a f r iend ly b i rd !W I L L I AM L . F I NLEY .

L AYSAN AL BATR O SS

D iom edea immutab i l i s R othschi ld

A . O . U . Numbe r

General Descr ipt i on . Length , 3 feet . Co lor above,

smoky—brown ; co lor be low , w h i te . Ta i l , shor t ; w ings ,very long and w hen fo lded reach ing to or beyond tip

of ta i l .Co lor . H ead , neck

,lower rump. and under par t s .

w h i te ; back and shou lder s smoky-brown ; w ings and

t he i r cover t s,b lack i sh -brown ; ta i l , b lack shading to

The Laysan is the A lbat ro ss who se ruth les ss laughter and narrow esc ape f rom completeex t inct i on con s t i tute an epi sode revea l ing the

mo s t hear t le ss and h i deous bru ta l i ty ever perpetrated by man upon the b i rd-wo r l d

,wh ich is

saying much . The i s land o f L aysah, wh ich give s

its name t o th i s beau t i fu l and i n tere s t ing spec ieso f one o f the mo s t wonder fu l o f a l l the b i rd s

,

l i es in the Pac i fic Ocean abou t 700 m i les we s t byno r th o f Hono lu lu . I t is barren

,except for a

scan ty growth o f sh rub s , and there f o re has neverbeen inhab i ted by man

,but for a great m any

years had been the home and breed ing place o fthe Laysan A lbat ro s s , the B lack - f ooted A lbat ro s s , the S oo ty , Wh i te , Noddy , and Hawa i ianTern s

,the B on in Pet re l

,two spec ie s o f Shear

water , the R ed -ta i led Tropic-b i rd,two spec ie s

of Booby , and the Man —o’-war-bi rd . A photo

graph of the i s land,taken in 1909 ,

show s a greatpla in , abou t a m i le in area

,not on ly covered , but

actual ly crowded , ch i efly w i th L aysan A lbat ro s se s .

w h i te at base ; bi l l , gray , black i sh at tip, yel low at ba sebe low ; f eet , fleshy-

pin k ; i r i s , brown .

Ne s t and Eggs . The s ing le egg i s depos i ted on the

ground on Laysan and adj acen t i s lands of the Nor t hPac i fic.

D i s t r ibu t ion . Lay sah and M i dway i s lands to San

Geron imo and Guada lupe i s lands , Lower Ca l i forn ia .

For severa l years guano had been sh ipped f romth i s i s land

,and the A lbat rosses were robbed more

or less pers i s ten t ly o f the i r eggs , but were not

o therw i se ser i ous ly mo lested . Then came the epi

sode referred t o above , wh ich i s descr ibed byDr . W i l l iam T . Ho rnaday in his book Our

V an ishing Wi ld L ife :“

At la s t,however , a ten tac le o f the feather

t rade oct opus reached out t o Laysan . In an ev i lmomen t in the spr ing o f 1909 , a predat ory ind iv i dua l o f Hono lu lu and el sewhere ,

named Max

Sch lemmer,dec i ded that the w ings o f tho se

A lbat ro sses , Gu l l s , and Tern s shou l d be t orn off

and sen t t o Japan ,whence they wou l d un doubt ~

edly be sh ipped to Par i s , the spec ia l market forthe w ings o f sea-b i rd s s laugh tered in the Pac ific .

Sch lemmer the S laughterer bough t a cheap ves

sel , h i red twen ty- three ph legmat ic and co l dbl ooded Japanese laborer s , and organ i zed a ra i don Laysan . W i th the utmo s t secrecy he sa i ledf rom Hono lu lu ,

landed h is b i rd - k i l lers upon the

sea-b i rd wonder land,and turned them l oose upon

ALBATROSSES

the b i rd s . For severa l mon th s they s laughteredd i l igen t ly and w i thout mercy . Apparen t ly i t wasthe amb i t i on o f Sch lemmer to k i l l every b i rd on

the i s lan d .

By the t ime the b i rd butcher s had accumu

lated between three and four car l oad s o f w ings ,and the carnage was ha l f fin i shed , W

' i l l i am A .

B ryan , pro fes s or o f zool ogy in the Co l lege o fHono lu lu , heard o f i t and prompt ly w i red the

U n i ted S tate s Go vernmen t . -

’

ithout the l o s s o fa momen t the Secretary o f the Nav y d i spatchedthe revenue cu t ter l ctis t o the shambles o f L aysan . \Vhen Capta in Jacobs ar r i v ed he foun d thatin round number s abou t th ree hund red thou san db i rd s had been des troyed , and a l l that rema ined o fthem were severa l acre s o f bone s and dead bod ies ,and abou t three car l oad s o f w ings , feathersand s k in s . The twen ty— three Japane se poacher swere arre s ted and taken t o Hono lu lu for tr ia l ,and the Thetis a l so brough t away al l o f the s to lenw ings and plumage , w i th the except i on o f a

shed fu l o f w ing s that had t o be lef t beh in d on

accoun t o f lack o f carrying space .

In 19 1 1 , the I owa S tate U n i v er s i ty sen t t oL aysan a sc i en t i fi c exped i t i on under charge of

Pro fes sor Homer R . D i l l . H is report on the

cond i t i on s he found i s a terr ible ind ictmen t , f romwh i ch the f ol l ow ing may be quoted : An o ld

c i s tern back o f one o f the bu i l d ings tel l s a s toryo f cruel ty tha t surpas ses anyth ing el se done bythe se hear t les s , sangu inary pi rate s , not except ingthe pract ice o f cut t ing w ings from l i v ing b i rd sand leav ing them t o d ie o f hemorrhage . In th i sdry c i stern the l iv ing b i rds were kept by hundred st o s l owly s tarve t o death . In th i s way the fat tyt i ssue ly ing nex t t o the s k in was u sed up,

and

the sk in was lef t qu i te f ree f rom grease so thati t requ i red l i t t le or no clean ing dur ing preparat i on . M any other rev o l t ing s igh t s , such as the

rema in s o f young b i rd s that had been lef t t os tarve, and b i rds w i th broken w ings and de

fo rmed beak s were t o be seen . K i l l ing clubs ,net s . and o ther implemen t s u sed by these ma

rander s we re lying al l about .Th i s who le sa le k i l l ing has had an appa l l ing

effect upon the co lony . I t i s con servat ive t o saythat fu l l y one-ha l f the number o f b i rd s o f bothspec i es o f A lbat ro s s that were so abundan t in1903 have been k i l led . The co l on i e s that rema inare in a sad ly dec imated cond i t i on .

”

The prompt and effect i v e i n ter ference o f theGo vernmen t was due t o the fact that in February ,

1909 , Pres i den t R oo seve l t i s sued an execu

t ive o rder creat ing the Hawa i i an I s land R eservat i on for B i rd s , wh i ch include s Laysan I s land and

V O L . I — 7

79

severa l o ther i s land s and ree f s . But for tha tin ter ference ,

the L aysan A lbat ro s s m igh t ha vebeen reduced to a po in t wh i ch wou l d have ser ious ly threa tened i t w i th ex term ina t i on .

Sc i en t i fica l ly the A lbat ro s s is be s t knownthrough M r .

-'Va.l ter K . F i sher ’s photograph s and

descr ipt i on s . In M ay , he v i s i ted the I s lando f L aysan , where he found the B lack - footed and

L aysan A lbatro s se s breed ing in great number s .H is accoun t o f the i r ne s t ing hab i t s , cour t ingan t ics , and pecu l i ar dances i s wel l wo r th read ing .

In the A uk for January , 1904,he wr i tes : The

A lbat ro ss lays on e egg on the groun d , u sua l ly ina s l ight ly ra i sed mound w i th a sha l l ow ba s in in

the top. The egg is la id abou t the m i ddleo f No v ember . The young are not hatchedun t i l February

,and then begin the s ix mon th s o f

hard wo rk t o feed the hungry bab i es . They grows l owly

,for b i rd s

,and i t is not t i l l the last o f

Ju ly that the mo s t ven tures ome fo l l ow the i rparen t s on shor t fl ight s t o the sea . A few week slater a l l are on the w ing, and w i th the o l d b i rdsthey scat ter far and w i de o v er the Pac i fic .

Speak ing o f the pecu l i ar dance o f the A lbatro s ses , M r . F i sher says , The o l d b i rds have an

innate obj ect i on t o i d lenes s , and so for the i rd iver s i on they spend much t ime in a cur i ou sdance , or perhaps mo re appropr iately a

‘

cak e

wa lk .

’

At fi r s t two b i rd s approach one an

other,bow ing pro found ly and stepping heav i ly .

They swagger abou t each other , cour tesy ingso lemn ly , then sudden ly begin t o fence a l i t t le .

cro s s ing b i l l s and whet t ing them together , s ome

t ime s w i th a wh i s t l ing s ound , meanwh i le peck ingand d ropping s t i ff l i t t le bows . Al l at once one

l i f t s its cl o sed w ing and n ibble s at the feathersbeneath , or rarely , i f in a hurry , qu i ck ly turn s itshead . The par tner dur ing th i s shor t per fo rmance a s sume s a statue sque po se , and e i ther l oo k smechan ica l ly f rom s i de t o s i de, or snaps its b i l lloud ly a few t imes . Then , the fi r s t b i rd bow sonce ,

and po in t ing its head and beak s t ra igh tupward , r i se s on its t oes

, puffs out its brea s t ,and ut ter s a pro l onged na sa l Ah-h-h-h , w i th a

rapi d ly r i s ing inflect i on and bov ine qua l i t yO f ten both b i rd s ra i se the i r head s in a ir and

fav or the apprec iat i ve aud i ence w i th that r idicul ou s and inde scr ibable bov ine groan . Occa

s iona l ly wh i le ‘

cake-wa l k ing’

one w i l l l igh t lypick up a s t raw or tw ig, and pre sen t i t t o theother

,who doe s not accept the gi f t , however ,

but thereupon return s the compl imen t , whenst raws are prompt l y d ropped , and a l l hand s hegin bow ing and wa l k i ng abou t as i f the i r v eryl ives depended upon i t .

"GEORGE GLADDEN .

80 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

FULM AR S , SH EARWATER S , AND PETR EL S

Order Tubi nares ; fam i l y P rocel lari i da’

HE Fu lmars , Shearwaters , and Petrel s are the fami l y P rocel lari idce and wi th

the Albatrosses form the order of Tube- nosed Swimmer s . As the name o f theorder indicates , i ts chief point of difference from a l l other orders is the tubu larform of the nostri l s . Other characteri stics are : the b i l l , hooked and en l arged atthe tip and wi th the upper section longer than the l ower and with the coveringin several horny section s ; the tai l , rather short with twel ve or fourteen feathers ;the wings , usual l y long and pointed ; and the hind toe , either sma l l or lacking,

and , if present , el evated . The p lumage is compact and oi l y and shows atendency toward un i formity in col oration . Often the bodies of the birds inthi s fami l y are so fat that they can be used for i l lumination .

Over the ocean s of the world are di stributed nearl y one hundred membersof thi s fami l y . About thirty - fi ve are of regu lar or accidental occurrence in North America .

Not a member i s ever found in land un less driven there by a storm . Neither do any ofthem frequent the shores except for the purpose of reproduction . They spend practical l yal l their time on the wing, and gather their food of marine an imal s and oi l y matter from the

sur face of the water .

So far as is known , the members of thi s group lay onl y a single egg. The Fulrnars

nest in col on ies , l i ke the Gul l s , on the sma l l i slands near the Shores of the North Pacific and

North Atl an t ic . Of the n esting habi ts of the Shearwaters , very l ittle i s known ; some breedon the i slands o f the North Atlantic ,

and i t is probable that others breed on the i sl andsof the southern hemi sphere , coming north as the southern winter sets in . Some of thePetrel s breed in the northern hemi sphere and others in the southern . The species in thi sgroup concern ing whose nesting habits we do know someth ing usual l y deposit the lone eggin a burrow or a cavity . The young when hatched are covered with down , usual l y of agray i sh color , and are cared for in the nest . At first they are fed by regurgitation on an oi l yflu id .

FU LMAR

Fu lmarus g lacia l i s g lacia l i s (L innaeus )A . O . U .

O ther Nam es . Fu lmar Pet re l ; Mo l ly H awk ; JohnDown ; Sea H orse ; Mo l l imok e ; Ma l lemuck ; Noddy .

L eng th . 18 to 20 in ches .Col or . L IGH T P H ASE : Man t le, pa le b lu i sh-

gray re

str icted to back and w ings or ex tending a l so on headand ta i l ; pr imar ies and secondar ies , dark a shy-brown ;a dark spo t in f ron t of eye ; res t of plumage, pure w h i te ;b i l l

, ye l low , t inged w i t h green above and be low ; fee t ,pa le g ray ; i r i s , brown . DARK P H ASE : En t i re plumage

smoky-g ray , pa ler below ; fea t her s of upper par t s , w i t h

The Fu lmar is a c i rcumpo lar b i rd o f the n orthern hem i sphere . I t breed s in coun t le ss numbersin Green lan d , Fran z Jo se f Land , Baffin Bay , Ice

land , Spi t zbergen , St. K i l da , and o ther regi onsthroughou t the n or th land . I t i s one o f the larges to f its fam i l y in the n orthern hem i sphere , and an

un t ra ined or care le s s ob server m ight m i stake i t

Number 86

darker marg in s ; pr imar ies , ashy-brown ; b i l l , du l lye l low ; feet , dusky-

gray ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . The s ing le wh i te egg i s depos i tedin a crev ice of the rock .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h A t lan t ic ; breeds f rom nor thern Green land to Cumber land Sound , and eas t at leas tto Fran z Jose f L and ; ranges nor t h to la t i tude 85° and

wes t to Me lv i l le I s land ; w in ters sout h to fi sh ing ban ksoFf New found land and to Georges Bank off Massachusetts , rare ly to New Jer sey .

for a Gu l l , but its pecu l i ar ly con st ructed b i l lseparates i t d i s t inct ly f rom that fam i ly , and pu t si t among the so- ca l led Tube- no sed Sw immer s . ”Mo reover , its fl igh t is much more l ike that o fthe A lbatro ss and d i ffer s sharply f rom that o f theShearwater s and Pet rel s . A s Percy R . L owesays (in Our Common S ea- birds ) W i th out

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82 B IR DS OF

of t h roa t di s t inct ; upper ta i l-cover t s , w h i te w i t h duskybar s or cen ter s ; pr ima r ies , brown i sh - black , l igh ten ingtoward ba se ; en t i re under par t s , w h i te wi t h large darkbrown pa t ch es on s ides and flanks ; under ta i l - cover ts ,dark gray ish-brown w i t h w h i te t ips ; ta i l , brown i shb lack ; b i l l . du sky horn co lor ; feet , ye l low i sh fleshco lor ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . L i t t le i s known concern ing i t s

From the fi rm deck o f a great sh ip out underthe va s t c i rc le o f the sky ,

surrounded by the

heav ing,rac ing ocean swe l l s , the hear t s icken s

at the though t o f be ing lef t there a l one . But

t o the Shearwa ter th i s is home . I t need s no

compan i on sh ip and seek s n one . On l ong s len derw ings , ex tend ing s ome three feet , i t goe s on ,

a lmo st ever on ,upon its l one ly cour se . A ser i es

o f rapid beat s give i t momen tum for a pro l onged

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t i ng Pub . Co .

GREATER SHEARWATEROff the coas t of Massachuse tts

gl i de upon st iffly ex tended pin i on s , even in t o thevery teeth o f the ga le . T ipping t o one s i de ,

the

bet ter t o t r im sa i l,i t sk ims a l ong never to reach

a des t inat i on , for i t seems a lways go ing,never

arr iv ing.

Such i s the rather large gray sea-b i rd w i thwh i te brea s t wh i ch we may meet f rom latespr ing to advanced au tumn we l l off our A t lan t icshore s

,hard l y nearer than where lan d appears

on ly as a d i s tan t haze . Though th i s is the mo s tcommon o f our Shearwaters , few o f our human

k ind are pr iv i leged to en ter its select s oc ia l c i rcle .

Deep—water fi shermen know the b i rd s wel l , ca l l

ing them “ Hags ” or“ Haglet s . ” F l oa t ing offa l or

grease thrown f rom the ves se l,e spec ia l ly when

anchored on the fi sh ing-

ground s , s omet ime sdraw s qu i te a concour se . At such t imes theycan be en t iced verv c l o se , and can even be caugh t

AMER ICA

nes t ing ; i t i s supposed to breed in a bur row on i s landsof the nor t h A t lan t ic,

lay ing a s ing le w h i te or ye l lowi sh -w h i te egg .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— A t lan t ic O cean ,

f rom Ar c t ic c i rc lesou t h to Cape H orn and Cape of Good H ope ; oc cursoff the ea s tern coas t of Nor t h Amer i ca f rom June to

November ; oc ca s iona l ly v i s i t s the B r i t i sh I s les dur ingthe autumn mon t h s .

w i th hook and l ine and be d rawn squea l ing and

fight ing upon deck , f rom the hard sur face o fwh ich they are unable to take w ing.

In ca lm weather they can be seen re s t ing on

the water , and i t i s one o f the few occa s i on swhen they seem rea l ly s oc ia l , s i t t ing around and

chat ter ing t o one ano ther . At such t imes theytak e t o w ing w i th s ome d ifficu l ty , for wan t ofw ind

, and I have almo s t run them down bys teer ing st ra igh t for them .

The i r f ood , bes i de s floa t ing an ima l or v ege

tab le mat ter,con s i s t s of var i ous mar ine organ

i sm s, par t i cu lar ly sma l l fi sh . The appearance o f

a schoo l o f the lat ter w i l l qu ick ly , as though bymagic ,

draw a crowd,even though few or n one

may ha ve been prev i ous ly no t iced . They plungehead long in t o the wa ter and flap abou t as thoughmad , or el se rema in on w ing and pat ter w i th the i rfeet over the sur face . The fr igh tened fi sh sub

merge ,and immed iate ly each b i rd i s off on its

l one ly wander ings .No one has yet d i scovered the breed ing haun t s

o f th i s s ingu lar creature, but they are un doubted lyon s ome de s o late An tarct ic i s land where , in a bur

row or a ho le in the rock s , the fema le depos i tsone large wh i te egg. a f ter the u sua l Shearwatermanner . The s outhern summer , when they nest ,i s our no r thern w in ter . W

'

hen nest ing t ime i s

over,and the on ly bond but death s t rong en ough

t o k eep them qu iet i s re laxed , they renew the i rroam ing. Ocean s are hard ly w i de enough t oc i rcum scr ibe the i r energy , and thu s , dr iven by thereturn ing wan der lu s t , they v i s i t u s dur ing our

warmer mon th s .The bes t place s t o fi nd Shearwater s , as wel l as

the o ther “ ocean wanderer s,

”apparen t ly are the

fi sh ing“

bank s ,” where fi sh ing v es sel s congregate . I hav e f ound them in con s i derable number sfi ve t o ten m i le s or mo re s outheastward off Chatham ,

M a s s , and off Cape Sable ,Nova Scot ia .

F i shermen repor t them abundan t on Georges ,Grand

,and o ther ban k s . Though seen f rom

May or June t o November , the per i od o f Jul yt o September seem s t o represen t the he igh t o fthe i r seas on w i th us . H ERBER T K . JOB .

FULMAR S , SHEARWATER S ,AND PETRELS 83

SO O TY SHEARW ATER

Pufli n us gr i seusA . O . U . Number 9 5

O t h er Name s . B lack H ag ; B lac k H agdon ; Darkbod ied Shearwa ter .

Genera l De scr ipt i on .— L eng th , 16 to 18

spread o f w ings . 40 in ches .above and be low .

Col or . Un iform dor /e sooty-brown, blacken ing on

w ings and fa i l ; more soo ty-gray be low w i th pa lert h roa t ; b i l l , dusky-blu i sh born , the tube , r idge , and b i l lb lack i sh ; in s ide of leg and upper s ide of feet , fl esh

in c hesP lumage , dark sooty -brown

Photograph by H . K . Job

co lo r ; ou t s ide of outer toe and under S ide o f feet ,b lac k i sh .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : P robably a bu rrow in the

g round on sea i s lands o f the Sou t h A t lan t i c , a s ing lew h i te egg be ing depos i ted at the end of the bur row .

D i s t r ibu t ion . O cean s of sou th ern hem i sphere ;occu r s in summer on the Pac i fi c coas t f rom sou thernA la ska to Lower Ca l i forn ia , and on the A t lan t i c coas tf rom Gu l f of S t. Law rence to Sout h Caro l ina .

Courtesy of Doub leday , PageSOO TY SHEARWATER (foreground) AND GREATER SHEARWATER

CO RY ’

S SHEARW ATER

Puffi nus borea l i s Co ryA . O . L

'

. Number 88

Genera l Descr ipt ion . Leng th , 20 inches ; spread of

w ings , 40 to 45 inches . Co lor above , brown i sh -ash ;be low wh i te .

Col or . Upper pa r t s , brown i sh -ash ; feat her s of back ,w i t h pa le t ips ; those on nape and s ides of neck nar

row ly t ipped w i th w h i te ; the ash on s ides of head and

neck and w h i te of under par t s g radua l ly m ing le : t ipsof upper ta i l — cover ts , whi te ; under eye l i d , wh i te in

con t ra s t wi t h a shy-

g ray of head ; w ings and ta i l , brown

Somewhat sma l ler than the Grea ter Shear

wa ter , the S-ooty Shearwater very cl o sely resembles i t in hab i t s and fl ight , but d i ffer s f rom i tmark ed l y in plumage , wh i ch at a d i s tance l oo k sas black as that o f a Crow . It wou l d seemdec i ded ly s t range tha t th i s b i rd e scaped en t i re lythe not ice o f W i l s on ,

Nu t ta l l,and Audubon , but

i sh -g ray ; s ides and flanks . t inged w i t h ash ; under ta i lcover t s , wh i te , the longes t t inged near ends w i t h a sh

wh i c h ex tends n ear ly to t ips of the longes t ta i l - fea ther s ;b i l l , g reen i sh —blac k , ye l low at ba se and on tip ; feet ,green i sh —black ; i r i s , brown .

N e s t and Egg s . Unknown but probab ly s im i lar to

o t hers of the genus .D i s tr ibu t ion .

— Coa s t s of Ivl assachusetts ,

Is land , and Long I s land (Augus t to November ) .

Rhode

for the fact that even now its nes t ing hab i t s areunknown ,

nor have i ts ne s t and eggs been di scov ered .

Cory ’s Shearwa ter i s even mo re a s t ranger ;i t has been seen on ly off the A t lan t ic coa s t between M a s sachu set t s and L ong I s land , fromAugu s t t o November .

84 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

-W IL SON’

S PETREL

O cean i tes ocean icus

A . O . U . Number 109

O ther Names — Common S tormy Petre l ; Mot herCarey 's Ch i cken ; Long- legged S torm Pet re l .Genera l D escr ipt ion . Leng t h , 7 in c hes . Co lor ,dark soo ty-brown . L egs , long an d s ti l t— l i k e ; ta i l ,squar e .

Col or . Body ,dark soo ty—brown ; w ings and ta i l ,

b lac k ; w ing—cover t s , pa le gray ; upper and under ta i lcover t s , s ides of rump, and base of ta i l , w h i te ; b i l l and

Near ly everyone who cros ses the A t lan t ic or

makes a coa s t ing voyage must have no t iced tho set iny dark —co l ored b i rd s about the s i ze o f Swa ll ow s , w i th a con spicuou s patch o f wh i te on the

rump.

1

On rapi d ly flut ter ing w ing they c i rcleabout '

the ves sel , or wander i rregu lar ly over thewave s . _At times they hover at s ome part icu larSpot , pat ter ing the i r feet in the un s table e lemen twh i le a -w ing. These are Pet rels , o f ten ca l led“ Mo ther Carey ’s Ch ick en s . “ They are so d is

t inct from al l o ther b i rd s that no one who get sa fa i r l ook cou l d po ss ibly m i stake them . The

fi r st ones are S igh ted severa l m i les off shore,

D rawing by R . I . B rasher

fee t , b lac k la tter w ith a large yel low spot on webs ;i r i s , brown .

Nest and Eggs . NEST : In burrows or in c rev iceson An tarct i c i s lands in February . EGGS : 1 , wh i te .

Di s tri bu t ion . Sou t h po lar reg ion s nor t h to Labra

dor and B r i t i sh I s les ; common off the nor t h A t lan t i ccoas t of Amer ica f rom May to September ; acc iden ta lin On tar io .

WIL SON’S PETREL nat. s ize)Its home is on the ocean

’s waves

and they are qu i te incl ined t o f o l low vessel sfar out on the open ocean . They are b i rd s who sehome is on the ocean waves . Some of the i r scientifi c L a t in name s appropr iately descr ibe them as

runner s on the sea .

”

Two Spec i es repre sen t the i r k in d on our At

lan t ic coa s t . One i s S l igh t ly the larger w i th a

f o rked ta i l , and i s known as L each’s P et re l . The

other , wh i ch has the ta i l square or s l igh t lyrounded at the end ,

is W i l s on ’s Petrel . I t is theSpec ies mo s t ly seen off Shore dur ing our summer

seas on . L ike the i r re lat ives the Shearwater s ,they breed on the far southern i s lands o f the

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86 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

rat- ho le, and abou t the m i dd le o f June each ho lecon ta in s a s ingle f ragi le wh i te egg . As we landthere i s not a S ign o f a b i rd . But s omet imes wecan sme l l the pecu l iar odor l ike that o f the o i lthey e j ect , character i st i c and per s i sten t and

wh ich la s ts in moun ted spec imen s for year s .

Photo by H . K . Job

LEACH ’S PETRELYoung and egg removed from burrow

Presen t ly we not ice the l i t t le ho les , wh i ch run

a lmo s t hor i zon ta l ly , ju s t bel ow the roo t s o f thegra s s . A hand in serted up t o the e lbow land sin a l i t t le chamber where the brood ing b i rd i snow impr i s oned . At the beginn ing o f the breeding season I have f ound both male and femalein the burrow ; later , on ly one , wh ich mav be o f

FORKED -TA IL ED PETREL

Oceanodroma furcata (Gmel in )A . O . U . Number 105

Descr ipt ion . L eng t h , 9 inches . Genera l co lor , l ightblu ish-

gray , fading to w h i te on c h in,t h roa t , and under

ta i l —cover t s ; bend of w ing and space around eye , du sky ;b i l l and fee t , blac k . Ta i l

,S l igh t ly forked ; b i l l , sma l l

and weak .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : A ho le in a bank ; t h in lyl ined w i t h dry g ras s and fi ne roo t s . EGGS : S ing le ,

du l l wh i te w i t h m inu te dark speck s even ly dus ted overthe large end .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Pac i fi c and adj acen t Arct i cO cean ; breeds f rom Commander and A leu t ian i s landssou t h to i s lands off O regon ; in m igra t ion occur s on

both shores of Ber ing Sea nor t h to Ko t zebue Sound ;wanders sou th to San Pedro , Ca l i forn ia .

KAED ING’S PETREL

O ceanodroma k aed ingi A nthony

A . O . U . Number

Descr ipt ion .— Leng th , 8 inches . Genera l co lor , sooty

black ; upper ta i l —cover t s and s ide of under cover ts ,w h i te ; w ing- cover t s

,brown i sh ; b i l l and feet , b lac k .

Ta i l , s l igh t ly forked ; b i l l , sma l l and w eak . S im i lar tothe Forked- ta i led Pet re l , but sma l ler in s i ze and darkerin co lor .

Nest and Eggs . NEST : A burrow in a bank,or

under a pi le of s tones ; l ined wi t h gras s , pieces of bark ,or c h ips of wood . EGGS : S ing le , w h i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Pac i fi c coa s t of Nor t h Amer ica ;breeds on i s lands off Wa sh ing ton , O regon , and Cal i for

n ia f rom Cape F lat tery sou t h to the Fara l lon s ; inm igrat ion sou t h to Guada lope, Socorro, and C lar ioni s lands .

e i ther sex, as both sexes incubate . The other

partner is supposed t o be out at sea , but i t i s a

cur i ou s fact that in dayt ime no Pet rel s are seenin the v ic in i ty o f the i s land s where they breed .

Nor have they been proved to rema in in otherburrows or h i de in ho les o f the rock s . A f terdu s k the Pet rel s emerge f rom the i r burrow s ,and there are l ive ly t ime s . Dark f orms dar taroun d l ike bat s , tw i t ter ing,

and a lso ut ter ing a

s ingu lar l i t t le pla in t ive“ s ong,

”as i t may wel l

be caHed .

Where an ima l s , such as dogs or cat s , are keptby fi shermen or l ighthouse keepers on i s lan d s .I have f ound tha t they make a regular pract ice o fd igg ing out and eat ing Pet re l s , un t i l the co l on i e sare depleted or ex term inated . Such pract ice sShou l d be preven ted .

Later in the summer,inve s t igat i on o f the ho le s

revea l s the presence o f s o f t , fuzzy young, coveredw i th th ick coats o f gray down , l igh ter in co lo rthan the paren t s . I have f oun d them as late as

September w i thout a s ingle feather —

perhapsthe resu l t o f robbery o f the n ests . Such occurrences m igh t have g iven r i se t o an o l d superstition that Pet rel s h ibernate . W in ter appar

en t ly dr ives them at lea s t fur ther sou th than our

bleak no r th A t lan t ic coa s t .Once I tr i ed to make a captured Pet rel o f th i sspec i es S i t for its picture . Its cea seles s act iv i tywas s ometh ing aston i sh ing . No wonder i t canout la s t ga les and b i l l ows in many a tes t o f endurance . HERBER T K . JOB .

FULMAR S , SHEARWATER S , AND PETRELS 87

O n Three A rch R ock s off the O regon coas t,

we found both the Fo rked - ta i led and the Kaed ingPet re l s nes t ing. The lat ter b i rd s , however , werefar mo re abundan t than the fo rmer . One m igh trema i n about the se rock s for a mon th ,

c l imb ingo ver them every day , and not know tha t a Petre li s there

,for they are n ev er seen fly ing abou t the

rock s in dayt ime .

\Ve cl imbed t o the gras sy s lope on the norths i de o f the outer rock . My fi r s t acqua in tancew i th the se two b i rd s was when I dropped on myknee s and dug out a s ingle wh i te egg . Then ,

as I dug a l i t t le far ther , I saw a Kaeding’

s

Petre l tha t had crawled back in the ex t rem e

co rner t o h i de .

The Pet rel nes t l ing is a fluffy ba l l o f down .

One paren t stays in the burrow w i th the ne s t l ingdur ing the day , wh i le the o ther is far out on the

ocean . The paren t feed s the y oung by thru s ting the beak down h is mouth and i nject ing i n t oi t a ye l l ow i sh flu i d . Both o l d b i rd s are exper t s

STORM PETR EL

Thal ass idroma pe lag ica (L innceus )A . O. U . Number 104

O t h er Name. Mo ther Carey 's Ch i cken .

Genera l De scr ipt ion . Leng th , 5% in ches . Co lor ,brown i sh -b lack . L egs , shor t ; ta i l , square .

Col or . G lossy brown i sh -b lack , browner be low ;upper ta i l - cover ts ,

wh i te w ith. blael c t ips ; under ta i lcover ts , s treaked w i t h wh i te ; b i l l and feet , b lack ; i r i s ,brown .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : Ho les excavated by the

b i rd under rocks . EGGS : One , w h i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Ea s ter ly pa r ts of the A t lan t i c O ceansou t h to the M edi terranean and wes t coas t of A f r i ca ;occas iona l ly found on the New found land Banks and

off the coas t of Nova Sco t ia ; breeds on i s lands ofl'

Grea t B r i ta in .

L EAST PETR EL

H alocyptena m icro s oma ConesA . O . U . Number 103

O ther Name . Wedged- ta i led Petre l .Gen era l D e scr ipt i on . Leng th , 6 in ches .

brown i sh -black . Ta il,rounded .

Col or . L u s t rou s brown i sh -black , w i t hout any w h i te,darker on upper par t s , b lacken ing on w ings and ta i l ,s l igh t ly grayer on grea ter w ing - cover ts ; b i l l and feet ,black ; i r i s , brown .

Co lor ,

What the W i l s on ’s and Leach’s Petrel s are t othe we s tern water s o f the A t lan t ic , the S to rmPet rel is to the ea s tern , and there is s trong re

semblance between the appearance and hab i t s o fthe three b i rd s . The S torm Pet rel appear s on lyocca s i ona l ly off or near the Amer i can coa s t , andthen doubt le s s in most ca ses acc i den ta l ly .

Ne s t an d Egg s . The s ing le egg , wh i te w i t h a r ingof blac k speck s at end ,

i s la id in a c rev i ce of rocks ,not in a bur row .

D i s tr ibu t ion .- Ea s tern Pac i fi c O cean ; breeds on

i s lands off Lower Ca l i forn ia ; sou t h in m igra t ion to

wes tern Mex i co , Panama , and Ecuador ; occa s iona l lyfound nor t h of breeding range .

S im i lar in its relat i on to the wes tern coa s t isthe L eas t Pet re l , a Pac i fic Ocean fo rm ,

seen occas iona l ly off the coa s t o f Ca l i f o rn ia , but e s sentia l ly a b i rd o f the i s land s far f rom e i ther sho reo f that va s t sea . Th i s b i rd ’s hab i t s are a l s od i s t inct ly Pet rel- l ike and need no separate descr ipt i on .

at th i s . I f you take one out o f the burrow,he

w i l l immed iately play Jonah in your d i rect i onw i th surpr i s ing power o f pro j ect i on . A do se o franc i d fi sh o i l shot up your s leeve is not plea s ingt o your ner v es or your no s t r i l s .I Sha l l nev er forget the eveni ng we made a

dangerou s t r ip t o the top o f the rock and h id on

the no r th S l ope . As i t grew dark , the Pet rel sbegan com ing in t o the i s land l i ke a swarm o fbat s . Those in the burrows came ch i tter ing out

to meet them . The groun d beneath seemed fu l lo f squeak ings and the a ir fu l l o f so f t tw i t ter ingand wh i s t l ings un t i l i t fe l t uncanny .

-

’

e fre

quen t ly fel t the b reath o f sw i f t w ings , but it wasl i ke a fan ta sy , for not a b i rd cou l d be seen

,nor

even a Shadow . H ow one o f these Petrel s cou l dfi nd h is own home and his mate in an acre o fne s t ing ho le s h i dden a l l about in the gra s s andin the darkne s s o f n igh t is one o f tho se myster ious th ings that we canno t s o lve .

W I LL I AM L . F I N LEY .

O R D E R O F T O T I P A LM A T E SW IMME R S

Order S teganopodes

I! fami l ies are gathered in thi s order . Al l the members are large birds , two feetor more in length , but they differ greatl y in appearance and habits .

However ,they agree in having a l l four toes j oined with webs — hence the name

Totipalmate has been appl ied to thi s group . Their bi l l s are horny andare u sual l y hooked and hard at the tip. Their m ouths can be opened veryW i de ; their tongues are smal l and knobl i ke . Each bird i s equipped with a

gu lar or throat pouch . The nostri l s are very smal l or rud imen tary .

Nests are bui l t on the ground , on rocky l edges , or in brushy trees n ear

the water . The eggs are single or few , u sua l l y p lain -col ored , but coveredwith a cha l ky incru station . The young are hatched he l pl ess and naked , but

a re soon covered with down . Al l of the Totipalmate Swimmers are carn ivorou s in d iet ,their food con si sting almost entirel y of fi sh .

T R O P IC- B I R D S

Order S teganopodes ; fami l y Phaéthon tidee

HE Tropic-bird ’s habit of prol onged soaring, often at a great height , and , as

i t were , in the very path of the sun , suggested to Linnaeus its fam i l y namePhaethon ti dae, which is in reference to the Greek mythol ogical ta le of Phaeton ,

the son of Hel ios , the sun god ,who induced his father to l et h im attempt to

drive the chariot of the sun across the Sk ies , but l ost con trol of the horses andscorched the earth by driving too n ear i t , wherefore hewas k i l led by a thunderbo l t of Z eus .

The Tropic—bird fami l y includes S ix species , two of which breed as far

north as the trop ic of Cancer , and are often foun d about the West In d ies,

whi le individual s occasiona l l y wander a l ong the eastern coast of North America

even as far north as Newfound land . Al l havewhite plumage o f satiny appearan ce ,

o ften with a p in k i sh tinge , and a b lack pa tch or bar in the eye region .

The bi l l may be red ,ye l l ow, or orange in col or ,

i s poin ted and somewhat curved , and the

edges are toothed . The wings are l ong and rather s l im ; the ta i l i s composed of from twel veto Sixteen feathers , of wh ich the cen tral pai r are much el ongated and are sl enderer than the

others . Excepting the l ast- named pecu l iarity ,the Tropie—birds resemb le in their con tour

l arge Tern s . They differ from the M an —o’-war -birds in general col or , and in the shape o f the

bi l l , as wel l as in the absence of the throat sac , and the naked area about the eyes , and bythe l ong central tai l — feathers . The p lumage of the sexes in the adu lts i s al i ke, but the

immature birds l ack the l ong ta il - feathers and show more irregu lari ty in their mark ing.

The flight of the Tropic-b ird differs from that of the A lbatross in that i t is accompl i shedby un i form , rather rapid , and entirel y apparen t wi ng—strokes , whereas the movemen t of theAlbatross ’s wings u sual l y i s so S l ight as to be almost impercepti b le . Nevertheless theTrop ic-bird ’s flight performances are often very spectacu lar , and include frequent and

thri l l ing dives from great heights in to the ocean . M oreover , its power of sustained flight forenormous di stances is ful l y estab l i shed , though i t frequen tl y shows sign s of exhaustion bydropping into the rigging of a ship in mid - ocean , an evidence of weariness which is seldom , if

[88 ]

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90 B IR DS OF

by tax i derm i s ts, who usua l ly moun t the b i rds tand ing on its feet l ike a Gu l l . The u sua l ga i tis an awkward wadd le, or i t proceeds in a ser ies

AMER ICA

in the a ir , they creep awkward ly , w i th much

flapping o f w ings , t o a su i table he igh t , and thendrop, s omet ime s in the water be fore rega in ing

o f hops . I have a l s o seen them pu sh themselvesal ong by means o f the i r feet . Be fore laun ch ing

the i r equ i l ibr ium,when they a re among

‘

the mo s' tgrace fu l o f sea-b i rds . ” T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

GANNET S

Order S teganopodes ; fami l y Su l idae

HE Gannets con stitute the fami l y Su l i dw, and compri se the birds of that name(al so ca l led Solan Geese

,

“ sol an being apparen tl y from a Scandinavianterm mean ing

“

sea and the B oobies . Gannet i s thought to be deri vedfrom the Old Eng l i sh gan ,

mean ing gander”or goose- l i ke . There are

el even species in the fami l y , and of these one i s essen tial l y a northern bird andm igratory ,

whi l e the other s range al ong the tropical and subtropical coas t sof the wor ld . Al l are strictl y sea birds , but they prefer the coastal water s andare not found at any con siderab le d i stance from l an d except when they are

m igrating. On the wing they move rapidl y , a l ternating V igorou s wing workwi th periods of sai l ing. They feed a lmost exclu sivel y on fi sh ,

wh ich theycapture by diving from the wing,

often from a height of forty feet or~more ,

and with such force that they di sappear en tirel y beneath the surface ,their impact being

suffi cient some t imes to send the spray ten feet in to the air . Th i s con stitutes one of themost picturesque and v igorou s feats performed by any sea bird . Fi sh of con siderab le si zeare swal l owed practi ca l l y who le (which i s made possibl e by a throat which can be greatl ydi stended) , and are di sgorged for the young. Al l members of the fam i l y are highl y gregarious ,and nest in large co lon ies on un inhabited coasts or i sol ated i slands . The bird bui lds a rudenest composed of seaweeds and grass and lays one or two eggs , cha l ky -white or du l l white inhue .

The Gannets are comparative l y large birds , their l ength being from about two to threefeet . Their wings are relativel y long, and acute l y poin ted ,

whi le the tai l i s wedge- shapedand con si sts of from twel ve to eighteen feathers . Their l egs are Short and stout and pl acednear l y at the center of the body . The feet are completel y webbed . The neck i s rather l ong,

and the head l arge . The bi l l i s strong , cy l indrica l , and tapers to a poin t where it i s sl ightl ycurved , though n ever actual l y ben t into hook form . The plumage i s compact and its characteri stic col oration i s white on the body with bl ack or dusky wings and tai l , though somespecies are sooty —brown or du sky .

B OOBY

Su la l eucogastra (B oddaert)A . O . U . Number u s

O th er Nam es . B rown Booby ; Ye l low - foo ted Booby ; Nes t an d.Eggs . NEST : On low bu shes of tropi ca l

Ca tesby’s Booby ; Booby Gannet .General D escr ipt ion . L eng th , 30 in ches .

above , dark brown ; be low ,w h i te .

COIOt .— ADULTS : P lumage, dark brown , abrupt ly

whi te from nee/z on under par ts ; b i l l and bare par tsof head, var iably co lored , mos t ly dul l green i sh or yel

lowi sh ; feet , s im i lar ; i r i s , w h i te . YOUNG : P lumage,

gray i sh-brown , pa ler below var iega ted w i th w h i te on

under parts from neck ; b i l l and feet , obscured .

Co lorkeys ; con s t ructed of s t icks and weeds ; in some loca li t ies eggs depos i ted on bare sand or rocks , w i t hou t anya t tempt at nes t bu i lding . EGGS : I or 2

, du l l cha lkyw h i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— A t lan t i c coas ts of tropi ca l Amer i ca

and Pac i fic and Indian ocean s ; rare on sou t h A t lan t icand Gu l f coas ts of the Un i ted S ta tes f rom Sou t hCa ro l ina to Lou i s iana ; ac c iden ta l on Long I s land ,N . Y . , and in Ma s sachu se t ts .

Co u rte sy of th e NEw Y ork State M u seum Plate 9

COMMON CORMORANT I’ha l iu ‘

roeora t ea rl ) “ (L innaens lAD U LT m BR E EDING PL U MAG E IM MAT U RE

DOUBLE-CRESTED CO RMORANT P ha l a crocora r (u n i / us d u r itna‘ (Lesson )ADU LT m BR E ED ING PL U MAGE IM MAT U RE

GANNET S u l a ba SSG HG (L in na eus )ADU LT IM MAT U R E

. \ l l 5 11a l . s i2e

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92 B IR DS OF

obj ect as i t fl ies about over the dark waters o fthe w in ter sea . The Gannet l ikes the a s s oc ia t iono f o thers o f its k ind ,

hence i f you fi nd one you

are pret ty sure t o see others in the immed ia tene ighbo rhood . They range al l down the A t lan t i ccoast to F l or i da ,

and i t is not an uncomm on s igh tt o see smal l fl ocks a lmo s t anywhere off the sho reso f the ea s tern Un i ted S tate s , d i spor t ing themselves in the water ju s t out s i de the breaker s , orwheel ing about in quest o f fi sh .

They fly usua l ly at a he igh t o f from s ix ty to a

hundred feet above the wa ter . Dr . F . A . Lucassays : The he igh t at wh ich the Gannet fl ies

D rawi ng by R . I . Brasher

AMER ICA

catch , and then r i ses in pur su i t o f other game .

Gannets breed nor th o f the U n i ted Sta tes .

B i rd R ock in the Gu l f o f St . Lawrence and

Ba ss R ock at the F i r th o f Forth con ta in wel lkn own breed ing co lon i es o f eno rmous number s .

The ne s t s are u sua l ly bu i l t on ledge s over l o ok ingthe sea . Where these are broad , the en t i re area

is covered w i th nes t s,jus t enough space be ing

lef t between the-m fo r the b i rd s to come and go

w i th com for t . Wher e the ledges are narrowand there is room on ly for a s ingle row o f nests ,one w i l l fi nd near ly every brood ing bi rd s it t ingw i th its ta i l po in ted outward and its head in close

GANNET nat. s ize)L ike an an imated s pear i t p lunges in to the ocean after i ts prey of fi sh

above the wa ter i s proport i ona te t o the depth at

wh ich the fi sh are sw imm i ng benea th ,and Cap

ta in Co l l in s tel l s me that when fi sh are sw imm ing near the sur face the Gannet fl i e s very lowand dar ts obl i quely in s tead o f ver t i ca l ly upon itsprey . Shoul d any fi nny game be seen w i th inrange, down goes the Gannet head l ong, the near lycl o sed w ings bei ng u sed to gu i de the l iv ing arrowin its downward fl ight . jus t above the sur facethe wings are firm ly cl o sed

,and a sma l l splash or

spray shows where the w inged fi sher cleaves thewater t o t rans-fi x its prey . D i sappear ing for a

few second s , the b i rd reappears , res t s for a

momen t on the water , l ong enough t o swa l l ow h is

prox im i ty t o the rock s . One egg is la i d . I t iscovered w i th a ca lcareous depo s i t tha t can read i lybe scra tched off. The young are hatched n aked .

The down ,wh i ch appears in a few days

,i s o f a.

yel l ow i sh hue . Immature b i rd s have a pecu l iar lyspotted appearance , as the brown feather s w i thwh i ch they are covered are each cen tered w i th a .

wedge- shaped dot o f wh i te .

I t is ex t remely rare tha t the Gannet is foundin land , the ones wh ich have been occa s i ona l ly re

po r ted doubt les s be ing ind iv i dua ls that had l ostthe i r way, or had been d r iven by s to rm s fromthe ocean , on whose bo s om they are so much at .

home . T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

DARTER S 93

DAR TE R S

Or der S teganopodes ; fam i l y A i i hi ngida?

HE Darters (a l so ca l ledAnhingas and Snake-b irds) compri se the fami l y A i l /l i ngt

dw, in clude four species , and are genera l l y di stribu ted throughout the t ropicand sem i - t ropic region s of both hem i spheres . They have an e longated body ,

covered with sma l l feathers and sof t down ; a very long, s lender , and snakel ike neok ; sma l l , compressed head ; and a slender ,

near l y s t raigh t , and veryacu te l y pointed bi l l , near l y twice as long as the head , and l i ke tha t of the Heron s .

In these respects (excepting the grea ter length and sinuosi t y of the n eck , and

the fact that the bi l l i s not hooked ,though i t i s somewhat serra ted ) they bear

a general externa l resemb lance to their neares t rela t ives , the Cormoran t s .

The structure of the neck,however , is pecu l iar in that it is ben t at the eighth

or n in th vertebra , and i s equipped with a singu lar mu scular mechan i sm bymean s of which the bird may throw its bi l l forward with a rapier - l i ke thrust , and impa lei ts prey .

Dar ters ’ wings are long and poin ted ,whi le the ta i l is som ewhat l ong, and i s rigid , broad

and fan - shaped ; it i s composed of twel ve feathers which widen toward the ends ; the outerpai r are ribbed in a singu lar manner . The feet are short , and the l egs are p laced rather far

back on the bodies , but the birds perch readi l y and wi th apparent ease . They are not marinein their habi t s , and are not l ikel y to be found near the seacoasts , their favori te habi tats beingden se swamps . Their flight i s swi ft , and they dive with as ton i shing ease and quickness .

By nature they are tim id and wa tch fu l ; when frightened they drop from their perch intothe wa ter , and van ish not on l y noi se lessl y , but wi thout causing more than very sl ight r ipples .

Once under water they swim very swi ft l y . When they are a l armed whi le swimm ing on the

surface , they di sappear by sin k ing gen t l y backward ,a fter the m anner of the Grebes . Fre

quen t l y they swim with the body submerged but with the head and neck protruding in a

manner wh ich strongl y suggests a water snake .

These singu lar birds feed ch iefly on fi sh ,which they capture ,

not by diving , but main l yby a pursui t which i s l i ke that of the Loon s and Grebes . They are gregariou s and bui ld ,

in bru sh near the water ,rough nests in which they lay u sua l l y three or four eggs , of a pa le

b lui sh col or and having a wh ite cha l k - l i ke incru station .

WATER -TU R KEY

Anhinga anh inga (L inna‘

us )

A . O . U . Number 1 1 8

O t h er Name s . Anh‘ inga ; Dar ter ; Amer i can Dar ter ;B lac k Dar ter : B lack -be l l ied Dar ter ; V Vhite-be l l iedDar ter (young ) ; Snake-bi rd .

Genera l D e scr ipt i on . L eng t h , 3 feet . Co lor , black .

Col or . ADULT MALE : H ead , neck , and body , g lossy

g reen ish-black ; w ings and ta i l , pla in black . lat tert ipped w i t h wh i te ; w ings w i th a broad s i l very g ray

band fo rmed by grea ter and m idd le cover t s ; les serw ing- cover t s , spo t ted , and shou lders . s t r iped w i ths i lvery-

g ray : in breeding plumage , back o f neck w i tha mane of long b lack fea ther s and a la tera l ser ies ofha i r- l i ke brown i sh -w h i te plumes ; b i l l . ye l low , duskygreen on r idge and tip ; hare space a round eye , l i v idg reen ; sac, orange ; feet , dusky-o l i ve and yel low ; webs ,

ye l low ; i r i s , f rom carm ine to pink . ADULT FEMALE :Th roa t and breas t , l igh t brown bordered beh ind w i t hr i c h ches tnu t ; feat her s o f back w i t h brown edges and

w h i te c en te r s ; [wad and nor /e, g laz ed br own. var ied w i t h

ru fous , buff , and wh i t i sh .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : In swamps or bayous , on

sma l l t rees or bushes over wa ter ; con s t ruc ted o f s t icks ,leaves , dry gra s s , roo t s , and mos s . EGGS : 2 to 5 ,

b lu i sh or dark g reen i sh -wh i te over la id wi th wh i te cha lkyincrus ta t ion .

D i s t r ibu t i on . T ropi ca l Amer i ca nor t h to wes ternMex i co , Texas , F lor ida ,

sout hern I l l ino i s and Nor t hCaro l ina ; casua l in Kan sa s ; acc iden ta l in New Mex i coand A r i zona .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

The Water-Turkey is no more a Turkeythan the N ighthawk i s a Hawk , yet th i s i s thename by wh ich the Amer ican Dar ter i s a lmo s tun iver sa l ly known t o the people o f the s outhernS ta tes where i t i s found . O f late year s orn i thologists have adopted the name, dropping the wo rd“

Anh inga ,

”wh ich was former ly u sed . Th i s

spec i e s haun t s the shores o f tree— fr inged lakesand r ivers , as wel l as the w i der st retches o f lakesand s l ough s , i f bu shes or t ree s are here con

ven ient upon wh ich i t can perch . t is a l ongnecked ,

l ong- ta i led , and shor t— legged b i rd aboutthree feet in length . The genera l co l or o f themale is a gl o s sy black . The female has the

en t i re head , neck , and breas t grayi sh-brown .

They are s i len t b i rd s and l ive ma in ly in the

Drawing by R . I B rasherWATER -TURKEY (é nat. s i ze)A b ir d of haun t in g mys tery

s i len t places o f the w i l derne s s . The i r who le l i feseems t o be pervaded w i th a haun t ing mys tery .

I t is undoubted ly the b i rd to wh i ch the rura lpreacher re ferred when he sa id,

“ Where the

Whangdoodle mourneth for its fi rst—born .

”

When you come upon one s i t t ing on s ome l imbdeep in the swamp i t w i l l at t imes fly sw i f t ly outo f s igh t , on ly t o return aga in and aga in , each t ime

h igher in the a ir un t i l , hav ing at ta ined an a l t i tudeo f severa l hund red feet

,i t w i l l c i rcle abou t ap

parently on mot i on les s w ings l ike a Hawk .

Aga in ,and espec ia l ly i f i t does not suspect i tsel f

seen,i t w i l l drop f rom the perch in t o the wa ter

beneath w i th on ly the fa in test Splash , and a f tersw imm ing t o a sa fe d i stance wi l l cau t i ous ly peer

out w i th on ly its s lender head and beak exposed .

O f ten i t sw im s w i th body out o f s igh t and wi thits l ong neck protrud ing in a mo s t eer ie and

snake- l ike fa sh i on .

Photo by T . H . JacksonNE S T OF WATER - TURKEY

Cour tesy of Nat . Asso . Aud . Soc .

Oran ge Lake rookery, F lor ida

The Wa ter- Turkey’s f ood con s i s t s ma in ly o ffi sh wh ich i t captures as i t sw im s benea th the

sur face . When emerging from the water it

o f ten ascends some S l oping log or bush wi th low

Cour tesy of Nat . Asso . And . 800.

FEMALE WATER-TURKEYAt O range Lake rookery . F lor ida

hanging l imb s . The t oes o f i ts st ou t webbedfeet term inate in sharp claw s wh ich enable i t t ocl imb w i th ea se . Here

,wi th w ings spread , i t w i l l

rema in for a t ime drying its feathers in the sun

sh ine .

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96 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

CORMORANT

Pha lacrocorax carbo (L innceus )A . O . U . Number 1 19

O ther Names . Common Cormoran t ; Shag .

Genera l D e scr ipt ion .— L eng t h , 3 feet . P reva i l ing

co lor , b lac k . Th roa t sac , hear t - shaped beh ind .

CO l or .— A D ULTS IN BREED ING PL UM AGE : Genera l

co lor , g lossy ol ive-black ; fea t hers of back and w ingcover t s , bron ze-

gray , S harply edged w i t h b lac k ; pr imar ies

,secondar ies , and ta i l , more gray i sh —black ; a con

spicuous wh i te pat c h on flank ; numerous long w h i teplumes on head and neck ; a black c rown c res t abou tI inch long ; b i l l , dus ky ; bare sk in around eyes , l i v idgreen i sh ; t h roa t sac, ye l low , bordered beh ind by a bandof w h i te fea ther s ; feet , b lack ; i r i s , green . AD ULTS INW IN TER : No c res t or w h i te feat her s on head and rump.

YOUNG : Top of head and hindneck , brown i sh -black ;back and w ing-cover t s , gray i sh -brown , the fea t herswi t h dark marg in s , some edged w i t h w h i te ; th roat ,brown i sh -w h i te ; under par ts , zr'h i ti sh , du sky on S idesand ac ros s lower abdomen ; b i l l , gray i sh -brown . black onr idge and tip ; ba re sk in of face and sac, . ye l low.

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : O n the ground , amongrocks ; con s truc ted of s t i c k s , mos s , seaweed , and ke lp.

EGGS : 3 to 4, b lu i sh -green coa ted w i t h a w h i te cha lkysubs tan ce .

Dis tribu t ion . Nor t hern hem i sphere ; breeds f romcen tra l Green land sout h to Nova Sco t ia , and eas tt h rough Europe and A s ia to Kamchatka ; w in ter s f rom

The Cormoran t i s f ound genera l ly throughout a lmo s t a l l o i the nor thern hem i sphere .

From its breed ing ground s in Labrador and

D rawing by R . I . B ra sherCORMORANT (f; nat. s ize)

A bird of s trange appearance and in teres tin g hab i tsGreen land i t s t rays s outhward in summer , and

occurs on the A t lan t ic coas t in w in ter . I t isseen occa s i ona l ly on in land water s , but suchv i s i t s probably are purely acc iden tal , as its

See Co lor Plate 9

sou th ern Green land to Long I s land , N . Y . , rare ly to

Lake On tar i o and Sou t h Ca ro l ina , and f rom the Mediterranean sou t h to sout hern A f r ica , Aus t ra l ia ,

and

Ma lay Pen in su la .

Courtesy Nat. Asso. Aud . Soc.

NEST AND EGGS OF CORMORANT

no rma l hab i tat s are the seacoas t and the mouth so f large r iver s .I t l ives a lmo s t en t i rely upon fi sh

,wh ich i t

captures under water by sw imm ing w i th bo thw ings and feet , somet imes at a cons i derabledepth . In these operat i on s i t is very sk i l l fu l andsw i f t

,wh i le its power fu l hooked b i l l f orm s an

effect ive weapon for se i z ing and devour ing itsprey . The young are fed by regurgi tat i on , dur

ing wh ich the in fan t thrus ts its b i l l far down the

throat of the paren t .

Cour tesy of Nat . Asso . Aud . Soc .

YOUNG CORMORANTSThey are naked when hatched , and do not leave the nes t for

about a month

CO RMORANTS 97

DOUB L E -CRESTED CORMORANT

Pha lacrocorax au r i ta s aur itus (Les son )A . O . U . Numbe r

O t her Name s . C row Duck ; S hag ; VV ater-Tu rkey ;Lawyer ; N igger Goose .

Gen era l De s c r ipt ion .~ Leng th , 3 3 in ches .

ing co lor , g reen i sh -black . Throa t s a-c,conv ex beh ind .

CO IO I‘ .— ADL

'

I.TS I N S UM M ER : G los sy g reen i shb lac k ; fea t hers o f back and w i ng s , coppery-g ray w i t hna r row di s t in c t blac k edges and b lack - sha f ted ; two

cu r ly blac k c re s ts on head ; no wh i te flan /c patches or

wh i te feather s behi nd throa t sac ; t h roa t sac an d lores ,o range ; bi l l , du sky ; fee t , black ; i r i s , green ; eye l ids , blue .

A DULTS IN W I NTER : No c res t s ; eye l ids , not blue ; b i l l ,ye l low , dusky on r idge ; gu lar sac, red in f ron t

, ye l low

P reva i l

Co rmoran t s a re f ound in su i tabl e place s a l l

over No r th Am er i ca . They are wonder fu l d iver sand secure the i r prey wh i le on the i r submar ineexcur s i on s . They are very common on the coa s tand may ea s i ly be seen at many place s , as

,for

ex ample , on the S ea l R ock s nea r the Cl i ff I l on sea t San Franc i sco , on B lack Ho r se I s land off the

coa s t o f Ma ine, and on a lmo s t every buoy and

channe l - s take abou t the harbo r s o f F l o r i da . O n

rock y coa s t s the i r nes t s are bu i l t on cl i ff s o verl oo k i ng thc sea

, as on the Fara l l on I s land s , Ca l iforn ia

,and the Three A rch R ock I s land s o f

O regon . In the in ter i o r the n es ts a re o ften bu i l ton the groun d or on the ru she s in the i s land s o flake s . In the swamps o f the South , cypre s s t ree sare u sed , and a l ong the Gu l f coa s t o f F l o r i dalarge number s breed on the low mangro ve t reestha t co ver the Keys .Some years ago I v i s i ted a typi ca l co l ony o f

the se b i rd s in Ii ig Lak e ,in ea s tern No r th Caro

l ina . Low- spread i ng cypre s s t rees , the i r t opsreach i ng ,

as a ru le,not mo re than fi fteen feet

above the wa ter,were the S i tes cho sen fo r the

nests . E ighteen t rees sca t tered a l ong the swampyShore for a m i le and a hal f were thu s occupied .

A few t ree s con ta i ned but a s ingle nes t . Some

were occupi ed by two ,wh i le in others s ix

,e ight ,

ten,and even twelve nest s were no ted . O ne t ree

con ta ined th i r ty- e ight , a l l o f wh i ch conta i nede i ther eggs or young . The number of occupan t so f a ne s t was in a l l cases either two or three .

See (i

o lo r l’la te 9

oche r beh ind . YO UNG :

wh i t i sh be low .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : On the g round ; con s t ruc tedo f tw ig s and w eeds ; some t ime s on ledge s o f sea i s landswhere bu i l t o f f resh seaweed and ke lp. l i ne s : 2 to 4,

b lu i sh -g reen w i t h w h i te c ha lky in c rus ta t ion .

D i s t r ibu t i on .~ Ea s tern Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom

cen t ra l Sa ska tch ewan ,sout he rn Keewa t in ,

nor t heas ternQuebec and New found land sou t h to nor t he rn U tah ,Sou th Dako ta ,

sout hern M inneso ta , and I’eno bscot Bay ,

Ma ine . W in ter s f rom No r th Ca ro l ina (ca sua l ly Ma ssachusetts ) sou t h to the Gu l f coa s t ; casua l in B ermuda .

P la in da rk brown ; g ray i sh o r

O ne hund red and fi f ty i nhabi ted ne s t s were

coun ted in the commun i ty .

The eggs were pa le blu i sh—wh i te over la i d wi tha cha l ky coa t ing and were abou t; two and one

ha l f inches l ong . When fi r s t ha tched the youngare naked and l oo k l i ke l i t t le

,an imated , grea sy

rubber bags . In a few days they as sume a th i ckgrowth o f black down .

The food o f these b i rd s mus t ha ve con s i s tedlargely o f eel s , for in nea r ly e very nes t s ign s o feel s were found ,

and the young upon becom ingexc i ted d i sgo rged f ragmen t s o f eel s wh ichshowered d own upon us as we a t tempted to c l imbthe t rees .The Co rmo ran t s ha ve many l oca l name s

,such

a s Shag,

”Lawyer ,

"

and N igger Goo se .

”

There are severa l subspec ies o f the Doublecres ted Cormo ran t . These are : the F l o r i da Co rmo ran t (Phalacrocorax aur i tus flor idam i s ) o fNo r th Caro l i na ,

F l or i da,and the Gul f coa s t ; the

Wh i te- cre s ted Co rm o ran t (Pha lacrocorax aur i tus

cine-ma th s"

) o f A laska ; and the Fara l l on Co r

mo ran t (Phalacrocorax aur itus a lboci /ia l us ) o fthe coa s t and in land lak e s o f the Pac i fic s l ope .

Ma rket fi shermen e verywhere compla i n o f thein road s these b i rd s ' make on the food fi shes o fthe sea ,

but a recen t in vest igat i on car r i ed out by

the Canad i an Go vernmen t pro ved beyond d oubtthat the dest ruct i on wrough t by Cormo ran t s inthe Gu l f o f St. L awrence has been o verra tedgrea t ly . T . G I L BERT PEA R SON .

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PEL ICANS 10 1

P EL I CAN S

Order S teganopodes ,

‘ fam i l y P elecan i dw

WELVE species of these singu larl y grotesque but interesting b irds are recogn i z ed , and they occur genera l l y throughout the temperate and tropical region sof both hemi spheres , three of them being North American . They are bird sof con siderab le si ze ,

their bod ies vary ing in length from fifty to . seven ty inches ,while some have a wing expan se of near l y ten feet .

The di stin ctive feature of the Pe l ican i s the great pouch which dependsfrom i ts l ower bi l l . As the bird ’s bi l l may be eighteen inches long, i t wi l l bereal i zed that the capacity of thi s pouch , six in ches or more in depth ,

is verycon siderab l e . Some of the species use th i s pouch very much as a scoop net

i s emp l oyed,and a l l of them store in i t fi sh which they take to their young.

M ost of the bird ’s prey i s captured in th i s manner , though some is taken byd iv ing . Another physical pecu l iar ity i s the excrescence which deve lops at abou t the m idd leof the upper mandible during the breeding season . What , i f any , purpose i t serves i s notknown . It i s Shed coinciden t l y with the fa l l mo l t .

The Pe l ican on land i s very ungain l y , its uncouth appearance being due in part to the

awkward k in k in its neck ,which produces the impression of grea t di scomfort . In poin t Of

fact , however , thi s position i s due to the singu lar ar t icu lation of the eighth or n in th vertebrawi th the on e on ei ther side , so that i t is rea l l y impossib le for the bird to stra ighten i ts n eck .

The Pel ican’s fl ight i s a combination of flapping and sai l ing, and though not rap id is steady

and confiden t . A long l ine of these birds , flapping and sai l ing a l ternate l y , and of ten in

nearl y per fect un i son , is an in teres t ing spectacle .

These birds are decidedl y gregarious and often breed in very l arge co lon ies . Theybu i ld on the ground l arge nests composed of sticks . The eggs are from two to fi ve in number

and are b lui sh -whi te in co lor .

W H ITE PEL ICAN

Pe lecanus eryth rorhynchos Gmel in

A . O . U . Number 1 2 5

O t her Nam es — Amer ican W h i te Pe l ican ; CommonPe l ican (o f the Nor th ) .

Genera l Descr ipt ion — L eng th , 5 feet ; spread of

W ings , 9 fee t . Genera l co lor,wh i te . B i l l w i t h pouch

hang ing f rom under s ide .

Col or . A DULTS : P l umage , whi te wi th blac k pr imar ies ; leng thened fea t her s of bac k of head , brea s t , and

some of the les ser w ing - cover t s , pa le s t raw -

ye l low ;bi l l and feet , ye l low t inged w i t h reddi sh ; lower par t ofb i l l , br igh ter t han upper, w h i c h has the r idge w h i t i sh ;pouch shading f rom w h i t i sh in f ron t t h rough ye l lowand orange to red at base ; bare sk in around eye .

orange ; eye l ids , red ; i r i s , pear ly-w h i te. YOUNG : L es serw ing-cover t s and some feathers on head , g ray i sh ;

The Amer ican Wh i te Pe l ican was fo rmer ly ne s ted in M innes ota ,but the mo s t ea s tern ne s t

found in the Ea s t as wel l as in the \Ve s t , but the ing S i te to -day w i th in the Un i ted S ta te s i s inrange o f the b i rd has con t racted un t i l i t i s rarely North Dak ota . A b i rd so con spi cuou s in s i zeseen on the A t lan t ic coa s t . The b i rd former ly and co l o r . and one tha t nes t s on the ground , can

b i l l and feet du l l yel low i sh ; o therw i se as in adu l ts .Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the ground ; con

s t ruc ted by the b i rd sc raping the sandy so i l in to a heapabou t ha l f a foo t h igh and erect ing a sha l low pla t formof s t i c k s and weeds on t h i s ba se . Enos : 2

, du l l c ha lkyw h i te w i t h a c ha lky in c rus ta t ion .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Tempera te Nor t h Amer ica ; breedsf rom southern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia . Grea t S lave Lake , and

sout hwes tern Keewa t in to Man i toba , Nor th Dako ta( fo rmer ly sout hern M inneso ta and Somh Dako ta ) ,U tah , and sout hern Ca l i forn ia ; w in ter s f rom sou thernCa l i forn ia to Gu l f S ta tes , F lor ida , and Cuba sout h towes tern Mex i co and Cos ta R i ca ; casua l in m ig ra t ionea s t to A t lan t i c coa s t , nor t h to New B run sw i ck .

102 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

nev er rear its young f ree f rom the d i s tu rbance so f predac i ou s an ima l s and man un le s s i t can fi nda remote i s lan d upon wh ich t o breed . The naturalhome o f the b i rd i s on s ome sandy or tu le i s lan d ,where a large number o f them nest t ogether .

Th i s showy b i rd wou l d s oon have been ex t incthad i t not been for the effor t s o f the Nat i ona lA s s oc iat i on o f Audubon Soc i et ie s in seek ing out

the ances tra l breed ing places and hav ing themset a s i de as Federa l w i l d -b i rd reservat i on s . The

larges t co lon i es o f Wh i te Pe l i can s in the U n i tedS tate s are f ound on M a lheur L ake

,K lama th

L ake,and Clear Lake reservat i on s in s outhern

O regon and n orthern Ca l i f o rn i a .

Through the wes tern par t o f the Un i ted S tates,

the Pe l ican sea s on begin s in Apr i l a f ter the snowand ice have me l ted and la s t s t i l l Augus t or

September ,when the young are able t o care for

them selves . Somet ime s one w i l l fi nd eggs j u s thatch ing f rom May up t o Ju ly . The Pel icangenera l ly lay s two or three eggs and incubate sabou t f our week s bef o re they hatch .

The Pe l ican has a large s k inny bag that hangsf rom the l ower par t o f his b i l l .

' Th i s,when dis

ten ded , ho l d s severa l quar t s oi water . When not

in u se,th i s sack is con t racted so i t occupi e s very

l i t t le space . The Wh i te Pe l ican u ses th i s as a

dip—net by sw imm ing a l ong and scooping up the

young fry . I t was f o rmer ly though t that th i spouch ser v ed to con v ey l i v e fi sh sw imm ing in

wa ter t o the l i t t le Pe l icans at home, but, as

Audubon remarked l ong ago ,i t d oubt ful

Photo by W . L . S tevens Courtesy ofFiel d and S treamYOUNG PEL I CANS

whether a Pe l ican cou l d fly at a l l w i th his burdenso out o f tr im .

The fi r s t t ime I ever saw a mot ley crowd o fha l f -grown Pe l i can s , I though t Nature had sure lydone her be s t t o mak e s ometh ing ugly and r idicu

l ou s . I t was a warm day and the b i rd s stoodaroun d w i th the i r mou ths Open , pan t ing l ike a l o to f dogs a f ter a chase

,the i r pouches shak ing at

every breath . When I wen t near, the youngs ters

wen t to t ter ing off on the i r big webbed feet w i thw ings dragging on th i s s ide and that

,l ike poor ly

hand led crutche s . The youngster s hudd led t ogether by hundreds in a sma l l place . Tho se on

the outs i de pu shed and cl imbed to get near the

cen ter,t i l l i t l ooked worse than any footba l l

scr immage I ever saw .

One m igh t wonder how such a huge-b i l led

b i rd as a Pe l ican cou l d feed helpless ch icks ju s tout o f the egg . I t was done w i th apparen t ea se .

The o l d b i rd regurgi tated a fi shy soup in t o thef ron t end o f his pouch and the baby Pel icanpi tched r igh t in and he lped h im sel f out o f th i sfam i ly d i sh .

A s the young b i rd grew o lder and larger , at

each mea l he kept reach ing far ther in to the

big pouch o f his paren t un t i l fina l ly, when he

was ha l f -grown ,i t was a mo s t remarkable s ight .

The m other opened her mouth and the who lehead and neck o f her nest l ing d i sappeared downthe capac i ou s maw

,wh i le he hun ted for his

d i nner in the in terna l regi on s .W I LL I AM L . F I NL EY .

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104 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

BROWN PEL ICAN

Pel ecanus occiden ta l is L inna’usA . O . U . Number 1 26

O th er Name . Common Pe l ican (of F lor ida ) .

General D escr ipti on . Leng t h , 4% feet ; spread of

w ings , 6% fee t . Genera l co lor , brown , darker above .

B i l l w i t h pouch hang ing f rom under s ide .

COIO I' .— ADU LTS Z H ead, white'

tinged w i t h yel lowon crown , the wh i te ex tend ing down n eck in a narrowborder on s ide of pouch ; res t of neck , dark ches tnut ;upper parts , dusky brown

,each fea t her w h i t i sh -cen

tered ; w ing -cover t s , pa le gray wi t h w h i te s t reaks ;pr imar ies , b lack ; secondar ies , dark brown w i t h pa leedges ; ta i l - fea t hers , gray ; under par ts , gray i sh -browns t r iped w i t h wh i te on s ides and flanks ; lower foreneck , var iega ted wi th oc her , c hes tnu t , and black ; b i l l ,mo t t led w i t h l igh t gray and du sky , t inged in spo t s w i t hcarm ine ; bare space around eyes , b lue ; i r i s , wh i te ;

The Brown Pe l i can is an in terest ing s outhernand t ropica l b i rd , great o f bu lk , power fu l infl igh t , and w i tha l a m igh t ly fi sher . I t is numer

ous on our A t lan t ic coa s t from South Caro l inat o Texas , where i t breeds on var i ous i so latedi s lands . F i shermen d i s l ike i t because the pouchnet wh ich i t carr i es under its great beak is large,and its appet i te for fi sh in propor t i on . But, con

sider ing that man’s nets are so much vaster , and

that two or three men k i l l more fi sh in one day

Photograph by H . K . Job

eye l ids , red ; pouch , black i sh ; feet , black . In win termos t of the neck i s wh i te. YOUNG : Neck , pla inbrown i sh ; o t her plumage s im i lar but les s in ten se thanin adu lt s .Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In rooker ies

, on shores ormars hy i s lands , u sua l ly on the ground or some t imes inlow mangrove bushes ; con s t ructed of s t icks , coarsegras s , and weed s ta lks and l ined w i th finer gras ses .EGG S : 2 or 3 , cha lky-w h i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— Gu l f coas t of Un i ted S ta tes and

A t lan t i c coa s t of Cen tra l and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom F lor ida and Lou i s iana sou t h to B raz i l ; rare in

Nor t h Ca ro l ina ; acc iden ta l in Wyom ing,Nebraska ,

Iowa, I l l ino i s , Indiana , Massachuset t s , and NovaSco t ia .

than can thousands of Pe l icans , surely there are

fi sh enough in the ocean tha t we shou l d not be

grudge -the l ives o f these in terest ing and spectac

u lar b i rds . I t is not Pel icans that w i l l everex term inate any spec ies o f fi sh , but on ly avar ic i on s man , who al l t o o o f ten petr ifi es his sou l andar t i st ic sen se through inord inate greed of hoarding. The poor Pe l ican never hoards , but on lysat i sfie s the s tern behes t of hunger .

The s igh t o f the advanc ing wedge or l ine of

Courtesy of Nat iona l Associat ion of Audubon Soc iet iesBROWN PEL ICANS

On Eas t T imba l ier Reservation , Lou is iana

106 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

grea t Pel ican s , w i th the i r heavy flappings and

in terval s o f soar ing,is impres s ive, as i s the amaz

ing head long plunge in t o the sea a f ter fi sh . M i r thprovok ing i s the seque l s omet imes w i tnes sed . The

sma l ler L augh ing Gu l l f o l l ow s the grea t Pe l icanand hover s abo v e the spo t where i t plunges . ThePe l ican s oon emerges , ho ld ing the fi sh , wh ich ithas se i zed , in its b i l l . The fi sh , perchance, mu s tbe turned , and the mou th fu l o f sea-water e j ected .

Wh i le the Pe l ican is arrang ing mat ter s , the Gu l la l igh t s on the grea t beak , lean ing over t o watch .

No sooner is the b i l l opened than the s ly Gu l lreaches in ,

se i zes the fi sh , and fl ies away , we may

wel l imagin e laugh ing. The so lemn o l d Pe l icans i ts there b l ink ing,

t oo much a s ton i shed at fir s tt o move . F ina l ly the dread t ruth seem s to dawnon the du l l m ind . W i th a few d i sgus ted flaps ,away i t goes in pursu i t o f ano ther fi sh .

On some i s land s the B rown Pel ican breedson the mangrove t ree s , con struct ing qu i te a bu l kynest o f st ick s . O n o ther s

,wh i ch o f ten are mere

low sand-bar s , the ne s t i s a mere ho l l ow in the

sand , on ly s l igh t ly l ined . Two or three largecoar se- she l led wh i te eggs are la i d . On the t ree sthey are comparat ive ly safe , but on the grounds torms and fl ood s o f ten wash them away and

break up the nest ing. The b i rd s do not a t temptto rescue eggs , when these are dr i f ted t ogetherin w indrows at h igh-wa ter mark s , but s it off on

MAN-O’-WAR -B IRDS

Order S teganopodes ; fami l y Fregati dce

HE M an -o’—war -b irds

, or Frigate Birds , as they are often ca l led , include two

species con stituting the fami l y Fregatidaz . The l arger (Frega ia aqu i la ) occur s insub t rop ical and tropical seas o f both hem i spheres , main l y north of the equator ,

and vi sits more or less regu lar l y the coa sts of Cal i forn ia , Texas , an d Fl orida ,

wandering n orthward occasional l y as far as Nova Scotia . The o ther form sappear in the cen tral Pacific and Indian ocean s , and further south .

In genera l the M an -o’-war —b irds ’p lumage i s un i form l y b l ack i sh i n the adul t

males , whi le the fema les have the upper parts bl ack i sh and the sides and l owerparts white . Other characteri stic phy sical pecul iari ties are the unu sua l l y l ongand stout l y hooked b i l l , the very short shan k , the serrated cl aw of the middletoe

,the narrowweb between the toes , and the pneum atic structure o f the bones

of the skel eton ,wh ich makes the body l ighter than that of any other bird in proportion to

the l ength of the wings , which are greatl y el ongated . The tai l al so i s l ong and deepl y forkedl ike that of the B arn Swa l l ow.

Their most curiou s phy sical feature , however , i s the pouch or air sac of the ma le , which

l ies a long the throat and ,when fu l l y di stended , extends forward as far as the end of the b i l l ,

and downward so as to obscure the breast . When comp l ete l y inflated (which i s aecompl ished by mean s of tubes connected with the bronchi ) it presents the appearance of a l arge ,

scarlet bal loon . Doubt less thi s i s a sexual man i festation , and plays a part in the courtship

the wa ter and so lemn ly ponder . U sua l ly,in .

t ime, they w i l l lay aga in .

Pe l ican I s lan d , in Ind i an R iver,Fla , i s the

bes t- known breed ing co l ony , the fi rst such t o bemade a governmen t reservat i on . Fo rmer ly therewere mangrove t ree s , but the se have d i ed off ,

and the thousand s o f Pe l ican s ne s t on the ground .

Now and then a st orm fl ood s the i s land and de

stroys a l l eggs and young. I t i s remarkable tha tin th i s protected co l ony the b i rd s each year havenested ear l ier and ear l ier

,un t i l now laying is

begun in November , though on the west coas t ofF l or i da the eggs are not la i d un t i l Apr i l and May .

On June 2 1,19 15, I v i s i ted a grea t co l ony of

ten or twelve thou san d breed ing on East T imba l ier I s lan d

, on the wes t coa s t o f L ou i s iana ,

th i s a l s o be ing a governmen t reservat i on . Thoughi t was so late in the season

, the Pe l ican s hadj u s t la i d the i r eggs ; not one had yet ha tched .

The nes t s were a l l on the sand o f the low i s lan d .

The i r lateness may have been due t o robbery or

d i sa s ter el sewhere ear l i er in the sea son . At anyrat-e, i t made them t oo late t o ma ture the youngbe fo re a terr ible tropi ca l hurr icane v i s i ted the

coa s t in Augu s t , and every one o f the thousandso f young b i rd s on the i s land s per i shed .

Surely the b i rds ha ve en ough to con ten d w i thw i thou t hav ing man as an enemy !

HERBER T K . JOB .

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1 08

ocean ,but u sua l ly they are seen laz i ly float ing in

space, or el se on the i r roos ts or flock ing on the

beach .

On B i rd Key ,Dry Tor tugas , off F l or i da,

s ome hundred s o f them stay in the Tern co lonydur ing the nest ing season . \Vh i le I was therethey comm i t ted no depredat i on s , but the wardensays they at tack the Tern s as these are br ingingfi sh for the i r young, compe l them ,

throughv ic i ou s swoops, to d i sgo rge, and de f t ly catch the

Drawing by R . I B rasher

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

del icacy , usua l ly bef ore i t reache s the water .

Thou sand s o f them ,l ikew i se ,

stay on In d i an KeyR eserva t i on ,

Fla . , near St. Peter sburg, and won

derfu l s oar ing fl igh t s may be seen po i sed overthe i s land . At cl o se range the i r great hookedb i l l s g ive them a rather fierce appearance ,

thougho f tal on s they have l i t t le t o boast , the i r feet be ingweak and clum sy

,fi t on ly for perch ing. But

the i r w ings m igh t wel l be the envy and de spa i ro f many another b i rd . HERBER T K . JOB .

MAN-O’-WAR -B IRD (é nat. S ize)

A genu ine fea thered aeroplane

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I I O B IRDS OF AMER ICA

MERGANSER

M ergus am er icanus Cass in

A . O . U . Number 1 29

O ther Names . Amer ican Goosander ; Amer i canS he ldrake ; Amer ican Mergan ser ; Grea ter Mergan ser ;Pond S he ldrake ; B ig She ldrake ; F resh -wa ter S he ld rake ; W in ter Sh e ldrake ; Buff -breas ted She ldrake ;Buff-breas ted Mergan ser ; F i s h ing Duck ; F i sh Duck ;S aw-b i l l ; B ig Saw-b i l l ; B reak H orn ; Dun D i ver( fema le) ; Mo roc co-head ( fema le) .

Gen era l Descr ipt ion . L engt h , 25 inches . Adu l tma les have the head and upper par t s green i sh -b lack ,w h i le the fema les and imma tu re have the head red and

the upper par t s gray ; al l have the under par t s wh i te.

B i l l , cy l indr ica l .Col on — A DULT MALE : H ead and upper par t of

n eck , dark lus trous green ; upper par t s , g los sy blackshading to ashy-

gray on rump and ta i l , t h i s co lor run

n ing up back of n ec k acu te ly bu t not reach ing the green

of head ; outer edge of shou lder and mos t of w ing ,

pure wh i te, crossed by one black bar formed by baseso f grea ter cover t s ; pr imar ies and outer secondar ies ,b lack , the latter shading to w h i te and black inward ly ;under pa r t s , pure w h i te, shaded a long s ides w i t h pa lep ink i sh w here marb led w i th dusky ; b i l l and feet , v-er

m i l i on ; hook of b i l l , blac k w i t h some o f the same co lor

In the dead o f w in ter when the wh i te deathcovers the land and even the ice-bound waters ,we may fi nd here and there in the courses o f thelarger New Englan d r iver s an open s tretch where

Drawing by R . I . Brasher

S ee Color Pla te 10

on r idge ; i r i s red . ADULT FEMALE : H ead and neck ,reddi sh-brown ; the s l igh t c res t more brown i sh ; ch in ,

t h roa t , and under par t s , wh i te ; upper par t s , a shy-

gray ,

the fea t he rs s l igh t ly darker cen t ra l ly ; w h i te of w ingres tr i c ted to a pa tch formed by secondar ies and grea tercover t s ; pr ima r ies , dusky ; b i l l , reddi sh , pa ler at basew i t h dusky r idge ; feet , orange w i t h dusky webs ;i r i s

, ye l low i sh - red . IM M ATURE : “

S im i lar to adu l tfema le .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In ho l low t ree, on ground ,or in crev ices of rocks ; con s t ructed of mos s , leaves ,and gras s . and warm ly l ined w i t h down . EGGs : 6 to 10,

pa le buffy .

Di s tr ibuti on . Nor th Amer ica ; breeds from sou t hern A la ska acros s B r i t i sh Amer i ca to sou thern Ungavaand New found land , sou t h to O regon , Sou t h Dako ta ,

M inneso ta , M ich igan ,Vermon t , New H ampsh i re,

Ma ine,and nor t hern New York , and in moun ta in s south to

nor t hern Ca l i forn ia , cen tra l Ar i zona , nor t hern New

Mex ico , and Penn sy lvan ia ( former ly ) w in ter s th roughout the grea ter pa r t of i t s range sou t h to nor t hernLower Ca l i forn ia ,

northern Mex ico, Texas , Lou i s iana ,

F lor ida , and Bermuda .

the floods f oam over the rocks o f a broken rapi d .

Here we may see a pa i r o f large w i l d Ducksbrea s t ing the to rren t , sw imm ing and d iv ing as

compo sed ly in the turmo i l o f water s as i f they

MERGANSER nat. s ize)A fresh-water bird , rarely seen on sa lt water .

MERGANSER S

were tak ing the i r exerc i se in a plac i d lake . The i rmark ing, the dark green gl o s sy head o f the ma le ,

its gl i s ten ing l igh t under par t s . and the cres tedhead o f the fema le at once i den t i fy them as

Mergan ser s , for th i s i s the on ly Amer ican Duckthe fema le o f wh i ch i s cre s ted wh i le the adu l tma le i s not . The feather s on the head o f thema le are e l onga ted somewha t but he has no suchcres t as that o f the fema le . The young o f bothsexes are mo re or le s s cre s ted .

The b i rd s are s i len t and i f und i s tu rbed theyd i l igen t ly d ive and cha se the i r fi nny prey beneath the sur face . I f d i s turbed they r i se and flyto some other rapi d , for on ly in such place s canthey fi nd food in w in ter . Somet imes when sud

den ly a larmed they croak s o lemn ly but th i s i srare . O rd inar i ly they fly at a speed o f perhapsfor ty m i le s an hour but i f s tar t led they can dis

tance a ra i l road t ra in go ing at that Speed .

RED BREASTED MERGANSER

M ergus serra tor L inneeusA . O . U . Number 1 3 0

O t her Names . She lduck ; She l l-b i rd ; Long I s landShe ldrake ; Spr ing S he ldrake ; Sa l t-wa ter She ldrake ;Saw-b i l l ; Common Saw-b i l l ; F i sh ing Duck ; F i sh Duck ;Red—breas ted S he ldrake ; R ed -breas ted Goosander ; SeaRob in .

Gen era l De scr ipt ion . L eng th , 24 in ches . Adu l tma les have the head and upper pa rt s green i sh -black ,wh i le the fema les and imma ture have the head red

and the upper par t s ash y -gray ; al l have the under par t s

wh i te , but the ma les have a band of brown i sh — red on

the breas t . Bo t h sex es have a. long cres t of thin poin tedfea thers .

COIOI’ .— ADULT MALE : H ead and upper neck al l

around , dark ma l la rd g reen ; under par t s , w h i te , u sua l lyw i t h pa le pin k i sh Shading ; fore-br eas t , brown ish- red

s treak ed w i th dusky ; s ides , fi ne ly waved w i th. the same

co lor ; fore-bac k . shou lder s , and long inner secondar ies ,b lack ; m idd le and lower back , gray waved wi t h w h i t i shand dusky ; rump and ta i l . gray i sh : a. nar row black l i neextend ing up back of neck , reachi ng color of head ;w ings , mos t ly w h i te ; inner secondar ies . edged on outerweb w i t h black ; lesser cover t s , enc i rc led by blac k ; twoblack bars ac ross w ing beh ind g reater cover t s ; pr i

The R ed-brea s ted M ergan ser is a sw i f t and

rather s i len t flyer,and an exceed ingly exper t

d iver . Wh i le sw imm ing on the sur face i t s ome

t ime s ra i ses and l owers its crest . Th i s is moreV O L . 1 — 9

S ee Color Plate 10

o f a mar l ne spec ie s than the Amer i can M er

gan ser , but is neverthele s s not uncommon in the

in ter i or o f the coun t ry . par t icu lar ly in the lakeregi on s , dur ing m igrat i on .

Th i s is a f re sh -water b i rd,rare ly seen on sa l t

water ex cept when d r iven there by very sev eref reez ing weather . As soon as the ice break s upin Spr ing number s o f the se shel drake s may be

seen in the pond s and r iver s o f the No r th foll ow ing ret reat ing w in ter t o h i s la i r .

The Mergan ser n es ts no rma l ly in ho l l owtrees and is sa i d t o carry the y oung t o the waterin its b i l l . I t feed s ma in ly on fi sh that are not

much va lued by man,such as m innows , chubs

,

and sucker s , and in the sa l t water i t dev our s a l s ocru s tacean s and mo l lu s k s .Its flesh as o rd inar i ly cooked i s so ran k and

s t rong that its flavo r is not much super i or t othat o f an o ld kero sene lamp-w ick but s ome o fthe hardy gunner s o f the A t lan t ic coa s t knowhow t o prepare i t for the table in a way tomake i t qu i te pa latable .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU S H .

mar ies , dusky ; b i l l , carm ine,dusky on top and tip ; feet ,

br igh t red ; eyes , carm ine. ADULT FEM ALE : Cres t ,doub le ; head , c hes tnu t , more brown on c rown and c res t ;t h roat , pa ler but not w h i te ; benea t h , w h i te, shaded on

s ides w i t h ashy-

gray ; above , pla in ashy-

g ray , the

feat her s dark cen tra l ly ; w h i te of w ing res t r i c ted to a

pat ch formed by ends of grea ter cover t s and outersecondar ies ; the ba se and ends of grea ter cover t s ,dusky ; pr imar ies , pla in dusky ; b i l l , red , pa le r at base,

w i t h dusky r idge and tip ; fee t , du l l reddi sh , w ebsdarker ; h is red .

Nes t and Egg s . NEST : On the ground . in brush or

c rev i ces of rocks , nea r wa ter ; made o f leaves , g ra s s ,and mos ses , and l in ed w i t h fea t her s and down f rom the

paren t s . EGGS ; 6 to 12 , usua l ly 9 or 10,o l i ve buff .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern pa r t of nor t hern hem is

phere ; breeds in Nor t h Amer i ca f rom A la ska a longA rc t i c coa s t to Green land ( la t i tude sout h to Br i t i shCo lumb ia , A lber ta , M inneso ta , W i s con s in , nor t hern New

York,Ma ine, and Sab le I s land ; w in ters t h roughou t

mos t of i ts range sout h to Lower Ca l i forn ia, Lou i s iana ,

and F lor ida ; oc curs casua l ly in the Bermudas Cuba ,

and H awa i i .

1 12

In the w in ter , mo st o f the b i rds of th i s spec i e swh ich are seen in Mas sachu set t s appear to beful l—plumaged ma le s

,wh i le in summer the few

wh ich rema in w i th us appear t o be fema les .Some o f them

,however

,may be ma les in the

ecl ipse plumage . I have not iced that practica l ly al l the b i rds seen in w in ter in F l or i da are

fema les or young. Th i s , t ogether w i th the factthat m o s t of tho se seen in M assachu set t s inw in ter are ma les, seems t o ind icate that the hardy

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Courtesy of S . A . Lot tr idgeRED-BREASTED MERGANSER

A swift and rather s i len t fi yer, and an exceedingly expert d iver

HOODED MERGANSER

L ophody tes cucul l atus (L innd’ns )

A . O . U . Number 1 3 1

O ther Names — H ooded She ldrake ; L i t t le. Wood ,Swamp, Pond , M ud . P i c kax , o r Summer

, Sheld rake ;L i t t le F i sh ing , or Fi sh , Duck ; L i t t le Saw-b i l l Duck ;Saw-b i l l D i ver ; Round-cres ted Duck ; Fan-cres tedDuck ; Tree Duck ; Wood Duck : Spi ke-b i l l ; H a i rycrown ; H a i ry-head ; Mos s—head ; Tow- head ; Tadpo le ;Water P hea san t .Genera l D escr ipt ion . Length , 17% in ches . Ma les

are b lack above an d w h i te be low ; fema les are g ray i shbrown above and w h i t i sh be low . B i l l , narrow and t h in .

The adu l t ma le has a t h in sem i -c i rcu lar cres t capableof be ing opened or shut l i ke a fan .

Col or . A D ULT MALE : H ead , neck , and upper par ts ,b lack shading to brown on lower back ; cr es t

,mos tly

white w i th narrow black border behind and wider black

S ee Co lor Plate 1 1

space in fron t ; the wh i te ex tending a l i t t le be low leve lof eyes ; brea s t and under par t s , w h i te invad ing the

b lack a rea j u s t in f ron t of w ings by two broad s t reaks ;a wh i te specu lum w i th two b lack bars formed by the

ou ter w ebs of secondar ies and greater cover ts ; innersecondar ies , black w i t h w h i te cen ter s tr ipes ; s ides be low,

regu lar ly and fine ly waved w i t h ru fous and black ;under ta i l -coverts , waved w i t h dusky ; b i l l , black ; feet ,ye l low i sh ; i r i s . yel low . ADULT FEM ALE : Cres t bushy ;head and neck , gray i sh - ches tnut , browner on crown ;back and s ides , dusky- brown , the feat hers w i t h pa leredges not waved ; specu lum of w ing , sma l ler and c ros sedby on ly one dark bar ; t h roa t and under par ts in gen

era l , wh i t i sh ; b i l l , dusky , orange at base be low ; feet,brown i sh .

ma les do not go so far south in w in ter as do

the fema les and young.

The R ed-breasted M ergansers feed large ly on

fi sh , d iv ing and charg ing through the schoo l s ofsma l l fi sh ,

wh ich they se i ze and ho l d fa s t_w i th

the i r saw- t oothed b i l l s . Thoreau notes that hesaw Shel d rake s (presumably o f th i s spec ies )cha s ing fi sh by both sw imm ing and fly ing al ongthe sur face . A few shel l - fi sh are eaten at t ime s .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH, in Game B irds

,

l/Vi ld—Fowl and S hore B irds .

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DUCKS

Ne st and Eggs . NEST : In ho l low t rees , l in ed w i t hg rass,

leaves , fea t her s , and down . EGGS : 6 to 10, i voryw h i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer ica at large ; breeds f romcen t ra l B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , Grea t S lave Lake, ac rossB r i t i sh Amer ica to New found land sout h to sou thern

The Hooded Mergan ser i s a d i s t inct ive lyAmer ican b i rd and i s the mo s t beaut i fu l o f i tsfam i ly . V i vac i ou s , act i v e , e legan t in fo rm , grace

fu l in car r iage ,its pre sence add s a pecu l iar charm

to the l i t t le pond s and s t ream s on wh ich i t del igh ts t o d i spor t . I t f requen t s clear s t ream s andmuddy poo l s a l i ke ,

and its wh i te and black plumage s t rongly con t ras ted aga in s t the sh in ing waterand the surroun d ing f o l iage mak es a picture not

s oon f o rgotten . One who has seen a sma l l flocko f th i s spec ies playing on the dark water s o f at i ny shaded poo l w i th two or three beau t i fu lma le s dar t ing abou t among the other s

,open ing

and c l o s i ng the i r fan - l ike cre s t s and throw ingthe spark l ing d rops in shower s over the i r gl i s tening plumage ,

w i l l rare ly fi nd anywhere a finerand more an imated picture o f b i rd l i fe .

I t i s wel l known that th i s b i rd ne s t s in ho l l owtree s and tha t the young are e i ther carr i ed to the

1 13

O regon , nor t hern New Mex ico , sout hern Lou i s iana , and

cen t ra l F lor ida ; w in ter s in sou the rn B r i t i sh Co lumb ia ,

acros s the U n i ted S ta tes on abou t la t i tude 41° sou th

to Lower Ca l i forn ia , Mex ico , the Gu l f S ta tes , and Cuba ;ra re in nor t hea s tern par t of range ; recorded f romA la ska , and f rom Europe and Bermuda .

wa ter by the mother s oon a fter they are hatched,

or are pu shed out o f the ne s t and ,fa l l ing unhur t

to the ground , are led to the water by the paren t .She seem s t o be rather a S i len t b i rd , but has a

hoarse croak at t ime s and probably has voca lmean s o f commun icat i on w i th her l i t t le one s .Th i s Duck is exceed ingly sw i f t on the w ing,

a

profic ien t d i ver , and a fa s t sw immer both on and

under the su r face . Its t oothed b i l l places i t w i ththe fi sh—eat ing Duck s , but i t feed s on v egetablemat ter a l so , and Col . John E . Thayer says thati t read i ly eat s corn . No doubt i t cou l d bedome s t icated , and i f so i t wou l d make a greatadd i t i on t o the o rnamenta l water fow l on parksand large e s tate s . Notw i th s tand ing its unpa lat

able fi shy flav o r it is shot by gunner s at everyoppo rtun i ty and has decreased great ly in num

ber s Where f ormer ly i t was common .

EDWA RD HOWE FORBU SH .

O 6

D U CK S

Order Anseres ; fam i ly Ana tiday ; sub fam i l ies Anatinae and Fn l ign l inae

NDER the general term Duck are inc luded a very large variety of forms ,some of which do not measure up to the popu lar notion of what a rea l Duck i s .

From the scientific point o f view , the Ducks include a large group of birdscon stituting the subfami l ies R iver Duck s and Sea Ducks of the order A nseres

orWaterfowl . Most of them have the body longer than the neck , and a broad ,

flattened bi l l , whi l e the front of the tarsu s is fitted wi th over lapping sca les .

The sexes are un l ike in color . The characteri stic “

wadd le ” of the Duck on

l and is due to the fact that i ts legs are placed far back on i ts body , an arrange

ment which , however , in creases i ts sk i l l in swimm ing and d iving. The wingsare rigid , strong, and usua l l y poin ted , and capable of driv ing the b ird ’s bodyat great speed ; the plumage is exceptiona l l y den se and soft .

Wi l d Ducks fa l l natural l y in to the two groups known as R iver or Pond Duck s and

Sea or Bay or Diving Ducks . The Sea Ducks (which are found v irtual l y a l l over the wor ld )differ from the R iver Ducks in hav ing the hind toe broad l y l obed or webbed , and includespecies main l y of l arge si ze . The term s Sea and R iver shou ld not be taken too

l itera l l y , for certain species of each group may be found on the ocean , on ri vers , or on bodiesof fresh water we l l in land . The Sea Ducks , of which about seven ty species are recogn i zed ,

feed main l y on mo l lu sk s , she l lfish , and the roo t s and seeds of aqua t ic p lan t s , which they getby d iv ing, often to a con siderable depth

, as is proved by the fact that in Lake ErieOld — squawDucks have been caught in fi shermen

’

s nets at depth s of from eighty to one hundred feet

1 14 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

M ost of their feeding is done in daytime , and at even ing they go out to sea where they passthe n ight often several mi les from shore .

The R iver Ducks , of which there are about seven ty species , get most of their food bysearching the bottom in water so shal l ow that diving i s not necessary . Wi th a few excep

tion s —n otab l y the Canvas-back — their flesh i s more pa latab le than i s that of the Sea

Duck s . Again , the Sea Duck s often go in en ormou s flocks , whi le the R iver Duck flocksare comparativel y smal l , rarel y exceeding forty or fifty indiv idual s . The range of the R iverDucks , l ike that of the Sea Duck s , is very wide , representatives of the group occurring inboth hemi spheres . The p lumage of both groups di sp lay s a very great variety of col ors ,from the p l ain hues of the B lack Duck to the remarkab l y gaudy and vari egated Wood Duck .

Usual l y the secondary qu i l l s of the wings show patches of varied or iridescen t col or and

th i s patch is ca l led the specu lum .

Excepting the Wood Duck , a l l of the American R iver Ducks bui ld their nests , wh ich are

composed of grasses , l eaves , moss , and the l i ke , on the ground , sometimes on dry l and at a

d i stance from water , but more frequentl y in swampy land , where the grass i s high enoughfor concealment . Their eggs u sua l l y show shades of green , buff , or cream col ors . The Sea

Duck s al so bu i l d ground nests of l eaves , grasses , twigs , seaweed , and the l i ke, which are l inedwi th down from the breast of the sitting bird . The eggs number from four or fi ve to a

do zen or more , and are buffy , green i sh , b lui sh , or cream in co lor .

MAL LARD

Anas pl atyrhyn chos L inneeu-s

A . O . U . Number 1 3 2 S ee Co lor Plate 1 2

O t h er Names . Common W i ld Duck ; S tock Duck ;Eng l i sh Duck ; F ren c h Duck ; Green - head (ma le ) GrayDuck ( fema le ) Gray Ma l lard ( fema le ) .

General Descr ipt ion . Leng t h , 22 to 24 inches .

o l i ve ; feet , orange-red ; i r i s , brown . ADULT MALE 1N

S UM M ER : S im i lar to fema le . ADULT FEM ALE : En t i rebody ,

var iega ted w i t h dusky-brown and tawny , wi t hye l low i sh -brown edges to mos t of fea t hers , l igh ter in

Co lor of ma le : head , green ; back , gray i sh -brown ; underpar t s , gray wi t h purpl i sh -ches tnu t breas t . Co lor of

fema le : dusky-brown and tawny , var iega ted and

l igh ter be low t han above .

Descr ipt ion . AD ULT MALE 1N W IN TER AND BREEDI NG PLUM AGE : Frequen t ly severa l o f the upper ta i lcover t s cur l upward . H ead and upper neck , g lossy

gr een , w i t h shadings of purple and deep P rus s ian blue ;around neck

, 0 whi te r ing ; back , gray i sh -brown , morebrown in cen ter and on shou lder s ; lower back , rump,

and ta i l -cover t s , g los sy b lack ; ta i l , mos t ly w h i t i sh w i t hcen ter fea ther s long and recurved ; specu lum , v iol et ,purpl ish , and green ish , framed in bloc/e and wh i te tipsof greater cover ts and s econdar ies

,form ing al l toget her

two black and two w h i te bar s ; les ser w ing cover t s , pla ing ray i sh ; breas t , r i c h pu rpl i sh - ches tnu t ; res t of underpar t s , s i lvery-

gray fine ly z igzagged wi t h dusky ; b i l l ,

A sked to name the one duck most importan t tothe human race, the econom i s t wou l d reply at

once The Ma l lard .

”O ther duck s are

numerous in certa in lan d s but the Ma l lard ocenpi e s mo s t o f the no r thern hem i sphere ari d i s

co lor be low t han on back ; head and neck , qu i te buffyw i t h s treaks of brown i sh ; w in-g as in ma le ; feet , du l lye l low ; b i l l , dusky spo t ted w i t h orange ; i r i s , brown .

IM M ATURE : S im i lar to adu l t fema le .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the ground in a tu ssockof gras s or weeds ; bu i l t of fi ne reeds , gras s , or leaves ;we l l l ined w i t h down . EGGS ; 6 to IO, pa le o l i ve or

bufl'

y-

green .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern hem i sphere ; in Nor t hAmer i ca breeds f rom P r ib i lo f I s lands and nor t hwes ternA la ska ac ros s B r i t i sh Amer i ca to Green land, sou t h toLower Ca l i forn ia and acros s the Un i ted S ta tes on abou tthe para l le l of w in ter s f rom A leu t ian Is lands ,Mon tana , Wyom ing , Nebra ska , sou t hern W i scon s in ,

O h io , Mary land , and Nova S co t ia (ra re ly ) sout h to

Mex i co , the L es ser An t i l les , and Panama ; casua l inBermuda and H awa i i .

abun dan t wherever i t has not been dest royed or

reduced in number s by man . W i l d Ma l lard shave furn i shed mank ind w i th coun t less t ons o ff ood f rom t ime immemor ia l and domest icatedM al lard s have prov i ded our race w i th vast

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1 16 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Exam inat i on s o f one hund red and twen ty- six

s tomach s o f Ma l lards , made at the B i o l ogica lSurvey , revea led 17 per cen t . an ima l food and

83 per cen t . vegetable . The mo s t impo rtan t i tems

Photo by Edward F le ischerFEMALE MALLARD

B LACK DUCK

Anas rub r ipes B rewsterA . O . U . Number 1 3 3

O t her Names . Dusky Duck ; B lack Ma l lard ; Du skyMa l la rd ' Red - legged Duck ; Summer B lac k Duc k ;Spr ing B lac k Duc k .

Gen era l De scr ipt i on . L eng th , 22 to 24 in c hes .Co lor

,dusky -brown . Darker than fema le M a l lard and

not so muc h Wh i te in the w ing .

Col or . Gen era l plumage , dus ky- brown , pa ler be low ;c rown , da rker t han s ides and t h roat , be ing qu i te b lack i shw i t h pa le brown s t reaks ; g round co lor of nec k , gray i shbrown w i t h dark s t reak ing ; w ing-cover t s , du sky-

gray ,

the les ser one s var ied w i t h l igh t edges ; g rea ter cover t s ,t ipped w i t h blac k and edg ing purpl ish- blue specn ln

-rn ;

be low , the l igh ter edg ings o f fea t her s in exces s of

The B lack Duck and the M a l lard are in certa inways supplemen tary each o f the o ther . The

former is the common W i l d Duck o f the ea s ternha l f o f No r th Amer ica ; the lat ter , o f the we s ternha l f , though they o ver lap con s i derably . Theyare enough a l i k e in f o rm , s i ze , and hab i t s t o becal led popu lar ly B lack M a l lard and

“

GrayM a l lard . There is , never thele s s , a dec i ded d i fference in temperamen t . Though the w i l d Mal

lard i s a v ery shy b i rd , i t s oon l o ses th i s fear incapt iv i ty , as is seen in the fact that i t i s the progen i t or o f the domes t icated Mal lard . The B lackDuck , under res t ra i n t , rema in s the same shy ,

t im i d sku l ker i t a lways was . In fact I know of

no Duck mo re implacably w i l d .

See Co lor Plate 1 2

o f the an ima l f oo d were dragon -fly nymph s , flylarvae , grasshopper s , beet les, and bugs . Mo-l lusk s

,

earthworms, and crustacean s were f oun d . The

pr inc ipa l e lemen t s o f the vegetable f ood , as f oun dby the exper t s o f the B i o l ogica l Survey , werethe seed s o f the smar tweed s , seed s and tuberso f pon dweed and o f sedges . O ther i tem s o f impo r tance were the seed s o f W i l d r ice and o thergra s se s , o f burr reed

,ho rnwor t

, wa ter sh i el d andw i dgeon grass . A great many vegetable sub

stances of le s s importance were inc luded in the

Mal lard’s d ie t,o f wh ich the f o l l ow ing are worthy

o f no te ; w i l d celery , a lgae, root s o f ar rowhead ;f ru i t s

,such as grapes , dogwood , sour gum ,

and

bayberr ie s ; and the seed s o f such sma l l aquat icplan ts as m i l lweed ,

horned pondweed , and mer

ma i d weed .

”

(Fo rbush ,in Game B irds, Wi ld

Fow l and S hore Bi rds . )

darker cen ters ; above, the reverse ; b i l l O l i ve ; feet ,orange- red w i th dusky webs ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : On the ground ; a rat herlarge we l l -made s t ructure of weeds and gra s s w i t h a

deep cup ; l ined w i t h down and feat hers . EGGS : 6 to

12 , very pa le buff or pa le green i sh -buff .D i s t r ibu t ion . Eas tern Nor th Amer ica ; breeds f romcen t ra l Keewa t in and nor t he rn Ungava sou t h to nor thern W i scon s in ,

nor th ern Indiana and sou t hern M ary

land ; w in ter s f rom Nova S co t ia sou t h to sou thernLou i s iana and Co lorado ; in m igra t ion wes t to Nebraskaand cen t ra l Kan sas ; casua l in B ermuda ; acc i den ta l inJama i ca .

In the eastern ha l f o f the U n i ted S tates itbreed s

,in su i tab le l oca l i t ies , in the M i dd le S tates

and as far north as we l l up in t o Labrador . The

l ocat i on s cho sen for its nes t ing are th ick ,bushy

swamps , reedy bogs , the h igher edges o fmeadow s

,t ract s o f weed s or low bru sh on sma l l

i s lan d s, and the l i k e . As w i th al l W i l d Duck s

,the

nes t i s hard to d i scover , except by acc i den ta l lyflu sh ing the fema le f rom the eggs . My fi rst exper ience was in pl o dd ing through the th ick o f ana l der swamp, when a big b i rd sudden ly sho tf rom the ground a lmo s t in t o my face , revea l inga dozen large yel l ow i sh—wh i te eggs under the

vegetat i on .

Nest ing is qu i te ear ly in Connect icut , somet imes

DUCKS

as soon as the fi r s t day s o f Apr i l , but mo re general ly f rom abou t Apr i l 20 t o the fi r s t week inM ay . The brood s keep very cl o se in the th ickswamps , and sel dom Show them se lve s on openwater

, un les s i t be cl o se to th ick aquat ic reeds orgra s s . Dur ing Augu s t they take t o w ing, and the

number o f them reared in the v ic in i ty can be

j udged s omewhat by the i r even ing fl ight s . Theyare crepuscu lar and con s i derably nocturna l , flying and feed ing dur ing the n ight and at dawn and

du sk .

Photograph by HfK Job

1 17

The plan t ing o f w i l d - duck food s has become a

rea l art. Captured b i rd s are induced to breedin mar shy enc l o sures . The eggs are g i ven t odomes t i c pou l try , wh ich ra i se the young s ome

wha t tamer . The se han d- reared b i rd s breed much

more read i ly than the w i l d paren t s . Man y o fthe young are a l l owed to go W i l d , and these ,

through“

the hom ing in st inct ,”retu rn in spr ing

t o breed in the l oca l i ty . HERBER T K . JOB .

In the i n ter i or the food o f th i s spec ie s i slargel y vegetable , part icu lar ly in the fa l l . In

BLACK DUCK SJus t after a ligh ting

The B lack Duck i s notably hardy , and can en

dure a lmo st anyth ing in the l ine o f co l d , so l ongas i t can fi nd open water in warm spr ings or sma l ls t reams , where its f ood o f aquat ic an ima l s or

plan t s is acces s ible . I have seen i t in woodedswamps in mid—w in ter , where there was Open themeres t l i t t le channe l o f a sma l l st ream . A t t imes

,

in reg i on s a l ong the sea- coa s t,i t fl ies out on the

bays , or the open sea in dayt ime,to take refuge

f rom d i s turbance .

Impor tan t pract ica l pro j ect s have been carr iedout by pr ivate en terpr i se t o e s tabl ish the breed ingo f th i s and other spec i es o f W i l d Ducks in larget racts o f swampy land , where there are pond s .

the spr ing mo re an imal f ood is taken . The y ege

table f ood includes gras s root s tak en f rommeadows , root s , and shoot s o f aquat ic plan t s ,w i l d r ice

, gra in s , weed seed s , hazel nut s , aco rn sand berr ie s . The an ima l f ood includes sma l lf rogs and t oad s , tadpo les , sma l l m innows , newt s ,ear thworm s

,leeches

,and sma l l shel l—fi sh . The

food o f the B lack Duck has the same pract ica lin teres t for the game pre server as has that o fthe M al lard , for the B lack Duck i s cl osely relatedto the Ma l lard , thr ive s a lmo s t equa l ly wel l ongra in ,

and when gra in fed becomes a very ex

cel lent b i rd for the table . (Forbu sh , in Game

B irds,Wi ld-Fowl and S hore B i rds . )

1 18 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

FLOR IDA DUCK

Anas fu l v igu l a ful v igul a R idgway

A . O . U . Number 1 3 4

L eng th . 22 inches .Col or . L igh ter co lored than the B lack Duck , the

buff mark ings in exces s of the dark ones, g i v ing a

l ighter genera l tone ; c heeks , ch in , and t h roat, pla in pa le

The F l or i da Duck is one o f our l i t t le—knownspec i es o f water- f owl becau se its range i s veryl im i ted and nowhere does i t seem to be abundan t .I t cl ose ly resembles the common B lack Duck ofthe n or thern S tates , pract ica l ly the on ly d i fference be ing the absence o f st reaks on the neckand a l so the fact tha t i t i s o f sma l ler s i ze . So far

as known at the presen t t ime i t i s con fined t oF lor i da and the coast coun try o f L ou i s iana . On

the pa lmet t o pra i r ie s o f H i l l sbo ro Coun ty ,F l or i da

,I d i scovered s ome one summer sw im

m ing about w i th the i r young in the sma l l s l oughsand gras sy pond s o f the regi on . When pur suedthe fema le wou l d flu t ter away w i th a greatspla sh ing and g iv ing every ev i dence of a h igh lyn ervous state o f m ind . The young mean t imescampered for cover , wi th bod ies ra i sed h igh out

o f the water , prope l l ing themse lves f orward at

a most ast on i sh ing rate . The ma le b i rd was inno ca se seen in company w i th h is fam i ly . An

o ther t ime I came upon severa l o f them at L akeF l in t and aga in at Lake H icpochee in the Oke

chobee coun try . Here they were feed ing in the

sha l l ow water in company w i th numerous Cootswh ich abound in the regi on . They are greatb i rd s t o dabble and seem thorough ly t o en j oy the

buffy ; b i l l , o l i ve ; na i l , black and dark spot at base ;feet, orange- red ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . S im i lar to the B lack Duck .

D i str ibution . Nor t hwes tern to sou thern F lor ida .

sensat ion o f muddying the waters . Frequen t lythey quacked t o each o ther , but the i r notes seemedto me t o be ind i st ingu i shable f rom the ca l l o fthe B lack Duck .

A long the L ou i s iana coast there ex i s t ex ten s ivesal t and brack i sh water marshes through wh ichw i de creeks or bayous w ind the i r serpen t ine wayt o the open sea . Th i s is a haven for the myr iad so f Ducks and Geese that repa i r here t o spendthe w in ter . Upon the approach o f Spr ing, how

ever , they depar t for the ir northern breed inggrounds and the deserted marshes are lef t t othe mosqu i toes , the snakes , and the a l l igat ors .

And yet a few scat tered b i rds tarry and bravethe d i scom f orts o f the swel ter ing summer days .Shou l d you at th i s season qu iet ly padd le a

pi rogue a l ong the sma l ler bayous, there wou ldbe a chance of com ing upon the rare, elu s iveF l or i da Duck and her brood , and you m igh t get agl impse, or even a qu ick photograph , of thembefore they hurry in t o the marsh and d i sappear .

T . G I LBER T PEARSON .

The M ot t led Duck (Anas fulv igu la macu losa )is a geograph ica l var iat i on o f the F l or i da Duckand is res i den t in southern Texas and southernLou i s iana . The two forms d iffer but l i t t le .

GADWALL

Chau l el asmus streperus (L inncens )A . O . U . Number 1 3 5

O ther Names . Gray Duck ; Gray W idgeon ; CreekDuc k ; B lea t ing Duck ; Speck le-be l ly ; B lar t ing Duck ;Red-w ing .

Gen eral Descr ipt ion . Leng th , 22 in ches . Ma les arebrown i sh -gray above and gray Ibelow ; fema les are l i kefema le Ma l lards , but sma l ler and w ing -

pa tch i s l i ke tha tof the ma le . The on ly R i ver Duc k w i t h a pure w h i te,black -bordered w ing—

pa tch . W ings , long and po in ted ;ta i l w i th 16 fea t hers .De scr ipt ion . ADULT MALE : W i de low crest on top

of head . H ead and neck , gray i sh -brown ,darker on

c rown and nape ; s ides of head , t h roa t , and nec k , speck ledw i t h dusky ; lower neck , breas t , s ides of body , and foreback , dusky w i t h c rescen t ic ba rs of w h i t i sh on breastand waved w i th l igh ter a long s ides ; lower back , duskyshading in to black on rump and upper ta i l -covert s ;

See Color P late 12

shou lders , tinged wi th brown ; les ser wing-coverts , gray ;m iddl e cover ts , ches tnut ; specu lum , white, formed byou ter webs of secondar ies , f ramed in ve lvet-black of

greater cover ts and bordered beh ind wi t h b lack and

ash ; abdomen , wh ite m inute ly z ig-zagged w i th gray ;

under ta i l -covert s , ve l vet -blac k . ADULT FEM ALE : No

cres t . Above , var iega ted w i t h du sky and tawny-brown ,

very s im i lar to fema le Ma l lard , w i thou t any crescen t icor wavy marks of ma le ; breas t and abdomen , wh i tew i t h dusky spo t t ing ; wing as in ma le, w i t hout ches tnutcover ts .Nest and Eggs . NEST : A s l igh t ho l low in a bunch

of gras s or reeds ; usua l ly near wa ter ; con s tructed of

dry g ras s ; l ined w i t h down and fea t hers . EGGS : 8 to 12,

creamy or buffy-w h i te .

D i s tr i bu t ion . Near ly cosmopo l i tan ; in Nor t h Amer

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DUCKS

ica breeds f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , cen t ra lA lber ta and cen t ra l Keewa t in sou t h to sout hern Ca l iforn ia ,

sou t hern Co lorado , nor t hern Nebra ska and

sout hern W i s con s in ; w in ters f rom sout hern B r i t i shCo lumbia,

A r i zona ,A rkan sas , sout hern I l l inoi s , and

In North Amer ica th i s a lmo s t co smopo l i tanspec ies , the Gadwa l l , breed s ma in ly

,i f not en

tirely ,in the we s tern pro v inces . There is rea s on

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

GADWALL DUCKL ING S

t o be l i ev e tha t the Gadwa l l was once not uncom

mon in New England ; but w i th in the la s t ha lfcen tury not many spec imen s are known t o hav ebeen taken . W

' i l s on be l iev ed i t to be rare in the

no r thern par t s o f the Un i ted S tates ,” and i twas probably a lways les s common in the New

England S ta te s than in the and South ; but

I am conv inced,by the s ta temen t s o f the o lder

orn i tho l ogi st s and by descr ipt i on s gi ven me by

s ome o f the o lder gunner s , that the Gadwa l l wasmore o f ten seen in the ear ly part o f the la s tcen tury than i t now i s

, and that s ome o f the so

cal led Gray Duck s wh ich were then k i l led herewere o f th i s spec i es .The Gadwa l l is a sw i f t fl ier

,resembl ing the

Ba l dpate or -

'

idgeon when in the a ir . I t i squ i te d i s t inct ly a f re sh-water fow l , and get smuch o f its l iv ing a l ong the sho re s o f lak e s andr i ver s , concea led by the reed s , gra s ses , and bu she sthat grow near the sho re or overhang i t . I t is a

1 19

Nor t h Ca ro l ina sou th to Lower Ca l i forn ia . cen t ra l Mex

ico, and F lo r ida ; ac c iden ta l in Be rmuda,Cuba , and

Jama i ca ; rare in m igra t ion 011 the A t lan t i c coa s t o f theM idd le and New Eng land S ta te s no r t h to New foundland .

good d i ver at need , and i s seen u sua l ly in pa i r sor sma l l bunche s ,” o f ten in company w i th otherDuck s .

approached f rom the land they usu

a l ly make no at tempt at concea lmen t , but sw imt oward open water and take w i ng ,

mak ing a

wh i s t l ing s oun d w i th the i r w ings , tha t is not so

l oud as that made by the Ba l dpate . Th i s i s an

excel len t b i rd for the table,wh i ch accoun t s

largel y for its pre sen t rar i ty . It is fond o fgra i n and is ea s i ly dome s t icated . I t breedsnatura l ly in the lat i tude o f Ma s sachu set t s , and i tm igh t pro v e a great acqu i s i t i on t o the game pre

serve or t o the farm -yard i f i t cou l d be prOpaga ted in suffic i en t number s . I t seem s a prom i sing Spec ies w i th wh ich t o exper imen t w i th th i send in v iew .

The food o f th i s b i rd con s i s t s o f the tendershoot s o f gras ses . blades and root s o f aquat ic

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Out ing Pub . Co .

NES T or GADWALL

plan t s , seed s , nut s , aco rn s , in sect s , mo l lusk s andother sma l l form s o f aquat ic l i fe , inc lud i ng sma l lfi sh .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH , in Game B irds

l l / i ld Fowl and S hore B irds .

EU R OPEAN W'IDGEON

M areca penel-ope (L in /urns )

A . O . U . Number 1 3 6

O t her N am es . W idgeon ;W hew ; VV him .

L eng t h . 18 to 2 1 inches .Col or . ADULT MALE : D i ffers f rom the Ba ldpa te in

W h i s t ler ; Whewer ;See Color Plate 1 3

hav ing head and neck un i form c i nnamon - red ; tOp of

head , c reamy o r w h i te ; res t o f plumage s im i lar . ADULTFEMALE : D i ffer s in hav ing en t i re plumage more su f

fu sed w i t h ye l low i sh -brown .

120 B IR DS OF

Nes t and Eggs . S im i lar to t hose of the Ba ldpa te .

D i s tr ibu t ion . No r t h ern par t o f the eas tern hem is

phere ; occurs in w in ter and in m igra t ion s ra re ly in

The European W i dgeon i s an O l d Wor l dspec ies wh ich occas i ona l ly appear s in the we s ternhem i sphere . Norma l ly i t breed s among the

gra s sy swamps and lakes o f No rway and Swedenand i s accoun ted the most abundan t o f the Ducks

AMER ICA

W i s con s in ,M ich igan , New York , Nova Sco t ia , New

foundland, and Green land sou t h to Nebraska , M i s sour i ,

Indiana , O h io, Nor t h Caro l ina and F lor ida , and in

A laska , B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , and Ca l i forn ia .

in L apland . Somet imes i t breed s on the lakes o fnor thern Sco t lan d but i t is a lways an abun dan tW in ter v is itor

’

to s ou thern Sco t lan d and throughout England . In s i ze and genera l character itc l o sely resemble s the Ba l dpate .

BAL DPATE

Mareca am er icana (Gi nel in )A . O . U . Number 1 3 7

O t her Names . Amer i can W idgeon ; Ba ld W i dgeon ;Green -headed W idgeon ; Sou t hern W idgeon ; Ca l i forn iaW idgeon ; W h i te-be l ly ; Ba ld- head ; Ba ld- crown ; Ba l lface ; Smok ing Duck ; W heat Duck ; Poach er .

Gen eral Descr ipt ion . L engt h , 18 to 2 1 inches .

Drawn by R . I . B rasher

BALDPATE nat. s ize)A shy, wary , and garru lous Duck

S ee Co lor P late 1 3

Ma les are brown i sh -gray above, and brown i sh - red and

w h i te be low . Fema les are ye l lowi sh —brown above , an d

brown i sh and w h i te below . B i l l , sma l l,w ides t near the

base ; ta i l w i t h 14 fea t her s ,Descript ion . AD ULT MALE : H ead w i t h shor t c res t .

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122 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

GREEN -W INGED TEAL

Ne t t ion caro l inen se (Gmel in )A . O . U . Number 1 3 9

O ther Names . Green-wing ; Red- headed Tea l ;W in ter Tea l ; Mud Tea l .Gen era l Descrip t ion . L eng th , 14 inches . Ma les are

gray and red above, and wh i t i s h and red be low ; fema lesare brown above, and wh i t i sh be low.

De scr ipt ion . A DULT MALE : H ead, s l igh t ly cres ted.

H ead and upper neck , r ich ches tnut wi th a g los sy green

patch beh ind eye, b lacken ing on lower border and on

back w here i t meet s i ts fe l low,bordered below by a

wh i t i sh s t reak ; upper par ts , gray i sh , very fi ne ly wavedwi th dusky ; specu lum ,

velvet -black on ou ter ha lf, r ich

g los sy gr een on inner ; pr imar ies and w ing-coverts ,gray i sh ; grea ter cover ts w i t h ches tnu t t ips marg in ingthe specu lum in f ron t ; breas t , warm brown i sh ; res tof lower par t s , wh i t i sh speck led wi t h round duskyspo ts on breas t ; s ides , gray i s h , fine ly waved w i t h dusky ;a wh i te cres cen t in f ron t of w ing ; bi l l , dusky leadco lor , darker below ; feet , blu i sh -gray ; i r i s , brown .

AD ULT FEMALE : H ead (no cres t ) and neck , l igh t warmbrown ,

w h i ten ing on t h roa t and darken ing on crown ,

Tea ls m igh t be ca l led the ban tam s o f the duckt r ibe, as regard s s i ze . The i r sw i f tness o f fl ighti s in inverse rat i o t o mere b igness , and probab lythere i s no th ing more rapi d tha t fl i es . The

ce ler i ty w i th wh ich a Tea l can vau l t i n t o the ai r

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

NE S T OF GREEN-WINGED TEAL

when a larmed is a s ton i sh ing . In al l its movemen t s i t ev inces a rea l grace , a pecu l iar charm .

From the cu l inary standpo in t , surely there i s

no th ing more lusc i ous in the realm o f waterf owl , no, not even the vaun ted Canvas-back .

The Green—w ing and the B lue-w ing are the

See Co lor Pla te 1 3

spo tted wi t h dark brown ; upper par t s , dark brown ,

each fea t her w i t h di s t inct tawny edg ings ; s ides of

body , the same ; res t of lower par ts , wh i t i sh ; w ing as

in ma le but specu lum du l ler . YOUNG or TH E YEAR :R esemble adu l t fema le .

Nest and Eggs . NEST : On the ground, usua l ly ina t h ick grow th of gras s or among w i l lows ; con s truc tedof dry gra s s ; l ined w i t h fea t hers and down . EGGS :8 to 1 1

, somet imes 12 , pa le buff.Di s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer ica at large ; breedsf rom the A leut ian I s lands across B r i t i sh Amer ica to

New found land , south to cen tral Ca l i forn ia, nor thernNew Mex ico, nor t hern Nebra ska ,

nor thern I l l ino i s ,sou t hern On tar i o, Quebec, and New B run sw ick ; win ter sf rom A leu t ian I s lands , B r i t i sh Co lumbia ,

N evada,sou t hern Nebra ska , nor t hern Indiana, wes tern New

York , and R hode I s land (casua l ly Nova Sco t ia ) sou thto sou thern Lower Ca l i forn ia , the W es t Indies

, and

H onduras ; acc iden ta l in H awa i i , Bermuda, Green land,

and Great Br i ta in .

two Tea l s o f Nor th Amer ica wh ich are we l lknown and w i dely d i s t r ibuted . O f the two the

Green -w ing is the hard i er , l inger ing in the n or thern S tate s la te in the fa l l and even at t imes wel lin t o the w in ter , as l ong as there i s any open waterat al l t o be found in the pon ds or a t warm spr ingho le s . I t is a lso , on the who le , the more nor ther ly o f the two, bo th in its w in ter range and in

its breed ing.

O f late years both spec i es have been grow ingregret tably scarce in the eastern d i str icts o f thecoun try . When f oun d at a l l i t i s usua l ly on ly a

s ingle b i rd or a pa i r . But in par ts o f the cen tra land wes tern d i s tr ict s there are s t i l l good flockst o be seen .

The nes t ing o f the Green —w ing i s mo s t ly in theNor thwes t , not so comm-on ly on the s l ough s of theopen pra i r i es o f the Dako ta s and s outhern M an it oba as in the more brush—

grown reg i on s fur therwes t and nor th . I t grows more numerou s as onepenetrates in to northern Man i t oba and westernSaskatchewan . In the lat ter i t l ikes the alka l inepond s , and in the former the poplar f ores t lake s .The nest has seemed t o me one o f the most diffi cu lt o f Ducks’ nes t s t o d i scover , in that it isu sua l ly l ocated we l l back f rom water , somet imesnear the edge o f meadow and f orest . TheseTeal s f requen t the Open marshy poo ls , but mysearch for the i r nes t s in the grass nearby wasu sua l ly in va in . They were genera l ly d i scoveredby acc i den t . One was f ound near the cab in of

an Ind ian ha l f -breed by the edge o f a cat t lepasture , am id grass , weeds, and low brush .

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124

var iega ted wi t h brown i sh -black and ye l low i sh -brown ;lower back and rump,

dark brown w i t h a green i sht inge ; wing-cover ts and ou ter webs of some of the

shou l der fea thers ,du l l coba l t blue ; specu lum ,

r i ch ma l

lard green enc losed by w h i te t ips oi grea ter cover t sand secondar ies ; some inner secondar ies , green i shb lack on outer web, green i sh -brown on inner , s t r ipedlengt hwi se wi th reddi sh -buff ; breast , very pa le purpl i s hgray ; res t of under par ts , ye l low i sh -gray w i t h innumerabl e round black spo t s on brea s t , s ides , and be low ,

chang ing to bars on flank s beh ind ; under ta i l -cover t s ,black ; a pa tch on each s ide of rump, pure w h i te ; b i l l ,ashy , darken ing on r idge and tip ; feet , ye l low, websdu l ler ; i r i s , brown . A DULT FEMALE : H ead and neck ,du l l buff ; crown , brown i sh -dusky s t reaked wi t h browni sh -black ; ch eeks and ch in , w h i t i sh , mark ings sma l l orobso lete ; upper par t s , dark brown w i th pa le ye l lowi sh

The B lue-w inged Tea l is qu i te s im i lar t o theGreen -w inged in many o f its ways . One d ifi‘er

ence is that i t is less able t o endure co ld . Beforethe heavy f rost s o f late autumn arr ive

,i t i s we l l

to the southward . I have been told by hun tersin L ou i s iana that in late Oct ober and Novemberlarge co lumn s o f them pour al ong the Gu l f coastand pa s s on in to Texas and Mex ico. However .

a good many rema in in L ou i s i ana on the grea treservat i ons for the w in ter . In the w in ter o f19 1 5

— 16 I saw there con s i derable number s of th i sspec ies , assoc iat ing w i th the Green -w ing, some

t imes in flocks o f severa l hundreds . Both k ind sbecame qu i te gen t le under pro tect i on , and wou l dsw im up w i th in a few feet o f b l ind s and o f ourcab in w indow and feas t on r ice wh ich was scattered for them .

Drawing by R . I BrasherBLUE-WINGED TEAL (é nat . s ize )

It becomes qu i te gentle and tame under protection

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

brown edg ings to al l fea t hers ; be low, gray i sh -wh i te,

s l igh t ly more brown on breas t , mo t t led on brea s t w i thdusky spo t t ing and on s ides and flank s w i t h V - shapedbrown i sh marks ; w ings as in ma le but specu lum du l ler ;b i l l

, green i sh -dusky ; feet, pa ler ye l low. YOU NG or TH E

YEAR : R esemb le adu l t fema le .

Nest and Eggs . NEST : In mar shes or on dry

ground ; con s t ruc ted of gras s and weed s tems and l inedw i th feat her s and down . EGG S : 8 to 12 , pa le bufly .

Di s tribu t ion . Wes tern hem i sphere ; breeds f romcen tra l B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , ac ros s B r i t i sh Amer ica to

New found land , sout h to O regon , Nevada , New Mex i co ,M i s sour i , Indiana , nor t hern O h io , wes tern New York(occas iona l ly R hode I s land ) , and Ma ine ; w in ters f romabout the para l le l 36° sout h to the Wes t Indies and

Sou t h Amer ica as far as Braz i l and Ch i le ; acc identa lin Bermuda and Europe.

Qu i te a number o f the B lue-w ings rema in each

summer t o breed in L ou i s iana . The general impress i on seemed to be that th i s is a rather new

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Out ing Pub . Co.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL SAbout one mon th ol d

th ing,and that they are breed ing fur ther south

than u sua l becau se o f protect i on . For the samerea s on , s ince the abo l i t i on o f spr ing shoot ing,

they are sa i d t o be nest ing m o re and more in thecen tra l-we s tern S tates . The Green -w ing, however , st i l l e lect s t o go wel l t o the n o rth .

The B lue-w ing is the common summer Tea l ofthe open pra i r i e regi ons o f the n or thwest . In

se lect ing its nes t ing- s i te i t does not ret i re as far

f rom "

the water as the Green -w ing , but gen eral lychoo ses the th ick growth o f pra i r ie gras s o f thepreced ing year

’s growth , on ly a few rods backf rom the sha l l ow mar shy s l oughs . Somet imes ,

however , i t is placed on the dry pra i r i e,ha l f a

m i le f rom water .

The mo ther B lue-w ing a lways approache sher ne s t w i th great caut i on ,

not flying d i rect ly t oi t , but, a l ight ing at a d i stance , she sneak s throughthe gras s and weed s . In leav ing the nest she

DUCKS

pu l l s over i t the blanket o f gray down wh ichshe has plucked f rom her breas t as a l in ing, en

tirely concea l ing the eggs , and mak ing the n estpract ical ly inv i s ible . A f ter return ing she s i t sv ery c l ose , a l low ing her sel f a lmo s t t o he s teppedon before she w i l l leave . Con fi den t o f herpower s o f concea lmen t , she seem s mo re apt thanmo s t other Duck s , ex cept perhaps the otherTea l s . the P in ta i l , and the Shovel ler , t o nes tcareles s ly near the haun t s o f man , in the pra i r i eregi on s o f her cho ice . The nes t s o f the se con

hd ing Duck mother s may be placed bes i de a pathor road

,in a cat t le- y ard , or near a hou se . One

summer I was at a hun ter’s camp j u s t back f romL ak e M an i t oba . and many t ime s a day we f o ll owed a l i t t le pa th t o the wa ter . O ne day a boywa l k ed a l i t t le off the t ra i l . and came tear ingback to camp t o repo r t hav ing flu shed a Duckf rom her eggs . I t was a ne s t o f th i s spec i e s ,on ly a dozen feet f rom the path ,

in the pra i r i egra s s .

The B lue—w ing prefer s l i t t le sha l l ow mar shypoo l s , or meadow s and bogs , t o the larger openwater s . Its f ood in the pond s includes muchvegetable mat ter , seeds , gra s ses , pondweed s , etc .

125

I t a l so at t imes devours sna i l s , tadpo les , and

manv in sect s .

Photo by H . K . Job

NE ST OF BLUE-WINGED TEALCourtesy of Ou ting Pub. Co .

Former ly in North Dako ta 1 u sed to see i t .o f ten w i th the Shovel ler or the P in ta i l , a lmostwherever there was the

i

merest pudd le by the

road s i de , in spr ing and ear ly summer . Let us

hope that i t may con t inue abundan t and in t imateon the wes tern farm . H ERBERT K . JOB .

CINNAMON TEAL

Querquedu l a cyanoptera (V iei l lot)

A . O . U . Number 14 1

O t her Names . Sou t h Amer i can Tea l ; R ed -brea s tedTea l .Gen eral D e scr ipt i on . Lengt h , 17 inc hes . Ma leshave the h ead and under par ts ches tnu t , and the uppe r

pa r t s brown . Fema les are dark brown above. var iega tedw i t h l igh ter , and wh i t i sh be low , mot t led w i t h brown .

Co lor . AD ULT MALE : H ead ,neck

,and en ti re

under par ts , r ich pu rpl ish ches tnu t , browner on c rownand ch in , b lacken ing on cen ter of abdomen ; under ta i lcover t s , dark brown ; fore—back , a l igh ter shade of same

co lor c rossed by brown curved bars ; lower back and

rump, green i sh -brown , the fea t her s edged w i t h pa ler ;w ing-cover t s , coba l t -blue some of the shou lder fea t her s ,b lue on ou ter web wi t h a ye l low cen ter s t r ipe ; ot hers ,dark g reen , a l so w i t h c en ter s t r ipe ; specul um ,

br igh tg reen f ramed be tween wh i te t ips of g rea ter cover t s andwh i te ends of secondar ies ; b i l l , dusky ; fee t , orange,

There are severa l cur i ou s fact s concern i ng theCinnamon Tea l . I t seem s to have been fi r s tdescr ibed f rom a spec imen taken in the far

away S t ra i t s of Magel lan ear ly in the 19th

cen tury . Its fi rst reco rded appearance in the

webs,darker ; i r i s , brown . ADULT FEMALE : Qu i te

s im i lar to fema le B lue—w inged Tea l , but larger w i t hlonger b i l l and under par t s w i t h some t inges of the

c hes tnu t co lor of the ma le ; b i l l , dusky , pa ler be lowand a long edges ; fee t du l l ye l low i sh ; i r i s , brown .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : In ta l l gra s s , usua l ly near

water ; very w e l l con s t ructed of woven gras s and l inedw i t h fea t her s and down . EGGS ; 9 to 13 , c reamy-w h i te .

D i s t r ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breeds inNo r t h Amer i ca f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou t hwes tern A lber ta , Wyom ing , and Wes tern Kan sa s sou t hto nor t hern Lower Ca l i forn ia . sou thern New Mex icoand sout hwes tern Texa s ; w in ter s f rom sout hern Ca l iformia , cen tra l New Mex i co and sou thern Texas sou t hto sou thern Lower Ca l i forn ia and cen t ra l Mex ico ; ra reea s t of the l o0th mer idan ; occur s in Sou th Amer i caf rom Peru and B raz i l sou t h to the Fa lk land Is lands .

U n i ted S tates apparen t ly was in L ou i s iana near

the t own o f Opel ou sa s in 1849 , but s trangelyenough i t is now sel dom seen in that S tate . At

about that t ime, indeed , i t appeared f requen t lyin the l ower va l ley o f the M i s s i ss ippi , but its

1 26

n orma l range now appear s t o be much further t othe wes t and south ,

for reason s wh i ch are not

apparen t . I t i s now es sen t ia l ly a b i rd o f theWest .A flock o f Cinnamon Tea l s in the wa ter are

l i kely t o presen t an en l iven ing spectac le , as the

ma les o f ten engage in some sor t o f play not un

l ike the boy’s game o f leap- f rog.

The Cinnamon Tea l nes ts very common ly in

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

the lake regi on o f southern O regon . I have seeni t nes t ing a l l through th i s sect i on from K la

math L ake t o M a lheur L ake . In some places insouthern O regon i t is more abundan t than the

M a l lard or the P in ta i l . I th ink sport smen o f tenm i s take the fema le for the B lue-w inged Teal ,

SHOV EL L ERSpa tu la c lypea ta (L innecus )

A . O . U . Number 142

O t her Names . Spoonb i l l ; Spoonb i l l Duck ; Spoonbi l l Tea l ; B roady ; B lue-w inged S hove l ler ; R ed—breas tedS hove l ler ; S hove l -b i l l ; Swadd le-b i l l ; Bu t ter Duck ;Cow- f rog .

General D escr ipti on .— Length, 17 to 2 1 inches .

Ma les have the co lor s green , w h i te , b lue, b lack , gray i shbrown and red in pa tc hes , w h i le the fema les are pa lebrown i sh -ye l low w i t h spo t s and s treaks of dusky . Bo t hsexes have the b i l l long and c lumsy and broadened at

the tip.

Col or . ADULT MALE : H ead and neck , dark g los sygreen ; lower neck and fore- breas t , pur e whi te, ex tending a lmos t around body ; a narrow l in e f rom green of

head down bac k of neck and back , dark gray i sh -brownshading in to b lac k on rump and upper ta i l-coverts ;shou lder s , broad ly wh i te ; raring- cover ts and some ou terfeathers of shou l ders ,

du l l coba l t ; specu lum , r i c h greenset between wh i te t ips of g rea ter cover t s and black and

w h i te t ips of secondar ies ; the long inner secondar ies ,green i sh -b lack w i t h w h i te s t r ipe ; lower breas t, abdom en ,

and s ides , purpl ish- ches tnu t , l igh ten ing beh ind , fo l lowedby a w h i te space : cen ter ta i l - fea t hers , dusky ; outerones , wh i te : under ta i l - cover t s , blac k ; h i l l , purpl i sh

D rawi ng by R . B ruce Horsfa l l

because o f the blue w ing-mark ings .”

(W . L .

F in ley , M s . )

S ee Co lor Pla te 14

dusky ; feet , verm i l ion or orange ; i r i s , orange or

ye l low . ADULT FEM ALE : Ground co lor al l over , pa lebrown i sh -ye l low c lose ly and narrowly s t reaked on

’

crown , fine ly spo t ted on s ides of head and nec k al l

around w i t h dus ky ; feat her s of back and s ides , broad lybrown i sh - black , leav ing on ly narrow edges of the

l igh ter co lor ; w ing as in ma le but co lora t i on du l ler ;b i l l , ye l low i sh shading to du l l green i sh at tip w i t hsome orange below and at ba se ; i r i s , ye l low ; feet , du l lo range.

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : Loca ted in the mar shes orin dry gras s or under bushes ; con s truc ted of gras sand leaves , and l ined w i t h fea t hers and down . EGGS :8 to 14, o l i ve-

green i sh or buffy .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern h em i sphere ; i n Nor thAmer i ca breeds f rom A laska , Macken z ie and sout hernKeewa t in sout h to sou t hern Ca l i forn ia , cen tra l New

Mex i co , nor t hern Texas , nor t hern M i s sour i and nor t hern Indiana : w in ters f rom sout hern Br i t i sh Co lumb iaacros s the Un i ted S ta tes on abou t the pa ra l le l 3 5 ° sou t hto the W es t Indies , Co lomb ia , and H awa i i ; in m igrat ion occas iona l in Bermuda , and nor t h to Nova Sco t iaand New found land .

SHOVELLER nat. s i ze)A qua in t Duck , always carrying wi th it a prod igious s poon

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DUCKS

Though i t is the w i se pract ice t o try t o es tabl i sh on ly one v ernacu lar name for each spec ie s , Ith in k that th i s Duck is bet ter known as Spoon ~

b i l l by the average hun ter and out- doo r per s on .

Nor is th i s name ab surd , as i s s omet imes theca se w i th popu lar names . The b i rd cer ta in lycarr ies qu i te a prod ig i ou s spoon w i th i t upon al l

occa s i on s,and i s never at a l o s s t o u se i t def t ly

in its natura l haun t s . A popu lar name for i t

m igh t we l l have been mud- sucker .

”The grea t

bi l l is edged w i th a long f r inge O f br i s t les , and

the qua in t l i t t le Duck , a lmo s t top-heavy in ap

pearance, padd le s through the s l ough , con

stantly dabbl ing in water and ooze , wh ich i t take sin to its b i l l , and, ej ect ing the refu se through itss i eve,

reta in s whatever nut r i t i ou s mat ter theremay be .

Th i s i s another f resh-water Duck wh ich i s

scarce in eas tern d i s t r ict s but common in the

“fest . There i t f requen t s the sha l l ow s l ough sand bogs . I t seem s t o be mo re s t r ict ly in sectivorous than s ome o f the o ther Duck s . Though theywere abun dan t in L ou i s iana in w in ter

,and were

a s s oc iated w i th the many P in ta i l s and Tea l swh ich ate the r ice put out for them , the Shovel ler ssel dom touched i t , not that they were par

ticu lar ly shy ,but apparen t ly becau se they pre

ferred the natura l fare o f bugs and aquat i cgrowths .

I have watched the Shovel lers a good dea l , asthey ne s ted in the pra i r i e s l ough s o f the No r thwe s t . In spr ing the ma le i s a very gaudycreatu re , far ou t sh in ing h is pla in l i t t le w i fe as

they sw im in the s l ough . They are then qu i tetame and ea sy to observe

,and I have seen them

in road s i de poo ls , and even in swampy barnyard s , where it seemed that they mu s t be domesticated Duck s , un t i l sudden ly they flew away .

Nes t ing i s u sua l ly in ra ther th ick gra s s , frequen t ly on ly a sho r t d i s tance back f rom the edgeo f the s l ough , or ev en in a tussock on qu i temo i s t ground . Yet

, on the o ther hand ,i t i s o f ten

far back on the dry pra i r ie, qu i te a d i s tance f romwa ter . R ea l ly there i s no accoun t ing for the

ta s tes o f ind iv i dua l Ducks .

Speak ing o f ta s te , in another sen se,many

people have the i dea that the Shovel ler i s a lean,

scrawny s ort o f b i rd , a lways th in and poor eat

ing. My exper i ence has been that , on its w in tergrounds in the Sou th , i t i s fat and lusc i ou s , qu i teas good as one o f tho se de l ic i ou s l i t t le mo r sel s ,the Tea l s .

I t is a rather de l icate b i rd,and does not s tand

V O L . I — IO

127

the co l d as we l l as many other Duck s . H ence i tm igrates fa i r ly ear ly and goes wel l t o the Sou th .

I f kept in capt iv i ty over w in ter in the No rth ,

both i t and Tea l s shou l d ha ve s ome shel ter f romthe wo r s t Of the w i n ter weather . I have knownthem , in very b i t ter co ld , t o have the i r b i l l s accumu late ba l l s o f ice as the water t r ick led down

the br i s t le s and f roze . P robably no bet ter plancou l d be empl oyed for w in ter ing these de l icateDuck s than the mode l aqua t ic hou se wh ich we

have adopted for th i s pu rpo se at the exper iments tat i on o f the Nat i ona l Audubon Soc i ety at

Amst on . Conn . I t is a sma l l house bu i l t out in

Photo by H . K . Job Court esy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

YOUNG SHOVELLER S

the water on po s t s , the in s i de be ing a swimm ing"

poo l and a float , w i th large f rame w indows t othe s outh and wes t , t o ut i l i ze a l l poss ible sun

sh ine . There the Duck s thr ive in com f or t a l l

w in ter,w i thou t hav ing the water freeze , even

when 15 degree s bel ow zero out s i de, and in Spr ingthey are not reduced in v i ta l i ty

,and are in fi ne

cond i t i on t o breed . HERBER T K . JOB .

Audubon s tate s that repeated in spect i on s o fs tomachs Of these Spec ies d i scl osed leeche s , sma l lfi sh

, earthworms , and sna i l s . I t feed s a l s o on

aquat ic plan ts , gra s ses , gras s seed s , and bu lbs ,wh i ch i t procures a l ong the shores o f sma l l pond swh ich i t f requen t s . I t O f ten feed s by wad ingand dabbl ing in the mud , s tra in ing mud and

water through its pecu l i ar ly con s tructed b i l l .Dr . Jame s P . Hatch s tates tha t i t feed s on

aquat ic in sect s,larvae, itadpoles, worm s

,etc

wh ich i t fin d s in sha l l ow ,muddy water s ; a l s o

cru s tacean s , sma l l mo l lu sk s and sna i l s . ” (Forbu sh , in Game B irds ,

W i ld Fowl and S hor e

B irds . )

1 28 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

PINTAIL

Dafi l a acu ta (L innceus )A . O . U . Number 143 See Co lor Pl ate 1 5

O ther Names . MALE : Spr ig- ta i l ; Spl i t - ta i l ; Spi keta i l ; P icket- ta i l ; Peak- ta i l ; S harp- ta i l ; Spr i t- ta i l ;Spr ing - ta i l ; Spind le- ta i l ; K i te- ta i l ; P igeon - ta i l ; P hea sant-dock ; Sea-

pheasan t . FEMALE : Gray Duck ; P iedGray Duck ; P ied W idgeon . E1TH ER SEx : W in terDuck ; Lady-b i rd ; Long-necked Cracker ; H ar lan ; Smee .

General Descr ipt ion . Lengt h , 24 to 30 in c hes .Ma les are gray above and w h i t i sh be low ; fema les arebrown , var ied on body w i t h ocher and dusky . Bo t hsexes have the head sma l l and not cres ted , the necklong , and the ta i l long and po in ted w i t h 16 feat her s ;in the ma le the two cen tra l ta i l —fea ther s are from 5 to

9 in ches i ii l eng th .

Co lor . ADULT MALE ! H ead and neck above ,dark

brown g lossed w i t h green and purple ; bac k of nec k w i t ha s tr ipe shading in to the gray co lor of back ; bac k , fine lywaved w i t h dusky and w h i te ; shou lder- feat her s and

long inner seconda r ies , s t r iped leng t hw i se w i t h ve lvetyblack and s i lvery-

gray ; les ser wing-coverts , pla in gray ;grea ter cor/ ar ts ,

t ipped with rufous or c innamon , edg ingf ron t of specu lum ; specu lum , green i sh in f ron t , bron zyw i t h v io le t reflec t i on s beh ind where edged wi t h the

wh i te t ips of secondar ies ; two l ong cen tra l tai l -fea thers ,black ; the rema in ing four teen ta i l - fea t hers , gray ;

In o ther wr i t ings I have character i zed the P in Though shy enough ord inar i ly , i t becomes read i lyta i l as the greyhound among water f owl . I t i s an accu s t omed t o man . The young are easy to rear

in teres t ing,agi le ,

sw i ft -flying,hardy spec ies , the and grow up very tame . I pred ict that the t ime

ma le be ing wonder fu l ly garbed in a mo s t effec is not far d i s tan t when the dome s t icated Pint ive b len d ing o f gray , wh i te ,

and brown ,surpass ta i l s w i l l be a lmo s t as fam i l iar as tame M al

ing many other b i rds o f more gaudy hues . lards , and w i l l ‘be ra i sed on preserves and es tate s

Photogra ph by H . K . JobP INTAIL S Courtesy of Ou t ing Pub l ish ing Co .

F ly ing pas t b lind and decoys , L i ttle Vermi l ion Bay, Lou is ian a

t h roa t , w h i te runn ing up beh ind back of head in a

narrow s tr ipe ; brea s t , abdomen and s ides , wh i t i sh , finelywaved w i t h black on s ides ; under ta i l -cover t s , black ;b i l l and feet , gray i sh -blue ; i r i s , brown . ADULT FEMALE :H ead and nec k a l l around , warm ye l low i sh-brown w i t hindi s t inct s treak ing ; res t of plumage, var ied w i t h oc her ,pla in brown , and dusky ; ta i l w i t hou t long cen t ra lfea thers ; w ing , as in ma le but much sma l ler ; b i l l , du skyblu i sh ; feet , du l l gray i sh - b lue ; i r i s , brown .

Nest and Eggs . NEST : On the ground , usua l ly inta l l bunches of pra i r ie gra s s , near wa ter ; made o f dry

gras s , snug ly and wa rm ly l ined wi t h down . EGGS : 7

to 10, pa le green i s h to o l i ve-buff .

D i s tri bu t ion . Nor t hern hem i sphere ; in Nor t hAmer ica breeds on A rc t i c coa s t f rom A la ska to Kee

wa t in and south to southern Ca l i forn ia , sou t hern Co lorado, nor t hern Nebraska, nor t hern Iowa , and nor thernI l l inoi s ; w in ter s f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia,

Nevada,A r i zona

,sout hern M i s sour i ; sou t hern W is

con s in , sout hern O h io , Penn sy lvan ia (rare ly ) , and

De laware sou th to Po r to R i co and Panama , and in

H awa i i ; in m igra t ion occa s iona l on the A t lan t ic coa s tto nor t hern Ungava , Green land , and New found land ,and in Bermuda .

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DUCKS

for spo r t ing purpo ses , for f ood , or for o rnamen t .Though P in ta i ls breed in the no r ther ly part s

O f the con t inen t , they a l s o do so in our no r thwestern S tates . They are hardy and ear ly ,

arr iving in spr ing o f ten be fo re a l l the ice is out o f thelake s . In no r thern Man i t oba I ha ve seen youngon June 25 tha t were fu l ly fledged except tha tthe pr imar ie s were not qu i te l ong enough for

fl igh t . The eggs mu s t have been la i d in lateMarch or Apr i l when con d i t i on s there are de

cided ly w in t ry . The nes t is u sua l ly in d ry gra s sor in a clump o f weed s . Sma l l dry i s land s arefav o r i te l oca t ion s . O therw i se i t seem s t o beplaced qu i te regard les s o f prox im i ty to water .

Frequen t ly I have f ound i t far back on the dry

pra i r i e , probably a m i le f rom the neares t S l ough .

I t is perhaps -mo re flim s i ly bu i l t than w i th mo s to ther Duck s , and O f ten has rather les s downthan the average . The number o f eggs in a

c lutch has seemed t o me ,in my exper i ence , to

run s l igh t ly les s than w i th other spec ies , seven or

e ight be ing mo s t common , and sel dom overn ine or ten .

In m igrat i on i t is not at al l common in ea s ternwater s , but in the M i ss i s s ippi va l ley and wes t i ti s probably nex t to the M a l lard in abundance .

I t pre fer s sha l l ow pond s and mar shy area s wheregra s s and sedge grow f rom the wa ter . In the

s l ough s where i t breed s , the mated pa i r s sw im

W OOD

129

HERBER T K . JOB .

DUCK

Aix spon sa (L innarus )A . O . U . Number 144

O ther Names . Summer Duck ; The B r ide : B r ida lDuck ; Wood W idgeon ; A corn Duck ; T ree Duck .

Gen eral De scr ipt ion . Leng th , 20 in ches . Ma les areg reen , b lue , and purple above w i t h w h i te s t reaks , and

red , ye l low , and wh i te be low . Fema les are brown above .

and ye l low i sh—brown and w h i t i sh be low . Bo t h sexeshave long , fu l l c res t s ; the b i l l nar row , h igher at baset han w ide ; the ta i l long w i t h so f t , broad fea ther s .Co lor . ADULT MALE : H ead , inc luding c res t , i r ides

cen t green and purple ; a narrow w h i te l in e f rom b i l lover eye to rear of cres t ; ano t her commen c ing beh indeye and runn ing to nape ; a broad wh i te pa tch on t h roatfork ing beh ind , one s t reak curv ing upward beh ind eye ,

the o ther curv ing on s ide o f neck ; above lus trousv io le t and bron zy g reen ; shou lders and long innersecondar ies , ve lvet -black g lossed w i t h pu rple and g reen ;

3 green i sh -b lue specu lum bounded by w h i te t ips of

secondar ies beh ind ; pr ima r ies , w h i te- edged and f ros tedon webs nea r end ; upper ta i l - cover t s and ta i l , deepdusky black ; s ides and fron t of l ower neck and breas t ,r ich purpl ish- ches tnut even ly marked w i th sma l l V

shaped i i i/i nc spots ; a large black c rescen t in f ron t ofw ing preceded by a wh i te one ; s ides , ye l low i sh -gray

S ee Color Plate 14

waved w i t h fi ne black bars ; rest of under par ts , white ;lengt hened flank fea t hers fa l l ing in a tu f t of r ichpurpl i sh -red be low w ing ; b i l l . w h i te in cen ter , b lack on

r idge, tip,and be low, w i th a squa re pa tc h at ba se o f

lake-red ; fee t , ye l lowi sh -orange ; i r i s and l ids c r imson .

AD ULT FEM ALE : C res t sma l l ; head and nec k , gray i shbrown ,

darker on crown ; fea th ers at base of b i l l na rrow ly a l l around , ch in , upper t h roa t , and a broad cir c learound eye runn i ng in to a s treak behind , pure wh ite ;upper par ts , brown w i t h some g los s ; fo re-neck and

s ides of body , ye l low i sh -brown _s t reaked w i t h darker ;breas t Spot ted indi s t in c t ly w i t h brown ; abdomen , w h i te ;b i l l , gray i sh w i t h a w h i te spo t in cen ter , reddi sh at ba se ;feet, dusky ye l low ; i r i s , brown i sh red .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : In a ho l low t ree f rom 20

to 40 fee t f rom ground , l ined w i t h fea ther s and down .

EGGs : 8 to 14, c reamy-wh i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Tempera te Nor t h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom sou thern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia eas tward on abou t thepara l le l 46° to New B run sw i ck and Nova S co t ia , sou t hto cen t ra l Ca l i forn ia , Texas and F lor ida ; w in ter s ch ieflyin U n i ted S tates f rom about 37° sout hward ; acc iden ta lin Bermuda , Mex ico , Jama i ca , and Europe .

m ing about make a beaut i fu l s ight . E ven in

autumn when the ma le has l o s t for the t ime his

d i st inct ive plumage , the b i rd s are qu i te d i s t inct ,owing t o the i r s len der fo rm s and l ong neck s , andthe i r mo vemen t s a lways have the ai r o f grace and

good breed ing. In fact the P in ta i l is one o f myspec ia l favo r i tes . Though I prefer i t a l ive , Imust adm i t that i t i s very fi ne on the table , and

that I had j u s t as s oon eat i t as any o ther Duck .

On one o f my w i n ter j aun t s in L ou i s iana , the

hun ter s Of the party pro v i ded many a P in ta i l ,and i t was con s i dered that one Duck at a mea lfor each man was j u s t the r igh t amoun t .By No vember the P in ta i l s are abundan t on the

mar shes o f L ou i s iana where ,in s ome l oca l i t i es ,

they w in ter by thou sand s . In the w in ter o f 19 15I f ound i t the genera l tes t imony that th i s spec ieshad increa sed wonder ful ly in abundance dur ingthe la s t few sea s on s , wh ich resu l t was at t r ibutedd i rect ly to the s toppi ng o f spr i ng shoo t ing tha tou trage aga in s t reason and con servat i on ,

now

made an Offen se by Federa l Law and by our

In ternat i ona l Treaty . They were fond o f gra in ,

and , on put t ing th i s out, var i ou s Ducks , butch iefly P i n ta i l s , wou l d a s semble in large number sto feas t upon i t , becom ing so bo l d tha t I wasable t o fi lm and t o photograph large numbers o fthem f rom bl ind s , and ev en f rom the w indowso f our cab in on the mar sh .

130

The Wood Duck is one Of the most r ich lyand beaut i fu l ly co l o red b i rds of the U n i tedS tates , and , for a m igratory b i rd,

i s pecu l iar ly

Photo by H . K . Job

MALE WOOD DUCK

our s,in that i t breed s near ly a l l over our na t i ona l

doma in,f rom north to south , and in w in ter

i t mo s t ly rema in s w i th in our borders . M orethan any o ther Duck i t is a wood lan d b i rd . I tf requen t s pon d s and st ream s wh ich are borderedby wood s , and makes excur s i on s , a—w ing or a

f oo t, or both ,

back f rom water in to the rea lwood s , where i t devours nut s , as we l l as whatever in sect or other sma l l l i fe i t encoun ters . Ihave exam ined spec imen s , taken in the fa l l ,wh ich had the i r crops completely fi l led w i thwhole acorn s . Such a mea l , surely , Shou l dstan d by for a l ong t ime !

The regu lar natura l nest ing s i te i s in a ho l l owt ree , preferably in the wood s , and i t is o f tenqu i te a d i s tance back f rom water . Owing to theincreas ing scarc i ty o f large ho l low t rees , the seDuck s seem at t imes hard pres sed t o fi nd su i table l ocat ion s . On a farm in Connect icut backf rom a pond , an o l d apple t ree grow ing in a

pig-

pen by the barn was cut down,and,

in

choppi ng open a ho l l ow branch ,eleven eggs o f

the Wood Duck were d i scovered , though neverhad a Duck been seen abou t the prem i se s . Abouta m i le from th i s place an other farmer showed me

a ne s t w i th ten eggs at the top o f the hay in h isbarn, up near the roo f . The mo ther Duck came

through a broken c lapboard up near the peako f the roo f

, dug a ho l l ow in the hay ,and l ined

itw i th down from her brea s t . S t i l l another nest,on th i s same farm ,

was in an apple tree o f theorchard .

'

A couple o f m i le s away another wasin a large maple bes i de the h ighway , so low

down than one cou l d j ust peer in from the

ground . I t i s surpr i s ing through what a smal lho le a Duck can pass to en ter and leave a nest .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Cour tesy of S . A . Lot tr idgeNE S T AND EGG S OF WOOD DUCK

The regu lar nes ting s i te is in a hol low tree , preferab ly in thewoods , and is often a d is tance from water

the same act i on was adopted a l s o by Federa lregu la t i on s . There seem s now t o be a markedchange for the bet ter

,in wh ich resu l t art i fic ia l

In one case wh ich I w i tnessed , a Go lden - eye ,

emerging f rom qu i te a narrow s l i t , had fa i r ly towr iggle f rom s i de to s i de t o force its way out.

A f ter the nest ing season the W ood Ducks are

seen in sma l l flocks , probably fam i ly par t ies .

They f requen t the wooded swamps , and fly out

t o the more Open ponds and st reams abou t du sk .

Where dead t rees or branches have fa l len in towater , a typica l s igh t , to be w i tnessed bycreeping very s i len t ly through the bushes, i sa row o f these beaut i fu l Ducks stand ing on

the fa l len t imber en j oy ing the sun sh ine ,some

as leep, w i th b i l ls under the w ing- cover ts , otherspreen ing the i r feathers , but a l l appear ing verywel l con ten ted w i th the i r l o t in l i fe .

Th i s b i rd was c lassed by the Governmen t asone o f our van i sh ing spec ies . Th i s arou sedw i despread concern , and caused a number of

S tates t o proh ib i t shoot ing for terms o f years ;

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1 3 2

watched both spec i es together d iv ing, and bothexh ib i t the same sk i l l and ce ler i ty in th i s pursu i t .w i th no no t iceable d i fference .

Th i s Spec i es , l i k e the o thers , breed s in the

s l ough s and marshe s o f the No rthwes t , in abou tthe same l oca l i t i e s , but is genera l ly the mo recommon . Wherever I have f oun d the Can v asback breed ing, the R edhead has been there t oo .

wherea s the conver se is not t rue ; there are many

s l oughs in wh i ch Redheads breed where thereare no Canvas-backs . I f there is any d i st inct i onin the cho i ce o f nest ing- s i tes , I shou l d say thatthe R edhead is even more apt than the other t obu i l d out in reed s or canes grow ing in qu i te deepwa ter . In no rthern M an i t oba

,on Lake \V inn i

pegosis , in place s where the Canvas-back wasnes t ing in meadows in the sedge ,

w i th water not

knee- deep,I f ound R edhead nests among the

ou ter reeds on the margin s o f boggy pond s ,where one needed a canoe t o reach them .

Perhaps the R edhead i s not m ore pro l i fic thanany o ther Duck ,

but I have f ound larger number so f eggs in some o f the i r ne s t s than i s at a l l usua lw i th o ther s , the max imum number be ing twen tytwo, the mo s t I ever f ound in a w i l d Duck ’s

Photo by H . K . Job Courtes y of Out ing Pub . Co .

NE S T OF REDHEADBu i lt over water on edge of channe l in a clump of flags and

rushes

nest , and a l l fert i le and advanced in incubat i on .

The eggs are qu i te d ifferen t f rom tho se o f theCanvas-back , be ing yel l ow i sh-wh i te in color , and

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

w i th a very smooth gl o ssy sur face ,a lmost l ike

b i l l iard ba l l s , and ea s y t o recogn i ze .

In the Nor thwes t where w i l d Ducks nes t inabundance , i t is not uncommon for ind iv i dual

Photo by H . K . Job Courtes y of Ou t ing Pub . Co

HARDY AND DOCILESome more young R edheads

Ducks t o lay in each other’s ne s t s . The R ed

head and the Ruddy Duck seemed t o me t o beespec ia l ly add icted t o the pract ice . They la i drather f ree ly in each o ther’s nests , and fre

quen t ly palmed ofi‘ the i r offspr ing thus on the

un suspect ing Canvas-back .

Bo th k inds have been kept and stud ied in captiv ity . I have reared bo th f rom the egg t o ma

tur ity, and under my d i rect i on have had bothk in d s breed . Though the young o f bo th were

qu i te ea s i ly reared , the R edhead presen t s fewerd ifficu l t ies than the Canvas-back . I t breeds mo reread i ly under favo rable cond i t i on s, and the youngare espec ia l ly hardy and doc i le , though the youngCanvas-backs , to o , are qu i te manageable . M o s texper imen ters , in t ime past , have had much les sd ifficu l ty in keeping R edheads than Canvas -backsunder ar t i fic ia l cond i t i on s .A s a resu l t o f th i s l ine o f exper imen ta l research

,I am con fiden t that in the not d i stan t

future both k inds w i l l regu lar ly be propagated011 esta tes where there are su i table pond s .

H ERBERT K . JOB .

DUCKS

CANV AS-BACK

M ar i la va l is in er ia ( l l/ i lson )

A . O . U . Number 147

O t her Name s . VVh ite-back ; Bu l l -neck ; Can .

General De s c r i-ption . Leng t h , 24 inches . Ma leshave the head red , the low er pa r t o f the neck and the

fore par t o f the body black i sh , and the rema inder o f

the body gray i sh -w h i te above w i t h a cen ter l ine belowof w h i te ; fema les have the head and n eck ye l low i shbrown and the body gray i sh -brown . Bo t h sexes havethe profi l e long and s loping ( l in es of head and bil l

n ear ly one ) , b i l l t h ree t imes as long as w ide, and h indtoe w i t h web or lobe .

Co lor . A DULT MALE : Fea th er s of en t i re head and

upper nec k (a l l a round ) dark reddi sh -brown ,obscured

on the c rown and in f ron t of eye and t h roa t by dusky ;upper pa r t s , wh i te very fine l y waved w i t h nar row b lackz igzag bar s , the genera l effec t much l igh ter t han in the

Redhead ; res t of plumage subs tan t ia l ly as in t ha t b i rdbut upper ta i l -cover t s and rear pa rt s in genera l . grayer ;bi l l

, plai n dus k-

y blu ish ,n ot banded : fee t , g ray i sh -blue ;

iris , red . ADULT FEM ALE : Very S im i lar to the fema le

CANVAS-BACK nat. s i ze)The king of waterfowl , famous for the flavor of its flesh

D raw ing by R . I . B ra sher

S ee Co lor Plate 16

Redhead : head and neck , more brown i sh w i thou t ru fousshade but ea s i ly di s t ingu i shed f rom t ha t b i rd by the

[H i t-( l l longer an d d ifi'

er en tly shaped bi l l ; i r i s , reddi shbrown ; b i l l and fee t , as in the ma le Can va s -back .

Ne s t and E gg s . NEST : U sua l l y in ta l l rushes or

reeds nea r wa ter ; bu lky ; con s t ruc ted o f dry gras s andreeds ; l in ed w i t h down . Eons : 6 to 10, pa le o l i veg reen .

D i s tr ibu t ion .-’ho le o f Nor t h Amer i ca , breeding

f rom O regon ,Nevada

,Nebraska and sou t hern M inne

so ta nor t hwa rd to sou t hwes tern Keewa t in , Grea t S laveLake , Fo r t Yukon , and c en t ra l B r i t i sh Co lumbia w in tersf rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , Nevada ,

Co lorado .

I l l ino i s , Penn sy l van ia , an d wes tern New York sou t h tocen t ra l Mex ico and Gu l f coas t ; in w in ter former lyabundan t in Mary land, V i rg in ia , and Nor t h Caro l ina .

now rare ; oc ca s iona l sou t h to F lor ida , and casua l in the

W es t Indies , Bermuda , and Gua tema la ; in m igra t ionnor t h rare ly to New B run sw i c k and Nova Sco t ia .

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

Though the Canva s -back has acqu i red a greatreputa t i on for the flavo r o f its flesh , i t i s probable that th i s character i s t i c ta s te depends upon

Photo by H . K . Job

TYP I CAL NES T OF CANVAS-BACKCour tesy of Doub leday , Page Co .

the l oca l f ood supply . V ar i ou s wa ter-

plan t sbe s i des the spicy w i l d celery plea se H is Ma j e s ty ,the a s sumed k ing o f wa ter f ow l , so he i s not

a lways Spiced up. At var i ou s t imes when Ihave ea ten Canva s—back

,I rea l ly cou l d not di s

tingui sh i t f rom o ther good-meated w i l d Duck s .In no rthern Man i t oba the l oca l hun ter s , I wast o l d

, when shoot ing, usua l ly s ingle out M a l lard sfi r s t

,find ing them meat ier and fu l ly as ta s ty .

None the less is the Canva s—back a mo s t fasc inat ing water f ow l . Sw i f ter than the prov erb ia larrow , the flocks fa i r ly s ing l i ke bu l let s , as theypass down w ind . W

' onder fu l ly agi le and grace

fu l are the i r movemen ts in the water , espec ia l lywhen they leap head long for the d ive, leav ingone t o gue s s where they may reappear . I oncewatched two Ind ian s in the Nor thwes t , each in

a canoe,out on a large lake , try t o catch a large

young Canva s -back not yet qu i te able t o fly . I tt ook them abou t an hour o f the l ivel i es t s or t o fwork bef o re the b i rd ro se w inded , t o the sur faceand l et one o f them pi ck i t up.

Its breed ing-

ground s are the mar shes and

s l oughs o f the in ter i o r Nor thwe s t — Nor thDak ota ,

Man i t oba, Sa s katchewan , and on up i n tothe t rack less w i l ds . There I have o f ten f oun d

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Out ing Pub . Co.

CANV AS-BACKAbout s ixweeks ol d

Despi te inces san t persecut i on ,I th ink that the

Canvas-back is on the increase,ow ing to the stop

ping of the su ic i dal pract ice o f spr ing shoot

its nest , a sem i -floating pi le o f dead stem s , usua l ly am i d a clump o f reed s or rushes , or e l se inl ong sedge ,

but a lway s in vegetat i on grow ingf rom water u sua l ly at leas t kn ee deep. The nes ti s a Sor t o f deep w icker—basket , l ined w i th darkgray down ,

in con t ra s t w i th the wh i te down o fthe R edhead . The eggs usua l ly number e igh t t oe leven , and are o f a pecu l iar lead -b lu i sh co l or ,w i th some o l ive t inge,

d i ffer ing f rom that o f anyother Duck . The duck l ings are o f a dec i dedyel l ow—O l ive co l or . From the fi rst they may be

d i st ingu i shed from others by the stra igh t profi leOf the upper mand ib le , a lwavs character i s t ic o fthe Canvas-back .

A most hardy spec ies , i t is dr iven southwardon ly by the actua l f reez ing o f the lakes . Num

ber s o f them stay in L ake Cayuga ,New Yo rk ,

and other s im i lar bod ies o f water , t i l l they somet imes f reeze in and per i sh . One o f the ir pr inc ipal l ines o f m igrat i on i s s ou theast across coun tryf rom the breed ing-

grounds o f the Nor thwes t outto the A t lan t ic coa s t at Chesapeake Bay

— a

no ted w in ter reso r t o f the spec ies .

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DUCKS

ing . Recen t ly , I was studying water fowl inthe M i ss i s s ippi De l ta coun try ,

and was anchoredoff the ex i t o f Pa s s , in a den se fog. Th i ssudden ly l i f ted , and we saw , st retched out be

f ore us,a s o l i d bed o f Duck s , surely ha l f a

m i le l ong and one hundred yard s w i de . The

13 5

gu i de and I es t imated that there were th i r ty—fi vethou sand , over one-ha l f o f wh ich were Can va sback s . And th i s was but one o f many suchhorde s a l ong that coa s t . Cheer up,

f r ien d s o fw i l d b i rd s , the “ K ing

” s t i l l l i ve s !HERBER T K . Jon .

SCAUP DUCK

Mar i la m ar i la (L innceus )A . O . U . Numbe r 148

O ther Names . Mus se l Duck ; Green-head ; B lac kneck ; Gray-back ; B lue-b i l l ; Grea ter B lue-b i l l ; B lueb i l led W idgeon ; B road—bi l l ; Ra f t Duc k ; F lock Duck ;Shufli er ; B lack-head ; B ig B lack-head ; F loat ing Fow l ;Amer ican Scaup Duck ; Grea ter S caup Duck ; T roopfow l .General Descr ipt ion .

— L eng th , 20 in ches . Ma leshave the fore par ts b la ck , and the res t of the body wh i temarked w i t h b lack ; fema les are dusky-brown i sh aboveand ye l low i sh -b rown below . Bo th sexes have the b i l lshor t and w ide , and the h ind toe w i t h web or lobe .

Col or . ADULT MALE : En tire head , n eck , and fore

par ts of body , bla ck w i th green and blu ish r eflect ions ;m idd le of back , shou lders , and mos t of under par ts ,wh i te, everyw here except on flank s and abdomenmarked w i t h fi ne t ran s ver se z igzag l ines o f b lack ; w ingcover t s s im i lar but more obscure ly waved ; grea tercover ts , tipped wi t h black ; specu lum, whi te framed in

black of greater cover t s and ends of secondar ies ;

Photogra ph by A . A . Al len

See Co lor Plate 1 7

pr ima r ies , brown i sh -b lack ; bi l l , du l l blu ish-gray w i t h

b lack na i l ; feet , b lu i sh -gray ; webs , dusky ; i r i s , yel low .

A DULT FEM ALE : A be l t of pure wh i te around fa ce a t

bas e of bil l ; black pa rt s of ma le replaced by du skybrown ; upper par ts in genera l , du sky-brown i sh w i t hou tb lac k mark ing ; w ing , as in ma le ; be low ye l low i shbrown , dusk ier on brea s t and a long s ides ; cen ter l ine of

body ,w h i t i sh ; b i l l , legs , and eyes as in ma le .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In marshy ground , madeof w eeds

, gras s and l ined w i th down . EGGS : 9 to 12 ,

pa le buffy-o l i ve or o l i ve—gray .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern par t of nor t hern hem is

phere ; in Nor th Amer i ca breeds f rom abou t the par

a l lel 48° nor t hwa rd, rarely on Magda len I s lands , inOn tar io , and M ich igan ; w in ter s f rom Ma ine to F lor idaand the Bahama s , and f rom A la ska ,

Nevada,Co lorado

and Lake On tar io sou t h to sou t hern Ca l i forn ia,sou th

e rn New Mex ico , and sou thern Texa s ; in m igrat ion rare.

in cen t ra l U ngava , New found land, and No va S co t ia .

SCAUP DUCKSFlying over Cayuga Lak e

1 3 6

Scaup is the European name o f th i s b i rd but i tw i l l hard ly be recogn i zed under that t i t le byAmer ican gunners . Here i t is known as the

B road—b i l l , B lue-b i l l,B lue-b i l led W i dgeon ,

W id

geon , etc . I t seem s mo re incl ined to m igrate t osa l t water than does the L es ser Scaup, but th i smay be becau se its w in ter hab i tat i s more n or thern and i t is more l ikely t o be dr iven t o the opensea by the f reez ing o f the f resh water . I t i scommon in w in ter in the un frozen mar shes andlake s o f cen tra l New York

, but i f the se f reeze i tmu s t go t o the sea or starve . There fo re , the

Spec ie s i s o f ten more numerou s in the late w in terand ear ly spr ing on the coastal water s than i t i sin the au tumn and ear ly w in ter wh i le the lakesrema in open .

These b i rd s breed ma in ly in the No rthwest inmar shes and about numerous sma l l pond s . Thosetha t m igrate to the A t lan t ic coast w in ter ch ieflyf rom M a s sachu set t s t o Che sapeake Bay ,

wh i lefarther south the i r place is taken ma in ly by the

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

L es ser Scaup. They are sw i f t flyers, show ing a

s tr ipe o f wh i te on the w ing as they pas s in a

character i s t ic wav ing l ine . The ma le may be

d i s t ingu i shed f rom the ma le L es ser Scaup,wh ich

he cl o sely resembles , by the co l or o f the headwh ich has a green i sh luster in con tra s t w i th the

purpli sh ca s t common on that o f the le s ser b i rd .

At a d i stance bo th appear black ; theref ore ,they

are ca l led B lack—h eads ,ind i scr im inately . The

wh i te face s o f the fema le s o f bo th spec i e s arevery con spicuou s .The Scaup is an exce l len t d iver and when i t

has been feed ing in the in ter i or on the roo ts of

the w i l d celery (va l l isner ia ) and other waterplan t s , its flesh is fi t for the epicure ,

and evenwhen i t feed s on the eel gra s s and other vegetat i on on sa l t mar she s and flat s i t is fa i r ly wel lflavo red , but a f ter i t has fed for a t ime in sa l twater on crus tacean s and mol lu sk s i t grow sfi shy and i s not h igh ly pr i zed for the tab le .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

L ESSER SCAUP DUCK

Mar i la afli n is (Eyton )

A . O . U . Number 149

O t her Names . B lack Jack ; R i ver B road-b i l l ;C reek B road-b i l l ; and names of the Scaup Duck w i t ho r w i thou t qua l i fy ing terms .L ength . 17 inches .Descript ion . A DULT MALE : Va r ies pr in c ipa l ly f rom

the S caup Duck in s i ze ; i r ides cence of head ch ieflypurple ; flank fea t hers fine ly marked wi t h b lack in a

z igzag pa t tern ; o therwi se s im i lar . AD ULT FEMALE :Very s im i lar to the fema le Scaup Duck but sma l ler and

wi t h breas t and s ides more inc l ined to ru fous -brown .

The spec ie s o f mar ine Duck wh ich is probablyunder more genera l observat i on than any otheri s the L e s ser Scaup. The se are the Duck s wh ichare seen in great raf t s ” or beds ju s t offsho re in harbors or bays in w in ter and ear lyspr i ng near ly al l a l ong the A t lan t ic coa s t

,f rom

L ong I s land S ound to F l or i da . They feed,by

d iv ing,large ly on mo l lusk s or o ther s luggi sh

mar ine l i fe.

A flock set t les on the wa ter over s ome mu s se lbed or clam -flat

,and the member s are s oon

d iv ing act ively . Another pa s s ing flock see sand j o in s i t , and so on

,un t i l there may be

severa l thou sands . These usua l ly st retch out

S ee Co lor Plate 1 7

Nes t an d Eggs . S im i lar to S caup, eggs averag ingsma l ler .

D i s tr i bu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca at large ; breeds f romthe nor t hern borders of the Un i ted S ta tes nor t hward ;more rare ly to sou thern Mon tana , Co lorado , nor t hernIowa , nor t hern Indiana and wes tern Lake Er ie ;w in ter s from sout hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , Nevada , Co lorado , Lake Er ie , and New Jersey sou th to the Bahama s ,Les ser An t i l les , and Panama ; rare in m igrat ion in New

found land,New B run sw i c k , and Nova Sco t ia .

in to a long co lumn , and keep sw imm ing t o w indward

, af ter sat i s fy ing the i r hunger ,the wh i te

penc i led back s o f the ma le s gl i s ten ing br i ll iantly in the sun sh ine .

In s ome l oca l i t i e s , where they are not persecuted , the se flock s become qu i te tame . At Tampa ,

F l or i da , they sw im up r igh t among the ve s sel slying at the wharve s . The greatest S ight is at

Palm Beach,F lor i da

,in L ake Wor th . There

flock s o f them sw im c l o se up to the boat- landings back o f the hotel s . Guest s throw out breadand are wonder fu l ly amu sed to see w i l d Duck sfigh t for f ood w i th in s ix t o ten feet o f the i r benefact ors . Somet ime s they even take food f rom

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DUCKS

the ou t st retched hand . The s t ranges t part o fth i s is that when they fly ou t s i de the protectedarea they become as shy as ever .

Hardy , l i ke a l l the mar ine Duck s,they are

espec i a l ly late in arr iv ing in autumn a l ong the

A t lan t ic coa s t o f the U n i ted S tates . L i t t le i sseen o f them t i l l November . At fi r s t they seemincl ined to k eep out on the open sea , and the

gunner s get l i t t le chance at them bef o re severeco l d d r ives them in .

O ne rea s on for th i s ta rd ines s is that , nex t t othe “b i te-w inged Scoter , the Scaup i s o rd inar i lythe la s t Duck t o breed . They ne s t in the same

Photograph by H . K . Job Courtesy of Hough ton M itflin Co .

LES SER SCAUP DUCK SAt Palm Beach, F lor ida , in March

pra i r ie mar shes o f the Nor thwest as do the Canvas-back and R edhead . There I have foun d thatthe i r layings are not complete un t i l about them i dd le o f June . The fi r s t young brood s are

general ly seen in the s l oughs toward the m i dd le

very doc i le . The i r so f t downy su i ts are o f r ichdark o l i ve-brown co l or , and they erect the i rcrown - feathers s omewhat under exc i temen t ,wh ich gives them qu i te a s t r i k ing appearance .

HERBER T K . JOB .

R ING-NECKED DUCK

M ar i la col l ar is (Donovan )

A . O . U . Number 1 50

O ther Nam es . R ing-b i l l ; Moon -b i l l ; Marsh B lueb i l l ; B lac k Jack ; Bun ty ; R ing-b i l led B lackhead ; Bastard B road-bi l l ; R ing- necked Scaup Duck ; R ing- neckedS caup ; R ing -neck ; R ing-bi l led Duck .

General Descr ipt ion . L ength , 18 inch es . Ma leshave head , upper part s , and breas t black , and rema in ing

S ee Color Plate 1 7

lower par ts w h i te ; fema les have upper parts brown , and

lower par t s yel low i sh -brown and w h i te .

Col or . ADULT MALE : H ead and neck a l l aroundlus t rous black w i t h purple reflec t ion s ; ex t reme ch in ,

w h i te ; ches tnu t r ing around lower neck ; fore-breas tand upper pa r t s , b lack ; specu lum ,

b lu i sh —gray : under

o f Ju ly . As i t is ten o r elev en week s befo re theycan fly , the young are not a—w ing befo re lateSeptember or ear ly O ctober .

The ne s t s are not u sua l l y bu i l t out over the

water l ike tho se o f the Can va s —back and R ed

head , but e i ther in weed s or gras s on a dry sho re ,

a l i t t le back f rom the water’s edge , or el se in a

fi rm tu s s ock o f meadow gra s s , r ight at the

margin o f a boggy s l ough ,where the fema le

can s l ip in t o the wa ter f rom the nes t .I have ra i sed the young by hand , and fi nd them

espec i a l ly in teres t ing. At fi rst they are ratherw i l d , great on jumping, but s oon they become

13 8

par t s f rom breas t , wh i te ; lower abdomen and s ides ,fine ly marked w i th b lack ; ta i l and under ta i l-cover t s ,b lack ; w ings , dark brown ; bi l l , black with blu ish-

gray

base and a band of same color near tip; feet , gray i shblue wi t h dusky webs ; i r i s , yel low. A DULT FEM ALE :Forehead, narrowly , s ides of face more broad ly , pure

w h i te ; res t of head, umber-brown ,l igh ten ing on cheek

and t h roat ; a whi te eye—r ing ; upper part s , dusky

brown ; breas t , s ides of body , brown , var iega ted w i thl igh ter ; abdomen , w h i te ; w ing as in ma le ; specu lum,

du l ler , b i l l , legs , s im i lar to ma le ; i r i s , brown i sh— ye l low.

D i st inct ive pecu l iar i t ies abou t the R ing- neckedDuck are tha t i t i s a lmost never seen in largeflocks

,and se l dom in open water . I t sw ims

buoyan t ly , and is much given t o ra i s ing its headw i th a swan- l ike movemen t o f its neck , and t oerect ing the feathers on the back o f its head . I tr i se s read i ly ,

f rom water or land , its w ingswh i s t l ing fa in t ly ; its fl igh t is sw i f t and d i rect .

BI RDS OF AMER ICA

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the ground in marshes ;made of dry gra s s and leaves and l ined w i t h down .

EGGS : 6 to 12 , usua l ly 9 or 10,rare ly 15, gray i sh -w h i te

to bu ff .

Di s tribu t ion . Nor t h Amer ica in genera l ; breedsf rom nor t hern Ca l i forn ia , Nor t h Dako ta, northern Iowaand sout hern W i scon s in nor t hward ; win ter s f romsou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , New Mex ico, nor thernTexas , sou t hern I l l ino i s and New J ersey south to PortoR ico and Gua tema la ; occur s in m igra t i on nor t h to

N ew found land , Nova Scot ia , and Quebec .

I t i s exper t at d iv ing and in that way capturesmany m innows, crawfi sh

,sna i ls

,tadpoles, and

f rogs , though a con s i derable por t i on o f its foodcon s i st s of the root s o f aquat ic plan ts and seeds .

Nowhere is th i s Duck recorded as very com

mon . I t resembles the L es ser Scaup in appearance

, s i ze , and hab i ts , and the two spec ies m inglet ogether .

GOL DEN -EYE

Clangu l a c langu la amer icana B onaparteA . O . U . Number 1 5 1

O th er Names .— Go lden - eyed Duck ; Amer ican Go lden

eye ; Garro t ; W h i s t ler ; W h i s t le—Duc k ; W h i s t le-w ing ;B ras s-eyed W h i s t ler ; Wh iffler ; J ing ler ; Merry

-wing ;Grea t - head ; Bu l l - head ; I ron - head ; Cub- head ; Copperhead ; Cur ; Spi r i t Duck .

Gen era l Descr iption . Leng th , 20 inches . Ma leshave the head green i s h -b lack , the fore part and s ideso f the body wh i te , and the bac k and ta i l black ; fema leshave the head and bac k brown and the under part sg ray i sh . Bo t h sexes have fluffy cres t s , and b i l l s t hata re shor t-s h igh at the base , and narrowed near the tip.

Col or .

é'IDULT MALE : H ead and neck

, g lossy green

ish—black ; a large ova l spo t in fron t and below eye,

whi te ; lower neck , under par t s , m idd le and grea ter w ingcover t s , mos t secondar ies , and some shou lder- feat hers ,w h i te ; long inner secondar ies , edge of w ing , pr imarycover t s , pr ima r ies and bac k , b lack ; ta i l , ashy ; some flankfeat hers w i t h narrow dusky s t reaks on top edge ; b i l l ,

The Go lden- eye i s common ly known as the

Wh i st ler becau se o f the pecu l iar penet rat ingwh i st le made by its w ings in fl ight . There are

t imes when these cu t t ing strokes can be heardeven bef o re the b i rd i t sel f can be clear ly madeout . The Wh i st ler breeds f rom just above thelat i tude o f M assachuset t s northward to the l im i to f trees , mak ing its nest in a ho l l ow t ree n ear

some f resh—water pond or r iver . I t breeds in

S ee Color Pla te 18

du sky w i t h yel low tip; feet , orange,dusky webs ; ir is ,

yel low . A D ULT FEMALE : Ch in,upper t h roat and head

a l l around, brown ; neck and en t i re lower par ts , du l lw h i t i sh , shaded on breast and s ides wi t h as hy ; upperpar t s , brown i sh ; some feather s of upper bac k w i t hl igh ter edges ; upper ta i l—coverts , t ipped w i t h pa lebrown ; b i l l , feet , and eye as in ma le ; wh i te wingspaces much more res t r i c ted.

Nest and Eggs . NEST :gras s , leaves , and mos s and l ined w i t h down .

9 to 12 ,l igh t g reen i sh .

D i s tr ibu ti on . Nor th Amer i ca ; breeds f rom centra lA la ska , acros s B r i t i sh Amer i ca to New found land , southto sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou t hern Mon tana , nor thern Nor t h Dako ta

,nor thern M ich igan , northern New

York , and nor t hern New Eng land ; w inters f rom abou tthe para l le l 43 ° south to sout hern Ca l i forn ia , cen tra lMex ico and F lor ida .

In ho l low t ree, made of

EGGS :

the in ter i o r of A laska , but is very rarely seen on

the coast . I t i s found a lmost throughout thein ter i or o f Nor th Amer ica , and is d i st inct ive ly a

f resh-water b i rd un t i l the f ro s ts o f w in ter begint o cl o se the ponds and r ivers , when mo s t of theWh i s t ler s in New England go t o the sa l t water .

Some,however , s t i l l rema in in the un f rozen

f resh waters o f the Nor th, South , and West .The Wh i st ler is a remarkably act ive b i rd ,

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DUCKS

d ives l ike a flash , and rare ly comes wel l to decoys .I t has learned to be ex treme ly wary and cau

t i ou s, but in sto rmy weather i t o f ten keeps c l ose

t o sho re,wh ich g i v es the shore gunner h is

chance . I t doe s not a lways d ive for its food , buts omet imes dabbles in the mud a l ong the shorew i th B lue-b i l l s or other Duck s . O ffsho re i tfeed s largely on mu ssel s , wh ich i t d i s l odge s andb r ings up f rom the bot tom . Audubon f ound i tfeed i ng on crawfi sh on the Oh i o R iver . Waynesays that in Sou th Caro l ina a sma l l mu s se l o fsa l t or brack i sh water is its favor i te food .

Kn ight has ob served i t feed ing on these and a l s oon s ome vegetable subs tances . H e state s tha t i teat s sma l l fi sh and fry a l s o , and a l ong the coa s t

13 9

i t feeds on mu s se l s and other mo l lu s k s ; butE l l i o t be l ieves that in the in ter i o r the Wh i s t lerfeed s on vegetable mat ter , such as gra s ses and

root s .When feed ing there and when i t fi r s t come st o the sa l t water , in autumn

,the young are

fa i r ly tender and we l l—flavored , be ing about ona par w i th the B lue—b i l l as a table de l i cacy .

S ome o f the res i den t s o f Cape Cod con s i der i tsuper i o r t o the Sco-ters . Nut ta l l says that i teat s f resh -water vegetat i on , such as the. root so f Equ i setum s and the seed s o f s ome spec i es o fPo lygonum s .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH , in Game B irds .

l -Vrl lld-Fow l and Shore B irds .

BAR R OW ’

S GO L DE N -EYE

Clangu la i s lan d ica (_ Ci -i -zel -in )A . O . U . N umber 1 52

O t h er Name s . Rocky Moun ta in Garro t ;Moun ta in Go lden-eye.

Descr ipti on — A DULT MALE : Co lora t ion exac t ly as

i n Go lden - eye except t ha t the white spot in fron t of eye

is tr-z'

av-zg le

- s l zaped and wh i te of w ing i s d i v ided by a

dark bar formed by bases of greater cover t s : averagesla rger th an the Go lden - eye ; b i l l , di ff eren t ly shaped .

be ing shor ter and deeper at base. A DULT FEMALE :Indi s t ingu i shable f rom the fema le Go lden-eye in co lorbut separable by shape of b i l l .Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : In ho l low t rees ; made of

Rocky

Drawing by R . I . B rasher

BARROW’S GOLDEN—EYE nat. s ize)An act ive b ird , d iv in g l ike a flash , an d rare ly coming we l l to a decoy

g ra s s , leaves . and weed s tem s and l ined w i t h feat hersand down . EGGS : 6 to 10, du l l green i sh .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor thern North Amer ica ; breedsf rom sout h -cen t ra l A la ska and nor thwes tern Macken z ieto sou thern O regon and sou thern Co lorado , and f romnor thern Ungava to cen t ra l Quebec ; w in ters f romsou theas tern A laska , cen t ra l Mon tana , the Great Lakes ,and Gu l f o f St. Law ren ce sou th to cen tra l Ca l i forn ia ,

sou t hern Co lorado , Nebraska , and New Eng land ; acc iden ta l in Europe ; breeds common ly in Ice land , and i s arare v i s i tor to Green land .

140

Barrow’s Go lden - eye cl o sely resembles the

Amer ican Go lden - eye . I t is not easy t o distingu ish between the ma les at a d i stance and i t

i s imposs ible to tel l w i th cer ta in ty t o wh ich

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

spec i es the fema les and young bel ong. The i rhab i t s are a l so S im i lar but the Barrow’s breed sfar ther sou th and w in ters far ther north . Its

no te is a low croak ing sound .

B U FFL E -H EAD

Char iton etta al beol a (L im im i s )A . O . U . Number 1 53

O ther Names . Buffle-headed Duck ; Bu ff a lo-headedDuck ; Bumb lebee Duck ; Bu t ter Duck ; But ter-ba l l ;Bu t ter-box ; Bu t ter -back ; Spi r i t Duck ; Woo l-head ;H e l l -di ver ; Con j ur ing Duc k ; Mar ion et te ; D ipper ;D ipper Duck ; Dapper ; Dopper ; Rob in D ipper ; L i t t leB lack and W h i te Duck (ma le ) ; L i t t le B rown Duck( fema le) .

General D escr ipt ion . L eng t h , 15 in ches . Ma les areb lac k above, and w h i te be low ; fema les are gray i shbrown above, and wh i t i sh be low .

Col on— AD ULT MAL E : H ead , pufl'

y and cres ted ,and i r idescen t , purple, and green ; a large whi te pa tchon each s ide behind eye, runn ing some dis tance be loweye and joi n-ing its fel low over top of head ; nec k a l l

around, under par t s , shou lders , near ly a l l w ing- cover ts ,and mos t secondar ies , pure w h i te ; some shou lderfea t hers edged w i t h b lack , form ing a narrow lengt h

Th i s l i t t le Duck i s w i dely known on f reshwaters , for it i s by nature a fresh-water b i rd,wh ich in au tumn and w in ter f requen ts the sea

sho re . I t was named Buffle-head (or Buffa l ohead ) because o f its large fluffy head , wh ichl oo k s par t icu lar ly big when its feather s are

erected . The Buffle-head was not much sough tby gunners un t i l w i th in recen t years . Its greatweaknes s is a f ondnes s for decoys .

The ma le is a han d s ome b i rd ; i ts br igh t contrasting t in t s are h igh ly ornamen ta l , but, as i s

u sua l among Ducks, the fema le i s du l l and inconspicuous in c olor and much sma l ler . My youthfu l exper ience w i th the D ipper Duck conv incedme at the t ime that i t cou l d d ive qu ick ly enought o dodge a charge o f Shot ; but its immun i tyfrom danger probably was due mo re to mv in

exper ience and t o the in fer i or qua l i ty o f the gunand ammun i t i on u sed than t o the qu ickne s s o fthe b i rd . Howev er , i t d ives l ike a flash , and i s

very l ikely t o e scape un l es s the gunner , warnedby exper ience ,

u se s a cl o se shoo t ing gun ,j udges

wel l his d i s tance and ho l d s exact ly r igh t . Whena few are t ogether on e u sua l l y keeps watch whenthe others are un der water and warn s them of

danger by its shor t quack .

In fl igh t i t hur l s i t se l f through the air w i th tremendon s speed , its rapi d ly mov ing W ings a lmo s tform ing a haze abou t its glanc ing f orm ,

wh ichbuz zes s t ra igh t away as i f bound for the o ther

See Color Plate 10

w i se l ine ; back and upper par ts , b lack ; ta i l , gray i shb i l l , du l l b lu i sh—gray w i t h b lack tip and base ; feet , pa le '

fles h co lor ; i r i s , brown . A DULT FEM ALE : H ead, th in lyc res ted , dusky -

gray w i t h a l igh ter pa tch on s ide ,

“

upper

par ts , gray i sh—brown ; w ings the same wi th sma l l whi teareas ; below , w h i t i sh shaded on s ides of nec k and lbodyw i t h a shy ; b i l l , fee t , and i r i s , as in ma le .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In ho l low t rees or s tumpsnear wa ter ; l ined wi t h down and feat hers . EGGS : 9

to 14 ; f rom creamy—w h i te to buff or du l l o l i ve .

Di s tribu t ion . Nor th Amer i ca ; breeds f rom Ma ine,On tar io , Iowa , nor t hern Mon tana , and B r i t i s h Co lumbianor t h to A laska ; w in ter s f rom B r i t i sh Co lumb ia ,

A leu t ian I s lands , Idaho , Co lorado , M i s sour i , sout hernM ich igan , wes tern New York , and New B run sw icksout h to nor t hern Lower Ca l i forn ia

,cen t ra l Mex i co,

Lou i s iana , and F lor ida .

end o f the wor l d . I t a l igh ts on the water w i th .

a tumu l tuous splash ,s l i d ing a l ong for a l i t t le

d i s tance over the sur face . When i t has oncea l ighted i t seem s to prefer the water t o the . a ir , .

and w i l l o f ten d ive ,rather than fly ,

t o escapedanger . I t is somet imes so fat that in the

M i dd le S tates i t i s known as the But ter -box or

But ter-ba l l , but the flesh is not usua l ly o f a verygood qua l i ty . As w i th a l l Duck s the qua l i ty o fits fle sh depen d s largely on the character o f thefood i t has recen t ly eaten , and th i s spec i es , l ike :

o ther s,is much mo re pa latable when k i l led in

the in ter i or than when taken on the sea—coast .In February the ma le s begin the i r mat ing“

an t i c s , when they have a hab i t o f s t retch ingfo r th the neck and erect ing the gl o ssy feathers o fthe head as i t i s moved back and fo r th , so as t od i splay the i r beaut i es t o the best advan tage in thesun l igh t . They are qu i te quarrel s ome in the mat

ing sea s on and figh t fur ious lv for the posses s i ono f favo red fema le s .

Nut ta l l say s that the Buffle—head feed s pr inc ipa l ly upon f resh-water and submerged vegetat i on , and that i t s omet ime s v i s i t s the sal t mar she sin que s t o f the laver (U lr 'a lact-uca ) , as we l l

as cru s tacea and smal l shel l a fi sh . Audubon sta tes ,that i t feed s on shr imps , sma l l fry,

and b iva l ve s .in sa l t water , and on crawfi sh , leeches , sna i l s , and .

gra s ses in fresh water . I t a l s o take s l ocusts, ,gras shoppers and many other in sect s .

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142 BIR DS OF

We c lass the O ld- squaws among the Sea

Ducks and seem ingly they do prefer to l ive abou tsea-water . They occur in land,

however , on

m any o f the larger r ivers and lake s . On the

Pac i fic s i de o f the con t inen t , Ca l i f orn ia i s the i rs ou thern l im i t

,and on the A t lan t ic coa s t they

go down t o Nor th Caro l ina and somet imes t oF l or i da . The summer home is in the h igh northern lat i tudes . The i r food cons i st s ma in ly o f shel lfi sh and crustaceans . Wayne repor ts find ing themin company w i th Sur f Ducks feed ing on mus sel sa l ong the Sou th Caro l ina coast .As they are not regarded as good for the table,

market—hun ters sel dom k i l l them , and on ly the

less exper i enced sport smen shoot them i f o therDucks are w i th in reach . The i r hab i ts , includ ingthe i r manner o f flying, feed ing, and d iv ing,

are

v ery s im i lar t o those o f the Scoters , w i th Wh ichb i rd s they much as s oc iate .

A l ong the Nor th Caro l ina coast the O ld

AMER ICA

squaws a ssemble in large flocks , espec ial ly inthe Spr ing. At th i s t ime they are o f ten veryn o i sy ; in fact no w i ld Duck in Nor th Amer icahas so much t o say t o his fe l l ows as th i s handsome spec ies . Th i s propen s i ty for cea sele s schat ter ing i s given as the reas on for nam ingthe b i rd O ld- squaw .

” Many hun ters ca l l i t“

O ld Sou th- souther ly,through some fanc i ed

resemblance between those wo rd s and the noteso f the b i rd . Another l oca l name i s

“

L ongta i l , the ex ten ded ta i l— feather s o f the ma le, es

pecial ly in the Spr ing plumage, giv ing po in t t oth i s name .

O ld— s quaws are sa id t o indu lge in a var iety o fin teres t ing aer ia l ev o lu t i on s dur ing the mat ingseason . At great speed they chase one anotherthrough the air and o f ten dar t down to the waterand d i sappear , as they carry on the cha se for a

br i ef t ime beneath the sur face.

T . G IL BER T PEAR SON .

HAR L EQU IN DUCK

H istrion icus h istr i on icus (L innceus )

A . O . U . Number 1 55

O ther Names . Pa in ted Duck ; Moun ta in Duck ;R ock Duck ; Lord-and-Lady ; Squea ler ; Sea Mouse .

General D escr ipt ion . Lengt h , 17 in ch es . Ma les aredeep b lu i sh - s la te ; fema les are brown above, and gray i shbrown be low. Bo t h sexes have sma l l cres t s , shor t b i l l s ,and long ,

sharp ta i l s .C010r .

— ADULT MALE IN FULL PLUM AGE : Genera l co lordeep b lu i sh - s la te wi t h a purpl i sh t inge blac ken ing on

top of head, lower back , rump, and ta i l , a darker shadeon head and neck t han on breas t and back ; a wh i tepa tc h between b i l l and eye curv ing upward and backward , c hang ing to c hes tnu t a long nape ; a round w h i tespo t on s ide of head, a long w h i te s t reak on s ide of

upper nec k , a w h i te co l lar a round neck, comple te or

not — a l l t hese marks w i t h black borders ; a w h i te cre scentic bar in f ron t of w ings ; two w h i te s t reaks on

back ; ou ter webs of inner secondar ies and a bar ac ros send of grea ter cover t s and some of the secondar ies , a l sow h i te ; specu lum , du l l purpl i sh ; s ides and flanks , broad lyches tnut w i t h a sma l l w h i te spo t at root of ta i l ; b i l l ,du l l o l i ve, l igh ten ing on s ides ; feet , gray i sh —b lue w i t hdusky webs ; i r i s , brown . Th ree year s requ i red to reach

t h i s per fect plumage ; ma le u sua l ly seen intermedia tebetween t h i s and plumage of fema le . AD ULT FEM ALE :

Har lequ in ,we l l named ! fan tast ical ly deco

rated,but St i l l a th ing o f beauty . Del ight fu l in

co lor , elegan t in form , gracefu l in carr iage,r ight ly

are its l i t t le compan ies ca l led the “L ord s and

S ee Co lor P late 1 9

H ead, neck , and upper par t s , du l l dark brown , deepes ton head and rump ; lower par t s gray i s h -brown wh i tening on abdomen ; a l igh ter spo t in f ron t of eye, ano t herlarger one be low i t and s t i l l ano ther one fur t her backon s ide of head, a l l obscure wh i t i sh ; b i l l , dus ky ; feet,du l l leaden -

gray ; i r i s , brown . YOUNG : S im i lar to adu l tfema le in summer .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : In ho l low t ree or stump,under dr i f twood or in crev ices of rock , usua l ly near

swi f t ly runn ing s t reams ; con s tructed of weeds , gras s ,and leaves and l ined w i th down and feathers . EGGS :6 to 8, pa le cream or bufi‘y .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern Nor t h Amer ica and ea s ternA s ia ; breeds f rom A laska , on the A rct ic coas t , to

Green land , sou t h to Br i t i sh Co lumb ia, cen tra l Mac

kenz ie,nor thern U ngava ,

and New found land and in

the moun ta in s to centra l Ca l i forn ia and sou thwes ternCo lorado, nor t heas tern A s ia, and Ice land ; w in ters on

the Pac i fic coas t f rom A leu t ian I s lands to Ca l i forn ia ,in

the in ter ior to Co lorado , M i s sour i , L ake M ich igan , and

wes tern New York , and on the A t lan t ic Coas t f romGu l f of St. Lawrence regu lar ly to Ma in-e, rare ly to New

Jer sey , and acc iden ta l ly to F lor ida ; acci den tal in

Europe and not rare in A s ia sou t h to Japan .

L ad ie s o f the wa ters . Th i s is the l ove l ies t o fthe Sea Ducks

,but its beauty is reserved ma in ly

for the co l d and inho spi tab le Nor th,and the

wave- lashed rocks o f iso lated ledges in the

DUCKS

w in t ry sea . I t breed s pr inc ipa l ly in the Far

No r th al ong the coa s t s o f the A rct i c Ocean . Yet,

s t range as i t may seem ,some ind iv i dua l s prefer

the glac i a l s t ream s in the moun ta in s , and fo l l owthe h igher range s as far s ou th as Ca l i fo rn ia ,

where they rear the i r young am i d snow - cladpeak s

-

and d i spo r t them sel ve s in the foam ingmoun ta in to rren t s un t i l the r igor s o f approaching w i n ter d r i v e them t o the sea .

Ne s t s hav e been f oun d on the ground , in ho le sin rock s and ban k s , and in ho l l ow t rees . The

downy y oung take t o the water as soon as theybecome s t rong and then they tumble abou t amongthe rock s and rush ing wa ter s per fec t ly at home

as are the i r paren t s on the sea . In the breed ingsea s on the H ar lequ in is qu i te a s o l i tary b i rd butthere appear t o be many unmated or in fer t i leones or po s s ibly tho se that have fin i shed breed ing,

143

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

L AB RADOR DUCK

Camptorhyn chu s l abrador ius (C i-

nel in )

A . O . U . Numbe r 1 56

O t her Name s . P ied Duck ; Skunk Duck .

Genera l De scr ipt i on .— Leng t h , 29 in ches . Ma les

were b lack wi t h w h i te heads and mark ings ; fema leswere gray i sh -brown above , and gray i sh -w h i te be low .

Co lor . A DULT MALE : H ead and upper neck , w h i tew i t h a long i tudina l black s t r ipe on c rown and n ape ;

lower n eck , r inged w i t h black con t inuous w i t h tha t ofupper par t s ; be low t h i s a w h i te ha l f -co l la r con t inuou sw i t h tha t of shou lder s ; res t o f under par t s , b lack ;w ing - cover t s and secondar ies , Wh i te , some of the la t termarg ined w i t h black ; some long shou lder- fea t her s ,pear ly-

gray ; pr imar ies , t he i r cover t s , and ta i l - fea ther s ,

The mo s t remarkable fact abou t the L abrado rDuck , wh ich seem s t o have been common on the

A t lan t ic coa s t one hundred y ear s ago,i s that i t i s

now ex t inct and no one know s why . I f i t i s a

fact that i t bred on ly on rocky i s land s about theGu l f o f S t. L awrence and the coa s t o f L abrador

,

the feather hun t ing o f the e igh teen th cen turyand the egg ing and shoot ing o f the n ineteen thprobably resu l ted in its ex t inct i on

,but no one ,

now l iv ing, know s t o a cer ta in ty tha t i t bred inLabrador . John \V . Audubon was Shown n es t sat B lanc Sabl on tha t were sa i d - t o be tho se o fth i s spec i e s . Newton wr i tes that i t was commonin summer on the coas t O f L abrador un t i l about1842 . Ma j or K ing wr i tes (1886) tha t i t wascommon on the no rthern shore o f the Gul f o f St.

V O L . I — 1 1

brown i sh -b lac k ; b i l l , blac k w i t h orange base and edges ;fee t , gray i sh —“

blue w i t h dusky webs ; i r i s , ches tnu t .A DULT FEMALE : Above , gray i sh -brown ; severa l seconda r ies w h i te , form ing a specu lum , but no w h i te on w ingcover t s o r shou lder s ; be low , gray i sh -w h i te bar red w i t hdu l l brown ; a spo t on s ide of head an d ano t her in

f ron t of eye , w h i te ; b i l l , feet , and i r i s,as in ma le .

Ne s t an d Egg s . Unknown .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Former ly a long the nor t hern A t lan t i cCoas t s ; supposed to have bred in Labrado r and to havew in tered f rom Nova Sco t ia sou t h to New Jer sey ; nowex t in c t .

wh ich may be f ound on the sea in May and the

summer mon th s . Such l i t t le flock s , o f ten led

by a fu l l —plumaged ma le , en j oy them se lve s on

the wa ter s o f Puget S ound among the outeri s land s , d i v ing , play ing abou t on the sur face and

d re s s ing the i r plumage , apparen t ly w i thout a

care in the wo r l d . O n the A t lan t i c coa s t theyare scarcer now in Ma i ne and rarer s t i l l t o thes ou thward but in s ome se vere w in ter s flock s areseen s outh O f Nan tucket and Martha s V ineyard off the coa s t O f Ma s sachu se t t s . They are

fon d o f sw i f t water s , mad cur ren t s , t i de r ipsand flow ing sea s ; are t remendous ly tough and

hardy , and feed largely on mu s sel s,wh i ch they

get by d iv ing, o f ten to con s i derab le depth s .\i\-

’

hen ne s t ing a l ong moun ta i n s tream s they eat

many in sect s .

L awrence and bred there , but g ives no dates .I have seen no o ther ev i dence o f its breed ing inL abrado r . There are no defin i te reco rd s o f itsnes t i ng , and not one o f its eggs is in ex i s tence .

I t may have bred much far ther n or th but so farthe record s Show tha t no one has ever seen i t t othe northward . mu s t be sat i sfied , then ,

w i th the probable explanat i on that , l ike the

Grea t Auk , the spec ie s bred more or le s s l oca l lyand was ex term inated in much the same way .

Probably the exact fact s never w i l l be known .

The h i s t o ry o f the b i rd i s br i ef . I t was fi r s tmade known t o sc i ence by Gme l in in 1788 , near lyth i r ty year s a f ter the New England featherhun ter s had cea sed to ra i d the i s land s where i twas bel i eved t o breed , the b i rd s hav ing become

144 B IRDS OF

so reduced in numbers tha t feather hun t ing wasno l onger profi table . Audubon never saw i t

a l ive but asser ted that i t rema ined off the coa s t so f M a ine and M as sachuset t s al l w in ter and was

unknown s outh of Chesapeake Bay . Dekay( 1844) averred that the b i rd was we l l kn own t ogunners on the New Yo rk coa s t s

,but G i raud ,

wr i t ing about the same t ime, regarded i t as rare

there . E l l i o t says that between 1860 and 1870

he saw a con s i derable number o f the Spec ies inthe New Yo rk market s , but that a fu l l -plumaged

ma le was exceed ingly rare al though no one

imagined that the Spec ies was on the verge O f

ex t inct i on . The last L abrador Duck on recordd i ed by the han d o f man near L ong I s land , New

AMER ICA

L i t t le i s known abou t the hab i ts o f th i s Duck .

I t f requen ted sandy Shoa l s off the New Englandcoa s t and was so tame and con fi ding tha t i t wasnot d ifficu l t t o shoot .I t was sa id to feed largely on shel lfi sh

,and

Audubon rela te s that a b i rd s tuffer at Camden ,

New Jersey,had many fi ne spec imen s taken

w i th hook s ba i ted W i th mu s sel s . I t was a s trongflyer and a good d iver and

,as i s the ca se w i th

mo s t Sea Ducks,its flesh was rank and fi shy .

I t was hardy and in every way wel l fi t ted forthe bat t le o f l i fe but was not able t o cope w i thc iv i l i zed man . I t is s ig ni fican t that its ex

t inct i on occurred in the n ineteen th cen turywhen marked improvemen t s in fi rearm s were

LABRADOR DUCK SA group of mounted s pec imens in the Amer ican M useum of Na tura l H is tory, New York City

Yo rk ,in 1875 . Accord i ng to Dutcher

’s summary,

there are on ly forty- two reco rded spec imen s inex i s tence in the mu seums and sc i en t ific col leet i ons o f the wor l d .

accompan i ed bv the ex term inat i on o f far morespec i es o f b i rd s than in any other centurv

S ince the dawn o f h i s t oryEDWARD HOWE FOBRU SH .

SPECTACL ED E IDER

Arctonetta fi scher i (B randt)

A. O . U . Number 1 58

O t h er Name .— F i sc her 's E ider .

Gen eral Descr ipt ion . Lengt h , 22 in ches . Ma les arew h i te above and gray i sh -b lack be low ; fema les are yel

low i sh -brown , s t reaked and bar red w i t h darker . Bo t hsexes have den se pa tches of vel ve ty fea t hers around theeyes , ou t l ined w i t h b lack , sugges t ing spec tac les ; veryfi n e, stifl’ened fron ta l feat her s ; and c rown fea t herslengt hened in to a Shor t hang ing hood in the ma le,s l igh t ly indica ted , or not, in the fema le.

Co lon — A DULT MALE : Mos t of head neck al l around ,mos t of bac k , les ser and m idd le W i ng- cover t s , longinner secondar ies and a pa tch on s ide of rump, wh i te °

f ron ta l fea t hers on head , nape , and cheeks s trong lyt inged w i th pa le sea-

green ; spectac le area pure s i lveryw h i te f ramed as a foresa id

,w i t h b lack ; res t of plumage ,

inc lud ing w ings , g ray i sh -black ; b i l l , orange ; feet , yellow i sh ; i r i s , w h i te surrounded w i t h a l igh t blue r ing .

A DULT FEMALE : Var ies as do a l l E iders ; genera l co lora

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146

or bank s , or any su i table ho l low ; made of seaweed and

l ined w i t h down pluc ked f rom the breas t of the b i rd ;addi t iona l down i s added as incubat ion proceeds , and

the quan t i ty i s o f ten so g reat as to con cea l the egg sen t i re ly . EGGS : 6 to 10, green i sh -drab .

The No r thern E ider is a Nor th Amer i can race

o f the common E i der o f Europe and i s a lmo s tiden t ica l w i th i t . I t ne s t s on i s land s Off the

nor thern coast o f L abrador .

Th i s b i rd furn i she s much o f the ei-der -downthat is gathered by the Green land-ers , and i t is

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

Di str ibu t ion . Nor theas tern Nor th Amer ica ; breedsf rom E l lesmere Land and Green land sou t h to nor t hwes tern H udson Bay and sou t hern Ungava ; w in ter s insout hern Green land , sout h rarely to Ma ine and Ma s sachusetts .

not improbable that i t was one o f the spec iess ought by the feather hun ter s on the coas t ofL abrador in the e igh teen th cen tury

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH,in Game

B irds,l ’V i/d -Fort'l and S hore

Bi rds .

E IDER

Somateria dresseri Sharpe

A . O . U . Number 160

O ther Name s . — Amer ican E ider ; Common E ider ;E i der Duck ; D res ser’s E ider ; Drake (ma le ) Sea

Duck ( fema le ) B lack and W h i te Coo t (ma le ) I s le of

Shoa l s Duck ; Squam Duck ; W amp ; Canva s -back .

Des cript ion . Leng t h , 24 inches . T h i s E i der d ifler sf rom the Nor thern E i der in shape o f b i l l ; in la t terbase of bi l l ex tends a long each s ide of foreheadbe tween the narrow po in ted ex ten s ion o f c rown fea th ers ,t h i s la tera l ex ten s ion be ing very narrow and ending in a

po in t , w hereas in the E ider the proces ses are more t hantwi ce as broad w i t h obtuse rounded ends ; the s ides ofhead are more ex ten s i ve ly green i sh but o therw i se the

co lorat ion i s s im i lar .

E i ders are nat ive to bo th Europe and Amer icabut the European and No r thern E i ders d ifferf rom the Amer i can in the Shape o f the proces se so f the b i l l , wh ich ex ten d upward and backwardt oward the eye s . These maxi l l ze are les s attenua ted and more roun ded at the en d s in the Amer ican spec i es than in the European and the No rthern . Th i s is one o f the famou s Spec i e s that arerespon s ible for the grea ter par t o f the ~

eider~

down o f commerce . The fema le pluck s f romher own brea s t the d own to l ine her nes t and ,

as is the ca se W i th o ther spec i e s , she fel t s th i sdown in to a blanket or man t le wh i ch not on lyl ines the ne s t but ex tend s up so that she can

cover the eggs w i th a flap or co v er let o f thesame warm subs tance . In Iceland ,

No rway,and

s ome o ther par t s o f Europe the down is con

s idered so va luable that the bi rds are con served ,

See Color Plate 19

tended , and protected , so that they become a lmostas tame as domest icated fowl s . Nest ing placesare made for them in the tur f or among the

s t ones, and s ome o f them even ne s t on the sod

roo fs o f the hou ses , Where s od s are removed or

arranged for the i r accommoda t i on . In some

place s the nest s are so numerou s that it is imposs ible t o s tep among them w i thou t endangering the s i t t ing b i rds . S ome b i rds becom e so tame

wh i le on the ne s t as t o a l l ow the inhab i tan t s t os troke the i r feather s . When the fi r s t downyl in ing and the eggs are removed f rom the ne s tby the down gatherer s , the fema le pluck s herbrea s t aga in ,

renews the l in ing,and lays more

eggs . I f her t rea sure s are remo ved a secon d time ,

i t i s sa i d that the ma le denudes h is brea s t for a

th i rd l in ing. The down and eggs taken are not

suffic ien t to in ter fere w i th the breed ing o f the

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the groundp in gras s , inc rev ices between rocks , or in any she l tered loca l i ty ;made of mos s , seaweed , and l ichen s and l ined w i t h graydown f rom breas t o f the b i rd , the l in ing be ing addedgradua l ly dur ing the mon t h of incuba t ion . EGGS : 6 to

10, usua l ly 6, pla in du l l green i sh-drab.

D i s tribu t ion . Nor t hea s tern North Amer ica ; breedsf rom sou t hern U ngava and New found land , on the

sou thern ha l f of H udson Bay to sou t heas tern Ma ine ;w in ters f rom New found land and Gu l f of S t. Law ren cesou t h on A t lan t i c Coas t to Mas sachuse t ts , rare ly to

V i rg in ia , and in in ter ior rare ly to Co lorado , Iowa , W iscon s in , O h io , and wes tern New Yo rk .

Cow tesv of the New Yo rk State Mu se um P late I9

KING EIDER Soma ter ia spectub i l is (L innaeus ) HARLEQUIN DUCKFE MALE MALE MALE FEMAI E

AMERICAN EIDER Somater ia d resser i . Sha r peFE MALE MALE

A l l l, n a t . s ize

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148 B IR DS

on s ide of head wi th pa le sea-

green , and on breas t w i thc reamy-brown ; top of head and back of nec k , pear l

gray ; eyel ids and spot below eye , black res t of plumage , deep brown i sh -b lack , including the long innersecondar ies ; a black V - shaped ma rk on ch in ; b i l l , red

di sh -orange, the en larged par t sur rounded in f ron t , ontop, and rear w i t h a b lac k border ; tip,

w h i te ; fee t , yellow i sh -orange w i t h dusky w ebs ; i r i s , brown . ADULTFEMALE : H ard ly separable f rom ot her fema le E iders inco lorat ion , but eas i ly d i s t ingu i shed by the shape of b i l l ;the b i l l , ye l low i sh , dusky at end , w i t h wh i te tip.

Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : In depres s ion s of groundor among rocks ; composed en t i re ly of down . EGGS ;

The K ing E i der is an arct ic spec ies and its

hab i t s resemble those o f the common E i der . I tis a deep-wa ter Duck , feed ing mo st ly on mu ssel s .The fema le l ines her nest w i th down ,

as do theo ther Spec i es , and i t f o rm s par t o f the e i derdown O f commerce wh i ch i s gathered by the

nat i v es in Green land .

The ra i sed f ron ta l proces se s at the ba se o f theb i l l , wh ich ado rn the head , deve l op immen sely inthe breed ing sea son , bu lging h igh above the resto f the b i l l . These processe s are sof t , and are

OF AMER ICA

U sua l ly 6. but some t ime s more, l igh t o l i ve-

gray to

g ray i sh —g reen .

Di s tr ibu t ion - Nor t hern par t of nor t hern hem isphere ; breeds a long the w ho le coas t of nor t hernS iber ia ,

Ber ing Sea , and A rct ic coa s t of Amer i ca f romIcy Cape eas t to Me lv i l le I s land , W e l l ing ton Channe l ,nor t hern Green land, nor t hwes tern H udson Bay , and

nor t hern Ungava ; w in ter s on Pac i fi c coa s t f romA leu t ian I s lands to Kodiak Is land , in the in ter ior ra re lyto the Grea t Lakes , and f rom sout hern Green landand Gul f of S t. Law rence sou t h regu lar ly to LongI s land , rarely to Georg ia ; acc i den ta l in Ca l i forn ia and

Iowa .

suppo r ted upon a mass o f fat ty substance . Theyshr in k and become mo re depre ssed in w in ter ,when the genera l f ormat i on o f the beak i s not

much d i fferen t f rom that o f other E i der s . The

fema le ,however , does not resemble the ma le , and

is not ea s i ly d i s t ingu i shed in the field f rom thato f the Amer ican E i der . \Vhen in han d

,the

genera l resemblance o f the b i l l and the headfeather ing t o that o f the male may be n oted .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU S H , in Game B irds ,lV l ld—POZ UI and S hore B irds .

SCOTER

O idem ia am er i cana Swa inson

A . O . U . Number 1 63

O t her Nam es . MALES : B lac k S co ter ; S ea Coo t ;B lack Coo t ; B lack Sea Coo t ; F i z zy ; B road—b i l led Coo t ;H o l low -b i l led Coo t ; Pumpk in -blos som Coot ; Booby ;Bu t ter-b i l l ; B lack But ter-b i l l ; Bu t ter—b i l led Coo t ; Butter—nose ; Copper-b i l l ; Copper-nose ; Ye l low -b i l l . FE

M ALES : B rown Coo t ; Gray Coot ; Smu t ty Coo t .D escr ipt ion — Leng t h , ma le 2 1 inches ; fema le 17

inch es . A D ULT MALE : E n t ir e ly black ,les s g los sy be low ;

b i l l , black , w i t h a yel low protuberance at base ; feet ,dusky ; i r i s , brown . ADULT FEM ALE : Soo ty-brown ,

pa ler below , l igh ten ing on abdomen , w i t h dusky speckl ing ; s ides and flank s waved w i t h du sky ; t h roa t andS ides of head , d i s t in c t ly w h i t i sh : b i l l , dusky and not

pecu l iar ; fee t , du l l o l i ve w i t h b lac k webs ; i r i s , brown .

W’

e have no mean s o f know ing the ear ly h isto ry o f any one o f the Scoter s as they a l l were

genera l ly grouped together as Coot s or

B lack Duck s ” by the ear ly h i s t o r ian s . The

Scoters or“

Coots ,” as they are ca l led by the

gunners and fi shermen , are typi ca l d iv ing Duck s .They are very muscu lar and power fu l in bu i l d .

The bony f ramework i s s t rong, the sk in t ough ,

S ee Co lor Plate 20

O n ground near water ;EGGS : 6 to

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST :made of coar se gras s , fea t hers , and down .

10, pa le buff.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t hern Nor th Amer ica and eas ternA s ia ; breeds in nor t heas tern A s ia and f rom Ko t zebueSound to A leu t ian I s lands , inc luding Nea r I s lands ; a l soon wes t Shore of H udson Bay , Ungava , and New

foundland ; w in ters on A s ia t ic coas t to Japan and f romi s lands o f Ber ing Sea sou t h rarely to San ta Ca ta l inaI s land , Ca l i forn ia ; in the in ter io r not rare on the Grea tLakes , and casua l or acc iden ta l in M i s sour i , Lou i s iana ,

Nebraska Co lorado,and Wyom ing ; on the A t lan t ic

coas t abundan t dur ing m igrat ion f rom New found landand Ma ine sout h , but rarely as far as F lor ida .

and the feather s strong coar se ,and very fi rm ly

at tached to the sk in . The whole s t ructure seem st o be f o rmed to res i s t the t remen dou s waterpressure that they encoun ter wh i le d iv ing at

great depth s . F i shermen , both a l ong the M a s sachusetts coast and in the lak e regi on o f VV iscons in

,have t o l d me tha t they have taken the se

d iv ing Ducks in net s Set f rom 50 to 100 feet

DUCKS

bel ow the sur face . Th i s may be an exaggerat i on .

Under water they use both legs and w ings forpropu l s i on , and are even more at home therethan in the a ir . I f threatened w i th danger theyare as l i kely t o d i v e as t o flv . and s omet ime s ,when in fu l l fl ight , they ha ve been seen t o d i v e .

The Scoter s are un i ver sal ly known as Coot sa l ong the New England coa s t , a name der i vedprobably f rom the French fi shermen who fi r s te s tabl i shed the fi sh ing i ndus t ry on the ban k s o fNew found land . The t rue Coot . however

,is

a l obe— footed f re sh-water b i rd .

As food ,Duck s o f th i s genu s are regarded as

n our i sh ing but not v ery appet i z i ng . Some

wr i ter s have gone so far as t o s t igma t i ze them as

abom inable : but the people o f Cape Cod are able ,

Drawing by R . I . B rasher SCO TER nat. s ize)As food , th is Duck is nour ish ing , but not very a ppet izing

by parbo i l ing, etc., to mak e a d i sh o f even the

o ld bi rd s , wh i ch , though i t may tas te a l i t t le l i kecrow to the un in i t ia ted

,serves as an agreeable

var ian t to a d i et o f sa l t fi sh .

A cu l tured Bo s t on lady a s sure s ni e that whenShe a t tempted t o cook a Coo t i t d rove everybodyout o f the hou se , and that she had t o throw awaythe ket t le tha t it was cooked in . Nevertheles s ,I ha v e f ound the young pa la table i f proper ly prepared , though hardly equa l t o the celery- fed

Can v as -back . Many Scoter s are Sho t for f oodand so l d in the mark et s , but large number s arek i l led merely for spor t , and e i ther lef t t o l iewhere they fal l or to d r i f t away on the t i de .

The Amer ican Sco ter , B lack Coo t , or L i t t leGrav Coot , as i t is common l y ca l led , wh i le a

common b i rd . is the lea s t numerou s o f the threeScoter s . Wh i le at t ime s i t keeps by i t sel f i t i s

149

qu i te as l i k ely Ito_m ix w i th flock s o f the othe r

Scoter s . The fl igh t o f the Scoter s is sw i f t . Ihave heard i t e s t ima ted at 200 m i le s an hour w i tha s t rong w ind , but th i s is probably exaggerated .

They may po s s ibl y fly at the rate o f over 100

m i le s an hour under fa v o rable cond i t i on s , butth i s i s a h igh rate o f speed for any b i rd . Th i sb i rd u sua l ly fl i es in l ine s at some d i s tance f romthe sho re

,and the flock s are o f ten led by an O ld

exper i enced ma le,who w i l l lead h is f o l l ow ing

h igh in a ir wh i le pa s s i ng o v er the boa t s wheregunner s l ie in wa i t .In m igrat i on th i s b i rd i s o f ten seen in flock s

o f 100 or mo re , and in smal ler groups at o thert ime s , but i t a s s oc iate s w i th the o ther two spec i e s .L i t t le is known about its ear lv abundance ,

but i t

is probable that on the A t lan t ic i t has decreasedmore in propor t i on t o its f o rmer numbers thanthe o ther two common Spec ie s . It is far mo renumerou s now on the Pac i fic coa s t than on the

A t lan t ic . 5 0 l i t t le i s known O f its breed ingground s in no r thea s tern North Amer ica thatPro fe s s or Cooke i s obl iged to rea s on ,

by exclus i on ,

that as we hav e no record o f its breed ingwes t o f Hud s on Bay un t i l we reach the Yuk onva l ley

,nor in L abrado r s outh o f about lat i tude

52 degrees , the mu l t i tude s seen in w in ter on the

A t lan t ic coa s t mu s t breed eas t o f Hud son Bay .

in n or thern U ngava . As th i s i s one o f the lea s texpl o red regi on s o f the wor l d , i t is qu i te po s s ibletha t va s t numbers o f Scoter s and M ergan ser sbreed there . I t breed s ma in ly in f re sh —watermar shes and pond s in the nor th and a l s o uponi s land s in the sea . I t i s a very expert d iver , and

150 B IR DS

i s o f ten ab le t o get so near ly un der water at the

fla sh o f a gun that the Sho t in jures i t very l i t t lei f at al l .Its f ood con s i s t s largely o f mu s se l s , and whenfeed ing on f re sh water i t prefer s the f re sh -waterclam s t o mo s t o ther f ood s . Th i r teen Massachu

set t s spec imen s were f ound to have eaten n ear ly95 per cen t . o f mu s sel s ; the rema in ing 5 per

OF AMER ICA

cen t . o f the stomach c on ten ts was composed o fs tarfi sh and per iwink le s . I t is a common bel i efthat al l Sco ter s feed en t i re ly upon an ima l f o od ,but th i s is not a fact . A l ong the A t lan t ic coa s tthey appear t o subs i s t mo s t ly on mar i ne an ima l s ,but, in the in ter i or , vegetable f ood a l so i s taken

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH.in Game B irds ,

Wi ld—Fowl and S hore B irds .

W H ITE -W INGED SCOTER

O idem ia degl and i B onapar teA . O . U . Number 165

O ther Names . Vel vet S co ter ; Ve lvet Duck ; LakeH u ron S co ter ; W h i te-w inged Sur f Duc k or Sea Coo tor Sco ter ; B lack W h i te-w ing ; B lac k Sur f Duc k ; P iedw inged Coo t ; Un c le Sam Coo t ; Be l l - tongue Coo t ; Bu l lCoo t ; B ran t Coo t ; Sea B ran t ; May W h i te-w ing ;Eas tern W h i te-w ing ; A s semblyman .

Gen era l De scr ip t ion . L eng t h , ma le 23 in c h es ;fema le 20 inches . Genera l co lor of ma le , b lack ; fema le ,

brown above and gray be low . B i l l swo l len at ba se overnos t r i l s and on s ides ; feat her s of lores come c lose to

nos t r i l s .COIor .

— A DULT MALE : B lac k , pa ler below , morebrown i s h on S ides ; 3 sma l l w h i te Spo t under and beh indeye ; specu lum white

,formed by t ips of greater cover t s

and mos t of seconda r ies ; b i l l , black at ba se and on

knob, a Wh i te space in f ron t of knob ; s ides of b i l l reddi sh shading to orange on tip ; feet , orange or red w i t hblack webs and j o in t s ; I r i s , pa le ye l low . ADULT FEM ALE :Soo ty-brown above ; pa le gray i sh be low ; a large spacein f ron t of and be low eye, and ano ther back of i t ons ide of h ead , w h i t i sh ; c lose ly resembles the o ther two

fema le S co ter s but can a lway s be di s t ingu i shed by the

The VVh ite-w inged Scoter ,the large s t o f the

three dark—co l ored mar ine Ducks common lyca l led Sea Coot s a l ong the A t lan t ic coast andread i ly d i st ingu i shed f rom the o ther two by i tswh i te wing-bars , is very fam i l iar to gunners .

Toward the end o f Augu s t flock s o f adu l t ma le s ,flying sou thward , begin t o be no t iced a l ong the

New Englan d coas t . The l ighter—co l ored fema le sand young are not due t i l l about the m i dd le O f

O ct ober and later . Then there i s a great process i on o f them pa s t the headland s , flying sw i f t lyand low over the water . They st ream by in

s ingle fi les , in wedge- shaped format i on , or in

i rregu lar columns, the three k ind s be ing o f ten

in term ingled .

The coot shooter s , s tar t ing out at the fi r s tgl immer o f dawn , or bef ore , ancho r the i r boat sin a l ine s tra igh t out from s ome head land , about

S ee Color Plate 20

wh ite specu lum ; b i l l sma l ler t han in ma le and gray i shdusky ; fee t , du l l flesh co lor w i t h b lack webs ; i r i s , darkbrown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : U sua l ly con cea led underoverhang ing bushes , sma l l spruces . or w i l low s ; some

t im es n ea r sa l t wa ter , at o t her t imes 2 o r 3 m i les f romthe sea ; a depres s ion in the g round , l ined w i t h a l i t t leg ras s and , a fter the c lutch i s complet , w i t h a l i t t ledown . EGGS : 5 to 14, usua l ly 7 or 8, pa le sa lmon -b uff

or fl esh co lor .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom the

coa s t o f nor t h eas tern S iber ia ,nor thern A la ska , nor t hern

Mac ken z ie, and nor t hern Ungava sou t h to cen tra lB r i t i sh Co lumb ia , A lber ta ,

nor t hern Nor t h Dako ta , and

sou thern Quebec : w in ter s on the A s ia t i c coas t to

Ber ing I s land , Japan , and Ch ina , and in Nor t hAmer ica f rom U na la ska Is land to San Qu in t in Bay .

Lower Ca l i forn ia, the Grea t Lakes (ca sua l ly to Co lo

rado,Nebraska and Lou i s iana ) , and the A t lan t i c coa s t

f rom the Gu l f of S t. Law ren ce sou t h (rare ly ) to

F lor ida ; non -b reeding bi rds oc cur in summer as far

sout h as R hode I s land and Mon terey , Ca l i forn ia .

a gun shot apar t . and l ie low , after anchor ing out

wooden decoys in fron t . The Sco ter s , com ingsw i f t ly on

,may sw ing around the boat s fur ther

out t o sea, or r i se h igher in the ai r . O f ten ,

how

ever , t rust ing t o the i r sw i f tness , they dashthrough the l ine . Then the gun s speak . O n s ome

mo rn ings when there i s a big fl ight i t s oun d s l i k ea regu lar bat t le . Scoters are th i ck ly armo red .

however w i th feathers , down ,fat

,and a t ough

h i de , and many a t ime I have heard the impact ofthe shot on the i r bod i es when there was not the

lea s t v i s ible effect . They fly more e spec ia l ly ear lyin the mo rn ing,

but on l owery , w in dy days , par~ticu lar ly when a s t orm i s brew ing , I hav e watchedthem pass by thou san d s al l day l ong .

Such big th ick —set b i rd s , fl oat ing rather h ighon the water ,

mak e them se lve s qu i te con spicuou s ,and are ea s i ly recogn i zed . They l ike t o gather

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

DUCKS

over submerged bed s o f mu s se l s and other biv a lve s

,and feed upon them by d i v i ng . Be ing

v ery hardy b i rd s , they do not go as far s outh inw i n ter a s many o f the Duck s . Large number s o fthem rema in in the w in ter about Nan tucket andL ong I s land . Few get as far as the s outhernS tates .Th i s Sco ter i s the mo s t s ou ther ly o f the three

in its breed ing range . I hav e f ound qu i te a num

ber o f the i r ne s t s in No rth Dak ota and M an it oba . Though so hardy , they are the la s t O f thewater -b i rd s t o breed . U sua l ly they fin i sh layingf rom June 20 t o Ju ly I . beginn ing t o lay ,

the fema le sw im s a sho re, preferably on an i s land ,and creeps i n to the th icke s t weed s or bru sh she

can fi nd near by . There she scra tche s a ho l l ow,

layS'

a very big creamy-wh i te egg,

and rakes thes o i l over it.

_

Nex t day she d igs i t out,add s

another, and bur i e s both . W'

hen the set i s near

in-

g complet i on she pluck s down f rom her brea s tand l ines the nes t . Exam in ing a n es t o f eggsbefo re incubat i on beg in s is l ike d igg ing po tatoe s .She s i t s very c l o se

,and when a lmo s t s tepped

on t r ies t o scu rry through the weed s t o the water .

O nce I caught a Scoter leav ing her ne s t . She d i dnot act f r ightened , but gazed qu i et ly at her captor .

Sudden ly she gave a v i o len t flap, s l ipped to theground , and managed t o get t o the water fi r s t .The young are large for duck l ings , clad in black

15 1

and wh i te su i t s O f down, and wa l k a lmo s t erect .

rem ind ing one o f l i t t le men . H ERBER T K . JOB .

The s tomach s o f n i n e \Vh ite—w inged Scote r sf rom M as sachu set t s water s , ex am ined by M r . \V

L . McAtee , o f the B i o l ogi cal Sur v ey , con ta ined

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Doub leday ,Page 8: C0 .

NES T OF WHI TE-WINGED SCO TER

o f mu s se l s , about 44 per cen t . ; quohogs ,22 per

cen t . ; per iw in k le s , 19 per cen t . ; herm i t crabs , C)per cen t . ; the rema inder was cadd i s larvae and

a lgee and other vegetable mat ter . Three b i rd sf rom Nan tucket had eaten on ly the commonmu s sel .

SU R F SCO TER

O idem ia perspici l l ata L innrens )

A . O . U . Number 1 66 S ee Co lor Plate 20

O t her Name s . Su r f Duck : Sur f Coo t ; Sur fer ; SeaCoo t ; Bay Coo t ; Gray Coot ; B rown Coo t ; Box Coo t ;Spec tac le Coo t ; Butterboat-b i l led Coo t ; H o l low -b i l ledCoo t ; Speck le—b i l led Coo t ; B los som -b i l led Coo t ; H or sehead ; Horse- head Coo t ; Pa tch - head ; Pa tch - head Coo t ;Pa tc h -po l led Coo t ; W h i te- head ; W h i te S cop : Ba ldpa te ; Skunk—head ; Skun k - head Coot ; Skunk - top ;P ic tured—b i l l ; P las ter -b i l l ; Moroc co—jaw ; Gogg le-nose ;Snuff- taker .

Gen eral De scr ipt i on . L eng t h , 2 1 in ches . P redom i

na t ing co lor of ma le, b la ck ; fema le

,soo ty —brown above,

g ray be low .

COIO I‘ .— ADULT MALE : B lack , g l ossy above , dul l er

be low ; a tr iangu lar wh ite pa t ch on for ehead poi n ti ngforwar d ; another on e on nape poin ting downwar d ; no

wh ite on wings ; ba sa l ha l f o f b i l l , w h i te w i t h a largeround Spo t o f b lack , t h i s bordered above and beh ind byred and ye l low in a very n ar row l ine ; f ron t ha l f , ye l lowi sh -o range c ros sed by a w h i te band ; upper ha l f . c r im sonand orange ; feet , orange— red w i t h dusky webs and

j oin t s ; ir is , whi te . ADULT FEMALE : Above,soo ty

brown ; be low , gray ; two w h i t i sh patches on s ide of

head,t hu s sca rce ly di fferen t f rom fema les of o t her two

spec ies . D i s t ingu i shed f rom fema le Sco ter by largerb i l l , and f rom fema le “f lu te-w inged S co ter by absen ceO f Wh i te specu lum .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : On the ground in a bunchof mar sh g ra s s ; more rare ly in the low bran c hes of

dwar f spruces ; con s t ruc ted of gras s and plan t s tems ,and l ined w i t h down . EGGS : 5 to 8 , c ream co lor .

D i s tr i bu t i on . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds on the Pac i fi ccoa s t f rom Ko t zebue Sound to S i tka , and f rom nor t hwes tern Macken z ie and H udson S t ra i t to Grea t S laveLake

,cen t ra l Keewa t in , and nor t hern Quebec ; non

breeding b i rds oc cur in summer in nor theas tern S iber iaand sout h 011 the Pac i fi c coa s t to Lower Ca l i forn ia , an d

in Green land and sou t h on the A t lan t i c coa s t to LongIs land ; w in ters on the Pac i fi c coas t f rom the A leu t ianIs lands sout h to San Qu in t in Bay , Low er Ca l i forn ia , on

the Grea t Lakes , and sout h ca sua l ly to Co lorado .

Kan sas . Iowa ,I l l inoi s

,and Lou i s iana . and on the

A t lan t i c coa s t f rom Nova S co t ia to Nor t h Ca ro l ina ,

ra re l y to F lor ida ; ca sua l in the Bermudas ; f requen tin Eu rope.

1 52

The Sea Coot s are b i rd s o f the ocean and the

larger lakes o f the in ter i or dur ing the per i o d o fthe i r s o j ourn in the U n i ted S tates . Now and

then a few may be seen on some o f the moreimpor tan t r ivers , but one need not l ook for themon sma l l pon d s and in mar she s where many o therw i ld Duck s l o ve t o dwe l l .From the stud ie s wh ich econom ic orn i tho l

ogists have made o f the i r feed ing hab i t s welearn that abou t 80 per cen t . o f the f ood o fcoa s tw i se spec imen s con s i s t s o f mussel s wh i chthey procure by d iv ing. They a l s o eat per iw ink les

,a lgae ,

and eel -grass . The flesh o f few ,

i f any , b i rd s who se d iet con s i s t s large ly o f fi shor Shel l—fi sh i s real ly pa latable ; and i t wou l dseem tha t th i s fact a l one wou l d protect the Scoterf rom gunner s . Never the les s they are ex ten s ivelySho t , par t icu lar ly where the supply o f o therDuck s i s not very great . Th i s i s par t ia l ly t ruea l ong the New England coa s t .H ere they are hun ted in a communa l fash i on .

The gunner s o f a l oca l i ty agree on a day when

they w i l l go Coo t shoo t ing. At lea s t fi f teen or

twen ty boat s mu s t go , i f success i s t o be at ta ined .

The boat s are anchored in l ine offsho re f roms ome head land tha t separates two bays where theb i rd s are accu s t omed to feed , and are s tat i oned ata d i s tance o f abou t one hundred yards f romeach o ther . A l l th i s i s done very ear ly in the

mo rn ing for by sun r i se the compan i es o f Coot sw i l l beg in t o pa s s . They fly sw i f t ly and the man

who secure s many mu s t be a good sho t .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

RU DDY DUCK

E r i smatura jam aicen s i s (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 1 67

O t her Name s . Dumpl ing Duck ; Daub Duck ; Dea fDuck ; Foo l Duck ; S leepy Duck ; But ter Duck ; B rownD i v ing Tea l ; W idgeon Coo t ; C reek Coo t ; S leepyCoo t ; Booby Coo t ; Ruddy D i ver ; Dun D i ver ; S leepyB roth er ; Butter -ba l l ; Bat ter- scoo t ; B lat h er sk i te ; Bumblebee Coo t ; Qu i l l - ta i led Coo t ; H eavy — ta i led Coo t ;S t i ff~ ta i l ; P in - ta i l ; B r i s t le - ta i l ; Spr ig- ta i l ; S t i c k - ta i l ;Spine- ta i l ; D ip—ta i l ; D i ver ; Dun-b i rd ; Dumb-b i rd ;Mud-dipper ; Spoon-b i l led Bu t ter-ba l l ; Spoonb i l l ;B road-b i l led D ipper ; D ipper ; Dapper ; Dopper ; B roadb i l l ; B lue-b i l l ; S leepy- head ; Tough — head ; H ickoryhead ; S tee l - head ; H ard-h eaded B road-b i l l ; Bu l l-neck ;Lea ther-back ; Paddy-whack ; S tub-and- tw i s t ; L igh twood—kno t ; Sho t -pouc h ; Water —

pa r t r idge ; D inky ;D i ckey ; Paddy ; Noddy ; Booby ; Rook ; Roody ; GrayTea l ; Sa l t -wa ter Tea l : S t i ff- ta i led W idgeon .

General Des cr ipt ion . Lengt h , 16 inches . Ma les are

S ee Color Pla te 10

red above and w h i te below ; fema les are brown i sh -grayabove and g ray i sh be low . Bo t h sexes have the forehead ra t her low ; the n eck t h ick ; the b i l l long and broadand curv ing upward , but tip overhang ing and curveddownward ; and the ta i l composed of 18 s t i ff fea t her s

,

o f ten spiny -

po in ted .

COIO I‘ .— ADULT MALE 1N SPR ING : Forehead , c rown ,

s ides o f head to be low eye and nape , dusky-black ; face,

lores , ch in ,and s ides of head

, pure w h i te ; neck al l

around , upper par t s , and s ides , r i c h g lossy ches tnu t ;lower par t s , s i lvery—wh i te, watered w i th dusky ; w ingcover t s , pr imar ies , and ta i l , b lack i sh—brown ; underw ing- cover ts , w h i te ; b i l l and fee t , rather br igh t b lu i shgray , lat ter w i th du sky webs ; i r i s , brown ; eye l ids ,blu i sh . MALE IN FALL , AND ADULT FEMALE : Upper

par t s , brown i sh -gray , spo t ted and t raversed w i t h dusky ;below , pa le gray and wh i t i sh , w i th darker t ran s verse

Speak ing o f the Scoter as an art icle o f food,

“fa l ter H . R ich in Feathered Game of the

N or theas t says :“ They are unusua l ly t ough cu s tomers e i ther

in l i fe or at the tab le . Mo s t o f our cooks bel i eve i t impo s s ible t o so prepare th i s b i rd as t omake i t decen t f ood for any but a s tarv ing man .

The best rec ipe I have seen run s somewha t asf o l l ows : F i r s t

,Sk in your fow l and let i t parbo i l

in sa leratus water at lea s t one day, or un t i l i tcan be den ted w i th a fa i r ly sharp ax. I f yourcourage ho l ds out, the game i s now ready to stuflfand bake as you wou l d any other Duck

, excepttha t you mu s t put enough on i on s in t o its in s i det o tak e away a l l Coo t flavor . Arr iv ing at th i ss tage o f proceed ing there are two l ine s o f ret reatyet open t o you ; e i ther throw your del icate mor

sel away or give i t t o someone aga in s t whom you

ho l d an anc i en t grudge — on no accoun t Shou l dyou try t o eat i t .The summer home o f the Su r f Sco ter i s in the

Far Nor th ; none i s known t o rear its young inthe Un i ted S tates . Tho se occa si ona l ly f oundw i th in our borders in summer are e i ther cr ipples ,as the resu l t o f W in ter shoot ing, or are non

breed ing ind i v i dua l s . Audubon descr ib ing a nes the f ound in L abrador wr i tes that i t was h i ddenamong ta l l gras se s and ra i sed abou t f our inchesabove the groun d . I t was made o f weed s and

l ined w i th down o f the b i rd in a manner s im i lart o the nes t o f the E i der Duck .

T . G I L BER T PEAR SON .

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154 B IR DS OF

was put upon the head o f the Ruddy Duck t omeet the market demand . U n fo r tuna tely for itssa fety i t feed s upon del icate gra s ses and othervegetable a l imen t in pre ference t o sea— f ood .

There f o re ,its flesh i s a pa s sable sub s t i tute for

that o f the Canva s—back . So the market gunner s have pur sued i t un t i l its number s are no

l onger legi on and its chance s for ex t inct i on are

good .

The ma le i s a han d some b i rd in the breed ingseason but pre sen t s rather a r i d icu l ous appear

ance in ma t ing t ime , a s he sw im s pompou s lyabout w i th his head l i f ted proud ly and d rawn

AMER ICA

away back t oward“

the spread ta i l , wh ich i s ra i sedand thrown forward as i f t o meet i t .Th i s Duck nest s in pra i r i e s l ough s , where the

broods rema in un t i l a f ter a l l the other breed ingDuck s have depar ted . O ld and young are regu largourmand s and , accord ing to Gurdon T rumbu l l ,gunner s near the mouth o f the Maumee R i v erto l d o f find ing them fl ounder ing he lpless ly fat,on the wa ter and in s ome seas on s float ing abou tdead or dying in number s . But th i s was be fo rethe days o f the market demand for the i r flesh .

They do not have so much t ime t o get fat now .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU S H .

GEE S E

Order Anseres ; fam i l y An at-idaz,

’ subfam i l y Anseri ncc

HE Geese in scientific terminol ogy con stitute the sub fam i l y An serinae, of thefami l y Anatidar (Goose— l ike swimmer s) , included in the order Anseres - (Water

fowl ) . They compri se n ine or ten genera and about forty species , of whichten or twe lve occur in the Un ited States . Of these ,

however ,on l y two or three

species are actual residents of thi s coun try , and the rem a inder are no morethan m igratory vi sitants south of the Canad ian boun dary .

The group are cl ose l y related to the Swan s , from which they differ in having the neck shorter than the body

,and the lores feathered ; they are a l so

cl osel y a l l ied to the Duck s , from most o f which they differ in hav ing the tarsu senclosed in sma l l , hexagona l sca les , and in the sim i larity in co lor of thesexes . They a l so l ack the cere , or soft swo l len sur face at the base of the upper

bi l l , which i s characteri stic of the Ducks . Sti l l another m arked difference i s shown in the

feeding habi ts of the Geese ,which of ten take them in to fie lds far away from water . Thi s

habi t i s due to the fact that Geese wa l k much more readi l y than do Ducks , becaus e of theirlegs being set further forward on their bodies . Their food i s a lmost whol l y vegetab l e . In

the water they take seeds and roots of aquatic plan ts , which they get by search ing the v ege

tation below the surface , an Operation wh ich they accompl i sh by compl etel y immersing thehead and l ong neck , tipping the body meanwhi le so that the tai l points straight upward .

On l and they feed in the spring on sprouting grain ,and in the fal l on corn , oats , wheat , and

bar ley , taken from the stubb l e fiel ds .

Geese nest invari abl y on the ground and usua l l y l ine their nests with their own downto wh ich sometimes soft grasses are added . The eggs , from four to six or eight in number ,

are white . The co loration of severa l species of Geese varies great ly according to their

habi tat and the season s .

Owing to their great powers of flight the Geese cover immen se di stances in thei r annual

migration s , man y species nesting we l l within the Arctic Ci rc le ,and ranging far to the sou th

in winter .

GEESE

SNOW GO O SE

Chen hyperbo reu s hyperb oreus (Pal las )i \ . O . U . Number 169

O t her Names . Wavey ; Common W'

avey ; L i t t le-’avey : W h i te B ran t ; L es ser S now Goose ; Common

Snow Goose ; W h i te Goose ; Mex i can Goose.

L eng t h . 25 in ches .D e scr ipti on . B i l l , shor t and h igh at base . AD ULTS :

P ure whi te , the head washed w i t h rus ty brown : pr imar ies, g ray a t base ,

Mac /e a t ends ; bi l l , pa le carm in e— red

w i th w h i te tip and b lack cu t t ing edge ; feet . pink i sh - red ;eyes . dark brown . YOUNG : En t i re plumage , gray ,

l igh ten ing be low ; s t reaked on head and neck veryfa in t ly w i th darker ; more or les s waved on back w i thsame ,

secondar ies and pr ima r ies , dusky , the former

Drawing by R . I . B rasher SNOW GOO SE (5 flat. s ize )F locks , at res t, appear l ike banks of snow

(In

On

w i t h l igh ter edges ; b i l l and fee t , muc h darke r t han in

adu l t .Ne s t and Egg s . U nknown .

D i s tr i bu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom mout hof the Mackenz ie ea s t probably to Corona t ion Gu l f andMe lv i l le Is land ; occu rs on the A rc t ic coa s t of nor t heas tern A s ia

, but not known to breed t here : w in ter sf rom sou thern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou th ern Co lorado ,and sout hern I l l inoi s sou th to nor t hern Lower Ca l iforn ia , cen t ra l Mex i co (Ja l i s co ) , Texas , and Lou i s iana,

and on the A s ia t i c coas t sou t h to Japan ; gen era l ly rare

in eas tern Un i ted S ta tes .

B IR DS

The Snow Goose i s a we s tern b i rd , cl o se ly re

sembl ing the Greater Snow Goose,wh ich i s con

fined ma in ly to eastern No r th Amer ica . In the

O ld days , about wh ich the anc ien t hun ter l ovest o te l l , great flock s o f Wh i te Gee se ,

rest ing uponthe we s tern pra i r ies , appeared l ike ban k s o fsnow . The enormou s numbers Of the pa s t aregone ,

but the wh i te b i rd s are mo re or les sabundan t s t i l l in m igrat i on in the Far We s t andthey are numerou s in w in ter a l ong the Pac i ficcoa s t o f the U n i ted S tates .Th i s b i rd breeds beyon d the Arct ic c i rcle and

reappears in the U n i ted S tates in September .

The flock s l ike t o re s t on s ome lake at n igh t andt o feed by day in the Open fi el d s . Farm s wherethey can pick up waste gra in are favor i tes , andthey are des truct ive t o young gra in just sprou ting f rom the so i l . As the m igra t ing flock s come

in at n igh t they presen t a beaut i fu l and impre ss ive s igh t . They fly in a w i de rank pre sen t inga cur v ed f ron t not so angu lar as the V - shapedflock o f the Canada Goose . \V inging s tead i lya l ong,

h igh and serene,the i r ex ten ded pin i on s

bare ly mov ing,the i r snowy fo rm s borrow ing

ro sy t in t s f rom the sun set sky . they seek a harboro f secur i ty ; but as they seem abou t t o pa s s on ,

and leave the plac i d lake far beh in d , the flocklengthen s , turn s upward at an angle Of fi f t y or

s ix ty degrees , and then ,hang ing on down —ben t

r igi d w i ngs , float s so f t ly down and down , d r i f t

OF AMER ICA

B L UE GOO SE

Chen caeru lescen s (L ia-ma ns )

A . O . U . Number

O ther Names . B lue-“w inged Goose ; B lue W avey ;B lue B ran t ; B lue Snow Goose ; W h i te-headedGoose ; Ba ld- headed B ran t ; W h i te-headed Ba ld B ran t ;Bran t .Gen eral Descr ipt ion — Leng t h , 28 in ches .w h i te ; body , gray . B i'l l , shor t and h igh at ba se .

Col on — A DULTS : H ead and upper neck , white ; faces ta ined w i t h rus ty ; neck be low , bac k , and breast,dusky-

gray fading in to w h i t i sh below , in to fi ne blu ishgray on th ings , and in to w h i t i sh on rump and upper

ta i l -cover t s . broad ly -barred ac ros s the back and on

s ides w i t h dusky-

gray ; w ing- cover t s , pa le gray i shbrown ; mos t of secondar ies , dusky edged w i t h gray ;

H ead ,

U n t i l w i th in a very few year s the B lue Goosewas genera l ly con s i dered a rare spec ie s . In a

w in ter tr ip t o the del ta Of the M i s s i s s ippi R iver ,

S ee Co lor Plate 2 |

in 1909— 10

,I was a s ton i shed t o fi nd that the

immense concour ses o f Geese , by scores o f thousand s

,wh ich were sa i d t o be B ran t s ,” were in

ing and s t i l l fa l l ing a thou san d feet or more and

at the end,w i th a few qu ick flaps , d ropping t o

the water , and so they come to rest . Somet imes

when near the i r goa l they z igzag down mo re l i kea fa l l ing Canva s -back . The y oung are ea s i lyd i s t ingu i shed f rom the adu l t b i rds by the i r grayi sh plumage .

The Sn ow Goo se i s d ifficu l t t o approach and i s

not h igh ly regarded by the epicure . W'

ere i t notfor its taste for sprou t ing gra in i t m igh t ma inta in its numbers for many year s .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

The Grea ter Snow Goo se (Chen hyperbor eusn it -

val is,col o r plate 2 1 ) i s s im i lar in co l or t o the

Snow Goose, but larger in s i ze . I t breeds on

W’

ha le I s land,in E l lesmere Land , and in North

Green land,but its fu l l breed ing range is um

kn own . In the w in ters i t is f ound f rom southernI l l ino i s

, Che sapeake Bay ,and Massachuset ts

(rarely ) south t o L ou i s iana,F l or i da

,and the

Wes t Ind ies . Somet ime s dur ing m igrat i on i t isseen wes t t o Co l orado and ea s t t o New Englan dand New found land .

Audubon sa i d he f ound th i s Goo se in fa l l andw in ter in every par t Of the Un i ted S tate s that hev i s i ted and o ther ear ly wr i ter s record great fl ockson the A t lan t ic coast . Its numbers have beengrea t ly reduced ; th i s is probably due not on ly toits con spicuousne s s , but a lso to the super i orflavo r o f its fle sh .

pr imar ies , b lack ; b i l l and feet , pink i sh - red ; cut t ingedges of b i l l , b lack and tip wh i te ; i r i s , dark brown .

YOU NG : Genera l co lor , brown i sh , s t reaked on s ide of

neck and barred on back w i t h pa le gray ; under ta i lcover t s w h i t i sh ; w ing as in adu l t s ; b i l l and fee t , duskyflesh co lor ; i r i s , brown .

Ne s t and Eggs . U nknown .

D i s tr ibut ion . Ea s tern Nor t h Amer ica ; breedingrange unknown , but probably in ter ior of nor thernUngava ; w in ter s f rom Nebra ska and southern I l l ino i ssou t h to coa s t s of Texas and Lou i s iana ; rare or casua lin m igra t ion in Ca l i forn ia . and f rom New H ampsh i reto F lor ida , Cuba , and the Bahamas .

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GEESE

rea l i ty , n i ne- ten th s o f them ,B lue Geese . The

Canada Gee se d i d not con s o r t w i th them , and

there were on ly a few VVh ite- f ron ted and SnowGee se in the i r company .

At daybreak they cou l d a lways be f oun d out

on the flat s off f rom the ex i t s O f cer ta inpa s ses in to the Gu l f . They kept up a tre

men dons c lamo r wh ich cou l d be heard a coupleO f m i le s away . Be ing ex ceed i ngly shy , they

wou l d r i se and d i sappear up or down the coas ti f anyone approached w i th in ha l f a m i le Of them ;

con sequen t ly even the mark et gunner s get'

very

few . Fa rther wes tward ,on the L i fe R e

fuges , they make rendezvou s for the n igh t in

Photo by H . K . Job

157

Courtesy of Nat . Asso . Aud . Soc.

BLUE GEESEThe photographer wa ited fi ve days to get th is picture

certa in l oca l i t ie s on the marshe s . At Chen i er san T igres the cat t le men compla ined tha t the segrea t ho rdes o f Gee se,

spen d ing the n ight s , ands omet ime s days

, on the mar she s used for pa s turing cat t le , pu l led up every root o f the grass f rommany acres , creat ing depre s s i on s wh ich fi l ledw i th water and became pond s . The cat t le men

actua l ly had you th s empl oy ed to r i de abou t onhor seback and shoot at the Geese t o d r i v e themoff.

They breed very far no rth, perhaps on the

Arct ic i s land s n o r th o f the Amer ican con t inen t .V ery l i t t le is known about its breed ing hab i t s .I t is a remarkable fact that in w in ter near ly thewho le o f the spec ies in a body seem s t o res o r t tothe Gu l f coa s t o f L ou i s i ana

, or not further than

am i d fog and ho s t s o f mo squ i t oe s, pat i ence had

its reward .

Hard ly was I h i dden in the bl ind that mo rning befo re the Geese began to come . A f tercon s i derable c i rcl ing they a l ighted on the shoreand came up t o get the gravel . The seancela s ted fou r hour s , and dur ing that t ime I hadupward s o f a thou sand B lue Geese , and a few

Snow Geese , w i th in as near as s ix feet . Theyate

,d ran k

,bathed , and dozed , w i thout any

su spic i on o f my presence . No i sy fel l ows,they

ta l k ed so much that they seemed not to hear thecla t ter i ng o f the picture mach ine , even when on lya dozen feet away . I t was one O f the mo s tthr i l l ing exper i ence s o f a l i fet ime .

H ERBER T K .

_IOD.

Texa s , hund red s o f thou sand s be ing concen t ratedw i th in a comparat ivel y sho r t coa s t - l ine .

In January , 19 16, I had a remarkable exper i

ence w i th B lue Gee se . O n a cer ta in po in t on thesho re o f V erm i l i on Bay , L a .

,there is a rather

sma l l grave l — spi t , known as“

the goo se—ban k ,

” t owh ich f rom t ime immemo r i a l , great number s o fGeese have a lways res o r ted dur ing the w in ter toeat grave l for d ige s t ing the i r f ood . \/V ishing t osecure photographs and mot i on pictures O f B lueGee se

,we bu i l t a bl ind at one end Of th i s spi t ,

scat tered co rn ,and returned some four week s

later . The wea ther was bad and the Gee se d i dnot show up. A f ter fi ve da v s o f d rear y wa i t ing

OF AMER ICA

W H ITE -FRONTED GOO SE

An ser a lbifron s gambe l i H artlaub

I 58 B IRDS

A . O . U . Number 1 7 1 3

O ther Names . Amer i can W h i te- f ron ted Goose ;Laugh ing Goose ; H ar lequ in B ran t ; Gray B ran t ; P iedB ran t ; P ra i r ie B ran t ; Spectac led B ran t ; Speck ledB ran t ; Ye l low - legged Goose ; Speck le—bel ly .

Genera l D e scr ipt ion . Lengt h , 30 in c hes . P lumage ,

g ray i sh -brown w i t h dark pa tc h on lower brea s t . B i l l ,compa ra t i ve ly low at base .

Co lon — L ores , forehead , and fore- crown, wh ite , bor

dered beh ind by b lack i sh ; head , neck , breas t , and upper

pa r t s in genera l , dark g ray i sh -brown , fea t her s of backw i t h l igh ter edges , fo‘rm ing regu lar and di s t in c t t ran sver se ba rs ; upper ta i l -cover t s , w h i te ; secondar ies and

ends o f pr imar ies , dusky , ash y at base ; grea ter cover tsand secondar ies bordered w i t h w h i t i sh ; s ides of bodybe low

, gray i sh -brown ; a la rge pat c h more or les s brokenof deep b lack i sh -brown on lower brea s t and abdom en ;

b i l l , pink w i t h w h i te tip (the b i l l i s ye l low in breeding

The Wh i te— f ron ted Goo se was f o rmer ly an

uncommon spr ing and au tumn m igran t on our

coa s t (Howe and A l len ) . Dr . J . A . A l len ( 1879 )term s i t a rare m igran t , spr ing and fa l l , and saysthat Dr . B rewer s tates tha t i t was more commonth i r ty or f or ty year s ago , as was the ca se w i thmany o f our other Ducks and Gee se . I t i s now

regarded as a mere s traggler on the en t i re Atlan t ic coa s t .I t i s known as a B ran t in s ome o f our west

ern S tates , where i t i s abundan t in m igrat i on .

S ee Color Pla te 2 !

Fo rmer ly i t was common as far ea s t as the Oh ioR iver .

The fl igh t o f the VVh ite- f ron ted Goose i s s im ilar t o that o f the Canada Goo se . There i s thesame V - shape f ormat i on ,

and at a d i stance i tm igh t be read i ly m i staken for that o f the CanadaGoo se . Audubon states tha t - in Ken tucky th i sGoo se feed s on beechnut s , acorn s , gra in ,

youngblades o f gra s s , and sna i l s .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH , in Game B irds

l V i l d -Fow l and S hore B irds .

CANADA GOOSE

B ran ta can adens i s canaden s i s (Lumeeus )

O . U . Number 1 72

O t h er Nam es — W i ld Goose ; Common W i ld Goose ;C rava t Goose ; B ig Gray Goose ; Bay Goose ; R ee fGoose ; B lack - headed Goose ; Canada B ran t ; H onker ;Long-necked Goose.

Gen era l Descr ipt ion . Leng th , 3 5 to 43 in ches . H ead ,b lack ; body , brown i sh -g ray . Neck , long and s lender .

Col or . H ead and nec k , b lac k ; a br oad ci r cu lar patchextend ing from upper s ide of head around throa t to an

equa l d is tance on other s ide,not reach ing lower b i l l ,

leav ing ch in black ; res t of plumage, brown i sh -gray ,

more a shy be low ; a l l fea ther s w i t h pa ler edges ; upperand under ta i l - cover ts , whi te ; b i l l and feet , black ; i r i s ,brown .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : U sua l ly on a mound in

S ee Colo r Plate 2 3

season ) fee t . ch rome-

ye l low i r i s , dark brown . YOU NG :

Genera l tone of co lor browner , no b lack be low ; no

wh i te on head ; tip of b i l l , b lac k or dusky ; o t herw i ses im i lar .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A sha l low depres s ion in the

ground, l ined w i t h gras s , fea t her s , and down ; usua l lynear f resh -wa ter lakes . EGGS : 5 to 7, creamy-w h i te.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Cen tra l and wes tern Nor t h Amer ica ;breeds on and near the A rc t i c coas t f rom northeas ternS iber ia ea s t to nor t hea s tern Macken z ie and sou t h to

lower Yukon va l ley ; w in ter s common ly f rom sou t hernB r i t i sh Co lumb ia to sou t hern Lower Ca l i forn ia and

Ja l i sco , and rare ly f rom sou t hern I l l ino i s , sou t hernO h io , and New J er sey sou t h to nor t heas tern M ex ico ,sou t hern Texas , and Cuba , and on the A s iat i c coas tto Ch ina and Japan ; rare in m igrat ion on the A t lan t i ccoa s t nor t h to Ungava .

ma rshes ; con s truc ted of gra s s , reeds , and leaves and

l ine-d w i t h down ; rarely old nes ts of H awks or Eag lesa re appropr ia ted . EGGS : 6 to 7, du l l w h i te.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom l im i tof t rees in va l ley of the lower Yukon ,

nor t hwes ternMacken z ie , and cen tra l Keewa t in sou th to sou t hernO regon , nor t hern Co lorado , Nebraska , and Indiana ;former ly bred casua l ly sou t h to New Mex ico , Kan sa s ,Tennes see, and Ma s sachuset t s ; w in ters f rom sou t hernB r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou thern Co lorado , sou t hern W i s cons in ,sou t hern I l l inoi s , and New Jersey (rare ly sout hern

On ta r i o and New found land ) sou t h to sout hern Cal i forn ia, Texas , and F lor ida ; acc iden ta l in Bermuda and

Jama ica .

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160

The Canada Goo se is the bes t known member

o f the subfam i ly A nser iuee in eastern and cen t ra lNo r th Amer ica ] Near ly everyone is fam i l iarw i th the s igh t o f the V - shaped band s of these

Photo by T. G . PearsonNES T AND EGG S OF CANADA GOO SE

S tump Lake , North Dakota

Cou rtesy of Nat . Asso. Aud . Soc.

splend i d b i rd s as they m igrate s outhward in

autumn, or in Spr ing when they aga in turn the i r

w i ng—beat s t oward the f rozen po le . The greatbreed ing ground s Of th i s Goo se are in the B r i tish prov inces , few,

i f any ,o f the eastern fl igh t

pau s ing in spr ing s ou th o f the Canad ian border .

In the wes tern S tate s , however , they breed com

mou ly in many l oca l i t ie s . Thu s , I have foun dthe i r eggs on i s land s in lakes o f North Dako ta ,

and come upon the young a t tended by the paren t sin O regon and no r thern Ca l i f orn i a . I t is a

rather cur i ou s fact that shor t ly a f ter the younghav e hatched , the paren t s begin a mo l t o f feather swh ich is f requen t ly SO ex ten s ive that the b i rd sl ose the power o f fl igh t . At th i s season theymust o f cour se depend en t i rely upon thei rwon der fu l ab i l i ty t o sw im ,

when in search o ff ood

,or endeavo r ing t o e scape the i r enem i es .

Canada Geese are not flesh eater s,the gra in

fi el ds o f the grea t Nor thwes t be ing the i r spec ia ldel igh t . Dur ing the fal l m igrat i on they O f tencome here in great number s and feed on the

gra in scat tered among the s tubble at harve s t t ime .

A l ong the l ower M i s s i ss ippi R iver they may o f tenbe seen in the fie l d s o f Tennes see and A rkan sa s .L ike most Geese, wh i le feed ing they have one or

more sen t inel s con s tan t ly on the l oo k ou t fordanger . Fur thermo re the member s o f a feed ingflock are con t inua l ly r i s ing up and l ook ing about ,so tha t there are a lways a number o f head s in thea i r .

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

Photo by H . K . Job

NE S T AND EGG S OF CANADA GOO SESaskatchewan

Un i ted S tate s and the M i ss i ss ippi val ley . S omet ime s it V i s i t s no r thea s tern As ia . Throughout itsrange i t is var i ous ly known a l s o as Goose-bran t ,

The se b i rd s a s semble in enormous numbers onfavor i te feed ing grounds in Che sapeak e Bay and

in the s ounds o f Nor th Caro l in a . In Curr i tuckSoun d I have seen one fl igh t that was two hoursin pa s s ing a g iven po in t . They came in one

l ong wavy rank a f ter ano ther , f rom twentv to

th i r ty o f these ex tended l ines o f Geese be ing i n

S igh t at a t ime . The Can ada Goo se is h igh lyesteemed as an art i cle o f food , and when one

stops t o th in k o f the ince s san t gun - fi re t o wh ichthey have l ong been subj ected , i t is hard t o unders tand why the i r number s have not mater ia l ly decrea sed . T . G I L BER T PEAR SON .

The Canada Gee se feed largely on vegetablemat ter , the root s O f ru shes , weed s , gra s se s , etc . ,

gra s s , and many seed s and berri es , and swal l owquan t i t i es o f sand as an aid to d igest i on . Gee see i ther feed on shore, when they pluck up gra s sand o ther vegetat i on , or they br ing up foodf rom the bot tom in shoa l water by thrust ing the i rheads and neck s down as they float on the sur

face . L ike the B ran t,they feed on eel —gra ss ,

wh ich grow s on the flat s in sa l t or brack i sh water ,in t i da l s tream s , and marshy ponds . Somet ime sthey are de s t ruct ive t o young gra s s and gra in .

”

(Fo rbu sh , )Hutch in s’s Goo se (B ran ta canadens is hutch

ins i ) i s prec i sely l ike the Canada Goose in

everyth ing except s i ze ; its length is but 25 t o 34inches , and its we igh t i s genera l ly three or f ourpoun ds , rarely exceed ing s ix pound s . I t breedsin the Arct ic reg i on o f No r th Amer ica and m i

grat es sou th in w in ter ch iefly through wes tern

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162

r ivers and lakes o f the in ter i or l ike mo s t o f itsk in , but f o l l ows down the coa s t t o feed pr inc ipa l ly in the sa l t and brack i sh waters o f the baysand s ound s o f V i rgin i a and Nor th Caro l ina .

H ere i t may be f oun d in thousands and ten s o fthou sand s . I reca l l once sa i l ing through Pam l icoS ound f rom O cracoke t o Cape Hattera s , a d is

tance o f th i r ty m i les , and there was not a m inutedur i ng the en t i re t r ip but what new ly s tart ledfl ock s were in the ai r bef o re us .

W’

hen the wea ther is fa i r B ran t s gather in verylarge compan ie s t o feed on the ee l -gra s s grow

D rawing by R . I . Brasher

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

come ; they draw to the ido l s , the l oca l gunnerssay . They are awkward

,S l ow-flying b i rd s and

poor in deed is the mark sman who canno t makea good sco re w i th a sho tgun under such con d it i on s .An o ther popu lar way o f hun t ing them i s by

means o f a bat tery . Th i s may be descr ibed as a

coffin w i th canva s w ings . I t i s ancho red on the

Bran t ’s feed ing groun d s and when the gunner

l i es down in i t he is effect ively concea led un les st o a b i rd almost d i rect ly overhead . Th i s i s probably the mo s t decept ive dev ice used by man to

BRANT G nat. s ize)The smal les t of the wi ld Geese

ing in the sha l l ow water o f the shoa l s , or at h ight i de t o dr i f t a chat ter ing ho s t upon the bo som o fthe s l ow—heav ing s ound . When st rong w ind sbl ow these large

“

ra f t s are broken up and

sma l l compan i es o f f rom two t o a dozen fly aboutseek ing compan i on sh ip. I t i s then that the

gunner s get in the i r dead ly work . In a sma l lbl ind erected on four po s ts stand ing on a shoa l

,

o f ten three or f our m i le s f rom lan d , the hun ter stake the i r stand . Ancho red in the water aboutthem are f rom fi f ty to one hund red wooden decoys represen t ing Duck s and B ran t . I t is t o thesedummy S i ren s that the sma l l fl ock s O f B ran t

ou tw i t the W ary w i l d f owl . I have known bagso f one hundred B ran t t o be made f rom a s inglebat tery in a day . In v iew ing such s ight s one isled to wonder that any o f the se game-b i rd s havebeen able to e scape the terr i fic s laughter t owh ich they have l ong been subj ect by the hand o fm an .

On the Pac i fic coa s t o f North Amer ica the

B lack B ran t is f ound . I t is very S im i lar to theea s tern spec ies , but has more black on the un derpar ts and the f ron t o f the neck as wel l as theS i de s has wh i te mark ings .

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

GEESE

EMPER OR ‘ GOO SE

Ph i l acte canagica (S e-”t

r

as tiarw fi )

A . O . U . Number 1 76

O t her Name s . Pa in ted Goose ; Beach Goose .

General De scr ipt ion . Leng t h , 28 in c hes . H ead andta i l , wh i te ; body , b lu i sh -gray . B i l l , sma l l and but l i t t lee leva ted at base.

Col or . ADULTS : H ead , s ides an d back of nec k , andta i l , wh i te, the fi rs t two t inged w i t h amber-ye l low ;t h roa t

, black i sh ; res t of plumage, b lu i sh —g ray ; fea t hersabove and below w i t h b lac k subterm ina l c rescen t s Wh i tet ipped, produc ing a sca ly appearan ce ; bi l l , flesh co lorw ith w h i te tip ; fee t , orange-

ye l low ; i r i s , brown .

YOUNG ! H ead , dusky spec k led w i t h w h i te on top ;

o t herw i se s im i lar to adu l t .

Edward W . Nel s on , who made a Spec ia l s tudyo f the Empero r Goo se in A la s ka , and preparedfor the Nat i ona l Assoc iat i on o f AudubonSoc i et i es a leaflet in wh ich he reco rd s some o fh is in teres t ing Ob servat i on s , says that th i s is theleas t kn own and the mo s t beau t i fu l ” o f a l l

the w i l d gee se wh ich make the i r summer home

in the Far Nor th ,in both the O ld and the New

wo r ld s . For these rea s on s i t seem s proper t og i v e here s ome accoun t o f the b i rd , ev en thoughits v i s i t s to the U n i ted S tate s proper are con finedto occa s i ona l appearances in northern Ca l i f orn ia .

The ma in w i n ter ing place o f the EmperorGoo se , acco rd ing t o M r . Ne l s on , appear s to beon the s outhern s i de o f the Pen in su la o f A laskaand the A leu t i an I s land s , where the A leut s knowi t as the

“

Beach Goo se .

”The E s k imo s o f

the Yukon del ta M r . Nel son found wear ingpark ie s or outer garmen t s made o f the s k in so f Empero r Gee se, sewed together . The i r nat ivename for the b i rd i s nachau— thluk . A S to hi sobservat i ons o f the b i rd ’s hab i t s in the Yukonregi on M r . Nel s on wr i te s :

“

At fi r s t the Empero r Geese were d ifficu l t t oapproach , but as the i r number s increased theybecame les s shy . “

T

hen on the w ing , they wereeas i ly d i s t ingu i shed f rom the o ther Gee se

,even

at con s i derable d i s tances,by the i r propo r t i on

ately sho r ter neck s and heav ier bod ies,as wel l

as by the i r shor t , rapi d w ing— s t rok es , re sembl ingthose o f the B lack B ran t . L i ke the lat ter

,they

u sua l ly flew near the ground , rare ly more thanth i r ty yard s h igh ,

and common ly SO cl o se t o theground that the i r w ing- t ips almo s t t ouched the

sur face on the down s t roke . Wh i le flyi ng f romplace to place ,

they give at Sho r t i n terva l s a

harsh , str i den t ca l l o f two sy l lab les , l ike k la—ha,

163

N e s t and Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion on mar shyi s lands border ing the sea at fi r s t w i t hou t semblan ce of

n es t ing ma ter ia l , but as the number of eggs to be la idnear s complet ion , the depres s ion i s l ined w i th g ras s ,leaves , and down . EGGS : 5 to 8 , du l l w h i t i sh .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Coas ts of A laska ; breeds f rom Kot

z ebue Sound sout h to mou t h of Kuskokw im , on St.

Law ren ce I s land, and a l so on Chukch i Pen in su la ,

S iber ia ,near Eas t Cape ; w in ter s f rom the Commander

and Near i s lands eas t t h rough the A leu t ian s to B r i s tolBay and S i tka ; casua l in B r i t i sh Co lumb ia and

Ca l i forn ia ; acc iden ta l in H awa i i .

k la - ha,hla- ha

,en t i re ly d i fferen t f rom the no te

o f any o ther Goo se I have ev er heard . They are

much less no i sy than e i ther the “flute— f ron ted orCack l ing Geese ,

wh ich o f ten make the tun drare s oun d w i th the i r exc i ted cr i es .

“

A lmo s t at once af ter the i r arr iva l on the

i s lan ds , the Emperor Geese appeared to be mated ,the ma les wa l k ing aroun d the fema les

,sw inging

the i r head s and u t ter ing low l o v e notes ; and

incom ing flocks qu ick ly d i s in tegrated in t o pa i rswh ich moved about t ogether ,

though o f ten con

gregating w i th many others on flat s and san d~bar s . The ma le was ex tremely j ea l ou s and pugnacious , however , and immed iately re sen ted thes l ightes t approach o f another toward his cho ice ;and th i s spi r i t was shown equa l ly when an ind iv i dua l o f ano ther spec ie s chanced to come near .

-’hen a pa i r was feed ing , the ma le mo v ed res tles s ly abou t , con s tan t ly on the a ler t , and at the

fi rst a larm the pa i r d rew near one ano ther , and

ju s t be f ore tak ing w ing u t tered a deep, r i ng ingu— l ugh, u — l ugh ,

‘ these,l ike the flight- no tes , hav

ing a pecu l iar deep t one impo s s ible to de scr ibe .

At low t i de,as s oon as the sho re ice d i sappeared ,

the broad mud-flats a l ong sho re were throngedw i th them in pa i r s, and in groups . They wereindu s tr i ou s ly dabbl ing in the mud for f ood un t i lsat i sfied , and then congregated on bar s , wherethey sat doz ing in the sun or laz i ly ar rangi ngthe i r feather s .

Ear ly in June ,they began depo s i t ing eggs on

the flat, mar shy i s land s bo rder ing the sea. The

nes t s were mo s t numerou s a sho r t d i s tance backfrom the muddy feed ing—

ground s , but s t ray pa i r swere f oun d nes t ing here and there far ther in land .

One mu s t hav e la in w i th neck out s t retched on

the ground , as I a f terward found was the i r

1 64 B IR DS OF

c u s tom when approached , for the E sk imo and Ipa s sed w i th in a few feet on each s i de o f her ; but,"in scann ing the groun d for nes t ing b i rds , theg enera l s im i lar i ty in t in t o f the b i rd and the

obv i ous st ick o f d r i f twood bes i de her had com

plete ly m i s led our sweeping glances .

The same ruse m i s led u s severa l t imes ; buton each occa s i on the paren t bet rayed her presenceby a star t led outcry and ha s ty depar ture s oona f ter we had pa s sed her and our backs werepre sen ted . They u sua l ly flew -t o a con s i derab led i s tance , and Showed l i t t le anx iety over our v i s i tt o the ne s t s . When fi r s t la i d the fi ve t o e ighteggs are pure wh i te, but they soon become s o i led .

When the complemen t o f eggs to be la i d ap

proaches complet i on ,the paren t l ines the depres

s i on in the ground w i th a so f t , warm bed o f fi negra s s , leaves , and feather s f rom her own breast .The ma le s were rarely seen near the nests . butu sua l ly gathered abou t the feed ing—

ground s w i th

AMER ICA

SWAN S

Order Anseres ; fami lyAnatidaz ; subfam i l y Cygn i n e’

HE Swan s con stitute a sub fami l y (Cg/gui nea) of the fami l y Anatidae, and maybe con sidered as compri sing two genera ,

wh ich include about eight species .

The true Swan s Engl i sh orn ithol ogi sts group in a s i ngle genu s , Cygnus , whi leby American scien ti sts they are ca l led Olor from the Latin , mean ing Swan .

They are large , and a lmost exc lu sivel y aquatic b irds and are characteri zedby the l ength o f the n eck ,

which may be even longer than the body , the num

ber of vertebraeranging from twen t y - three to twenty - fi v e,whi le the Geese have

less than twen t y . The Swan s are famou s for their s tatel y appearance in thewater , due largel y to the con stan t l y changing but a lway s gracefu l arching oftheir necks . The p lumage i s genera l l y pure wh i te , though the head is sometimes marked wi th ru sty hues .

L i ke the Geese , the di stribution of the Swan s i s very wide , their range including mucho f the Arct ic region s , where they bui l d their rude n es t s , composed chiefly of reeds , in wh ichare deposited about six eggs of a green i sh hue . Their food con si sts main l y Of the seedsand roots of water plants , though they are accused of destroy ing great quantities of fi sh - spawn .

O t her Names . Swan ; Common Swan ; W i ld SwanAmer ican W h i s t ling Swan .

L eng th . 4% feet .D escr ipt ion . Nos tr i l s n earer the tip of the bil l than

A DULTS : En t i re plumage, pure w h i te ; b i l l ,b la ck w i t h a yel low spo t at base in fron t of eye ; feet ,b lack ; i r i s , brown . YOUNG : P lumage , a shy-gray ,

darker

the eyes .

W H ISTL ING SWAN

O lor col umbian us (0rd )

A . O . U . Numbe r 1 80 S ee Color Plate 2 :

on neck w here wa shed w i t h pa le ru fous ; bi l l , par t lyflesh co lor ; fee t , ye l low i sh flesh co lor .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On the ground in or on the

borders of marshes ; a la rge s tructure of gras s , mos s .weed s ta lks , and herbage of d i fi‘erent k inds . EGGS :3 to 6, du l l wh i te.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom nor t h

others o f the i r k ind , where they were j o ined nowand then by the i r mate s .

The young are ha tched the las t o f June or

ear ly in Ju ly , and are led abou t the tundra s bybo th paren t s un t i l Augu s t , when the o l d b i rd smo l t the i r qu i l l — feather s and w i th the st i l l unfledged young become ex treme ly helpless . At th i st ime ,

myr iads o f o ther Gee se are in the Same

cond i t i on , and the E sk imos made a pract i ce of

set t ing up l ong l ine s o f s t rong fi sh—net s on the

tund ra s t o f orm pound - t raps , or enc l o sure s w i thw i de wings lead ing t o them ,

in t o wh ich thou sandswere d r iven and k i l led for f ood . The s laugh terin th i s way was very great , for the young werek i l led at the same t ime . For tunate ly , in 1909 ,

Pres i den t R oo 'sevel t made a b i rd - reservat ioncover ing the del ta o f the Yukon and the tundrat o the s ou thward , wh ich includes the ma in breedground o f the Emperor Goo se , and thus took a

l ong step t oward perpetuat ing th i s fi ne b i rd .

”

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166

ern A la ska sout h to Becharof Lake , A laska Pen in su la,and on A rct ic i s lands f rom abou t la t i tude 74° sou t h tonort hern Mac ken z ie and nor t hw es tern H udson Bay ; inm igra t i on oc cur s wes t to Ber ing I s land ; w in ter s on the

Pac ific coas t f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia,rare ly

sou t h to sou th ern Ca l i forn ia , and in the in ter ior f rom

On the coast s and i s land s o f the A rct i c Sea ,in

far—off arch ipelagoe s o f the grea t f rozen Nor th ,

the Wh i st l i ng Swan bu i l d s its huge ne s t . Wh en

the mother leaves i t she covers the eggs care

fu l ly W i th the mo ssy ne s t l in ing t o in sure warm thand sa fety . The eggs are hatched by the la s t ofJune and the cygnet s are led t o the water where

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Lake Er ie and s ou t hern I l l inoi s to coa s t o f Lou i s ianaand Texas , and on A t lan t ic coa s t f rom De laware and

Ma ry land to Sout h Caro l ina , rare ly nor t h to Massachusetts and sou t h to F lor ida ; casua l in nor thernMex ico ; acc i den ta l in the B r i t i sh I s les and in the

Bermudas .

s ome h igh- keyed n o tes may come f rom the

younger b i rd s but the o l d ma les sound the bas shorn . As the flock passes over ,

h igh in air , the

leader u t ters a h igh n ote l i k e that o f a flageo letwh i ch E l l i o t descr ibes as soun d ing l ike who-who

who and th i s , repeated by flock a f ter flock, may

have given the b i rd its name .

Courtesy of Na t iona l Assoc ia t ion of Audubon Socie t iesand of M r . John Heywood

SWAN S IN WINTER ON HEYWOOD E S TATE , GAR DNER , MAS SACHU SET T SShowing how wa terfowl keep open a hole in the ice

they feed and grow under the m i dn igh t sun .

Soon the paren t s mo l t out a l l the i r flight- feather sand

,as the who le fam i ly i s then unable t o fly

,

they o ften fa l l v ict im s t o the nat ives who hun tthem remor se les s ly at th i s season , but nat ivet r ibes are few ; the coun t ry i s a w i de w i l dernessand many o f the b i rd s e scape the danger s o f theno r th . Late in September or in October they are

on the i r way s outhward where they are to facegreater per i l s .I t is hard to see ju s t why th i s b i rd is ca l led the

Wh i s t l ing Swan . Its ca l l s have great var i ety :

The fl igh t seem s t o d iv i de in t o three sect i on s ;one fo l low ing the A t lan t ic coa s t ; another the

M i s s i s s ippi va l ley , and a th i rd the Pac ific coa s t .The flock s pass ma in ly over lan d in an unwaver

ing l i ne at great he igh t s . In fa i r weather theyseem t o a v o i d c iv i l i zat i on

,flying so h igh as t o

be unnot iced by human eye s and mak ing but fews t ops , therefore they are con s i dered scarce in

most o f the northern S tates O f the Un i on . V eryrarely

,when caugh t in s t orm s and over-we ighted

w i th s leet and snow,they are f o rced to come to

the groun d .

SWANS

Such a cata s trophe occurred to the flock s inno rthwes tern Penn sylvan ia on March 22

,1879 .

Swan s came down in many places in fourcoun t ie s , in pond s , s t ream s , fiel d s

,or v i l lage s .

Large number s were k i l led by men and boysw i th gun s , r i fles

,and c lubs . Twen ty- fi ve were

captured a l ive in one v i l lage ,as they were worn

out and he lples s a f ter the i r bat t le w i th the s to rm .

M o s t Of tho se tha t a l ighted w i th in s igh t o f human

hab i tat i on s were s laughtered wan ton ly . (GeorgeB . S ennet t , in B u l l . N utta l l O rn . Cl ub

,

In some ca se s the Great L ake s are the i r refuge ,

i f they can reach tho se water s . and o f ten theyare sav ed by a l igh t ing under the l ee o f s ome po in tor i s land , but now and then a flock comes down

in the N iagara R iver and is car r ied over the

fa l l s . Whenev er th i s happen s and the wear iedand o f ten in j ured b i rds are ca s t up aga in s t theice br i dge or a l ong the shore s , people come in

crowd s and k i l l w i th gun s or club s the b i rds thathav e pa s sed a l ive through the fury o f the e le

men t s .

TRUMPETER SWAN

O lor buccina tor R ichardson )

A . O . U . Number 18 1

D escr ipt ion . Larger than IV /i is tl ing S team; nos t r i l sm idway between tip of b i l l and eyes . ADULTS : P lumage, pure w h i te or wi t h wash of ru s ty on head ; bil l ,lores and feet , bloc/c ; i r i s , brown . YOUNG : B i l l andfeet , not per fec t ly b lack ; plumage . g ray i sh ; head and

upper n eck , ru s ty . L eng th , 5 fee t .Nes t and Eggs . NEST : On an e leva ted kno l l nearwa ter ; con s t ructed of gras s , s ta lks , feat her s , and down .

EGGS : 5 to 7 , du l l w h i te .

D i s tr i bu t ion . In ter ior and wes tern Nor t h Amer i ca ;

The Trumpeter Swan , the large s t o f Nor thAmer ican w i l d fow l , represen t s a van i sh ing race .

In mo s t par t s o f North Amer ica i t is a b i rd o fthe pas t . Former ly i t ranged o ver the greaterport i on o f the con t inen t . Today i t i s seen ratherrarely in the w i l der regi on s of the in ter i or .

Great fl igh t s o f Swan s were observed by the

ear ly set t ler s on the A t lan t ic seaboard f romMa ine t o Geo rgia . No one know s what proport i on Of these were T rumpeters . but, as the Trumpeter was recorded on the A t lan t ic coa s t as lateas the last ha l f o f the n ineteen th cen tury

,there

i s s ome rea s on for the bel ief that some o f the

breeds f rom the Rocky Moun ta in s to wes tern shore of

H udson Bay and f rom the A rc t i c O cean to abou t la t itude fromer ly bred sou t h to Indiana , M i s sour i .Nebra ska , Mon tana , and Idaho , and casua l ly wes t toFor t Yukon and B r i t i sh Co lumb ia ; w in ters f rom sou t hern Indiana and sou t hern I ll inoi s sou t h to Texa s , and

f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumb ia to sou t hern Ca l i fo r n ia ;casua l in m ig ra t ion in the Rocky Moun ta in reg ion of

Un i ted S ta tes ; acc iden ta l in New York and De laware .

Now of rare oc cur ren ce near ly everyw here .

ear ly flock s were o f th i s spec ie s . I t was once thepreva i l ing Swan o f Ca l i f o rn ia and was abundan tin O regon and \Vash ingt on , but i t has now prae

t ica l ly d i sappeared f rom the Pac i fic coa s t . I ta lways was a b i rd o f the fresh waters and d i dnot, l i ke the YVhistl ing Swan ,

o f ten f requen t sal twater bays and es tuar ies . \Vhen the coun try wasfi rst set ted the T rumpeter bred in the no rthernU n i ted S tates . and f rom there nor thward to thef resh-water lakes and pon d s in the v ic in i ty o fHud son Bay, where i t was very numerou s , and

even t o the sho re s o f the A rct i c O cean .

L i t t le i s known about the breed ing hab i t s o f

There i s no safety for a Swan in th i s coun tryexcept i t be h igh in a ir or far out on open water .

Such re fuge i s found on the broad wa ter s o f theSouth . The great flock s tha t once f requen ted thecoa s t in w in ter f rom M a s sachu set t s to SouthCaro l ina are gone ,

but the spec i es s t i l l w in ter s inlarge number s on the Caro l ina coa s ts .

The s ong o f the dying Swan has been regardedas a plea s ing myth for many year s , but E l l i o ta s ser ts tha t he heard i t once at Curr i tuck S ound ,

when a Swan , mo r ta l ly woun ded in the a i r , set

its w ings and , sa i l ing s l ow ly down , began its

death- s ong , cont i nu ing i t un t i l i t reached the

water near ly ha l f a m i le away . The song was

un l i k e any other Swan note that he had ev erheard . I t was pla in t ive and mu s ica l and

s ounded at t ime s l ike the so f t runn ing o f an

octave . Inqu i ry among l oca l gunner s revea ledthe fact that some had heard s im i lar s ound s f romSwan s that had been fata l ly hur t . Need wewonder that the Swan was a favo r i te b i rd o fmytho l ogy ? EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

168 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

th i s bi rd , but, l ike the Canada Goose, the ma leguard s and defend s the fema le , eggs , and young.

In autumn when the gr ip o f the f ro s t congea ledthe sur face o f its nat ive lakes and streams theTrumpeter gathered in m ighty flock s , c i rc led h ighin air and moved southward in grea t fl igh ts u s ingthe V - shaped fo rma t i on so character i s t ic o f m igrat ing Canada Gee se . Th i s is wr i t ten in the

past ten se as there are no l onger any great fl igh t sOf the spec ies . Then , as now , the M i s s i s s ippiva l ley was a h ighway o f b i rd m igra t i on and

there , at t imes , in autumn,when the icy no r th

w ind blew, the sun set sky was overcast by cl oud so f water f ow l mov ing in d im s t rata near and far ,

in varying l ine s , cro ss ing, con v erging, a scend ing,

descend ing, but a l l trend ing s outhward t owardwaters as yet un t ouched by the f ro s t . The rushing o f the i r W ings and the i r mu s i ca l cr i es fi l ledthe air w i th a cho ru s o f un re lated sound s , b len ding in rough harmon ies . Abo ve them a l l , in the

fu l l l igh t o f the set t ing sun great flock s o f Cranespa s sed a l ong the sky, and h igher st i l l in the gl owing fi rmament rode the l ong baseles s t r iangleso f the Swan s , sweeping acro s s the upper air in

exal ted and un swerv ing fl igh t , Spann ing a con

tinent w i th the Speed o f the w ind , the i r f o rmsgl i sten ing l ike s i l v er in the sunset gl ow . Theypre sen ted the mos t impres s ive spectacle in b i rdl i fe ever seen in North Amer ica . When at la s tthey found the i r haven o f re s t they c i rc led w i thmany hoar se t rumpet ings in w i de spi ra l s f romthat gi d dy he igh t reconno i ter ing the coun t ry as

they swung l ower and l ower un t i l , the i r ap

prehen s i on s at res t , they sa i led s l ow ly downto dr in k , ba the, feed , and res t on qu iet , peacefu l waters .

Swan s feed a lmo st en t i re ly by reach ing downin sha l l ow water and pu l l ing up the vegetat i onf rom the bot t om w i th the b i l l . An ima l f ood suchas shel lfi sh is taken t o some ex ten t , ma in ly in thespr ing.

The reas on for the rapi d decrea se o f the

T rumpeter is not far to seek . I t is the largestand mo s t con spicuous o f water fowl . Wherever ,in set t led regi on s , Swans were seen t o a l ight ,everv k ind o f a fi rearm that cou l d do duty wasrequ i s i t i oned and a l l men turned out to hun t thegreat wh i te b i rds . They were not much saferin the a lmo s t un inhab i ted Nor th

, as the demand so f c iv i l i zat i on pur sued them there . The recordso f the t raffic in Swan s ’ down te l l the s to ry of

decrease in the terr i t ory o f the Hudson Bay Company . Ju s t prev i ou s t o the m i dd le o f the n ineteenth cen tury abou t fi ve hundred Swan s’ sk in swere traded annua l ly at I s le a la Cro sse and

abou t three hund red were taken year ly at For tAnderson . These were ma in ly sk in s o f the

Trumpeter Swan . The number so ld annua l lyby the Company s l ow ly decreased f rom 1 3 12 in

1854 t o 122 in 1877 . In 1853 Athabasca turnedout 251 , in 1889 on ly 3 3 . In 1889 and 1890

I s le a la Cro s se sen t out but two sk in s for each

outfi t . (Preble ,Nor th Amer ican Fauna . ) SO

the demand s o f fash i on and the bl ood lust w i l lf o l l ow the T rumpeter to the end .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

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FLAM INGOES

FLAM INGO

Phce n icopterus ruber L imzrrus

O t her Names . S car let F lam ingo ; Amer i can Fla

m ingo .

De scr ipt ion .— ADU I. TS : P lumage , scar let : pr imar ies

and mos t secondar ies . black l egs , lake red ; b i l l , blac k onend ,

orange in m i dd le , ba se and bare sk in o f head ,ye l low . Th i s per fec t plumage ra re ; bi rds as u sua l l yseen are mos t ly du l l pink w i th verm i l ion and s ca r let on lyon w ing s . YOU NG : The young are ha tc hed in w h i tedown w i t h a s t ra igh t b i l l , w h i c h gradua l ly acqu i res thec rook . Fi rs t plumage , gray i sh —w h i te w i t h dusky w ings ;t h i s pas ses t h rough pink . rosy , and red to i t s fu l l s car let ,

The great Scar let F lam ingo i s a rare b i rd inthe Un i ted S tates . O cca s i ona l ly a few are seenat the ex t reme s outhern end o f F l or i da and therewas undoubted ly a t ime ,

many y ear s ago , when

they bred in that regi on . I saw a spec imen at

Palm Beach in 1908 tha t had been recen t ly k i l lednea r there, but they probably never wander much

no r th o f th i s po i n t . They f requen t sha l l ow la

goon s or flooded mud fla t s , and are u sual ly f oundin flock s .In Dr . Fran k M . Chapman found and

s tud ied a co l ony o f perhaps two thou san d pa i r stha t were ne s t ing on the i s land o f And ro s in the

Bahama I s lands . H is in t ima te photograph i cs tud i es made at th i s t ime were the greates t orn ithologica l t r iumph in b i rd photography thathad then been at ta ined . I t may be added thathis publ i shed note s con s t i tu te pract i ca l ly a l l we

kn ow today o f the nes t ing hab i t s o f th i s b i rd .

The ne st s in th i s F lam ingo c i ty ,he tel l s us , were

pi l lars o f dr ied mud , a f oot or mo re in he igh t ,that had been scraped up by the b i rd s f rom the

immed iate v i c in i ty .

O n each o f these one wh i te cha lky egg was

la i d . Wh i le incubat ing, the o l d b i rd s do not s it

a s tr i de the nes t as shown in many o l d i l lu s trat i on s , but double the i r legs under them . Therewas no co ver in the way o f tree s or bu she s fora l ong d i s tance ,

but here on the sem i -flooded ,

mar l—covered pla in the b i rd s were fa i r ly securef rom human in tru s i on . as the regi on was i s o latedand part icu lar ly d iffi cu l t t o approach .

Upon fi r s t en ter ing his photograph ic bl indwh ich he had erected near the fie l d o f F lam ingoe s

’

nes t s , Dr . Chapman had grave apprehen

s i on s as to whether the b i rd s,al l o f wh ich had

fl own t o a d i s tance , wou l d return to the i r eggs .

Number 18 2

In Camps and Cruises of an. Or ririt/zologi s t he

tel l s u s s ometh ing of the i r behav i o r , when , af terh is compan i on had depar ted f rom the neigbor

hood . he crouched in his bl i nd and wa i ted .

D rawing by H en ry Thurs tonFLAM INGOES (tlg na t. s ize)Rare b irds in the Un ited S tates

W i thou t fur ther delay , the b i rd s returned tothe i r homes . They came on f oo t , a great red

cohor t march i ng s tead i ly t oward me . I fel t l i kea spy in an enemy’s camp. M ight not at leastone pa i r o f the near l y four thou sand eye s detects ometh ing unnatura l in the newly grown bu sh

severa l yea rs be ing requ i red to per fec t the plumage .

Leng t h o f adu l t , 4 feet .Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : A con i ca l s t ruc tu re on

remo te inacces s ib le i s lands , o f mud or mar l sc raped up

by the b i rd 's b i l l , about 18 in che s in diame ter at the

ba se and abou t a foo t across the top ; f rom a few

in ches to more t han a foo t h igh . EGGS : 1 o r 2,w h i te .

D i s t r ibu t i on .— A t lan t ic coas t o f subtropi ca l and

t ropi ca l Amer i ca , f rom the Bahama s , F lor ida Keys ,and Yucatan to B razi l , and in the Ga lapagos ; acc iden ta lin Sout h Caro l ina .

172

a lmost w i th in the i r c i ty gates ? No s ign o f alarm ,

however , was shown ; w i thout con fu s i on , and as

i f t ra ined t o the evo lut i on , the b i rd s advancedw i th stately t read to the i r nest s . There was a

bow ing o f a f orest o f s lender neck s as each b i rdl igh t ly t ouched its egg or nes t w i th its b i l l ; then ,

a l l ta lk i ng l oud ly they s tood up on the i r ne s t s ;the black w ings were waved for a momen t andb i rd a f ter b i rd d ropped forward on its egg.

A f ter a v igorou s wr iggl ing mot i on,des igned

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

ev i den t ly t o br ing the egg in to c l ose con tact w i ththe sk in , the body was s t i l l , but the l ong neck and

head were for a t ime in cons tan t mo t i on, preen

ing, pick ing mater i a l at the base o f the ne s t , dabbl ing in a nearby pudd le , or perhaps dr ink ingf rom i t . Occas i ona l ly a b i rd sparred w i th one

o f the three or f our ne ighbor s wh i ch were w i th inreach , when , b i l l grasping b i l l , there ensued a

br ie f and harm less test o f s trength .

”

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

FLAM INGOES IN THE Z OOLOG I CAL PARK, BUENO S AIRE S

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174 B IR DS or AMER ICA

long , and at the l ower end coi l s approximatel y in the form of a figure eight , somewhat a fterthe manner of that of the Cranes . The common ca l l i s a harsh quack , and the birds oftenmake a clattering sound by snapping their mandib l es together .

As the Spoonb i l l s differ from the Ib i ses in the pecu l iar s tructure of their bi l l , so theIbi ses are un l i ke the Storks , their close rel atives , in the differen tiation of the same organ ,

which i s even l y curved , somewhat s lender , more or l ess cy l indr ical , and comparativel y soft ,except at the tip, whil e that of the Stork s i s general l y straight , rigid , and hard . Of the

eighteen or m ore m embers of the Stork fami l y scattered over the warmer parts of the earth ,

on l y on e , the Wood Ibi s , is regu larl y found in America north of the southern b oundaryof the Un ited States .

Cer ta in of the Ibi s species are gregar iou s in the breeding season , wh i le others are rather

sol i tary . The nests may be pl aced in low bushes , on trees , or occasional l y among reeds ,or even in hol es in ledges or c l iffs . They are composed of p lant—stems and stick s , and mayor may not be l ined wi th straw ,

roots , or herbage . The eggs are from two to four in number

and may be green i sh —b lue , pal e blue , ol ive-

green , green i sh -wh ite , or sometimes brown i sh ,

wh i l e some o f the l ighter—col ored form s may show brown i sh or reddi sh mark ings . The

range o f the Ib i s i s virtual l y cosmopol itan . About thirty species are known , and these are

referab le to about twen ty genera . About one - third o f the species are of New Worldoccurrence.

R emarkabl e variation in both proportion s and col oration are shown in thi s fam i l y ;some species are gracefu l in their outl ines and others are clum sy and un couth , whi le plumageco lors range from neutra l or du l l tints to gaudy and bri l l ian t hues . M ost of the specieswa l k with marked grace and del iberation , whi le the flight i s general l y l ike though perhap srather more rapid than that of the Spoonbi l l s . The Ibi ses ' diet in c ludes aquatic in sects ,she l lfish ,

mo l lu sk s , worm s , smal l fi sh , frogs , grasshoppers , beet les , and l i zards . In theirsearch for their food , when i t i s in the water , the b irds sweep the bi l l to and fro , thoughthey al so u se it frequen tl y for probing in mud or soft sand .

The Ibi s was one of the m ost sacred birds of the ancient Egyptian s , and as such wasthe sub ject of many myths and supersti tion s . Even to- day it is one of the characteri sticbirds of the N i le va l ley , and in l ower Egypt i t i s cal l ed Abou -mengel ,

“ Father of the Sick le ,

”

the reference being,of course , to i ts curved bi l l . Herodotu s credited the bird with being

a destroyer of snakes , and Cuvier recorded finding the remain s of a repti le in the stomach

of a mummied Ibi s , but it seems c lear that such creatures do not form part of the b ird ’snormal diet .

RO SEATE SPOONB IL L

A ja ia a jaj a (L innceus )A . O . U . Number 1 8 3

O ther Names . P ink Cur lew ; R osy Spoonbi l lGeneral Descr ipt ion . Leng t h , 3 2 inches . P lumage ,

w h i te w i t h some pink or red . Adu l t s have the head andth roa t bare .

Col or . Upper n ec k and bac k,wh i te, somet imes

t inged w i t h pink ; w ings and under par ts , de l ica te rose

madder ; plumes o f lower foreneck , les ser w ing- cover t s ,upper and under ta i l—cover t s , r i c h carm ine ; sha f t s ofw ing and ta i l - feathers

,ca rmi n e ; ta i l . brown i sh -ye l low

w i t h a pa t c h o f same co lor on s ides of brea s t ; the sk inof the ba ld head var ied w i t h du l l green ,

orange, an d

black ; b i l l , w i th var ious shades of green . blue, yel low ,

and black ; legs , lake red ; i r i s , carm ine . YOUNG : H ead ,fea t hered ; genera l plumage, wh i te t inged w i t h pink on

w ings , ta i l , and abdomen ; edge o f wing ,dark brown .

Th ree years a re requ i red to reac h the per fect adu l tplumage.

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A pla t form of s t i ck s inden se tropi ca l marshes , usua l ly in cypres s trees or mang rove bushes , f rom 8 to 20 feet above ground . Fee s :3 or 4, w h i te or buffy , b lo tch ed and spo t ted w i t h var iousshades o f brown .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou th Amer i ca , f romTexas , Lou i s iana , F lor ida , and Georg ia sout h to

Patagon ia and the Fa lk land Is lands ; former ly casua lnor t h to Penn sy lvan ia and the lower O h io va l ley(Indiana and I l l ino i s ) ; acc iden ta l in Ca l i forn ia ,

Co lorado , Kan sa s , and W i scon s in .

SPOONB ILLS ,IB ISES , STORKS

There is no large wad ing b i rd o f No r thAmer ica that bear s such br i l l ian t feather s as theR o sea te Spoonb i l l . The genera l plumage is pin kw i th the les ser w ing—covert s o f the adu l t a br igh tcarm ine co l or . Th i s part o f the plumage i s

known as the d r ip.

”The b i l l i s l ong and flat ly

spoon — shaped . The b i rd get s its food by wad ing,

sw ing ing its opened b i l l from s i de to s i dethrough the mud and water , as i t ad vances . Former ly the Spoon-b i l l s , or P ink Cur lew s , as the

F l o r i da hun ter-s know them ,were ex ten s i ve ly

shot and the i r feather s sh ipped to Jack son v i l lewhere they were made in to fan s t o sel l t o w i n tertour i s t s . Today the b i rd s are ex t reme l y rare ,

than k s t o the ene rgy o f the plume—hun ter and theb i rd - shoot i ng t our i s t . But for the warden s empl oyed by the Nat i ona l A s soc i at i on o f AudubonSoc i et i e s they wou l d probably now be ex t inct inF l o ri da . A few are somet ime s seen in L ou i s i anaand po s s ibly a thou sand are lef t in F l o r i da , but

un le s s publ ic sen t imen t in that S tate shou l d re

ceive a rad ica l and sudden sh i f t toward con serva t i on , the b i rd w i l l probably not l ong surv ive .

Spoonb i l l s t ra ve l in flock s, s omet ime s in com

pany w i th Ib i se s . They fly in l ong d iagona l l ine s ,each b i rd be ing beh in d and j u s t t o one s i de o f theone in f ron t . seen among the dark greenf o l iage o f the mangrove t ree s , or wh i le in fl igh t ,the i r w ings reflect the sun l igh t and they show t oadvan tage and mak e an unu sua l appea l t o the

b i rd - s tuden t . For the mo s t par t they are s i len t .a l though when feed ing or when abou t the i r ne s t sa low croak ing note i s con s tan t ly ut tered , as

though the b i rd s were conver s ing among themselves .

Dr . Frank M .

‘

Chapman,speak ing o f the

act i on s o f the young in a nes t ing co l ony he

v i s i ted in M ex ico , say s\ 'Vll € l l the i r paren ts returned they were a l l

at ten t i on and on the a ler t for food . On such

occa s i on s they u sua l ly s tood in a row on the edgeo f the ne s t fac ing the o l d b i rd s , and in a mo s t

175

com ica l manner swung the head and neck up and

down . I have seen ba lanced mechan i ca l tovswh i ch woul d make a lmo s t exact ly the same mo

t i on . The toys , howev er ,were s i len t , wh i le the

l i t t le Spoonbi l l s a l l j o ined in a cho ru s o f tremu

l ou s , tr i l l ing wh i st les , wh ich grew l ouder and

mo re rapi d as the paren t approached .

Draw ing by Henry Thurs tonRO SEATE SPOONB ILL (3, flat. s ize )

One of the rarest and mos t bri l l iant waders of the South

W H ITE IB IS

Guara a lba (L i nna‘ns )A . O . U . Number 1 84

O t her Nam es — Span i sh Cur lew ; S tone Cur lew(young ) W h i te Cur lew .

L eng t h . 26 in ch es .Co lo l ’ .

— ADU LTS I P lumage , pure whi te ; t ips ofsevera l ou ter pr imar ies , g los sy bla ck ; bare face ,

b i l l,

V O L . I — 13

and legs , orange, red , or carm ine, the b i l l t ipped w i th'dusky ; i r i s , pa le b lu i sh -w h i te. YOUNG ; Du l l g ray i shbrown ; rump. ba se of ta i l , and under par t s , w h i te ; barespace on head , res t r i c ted and du l l ye l low i sh ; b i l l ,y e l low i sh -orange ; leg s . b lu i sh -gray : i r i s , brown .

-

'

hat the i r paren t brought them I cou l d not

see , nor for that mat ter,cou l d they . But w i th a

confidence bo rn o f exper ience , the b i rd that hadfi r s t oppo r tun i ty pu shed its b i l l and head far

down in to its paren t’

s mouth t o get whatever wasthere . Th i s S ingu lar operat i on s omet ime s la s tedas l ong as ten seconds , and i t was term inatedon ly by the paren t wh ich, much aga in s t the w i l lo f its offspr in

o,d i sengaged i tsel f ; then a f ter a

sho r t re s t a second youngs ter was fed and thu s indue t ime the who le fam i ly was sat i sfied .

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

176 B IR DS OF

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : U sua l ly in mangrovet h i c ket ; con s t ructed f rom tw igs of t hose bushes . EGGS :3 to 5 , gray i sh -blue or w h i t i sh , b lo tched and spo t tedw i t h du l l ye l low ,

ru fou s, and umber—brown .

D i s tr i bu t ion — Nor t h and Sou th Amer ica,f rom

Some years ago the Nat i ona l A s s oc i at i on o fAudubon S oc iet i e s purcha sed as a b i rd — reservat i on a po rt i on o f O range L ake ,

F l or i da , tha t con

Drawing by H en ry'

1 nu i s ton

WHI TE IB I S (E; nat. s i ze)A flock return ing to the ir nes ts at even ing is a pre tty s igh t

ta in s an i s lan d wh ich has l ong been the breed ingplace o f innumerable wa ter - b i rd s . Tho se y ear swhen the wa ter is not t o o h igh to cover the i rfood “flu te Ib i se s t o the number o f about n inethou sand pa i rs come here t o breed , as do the

Egret s , Heron s , and Water Turk eys that are

presen t ev ery seas on . The i r nes t s are bu i l t inthe low a l der t rees tha t cover the i s lan d and are

placed at a l l he igh t s f rom one t o fi f teen feet .They are bu l ky and the i r we igh t added t o tha t o fthe hea vy b i rd s plays sad ha v oc w i th the branche s .The eggs are beaut i fu l ly spo t ted ; the young are

cres ted w i th black down . At t imes the t ree s areso covered w i th \K'h i te Ib i se s that at a d i s tancethey appear t o be we igh ted down w i th s

n ow .

The b i rd s , o f cour se,have the i r n atura l ene

m ie s . Th i s i s land l i tera l ly swarm s w i th watermocca s in s in summer . They take many o f theeggs and perhaps some o f the newly hatched

AMER ICA

Lower Ca l i forn ia ,Texas , and Sou t h Caro l ina sou th to

W es t Ind ies , B raz i l , and Peru, and casua l ly to Grea t

Sa l t Lake, Sou t h Dako ta , I l l ino i s , Vermon t , Connecticut, and Long I s land ; w in ter s f rom Gu l f of Mex icosou t hward .

Photo by T . H . JacksonNES T AND EGG S OF WHI TE IB I S

A t Orange Lake, F lor ida

Cour tesy of Nat. Asso. Aud . Soc .

Beau fo r t , Nor th Caro l ina , but on ly in the latesummer , and on ly then the immature b i rd s whoexh ib i t the same wander lu s t as the young o f some

young. V u l tures roo s t on the i s land and theydevour many young. The mo s t annoying o f a l lthe creatures that d i s turb the Ib i ses , however ,

are the F i sh Crows . Numbers o f them are on

the i s land al l day l ong and the quan t i t i es o f eggsthey con sume is a s t on i sh ing. When the ne s t i srobbed these b i rd s w i l l lay aga in ,

and the Crowskeep them produc ing eggs for many week s . The

warden in charge e s t imated that in the summer

o f 19 13 every fema le Ib i s la i d an average o fe leven eggs , a l though f our is the n orma l numberfor a b i rd each sea s on .

These b i rds fly in l ong ran k s and make a verypret ty s igh t when toward s even ing they begincom ing in f rom the i r feed ing ground s wh ich are

O f ten many m i le s away . Low over the water t oavo i d the w i nd they come in t o v iew, rank a f terrank as far as the eye can see . W i th b lack— t ippedw ings sweeping up and down w i th never a pau sethe b i rd s advance un t i l near the i s land when

they r i se in un i s on and scat ter abou t among the

t rees to spend the n igh t .In the Un i ted S tates the Wh i te Ib i s breed s

as far no r th as the swamp coun t ry o f southernI l l in o i s and the r ice reg i ons o f Sou th Caro l ina .

I have seen them on the coa s t as far n or th as

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178

been known to nest in that S tate in many year si s on the Audubon Soc iety’s b i rd— i s lan d in

O range L ake . A s many as seven pa i r s havebu i l t the i r nes t s here in a sea son .

In Apr i l , 19 14,I hid in the top o f a wi l l ow

Cour tesy of Am . Mu s . H ist .WHI TE-FACED GLO S SY IB I S (é nat. s ize )

H e is capab le of a fli gh t of ten or twen ty m i les in search of breakfas t

t ree on th i s i s land to watch the act i on s o f thethou sand s o f ne s t ing Heron s and Wh i te Ib i sesin the bu she s bel ow and about me . W’

h i le thu sconcea led I had the good fo rtune t o see s ix o f

BIRDS OF AMER ICA

W OOD IB IS

Mycteria american a L inna’us

A . O . U . Number 188

O t her Names . Amer ican Wood S tork ; Co loradoTurkey ; Goard , o r Gou rd , H ead ; I ron H ead ; Gannet .D e scr ipti on . Leng t h , 4 fee t . ADULTS : Wh i te ; w ing

qu i l ls , pr imary ( or /ar ts , and ta il , g lossy green ish-bla ck ;the ba ld h ead and n eck , gray i sh—b lue , c ream y

, and y el

low i sh ; b i l l , dusky a long r idge, d ingy ye l low i sh on s idesand be low ; legs , b lu i sh -gray ; i r i s , dark brown . YOUNG :Dark gray w i t h b lack i sh w ings and ta i l ; head and neck ,downy feat hered , becom ing ba ld a f ter fi rs t mo l t .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : A pla t form of s t i ck s int rees , some t imes 100 f eet up ; the same s i tes are occupiedevery year and the nes t s somet imes become very bu lkyf rom the addi t ion of ma ter ia l each season . EGGS : 2 or

3 , w h i te .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— Tempera te and t ropi ca l Amer i ca from

sou th ern Ca l i forn ia ,Ar i zona, Texas , O h io va l ley , and

Sou th Caro l ina sou t h to Argen t ina ; casua l nor th to

Mon tana ,W i s cons in , New York , and Vermon t .

the se rare b i rds . At a d i stance they appear t obe du l l black , but upon com ing cl o ser the plu

mage was seen t o po s ses s a r i ch meta l l ic lu s terthat shon-

e w i th var i ou s hues o f green and purpleas the b i rds turned in the sun l igh t . One that l itin a bush nearby had a wh i te face wh i ch markedi t as a VVhite- faced Gl o s sy . The ne s ts were bu i l tin the bushes in a manner s im i lar t o tha t o f theo ther Heron s and Ib i ses . They were very sub

stantia l s tructures o f s t ick s and tw igs .The G l o s sy Ib i s is the spec i es mo s t genera l lysuppo sed to be found in the West Ind ies and

F l o r i da , the VVh ite- faced Gl o ssy on the otherhand be ing regarded as a wes tern b i rd . The

lat ter breed in the ex ten s ive mar shes o f Ma lheurL ake in southea s tern O regon ,

mak ing the i r ne s t sin the in term inable j ungle s o f the tu le reeds thathere cover the mar shes far and w i de.

They are gregar i ous b i rd s at al l t ime s and a f terthe nest ing sea s on wander abou t f rom one feeding groun d to ano ther . The people o f the Ma l

heur coun try e s teem them h ighly as f ood , and

despi te the law they are at t ime s k i l led and eaten .

In the coa s ta l reg i on s o f Texas these Ib i ses are

met w i th in var i ou s sect i on s and here a l so theyare shot . B lack Cur lew i s the name by wh ichgunner s u sua l ly kn ow them . They f requen t thelow ,

mo i st ground s abou t lakes , or over-flooded

meadows . O f ten the feed ing grounds are l ongd i s tances f rom the i r nest s , but the Gl o s sy Ib i si s a good flyer and qu i te capable o f tak ing a

fl igh t o f ten or twen ty m i les t o get its break fast .The f ood con s i s t s o f cru s tacean s , e spec ia l ly crawfi sh , and water in sects o f var i ous k inds . Frogsat t imes fa l l benea th the l ightn ing s t roke o f thel ong curved b i l l . There shou l d be a st rong lawin every S tate where th i s elegan t wader i s f ound ,mak ing the deed o f k i l l ing one a m i sdemeanorpun i shable by heavv fi ne — and the law shou l dbe r igidly en fo rced . T . G I LBERT PEAR SON .

SPOONB I LLS ,IB ISES , STORKS 179

O f al l the var i ous spec ie s o f S torks known toinhab i t the ear th ,

on ly two are found in NorthAmer i ca . One o f these , the Jab i ru (Jabiru

mycter ia ) o f t ropica l Amer ica , occa s i ona l lywander s no r th t o Tex as , but the other spec i es ,the V V

OOd Ib i s , is w i th us in good ly number s .They breed in the s ou the rn Un i ted S ta tes , ch ieflyin F l o r i da . They are gregar i ou s at a l l t imes ,

a l though now and then sma l l ban d s wan der awayfrom the ma in flock . I once saw at lea s t fi vethou san d o f these b i rds in a drov e feed ing on a

gras sy pra i r i e o f cen tra l F l o r i da . When d is

turbed by the repo r t o f a gun they aro se, a v a s twh i te and black ma s s

,and the roar o f the i r w ings

com ing acro s s the lake re sembled noth ing so

much as the rumbl ing o f d i s tan t thunder .

They breed in co l on i e s number ing hun d red s orthou sand o f pa i r s , and they a lway s select theta l les t t rees for ne s t ing s i tes . For severa l year sthe Audubon Soc i ety has been guard ing a co lonyin B ig Cypres s swamp o f south F l o r i da . In

the rookery near ly every tree has its ne s t andsome o f the cypres ses w i th w i de- Spread ing l imb sho l d S i x or e ight o f them . Th i s co l ony occupiesan area o f f rom two hundred to fi ve hundredyard s w i de and abou t fi ve m i les in length . Here

,

as in o ther rooker i es , F i sh Crow s are a greatscourge . Al l day a s tream o f Crow s can be seenflying f rom the pine wood s t o the swamp, or re

turn ing w i th eggs stuck on the end o f the i r b i l l s .I had the oppor tun i ty t o w i tne s s the rather odd

manner in wh ich the se b i rd s s omet ime s get the i rprey . The water was low at th i s season and in

the pine flat s var i ou s pond s , wh ich ord inar i lyco ver many acre s

,were par t i a l ly or en t i rely

d r ied up. O ne o f these ,now reduced t o a length

O f about one hund red feet and w i th a w i d th perhaps ha l f as great , con ta ined many sma l l fi sh

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Doub leday , Page 8: CO .

YOUNG WOOD IB I S

crowded together . Th i rty- seven \fVood Ib i se shad tak en pos ses s i on o f th i s poo l and seemed tobe scratch i ng the bot tom , ev i den t ly for the purpo se o f mak ing the a l ready th ick wa ter so muddythat the fi sh wou l d be fo rced t o the sur face . The

numerou s downward s t roke s o f the bare , bonyhead s fu l ly demon s t rated the effect i vene s s o fthe i r en terpr i se . Goard Head ,

” “ I ron Head ,

and Gannet are the appel lat i on s given tothese b i rd s by many swamp- dwe l ler s t o whom the

name \V00d Ib i s is un known .

A f ter the breed ing sea s on these S to rks wanderno rth as far as Penn sylvan ia and M ich igan .

O f ten one may fi nd them on the w i de mar she s ,e i ther sa l t or f resh—water , stand ing per fect lys t i l l for -an hour or more at a t ime,

the l ong heavyb i l l po in ted downward and res t ing on the s k in o fthe th ick

,naked neck . On such occa s i on s they

seem to repre sen t the per son i ficat i on o f dej ect i on .

T . G I L BER T PEAR SON .

1 80 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

H E R ON FAM I LY

Order H erodioues ,

‘ suborder H erodi i ; fami l y A rdei daz

S hungry as a Heron is a sim i le which shou ld mean much to a student o fbirds , for Heron s as a c lass are gaun t and voraciou s creatures who alway sseem to be ha l f fami shed , and actual l y are m ore or less emaciated , no matter

how p l en ti fu l i s their food supp l y . Structural l y the fami l y is characteri zedby the possession of four toes , with the hind one on the same p lane as the

three fron t ones , and the cl aw of the midd le one equ ipped with a comb—l i keprocess on the inner side ; a sl ender body , l ong neck , and a l ong and sharp l ypointed bi l l ; comparative l y l ong but n oticeabl y rounded wings ; and a bare

space about the eyes and on the sides of the head . There i s great variationin the plumage ,

which i s free and pl iab l e , and i s l ikel y to be extended on

the back , as in the case of the beauti ful nuptia l p lumes of the Egrets . On

the abdomen , rump, and certain other parts are curiou s patches o f down wh ich are char

acteri stic of the fam i l y .

Several of the Ameri can Heron s are gregar iou s dur ing the breeding period ,when l arge

col on ies p l ace their bu l ky nests near together in tree - top s ; but in thei r feeding habi ts theyu sual l y are sol itary . Some species capture their prey by standing motion less and waitingfor it to come within reach ; others pursue on foot frogs , crawfi sh , and the l ike in sha ll ow water .

Their flight i s del iberate , but powerful and certain , and i s accompl i shed by incessant flapp ing, and l i tt le or no sai l ing or soaring. Un l i ke the Cran es and Ibi ses , the Heron s in flightcarry the neck fo lded and the head drawn in n ear the shou l ders . Their eggs number fromthree or four to six, are un spotted and are whi tish or blu i sh -

green in co lor . Of the true

Heron s there are about twel ve species , wh ich are from one foot t o four feet and more inl ength . The fami l y i s represen ted in virtua l l y a l l parts o f the Nor th American con t inentexcepting the region s Of continuous col d or drought .

Drawing by R I . B rasherB I T TERN nat. s ize )

It is an adept at concea lmen t

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HERON FAM ILY 18 1

B ITTERNB o taurus l en t ig in o su s (tl ton tagu )

O . U . Numbe r 1 90

O t h er Name s . — Amer i can B i t tern ; S take Dr i ver ;T hunder Pumper ; But terbump ; M i re D rum ; Bog Bu l l ;Indian H en ; Mar sh H en ; Poke .

Gen eral De scr ipt i on . Leng th , 24 to 34 in c hes .Co lor above, brown ,

b lack i sh , w h i te , and tawny m i x ed ;be low , ye l low i sh .

Co lor . C rown ,du l l brown w i t h buffy s t r ipe over

eye ; res t o f upper pa r t s , s treaked and m inute ly free/atedw i th brown

,bla ck ish , wh i te , a nd tawny ; c h in and upper

t h roa t , w h i t i sh ; unde r par t s , ye l low and tawny-w h i te,eac h fea ther w i t h a brown darker - edged s t r ipe ; c en tero f t h roa t and nec k

,w h i te w i t h brown s t reaks ; a brown

mus tache on s ide o f t h roat ; w ing -

qu i l l s , g reen i sh -b lackw i t h a g laucous shade and t ipped w i t h brown ; ta i l ,

Tho reau says tha t the B i t tern is the gen iu s o fthe bog. I t f requen t s the ooze ,

and del igh t s inthe quak i ng fa l se bot tom where the fi r s t unwarys tep may plunge the adven turer in t o s l imy depth s .Here i t stea l s abou t

,h i dden among the rank

m ar sh growth ; here i t mak e s its ne s t and woosits mate . But i t is not confined to ' the mar sh ; i tis common in large meadow s and may even beseen hun t i ng gra s shopper s in nearby uplan dpa s ture s . The B i t tern is an adept at concea lmen t . I t has a hab i t o f s tand ing among the

gras s or reed s w i th i ts b i l l cocked up at such an

angle that even when in fu l l s igh t i t rema in sunnot iced because o f its cl o se re semblance t o a

ra i l or a s take . Its penc i led foreneck im i tate sthe reeds and a l l its co l or s are incon spi cuou s . I thas learned the art o f mo v ing a lmo s t as s low lv

as the m inu te han d o f a c l ock so as t o e scapeObserva t i on wh i le chang ing po s i t i on .

The mo s t remarkable character i s t ic o f the

B i t tern i s its s ong, but the re su l t o f its effor tscan hard ly be ca l led mu s ica l . W'

h i le produc ingthe s ound the b i rd look s as i f try i ng t o r id i t se l fo f some d i s t re s s o f the s tomach and the re su l t ingmel ody s ound s much l i ke the suck i ng o f an o ldfash i oned wooden pump when s ome one t r ie s tora i se the water . The b i rd sudden ly lower s andra i ses its head and throws i t far fo rward w i th a

convu l s ive j erk , at the same t ime Open ing and

shu t t ing theO

bi l l w i th a cl ick . Th i s is aecompan ied by a s ound wh i ch re semble s a h iccough .

Th i s i s repeated a few t imes , each t ime a l i t t lel ouder than bef o re ,

wh i le the b i rd seem s t o beswa l l ow ing a ir . Th i s i s succeeded by the pumping no i se s wh ich are in sets O f three syl lable seach re sembl ing pl imk - a - l unh or , as s ome peoplew i l l have i t , pl um p'

ztdd’

n . The l ower neck seem sto d i late w i th the a ir taken in and rema in s so

S ee Color Plate 2 3

brown ; b i l l , pa le ye l low w i t h du sky r idge ; legs , du l lg reen

-ish-

ye l low ; i r i s , ye l low .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : O n the ground among reedsin a swamp ; rough ly and loose l y con s t ruc ted o f deadrushes . EGGS : 3 to 5 , brown i sh w i t h a gray shade .

D i s tr ibu ti on . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom cen t ra lBr i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou t hern Mackenz ie

, cen t ra l Kee

wa t in , sou t hern Ungava , and New found land sout h to

sou t hern Ca l i forn ia ,nor t hern A r i zona ,

Kan sas , the

O h io va l ley , and Nor t h Ca ro l ina , and les s f requen t lyin sou t hern Un i ted S ta tes ; w in ter s f rom Ca l i forn ia ,

A r izona , sou t hern Texas , the O h io va l ley ,and V i rg in ia

sou th to Cuba and Gua tema la , and ca sua l ly to the

Bahama s , Por to R ico , Jama i ca , and Grea t B r i ta in .

un t i l the per f o rmance is o ver , when the neck isdefla ted .

There is a pecu l iar acou s t ic proper ty abou tthe s oun d . Its d i s tance and its ex act l oca t i onare very hard to gage . The v o lume seem s no

greater when near than when at a con s i der

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

B I T TERN ON NES T

able d i s tance,but as the d i s tance increa ses the

s ound is no l onger heard and in the place o f eachset o f sy l lab les there comes t o the ear on ly a

s ingle no te c l o sely resembl ing the d r i v ing o f a

stake , wh ich can be heard f rom a far . Hence thename S take Dr iver ,

” o f ten appl i ed t o th i s b i rd .

These no te s , a l though common in spr ing, par

ticu lar ly at mo rn ing and ev en ing, are not not iceable and the i r re semblance t o pumping and

s take—dr iv ing is a protect i on t o the b i rd .

Another remarkable character i s t ic con s i s t s o fwh i te nupt i a l plume s upon the s i de s o f the neck

182 B IR DS OF

or brea s t , wh ich appear to be a lways con cea led ,except when the b i rds are per f orm ing the i r mat

ing an t ics,when a plume i s ra i sed on each s ide

h igh above the Shou l der and becomes con spicuou saga in s t the dark er plumage o f the upper par ts .

The young — helples s , home ly , and awkwardare expo sed to many dangers in the i r l ow ly nes t .M ink s , mu s k rat s and water snake s roam about

AMER ICA

them ; keen - s igh ted Hawks, Eagle s , and Owl ssweep over the mar sh ; but the watch fu l mo theris ever ready to defen d them , and w i th her

dagger- l ik e b i l l and l ong neck she is no mean

an tagon i st . When danger threaten s she br i st lesto twice her u sua l s i ze and w i th glar ing eyes andready , open beak becomes a daun t les s defender .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

L EAST B ITTERNIxobrychus exi l i s (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 1 9 1

O t h er Names . Dwar f B i t tern ; L i t t le B i t tern ; Leas tH eron .

Gen eral D e scr ipt ion . Leng th , 1 : to 14 in ches .Co lor above, green i sh -b lack ; be low , brown i sh -ye l low .

Col or . AD ULT MALE : Crown , bac k , and ta i l , g lossyg reen i sh - black ; a s t reak down back of n eck ; mos t ofw ing-cover t s , and ou ter edges of inner secondar ies , pureches tnu t ; o th er w ing- cover t s , brown i sh -ye l low ; pr i

mar ies , dusky , t ipped w i t h ches tnut ; f ron t and S ides ofneck and under par t s in genera l , brown i sh -yel low ;

Photo by A . A . A l lenLEAS T B I TTERN

On its nes t in the marsh

See Color Plate 2 3

w h i te s treaks a long th roa t l ine ; s ides of breas t w i tha broken brown i sh -black pa tch ; a w h i t i sh s t reak on

upper s ide of shou lder - feat her s ; b i l l , pa le ye l low w i t hdusky r idge ; s k in of lores , l igh t green ; legs , du l lgreen i sh ; i r i s and toes , ye l low . ADULT FEM ALE : Crown ,

brown i sh ; back , brown i sh -ches tnu t w i th 2 wh i te s t reak sa long shou lders ; W ings , s im i lar , but cover ts more spot tedw i t h brown .

Nes t and Egg s . NEST : U sua l ly in a bun c h of cat

ta i l s ; a rough pla t form of dead reeds , ra i sed above the

wa ter on a bed o f decayed rushes . EGGs : 3 to 6, b lu i shwh i te.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Tempera te Nor t h Amer i ca and nor t hern Sout h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom sou t hern O regon ,

sou t hern Sa ska tchewan , sou t hern Man i toba, sou thernQuebec, and Nova Sco t ia sou t h to the W es t Indies andB raz i l ; w in ters f rom F lor ida and Gu l f of Mex icosou thward .

R eed—grown ponds , gra s sy marg in s o f lakes ,and expan ses o f fre sh -water mar shes f orm the

ab i d ing place s o f the L ea s t B i t tern . On ly a l i t t leover a f oo t in length ,

i t i s the sma l le s t o f al l ourH erons . Becau se o f its ret i r ing hab i t s and

secret ive d i spo s i t i on i t is known to few bes i desthe inqu i s i t ive orn i tho l ogi s t , who se en thu s ia smfor the subj ect lead s h im in to the f orb i ddenhaun t s o f the B i t tern . Even then i t is rarely seenun t i l sudden ly i t Spr ings f rom its h i d ing, at t imes

a lmo s t beneath your feet , and in an awkward andlabor i ous manner fl i es away a few rod s and

d rops aga in in t o the mar sh . M ore rare ly i t may

be seen cl inging t o the s tem o f some rush or reedmuch in the manner o f a W ren . I t has not been

g iven t o many to hear the s o f t coo ing spr ingn o tes o f the male , but mo s t summer marshwaders are fam i l i ar w i th the s tar t led qua w i thwh ich i t beg in s its fl igh t When d i s turbed .

A l though the Least B i t tern is f oun d in summer

as far north as Ma ine and Man i t oba , i t i s much

more abundan t in the s outhern S tate s . A few

pas s the w in ter in F l or i da ,but the bu lk o f these

b i rds m igrate far ther s outh . In spr ing theyar r ive in the Caro l ina s and Arkansa s bv m i dd leApr i l , and a few weeks later the i r summer dis

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1 84

The Great Heron is equa l in s i ze to thecommon and we l l~known Grea t B lue Heron . I ti s not the proud pos sessor o f beaut i fu l a igret te

Photo by H . K . Job

YOUNG GREAT WHI TE HERON

Cour tesy of Houghton M ifi i in Co .

In n es t , F lor ida Keys

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

plume s , such as ado rn the Egrets , and cousequen t ly has not been so ex ten s ively sho t . I toccur s ma in ly on the i s land s o f jama i ca and

Cuba, but i s not uncommon ly f ound a l ong the

coa s t o f F l o r i da . In 19 1 1 I d i scovered a co lonyo f seven pa i

‘

rs breed ing on the i s land in TampaBay, on the Gu l f coas t o f F l o r ida . Th i s appear st o be the n or thern l im i t at wh ich they have thusfar been f ound in the ne s t ing per i o d . The ne s t swere abou t twe lve feet above the water and

rested among the s tronger t opmo s t l imbs o f mangrove t rees . They were huge affa i rs , made O f

s t icks , and tho se exam ined con ta ined e i ther threeor four eggs . The l i t t le co l ony covered a terr ito ry about e igh ty feet in d i ameter . One hund redfeet away a number o f F l or i da Cormoran t s andL ou i s i ana Heron s were beginn ing to bu i l d the i rnests . Apparen t ly the three spec i es were dwe l ling t ogether in harmony .

Cru i s ing among the F l or i da Keys and cora lreefs near Cape Sable one may o f ten see thesegian t Heron s feed ing in the sha l l ow places wh icheverywhere abound . They haun t such l ocal i t i esin south F l o r i da , but one need not l ook for themin land . The i r grea t s i ze and wh i te plumage

render them con spicuou s marks wh ich may be

seen for a l ong d i s tance . I have a lways f oundthe Great Wh i te Heron ex tremely shy and

d ifficu l t t o approach . Its j udgmen t seem s neverat fau l t in determ in ing wha t i s the exact rangeo f a hun ter’s r ifle. T . G I LBER T PEA R SON .

GREAT B L UE HERONArdea herodias herod ias L innceusA . O . U . Number 1 94

O ther Names . Red- shou ldered H eron ; B lue Crane ;Crane ; Common B lue Crane .

General De scr ipti on . Length , 42 to 50 in c hes .Co lor above, s la ty-blue ; be low , b lack . H ead, cres tedand wi t h long plumes .Col or . AD ULTS : Forehead and top of head, w h i te ;

s ides of crown and cres t,black ; neck , pa le gray , marked

on th roa t w i t h wh i te, rus ty and b lack s t reak s ; ch in and

c heeks , Wh i te ; upper par ts , s la ty-blue ; shou lder s ,g rayer ; ta i l , s la ty-blue ; inner w ing-

qu i l l s , s laty-b lueshading in to b lac k pr imar ies ; plumes of lower neckand breas t , gray ; abdomen , b lack w i t h Wh i te and ru fouss t reak ing ; under ta i l - cover ts , w h i te ; b i l l , ye l low w i thdusky r idge ; legs and feet , dusky , so les ye l low ; barespace around eye, green i sh and b lue ; i r i s , c h rome yel

The Grea t B lue Heron is the larges t o f thetru ly Amer ican heron s , and is known as a statelv.

d ign i fied , and in teres t ing b i rd by tho se who haveob served i t in other ways than over the s igh t s o f

S ee Color Plate 24

low. YOUNG : NO cres t or lengt hened feath ers on head ;en t i re c rown b lack i sh ; genera l co lor above . brown i shs la te

,the feather s edged w i t h ru fous ; les ser w ing

cover t s , reddi sh -brown ; be low , a shy .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : U sua l ly in ta l l trees a longr i ver banks ; a large and bu lky s t ruc ture of l imbs , tw igs ,and some d ry gras s . EGGS : 3 to 6, b lue or green i shblue.

D i s tr ibu t ion . Wes tern hem i sphere ; breeds f romsou t heas tern B r i t i sh Co lumbia , cen t ra l A lber ta , cen t ra lMan i toba , nor t hern On tar io, and P r ince Edward Is landsou th to sou thern Lower ‘Ca l i forn ia , no r t hern Texas ,and Sou t h A t lan t ic S tates (except F lor i da ) ; w in tersf rom O regon , the O h io va l ley , and M idd le S tates sou t hto the Wes t Indies , Panama , and Venezue la .

a shotgun or r ifle . Th i s pursu i t is lega l i zed incerta in regi on s where the b i rd i s bel i eved to beeven more des t ruct i ve to the spawn and young o fgame fi sh than to its other prey o f frogs , craw

HERON FAM I LY

fi sh,sma l l snakes , sa lamander s and var i ou s water

creatures wh ich are mo re harm fu l than u se fu l ,not to men t i on gra s shopper s and meadow m ice .

U nder the se cond i t i on s i t becomes d ifficu l t t oapproach one o f the se a ler t and far - s igh ted b i rd sev en to w i th in fi el d-

glas s range . A sta lk o f th i sk ind is , however ,

wel l wor th wh i le i f i t br i ngsthe Obser ver t o w i th in Ob ser vat i on d i s tance,

for

h is reward w i l l be an exh ib i t i on o f s tea l thy and

sk i l l fu l fi sh ing wh ich i s bound to command h isadm i ra t i on .

Much o f th i s fi sh ing the Heron doe s w i thouts t i rr ing f rom the po s i t i on he tak es in Sha l l owwa ter among reed s or n ear the sho re . M ot i onles s as a s tatue he s tand s hi s l ong n eck doubledin to a flat tened S and h i s k een ey e s search i ng thewa ter nearby . As a f rog or fi sh approaches heho ld s h is r ig i d po s i t i on un t i l the creature come sw i th in s tr i k ing range , and the Heron k now swhat that i s t o a sma l l f ract i on o f an inch . Thensudden ly the curved neck s t ra ighten s out and

s imu l taneou s ly the l ong,rapi er- l ike b i l l shoot s

Photo by W. L . F in ley and H . T . Boh lman

GREAT BLUE HERON

downward w i th a s t roke wh i ch is qu icker thanthe eve can f o l l ow and sel dom m i s ses its mark .

In a second the fi sh or f rog has d i sappeared and

185

the fi sherman has resumed his s tatue sque po se .

Aga i n , the great b i rd may be seen s ta l k ing s lowlx

through sha l l ow water,l i f t ing each f oo t above

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t i ng Pub . Co .

A COLONY OF GREAT BLUE HERON S

the sur face , and s l i d ing i t in t o the water aga inso gen t ly as to cau se hard ly a r ipple ; and woeto the crawfi sh or sa laman der that does not

obser v e that approach .

L i k e mo s t Herons , the Great B lue is a s o l i taryb i rd in its hab i t s except dur ing the breed ingseason . Then the b i rd s Show a s t rongly markedgregar i ou s in s t inct by fo rm ing co l on ies , general lvin i s o la ted swamps, where they bu i l d the i r hugenest s and br ing up the i r young,

wh ich are fed

by regurg i tat i on . These heronr i es are mo s ti n teres t ing inst i tut i on s for the b i rd - s tuden t .O cca s i ona l l y severa l nests are placed in a S inglet ree

,and f requen t ly co lon ie s are found wh ich

inc lude 150 or mo re nes t s . U n les s the b i rd s areser i ou s ly mo lested they are l ik elv t o return for

many succes s ive year s t o the same n est ing- s i te .

I t i s wel l known that members o f the Heronfam ily feed to a great

'

extent on fi sh and o therf o rm s o f aquat ic l i fe , and con sequen t ly do not

l i v e far f rom water . The Great B lue Heron s att ime s depar t f rom th i s fam i ly t ra i t and v i s i th i l l s i des , cu l t i vated fiel d s

,and d r i er meadows in

search o f pocket gopher s , ground squ i rrels , andfie l d m ice wh ich they greed i ly dev our . Pe l let sco l lected in an in land n es t i ng co l ony o f the seH eron s showed that a very large propo r t i on of

the food o f the young i s made up o f thesein jur i ou s roden t s . The Heron s , l ike other flesheat ing b i rd s , d iges t the i r food rapi d ly and are

d i spo sed to gorge them selves when oppo rtun i tyOffer s . I t is fa i r to a s sume as a low averagethat a pa i r o f Heron s w i th four or fi ve young w i l lcon sume twelve t o fi f teen gopher s per day .

GEORGE GL ADDEN .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

EGRET

H erodias egre t ta (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 196

O ther Names — Amer ican Egret ; W h i te H eron ;W h i te Egret ; Greater Egre t ; Grea t W h i te Egret ;Great W h i te H eron ; Long Wh i te .

D escr ipt ion . Lengt h , 41 inches . No c res t , but a

magn i ficen t t ra in of long plumes spr ing ing f rom backand ex tending a foo t or so beyond ta i l in breedingseason ; plumage , entire ly whi te ; b i l l , ye l low ; legs andfeet . black ; lores and i r i s , ye l low.

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : Mere ly a pla t form of s t ick s

The t reatmen t wh i ch man has acco rded the

Egret i s not on ly an ev i dence o f his power overweaker an ima l s

,but s tan d s as a b l o t on th i s

coun t ry’s h i s t ory . The l ong wh i te plumes , wh ichth i s b i rd bear s on its back in the mat ing and

n est ing sea s on ,have l ong been s o

'

ugh t as ado rnmen t s for women

’s headwear . The on ly way t oget these

“

a igret tes i s to shoo t the b i rd , and

shoot i t at the t ime i t i s engaged in the care o fits nes t l ings . At other sea s ons i t i s w i l d , and

on ly wi th great d ifficu l ty can one approach t ow i th in shoo t ing d i stance ,

before i t takes w ing.

The plumes are acqu i red ear ly in the year butnot un t i l the b i rd s have accumu lated in co l on i e s

,

and la i d the i r eggs , can the hun ter hope for

success . Even then the w i se m i l l inery agen t swa i t un t i l the rookery i s r ipe . By r ipe theymean when the eggs have hatched . I f the Shoo ting begin s in a co l ony be fore th i s t ime

, the b i rd sw i l l f requen t ly de ser t the i r ne s t s and eggs . Thusin o rder to get the most sat i s fact ory resu l ts theplume—hun ter mu s t be con ten t to wa i t un t i l theyoung appear , and the in st inct o f paren tal carei s so arou sed that the o l d b i rd s w i l l returnaga in and aga in de spi te the fact that they see

the i r compan i ons fa l l ing a l l about them bef orethe gun s o f the inhuman hunter s . Th i s methodo f a t tack on any spec ies i f l ong con t inued mean sits doom . When o l d and young al ike per i sh no

chance rema in s to perpetuate the spec i es .In the far West a few Egrets st i l l are f ound ,

but very rarely . They appear'

never to have

S ee Co lor Plate 24

in mangroves or in trees . EGGS : 3 to 5, pla in blu i shgreen .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Tempera te and tropica l Amer ica ;breeds in O regon and Ca l i forn ia , and f rom Nor th Carol ina , F lor ida ,

the Gu l f coas t , and Mex ico sout h to Patagon ia ; former ly bred nor t h to New Jer sey and

W i s con s in ; w in ter s, f rom the Gu l f of Mex ico sou t hward ; casua l ia Man i toba , Quebec, New Eng land, andNova Sco t ia .

reached the abundance there that they d i d in the

Sou thern S tates . At one t ime the lake— shores o fF l o r i da teemed w i th ten s o f thou sand s o f thesee legan t , l ong- legged wh i te creatures . Severa lyears ago I v i s i ted rook er ies con ta in ing greatnumbers o f them

, but even then the work o fde s truct i on was go ing on . Wh i le v i s i t ing a

plume-hun ter’s camp in 1886 I was t o l d that theNew York feather dea lers pa i d n inety cen ts forthe plumes o f every b i rd . S ince that t ime the

pr ice has gone up and up un t i l recen t ly t ouris t sat M iam i and Pa lm Beach have been pay ing $10and more for the sca lp o f each b i rd brough t inby the Wh ite hun ters and Sem in o le Ind ian s o fthe Everglade coun try .

For severa l year s pa s t the Nat i ona l A s s oc iat i on of Audubon Soc i et i e s has been empl oyingguard s t o protect the few rema in ing breed ingco l on i es as far as they are kn own . The se nes ting places are d i str ibuted f rom the coasta l regi ono f Nor th Caro l ina s ou thward to the F l or i daKeys , but i t is debatable whether the species canbe saved , a l though w i thou t the effor ts o f theAudubon Soc i ety the b i rd wou l d probably haved i sappeared en t i rely by th i s t ime .

Th i s member o f the Heron fam i ly o f ten as s oc iates in the ne s t ing sea s on w i th o ther Heron s .The l oo se ne s t s o f tw igs are placed in the top of

bushes or on the l imbs o f cypres s t rees h ighabove the waters of the seques tered swamps in towh i ch these bi rds have long s ince been dr iven .

T . GI LBER T PEAR SON .

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188 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

SNOW Y EGRET

Egre t ta cand idi s s ima candidi ss ima (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 197

O ther Names . L i t t le Egret ; Les ser Egret ; Common Egre t ; Snowy H eron ; L i t t le Snowy ; L i t t le W h i teEgre t ; L i t t le W h i te H eron ; Bonne t Mar tyr .

Descr ipt ion .— L eng t h , 24 inches . P lumage, pure

w h i te ; b i l l and legs , b lack ; toes , ye l low ; bare spacearound eye, green i sh—ye l low ; i r i s , ch rome ye l low . A

long cres t on c rown , ano t her from back of about 50fea ther s

,the la t ter recurved , and ano ther on lower neck .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : U sua l ly among mangroves

Much sma l ler than the Egret , the Snowy Egretis never the les s adorned in the breed ing sea s onw i th a igret tes , grow ing on the back between

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

SNOWY EGRET ON NE S TShowing a igrette p lumes

the w ings , that are qu i te as va luable in the marketas tho se produced by the larger b i rd . The

plume— feathers are much shorter,more del ica te,

and are recurved at the end . They are the cro s sa igret tes of the m i l l inery trade . To the plume

or in swampy wi l low ponds ; a s imple plat form of s t ick s .EGGS : 2 to 5 , pa le blu i sh—green .

D i s tri but ion . Tempera te and tropica l Amer ica ;former ly bred f rom Oregon , Nebra ska , Indiana , I l l ino i s , and New Jersey sout h to Ch i le and Argen t ina ;now breeds loca l ly in the Un i ted S ta tes from Nor t hCaro l ina to Lou i s iana ; w in ter s from F lor ida sou t hwa rd ;casua l in B r i t i sh Co lumbia , On tar io , Mas sac huset t s , andNova Sco t ia .

hun ters the b i rd i s known as the L i t t le Snowy ,

t o d i st ingu i sh i t f rom the larger spec ies ca l ledby them the L ong Wh i te .

Snowy Egret s once bred as far north as New

Jer sey , but now the i r nor thern breed ing l im i t isNor th Caro l ina . A l though foun d in land in

F l o r i da,they are e l sewhere in the i r range in the

Un i ted S tate s more d i st inct ively inhab i tan t s ofthe t i de-water regi ons . Ow ing to protect i onaffo rded them f rom the m i l l inery feather hun terso f recen t years by Audubon S oc i ety warden s ,they appear t o be increa s ing in a few sect i on s ,no tably abou t Char le s ton

,S ou th Caro l ina . Ap

parently the large s t gather ing o f breed ing b i rd sis in a splend i d Heron co lony that has devel opedunder the spec ia l care o f E . A . McI lhenny at

Avery I s land , L ou i s iana . The rookery i s in the

tree s and bushes o f a sma l l ar t i fic ia l pon d w i th in200 yards o f M r . McIlhenny

’s house ,

and amongthe many in terest ing en terta inmen t s he gives hisgue s t s is t o take them out t o the edge o f theyard o f a spr ing even ing that they may watchthe H eron s and Sn owy Egret s com ing home to

roost or t o rel ieve the i r mates on guard at the

nest s .L ike that o f other Herons the food o f th i s b i rd

con s i s t s o f such sma l l f orm s o f l i fe as inhab i tthe s l ough s and mar she s o f the i r terr i t o ry . The

young are fed ex ten s ively on sma l l fi sh that areregurg i tated in to the i r throat s bv the paren t b i rd .

The Snowy Egret has a plumage o f spot les swh i te . The legs are black and the feet are br igh tye l l ow . By observ i ng the co l o r ing o f the feetand legs one need never m i s take i t for the imma

ture L i t t le B lue H eron ,wh ich , except for the

absence o f a igret tes ,” i t much resembles .

T . G ILBER T PEAR SON .

HERON FAM I LY

L OU IS IANA HERON

Hydranas sa t r ico lor rufi col l is (Gosse )

O . U . Number 199

O t her Names . Lady of the Wa ter s : Demoi se l le .

General Descr ipt ion . Leng th , 27 inches . Co lorabove, s la ty-

purple ; be low , wh i te . The leng t henedfea ther s of head and neck , sharp w i th we l l -defi nededges ; the back t ra in - fea t her s , f r inge- l i ke .

Col or . ADULTS (SE! ES AL I R E ) : Crown , s ides of

head. mos t of neck , back , and w ings , s la ty—

purple ; c h inand th roa t , wh i te , broken beh ind w i th co lor of head ; thelong fea t her s o f c res t , wh i te ; lower bac k and rump,

w h i te but concea led by fea thers of tra in wh ich ex tendsbeyond ta i l ; lower par ts , mos t ly wh i te ; b i l l , b lackb luer toward ba se ; legs , gray i sh ; i r i s , red ; bare spacearound eye, l igh t l i lac . YOUNG : No cres t or plumes .

Though character i s t ica l ly a sou thern spec i e s ,the L ou i s i an a Heron ran k s among the mo s tabun dan t Heron s in th i s coun t ry , s ince in the

Southern S tate s i t is dec i dedly the mo s t abundan to f the numerou s Heron s . In ev ery way i t is a

beaut i fu l b i rd , d i s t inct and d i s t ingu i shed in its

roya l purpl i sh garmen t s con t ra s ted w i th sharplydefined wh i te under par t s . I t i s gracefu l andgen t le ,

not shy , and is qu i te wel l known , feed inga l ong the edges o f swamps and meadow s , or on

the border s o f s tream s and pond s .O f s oc ia l d i spo s i t i on ,

its nes t ing i s ma in ly inrooker i es , s omet imes o f large s i ze . In E . A .

Courtesy of Am . Mus . Nat. H is t .LOU I S IANA HERON (l na t. s i ze )

The mos t abundan t H eron in North Amer ica

189

Neck and back , brown i sh - red ; rump, cen ter o f t h roa t ,and under par t s . w h i te ; w ings and ta i l , pa le lavenderb lue ; legs , dusky g reen . Indi v idua l s show var ia t ion sbetween t h i s and adu l t plumage but ar e n ever whi te .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In mangrove or w i l lowswamps ; in commun i t ies or in company w i th o therH eron s ; a f ra i l pla t form of s t icks . EGG S : 3 to 5 ,

blu i sh -green .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Sou thern Nor t h Amer ica ; breedsf rom Nor t h Caro l ina and the Gu l f S ta tes to the Wes tIndies , Mex i co (bo t h coas t s ) , and Cen t ra l Amer i ca ;w in ters f rom Sou t h Caro l ina sou thward ; casua l inIndiana, New Jersey , and Long I s land .

M cIlhenny’

s celebra ted Egret and Heron co lonyat A very I s land

,La .

,th i s i s the mo s t abundan t

spec ie s , many thou sands o f them ne s t ing in th i sf or ty- acre tract . R ea s on s for the i r abundanceare pr imar i ly tha t the plumes wh ich grow fromthe i r back s at the nupt ia l sea s on ,

though qu i tepret ty , f or tunately have not been in demand form i l l inery purpo ses . Then , fur ther ,

they are

tamer in d i spo s i t i on than s ome other s . and ap

paren tly are not so eas i ly f r igh tened f rom a

l oca l i ty by human in tru s i on .

The rooker i e s are u sua l ly in a wooded swamp.

genera l ly among low , rather th ick t rees , and par

190

ticu lar ly on sma l l wooded or bu shy i s land s , wheresuch can be found . On the L ou i s iana Coa s treservat i ons

,where the i s land s were treeles s ,

these H eron s were con ten t to nest '

d irectly on the

groun d , or on the sma l lest o f bushe s,s omet imes

hard ly a foo t up. The nest s are f ra i l pla t f orms

Photo by H . K . Job Cou r tesy of Na t . Asso . Aud . Soc .

LOU I S IANA HERONOn nes t on ground

of st ick s,and are s im i lar t o tho se o f mo s t other

Heron s, as are the i r eggs , wh ich are blue ,

ra thersma l l

,and f rom three to fi ve in number .

O n var i ous occas i ons I have pi tched my l i t t lepho tograph ic ten t among the i r ne s t s , preferably

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

L ITTL E B L UE HERON

F lor i da caeru lea (L inncrus )A . O . U . Number 200

O t her Name. B lue Egret .Descr ipt ion . P lumes on shou lder s and t h roat . OLD

AD ULTS : Genera l plumage, dark s la ty-blue shad ing to

purpl i sh -red on neck and h ead ; b i l l b lack shading to

b lu i sh at base ; legs and fee t , b lack ; i r i s , ye l low . YOUNG

ADULTS : In per fec t plumage . pure w h i te, but usua l lyshow ing t rac es of blue , espec ia l ly on end of pr imar ies .L eng th , 24 in ches .N es t and Eggs . NEST : In t rees or bushes over or

near swamps ; con s tructed l i ke t hose of the rest of thegenus . Ecos : 2 to 4, b lu i sh -green .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor th and Sou t h Amer i ca ; former lybred f rom M i s sour i , Indiana , I l l ino i s , and New Jerseyto wes tern Mex i co and sou t h to Argen t ina and P eru ;in the U n i ted S ta tes now breeds loca l ly on the coas tf rom Nor th Caro l ina to Texa s ; wanders casua l ly to

Nebra ska , W i s con s in , O n tar io . New Eng land , and NovaS co t ia ; w in ters f rom Sout h Caro l ina sou t hward .

at n igh t , leav ing i t t i l l morn ing, when I woul den ter

-

it and have a compan i on w i thdraw . The

b i rd s had soon become accust omed to i t as a par to f the land scape, and , not be ing able t o “

coun tno ses ,” wou l d soon return and set t le down t obrood the i r eggs or sma l l young, or wou l d come

t o feed the lat ter . I t was mos t in terest ing and

exc i t ing t o sit there, as though a member o f thet r ibe, and watch a l l the s ingu lar , remarkableways and act i ons

,Select ing the qua in te s t o f these

for pho tograph ic reco rd s .These rooker ie s are the more in terest ing in

that i t i s u sua l for var i ou s Spec ie s o f Heron s t ocongregate t ogether . In such co lon i es I havefound bes i des repres en ta t ives o f th i s spec ies, theSnowy and Amer ican Egrets , B lack- crowned and

Yel l ow- crowned N igh t Heron s , L i t t le B lue and

Great B lue Heron s — cer ta in ly a l ively as s or tmen t . S ince ,

however,the L ou i s iana Heron i s

the mo s t abun dan t o f al l , there are plen ty o frooker i es , espec ia l ly the sma l ler ones

,where i t

is found a l one . In such places there is the

w i l des t o f con fu s i on when one en ters . The

larger young c l imb f rom the nests f rom branch

t o branch , u s ing both b i l l s and feet t o a id them .

The less sa id about clean l ines s and odor the

bet ter . Yet despi te the i r s l o ven ly ways i t i sremarkable how clean and t r im the Herons l ook !They spend hours preen ing the i r feathers , so

that , af ter a l l , in the i r own pecu l iar way they a re

order ly .

Mos t of them ret i re beyond our borders inw in ter , but on the Gu l f coa s t I have seen a few

o f them at tha t sea s on ,s t i l l wad ing in the sha l

l ows and str i k ing sw i f t ly w i th the i r sharp b i l l s atthe sma l l fi sh and o ther aquat ic f orms wh ichcon s t i tute the i r b i l l o f fare . HERBER T K . JOB .

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B IR DS OF AMER ICA

GREEN HERON

B utor id'

es v irescen s v i rescen s (L inmm s )

A . O . U . Number 20 1

O t h er Nam es . L i t t le Green H eron ; Green B i t tern ;Fly -up

- the-creek .

Gen era l Descr ipt ion — Leng t h , 18 in ch es . Co lorabove . dark green ; be low , dark brown .

Col on — A D ULTS : Crown ( in c luding a long so f tcres t ) , lengt hened fea ther s of back and shou lder s ,lus trous dark g reen ; the bac k plumes w i t h a g laucou sca s t ; w ing - cover ts , g reen w i t h we l l - defi ned tawnyedges ; nec k , r i c h dark purpl i sh - c hes tnu t ; cen ter O f

t h roa t,w h i te w i t h dusky s t reak s ; be low , dark brown i sh ;

abdomen , s t reaked w i t h w h i te ; pr ima r ies , seconda r ies ,and ta i l , green i sh -dusky ; edge O f w ing , w h i te ; b i l l ,du sky-green i sh , ye l low at ba se be low ; bare space aroundey e, blu i sh -green ; legs . ye l low ; i r i s , ye l low . YOUNG :NO cres t ; top O f head , brown ; s ides of neck and body ,

Though a compara t ive ly sma l l Heron , the

Green Heron is perhaps the bes t known member

o f h i s fam i l y in th i s coun try , and probablv mo s tpeople who see him d i sm i s s him as a gawky ,awkward , and rather s tupi d b i rd w i th hab i t swh ich are not exact ly t i dy . Th i s is becau se he

Photogra ph by R . W . Shufel dt

cc Co lor Pla te 2 3

i s u sua l ly seen when he u t ter s his har sh a larmnote and fiops clum s i ly a l ong t o a nearby perch ,

where he s t retche s h i s neck , j erks h is ta i l . and

gaze s around in a fudd le-headed manner .

Tho se who rea l ly know the b i rd ,however ,

rea l i ze tha t when he is about hi s bus i ness O f

GREEN HERON

Perhaps he is the bes t known member of h is fam i ly in th is coun try

brow n i sh s t reaked w i t h l igh ter ; t h roa t and cen ter l ineO f n eck , w h i te w i th dusky s t reak s ; back , pla in green i shbrown ; w ing- cover ts and secondar ies . w i t h w h i te edgings and w h i te t ips ; under ta i l -cover t s , gray i sh -w h i te ;b i l l , g reen i sh w i t h du sky r idge ; leg s , pa le green i shg ray ; i r i s , ye l low .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : Frequen t ly in the woodsbut usua l ly near wa ter ; a f ra i l pla t form o f tw igs in a

t ree or bush . Eccs : 3 to 6, pa le green i sh .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Ea s tern Nor t h Amer i ca : breeds f romsou t hern Sou t h Dako ta . no r thern W i scons in ,

sou t hernOn tar io , sou t hern Quebec , and Nova S co t ia south to

the Wes t Indies ; win ter s f rom the W es t Indies southwa rd , and rare ly in sou t hea s tern Un i ted S ta tes ; ca sua lin Co lo rado .

HERON FAM ILY

Photograph by A . A . All enGREEN HERON

At its nes t in the wi l lows fr ing in g a pon d

catch ing fi sh,f rogs , sa lamanders , and the l i ke,

he is v ery far f rom s tupi d or c lum sy . Then hes teps a long in the sha l l ow water or through the

weed s w i th t rue Heron stea l th,and the thru s t O f

h is l ong b i l l , as he se i zes h is prey , is as accu ratea s and a great dea l qu icker than tha t O f an exper tsword sman . W’hen flu shed to a perch ,

the b i rdhas a cur i ou s hab i t . i f i t sees i t is Obser v ed , O fsudden ly becom ing abs o lutely r igi d , or freez

ing,t o use the term common lv empl oyed . Th i s

apparen t ly is done for the purpo se Of e scapingfu rther Obser vat i on . It is an i n tere s t ing factthat young Heron s

,at a s igna l f rom the O ld b i rd

,

O ften empl oy the same ru se . and s tan d as mot i onles s as s tatues

,s omet ime s un t i l the in truder has

approached t o w i th in a few feet .U n l i k e o ther member s o f its fam i ly

,the Green

Heron is not gregar i ou s in its breed ing hab i t s .O cca s i ona l ly a few b i rd s place the i r ne s t s neart ogether ,

but th i s apparen t ly i s acc i den tal , forthere are no t rue rook er i es O f Green Heron s

, and

the b i rd s lead a d i s t inct ly l onely l i fe .

Pho to by S . A . Lot tr i dgeYOUNG GREEN HERON S

R emoved from the nes t by the photographer

194 B IRDS OF AMER ICA

BL ACK-CROW NED N IGHT HERONNyct icorax nyc t icorax ma vins (B oddaer t)

A . O . U . Number 202

O ther Names . N igh t H eron ; Amer i can N igh tH eron ; Qua—b i rd ; Quawk ; Squawk ; Garden ian H eron .

Gen era l D e scr ipti on . L eng th , 26 in c hes . Co lorabove , b lack and ashy-

gray ; be low , w h i te. H ead c res tedan d , in breeding plumage,

w i t h a few long w h i te cordl i ke plumes f rom back O f crown .

Col or . ADULTS : Cr own,bark , and shou lders ,

black ;res t o f upper par t s , w ings , and ta i l

, pa le a shy—gray ;forehead s ides O f head , and t h roa t w h i te shad ing in tov ery pa le lavender on neck ; res t O f under par t s , w h ite ;b i l l , blac k ; legs , ye l low ; i r i s , red ; bare space aroundeye , ye l low i sh -green . YOUNG : En t i re plumage, gray i shw h i te

,s t reaked on head . brea s t , and benea t h w i t h dark

Though not s t r i ct ly a n octurna l b i rd, as i t

moves about more or les s in the dayt ime,the

B lack - crowned N ight Heron feed s ch iefly in the

even ing or af ter the n igh t has fa l len . As the

tw i l igh t de epen s i t may be seen fly ing heav i lyt oward its fa v o r i te feed ing places , and now is

mo s t f requen t ly heard the l oud and raucou squarti le f rom wh ich i s has rece ived one o f itspopu lar names .

Photo by W . L . F in ley and H . T . Bohlman

See Co lor P late 24

brown ; s t reaked and spo t ted on back w i t h rus ty and

w h i t i sh ; w ing-cover ts , brown w i th con spi cuous w h i tet r iangu lar t ips ; pr imar ies , dusky-brown ; b i l l , du l l yellow i sh ; fee t , pa le green i sh -ye l low ; i r i s , brown .

Nest an d Eggs — NEST : In t rees, bu sh es , or on

g round ; a large but loose ly con s t ructed affa i r of

branches and tw igs . EGGs : 3 to 6, pa le sea-

green .

D i str ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom nor t hern O regon , sou t hern Wyom ing,

sou t hernMan i toba ,

nor thern Quebec, and Nova Sco t ia sout h to

Pa tagon ia ; w in ters f rom nor thern Ca l i forn ia and Gu l fS ta tes sou t hward ; ca sua l in w in ter nor t h to Massachu

set ts an d sout hern I l l ino i s .

The b i rd s pre ferred hun t ing groun d s are

sha l l ow t i da l cree k s, the edges O f pond s , and

swamps wh ich include poo l s . Here i t hun t s,u sua l ly a l one and o f ten at a d i s tance Of severa lm i les f rom its breed ing place, 50 that the feed ingO f the young f requen t ly invo lves l ong fl igh t sf rom the hun t ing ground to the nes t .Its hun t ing methods d i ffer f rom tho se Of

its relat ive. the Great B lue Heron . In stead Of

BLACK-CROWNED N IGH T HERON ON NES T

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HER ON

s tand ing r igi d , and knee- deep in water , as thatbig fi sherman does , the N igh t H eron moves

Photo by H . T. M iddl e tonYOUNG N IGH T HERON S

YEL L OW —CROW NED N IGHT HER ONNyc tanassa v i o lacea L inmrus )

Gen eral De s c r ipt ion . Leng t h , 24 in ches . P lumage ,

b lu i sh -gray ,l igh ter be low . H ead , c res ted and , in breed

ing plumage,w i t h a few long w h i te cord- l i ke plumes

f rom back O f crown .

COIO I’ . — ADU LTS Z Top o f head and pa tc h under eye,

c reamy wh i te ; s ides of head and c h in , b lack ; res t O fplumage, blu i sh -gray ,

darker on back , the fea t her s w i t hb lack cen ter s and pa le edges ; l igh ter be low ; head and

neck , and mos t o f cres t , w h i te t inged wi th very pa le

tawny ; w ings and ta i l , dusky- s la te ; b i l l , blac k ; fee t .black and ye l low ; i r i s , orange ; lores and space aroundeye, green i sh . YOUNG : Above , brown i sh -gray w i th a

s trong o l i ve t inge ,s t reaked and spot ted w i t h brown i sh

ye l low ; be low ,s t reaked w i t h brown and wh i te ; s ide s

A l though the name O f Yel l ow- crmvned N igh tHeron sugge s t s that th i s b i rd is a n ight

”b i rd ,

in rea l i ty i t is qu i te as d iurna l in its hab i t s as

any O f the mo re common Heron s . Many t ime sI have .come upon i t in the f resh-water mar she sor on mud flats by the sea where i t was e v i den t lyfeed ing and i t wou l d fly away w i th al l the a s surance Of a b i rd' who se s ight was un impa i red bythe sun l ight . I t is a s o li tary spec i es and is l i t t leknown to many b i rd — s tuden t s . Rarely are morethan two or three found at a t ime and general lythey are seen s ingly . I t i s a s ou thern spec i e sand probab ly never breed s nor th O f I l l ino i s andNor th Caro l ina .

-’Vay ne s tates that they “

breedon ly in sma l l co l on i e s O f two or three pa i r s .Th i s re fer s t o the South Caro l i na b i rd s o f wh ichhe wr i tes , but in F lo r i da I have found the fact st o be otherw i se . In that S ta te I hav e exam inedsevera l O f the i r co l on ie s and they numbered f romtwelve to twen ty pa i r s in each in s tance . Ap

FAM I LY 195

Number 203

o f head and neck , ye l low i sh —brown s t reaked w i t hda rker ; top O f head and n eck var iega ted w i t h wh i te ;b i l l , black w i t h much green i sh -ye l low be low ; lo res andlegs , g reen i sh -ye l low ; i r i s , ye l low .

Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : A pla t form O f s t i c k s int rees of swampy area s . EGGS : 4 to 6, du l l b lu i sh .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Warm temperate and tropi ca l Amer

ica : breeds f rom sou thern Lower Ca l i forn ia ,Kansas ,

sou thern I l l ino i s , sou t hern Indiana , and Sout h Ca ro l inasou t h to B raz i l and Pe ru : casua l nor t h to Co lorado ,

On ta r io , l\-’

l assachusetts , Ma ine , and Nova S co t ia ;w in ters f rom sou t hern Lower Ca l i forn ia and sou t hernF lor ida sout hward .

D rawing by H enry Thurs tonYELLOW-CROWNED N IGH T HERON (é nat. s ize)

A sol i tary and l i ttle-known s pecies

abou t br i s k ly ,ho ld ing its head l owered and its

neck curved , a l l ready for the (l l l lC lx' s troke wh ich

m ean s death to the f rog O r fi sh at wh i ch i t isa im ed .

Th i s Heron ’s mo s t i n tere s t ing character i s t ici s its gregar i ou sne s s , wh i ch cau se s i t to co l lect inla rge co lon i e s du r ing the ne s t ing per i od . The seheron r ie s u sua l ly are s i tuated in an i s o latedpatch o f wood s , and the i r popu lat i on may in

c lude severa l hund red pa i r s O f b i rd s , not to men

t i on as many groups o f four or fi ve young b i rd s .I ndeed , as a pa i r w i l l f requen t ly ra i se two brood sin a sea s on i t i s not uncommon t o fi nd the adu l tb i rd s feed ing at the same t ime two set s O f

youngs ter s , one compo sed o f fledgl ings in the nes tand the other Of b i rd s able to clamber abou t inthe branche s .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

parently they do not as s oc iate in co l on ie s w i tho ther H eron s

,but a lways f orm the i r own v i l lage .

In H i l l sbo ro Coun ty , F l or i da ,some year s ago,

I waded out in a large pond th ick ly grown w i tht ree s through the f o l iage Of wh ich the sun rarely

Photo by H . M . La ing Courtesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

NOT S ING ING , BUT HUNGRYYoung N igh t H erons

pierced t o the dark scum -water beneath . The

Obj ect Of my ven ture was t o d i sco ver whetherany Egret s were breed ing among a company of

Photo by S . N . LeekNE S T OF GREAT BLUE HERON

Showing th e four b lu ish eggs

Heron s , who se s quawk s t o ld me they were n est ingin the t rees sur round ing an Open place in the

cen ter o f the pon d . Submerged l ogs , fa l len l imb sand aquat ic mo s s made the go ing d i fficu l t . The

place was in fes ted wi th water-mocca s in s and

a l l igat o r s , and the nervou s st ra in s oon began to

te l l . Upon reach ing a po in t perhaps s ix ty yard sf rom sho re where the water and s l ime was brea s tdeep, I was s tar t led beyond a l l de scr ipt i on by a

sudden hoar se cry and heavy flapping d i rect lyoverhead . U n know ingly I had waded in to them i d s t Of a co lony o f Ye l low—crowned N igh tH eron s .

-'Vh i le occupying the same pond w i th the

o ther H eron s , they were at lea s t two hund redfeet f rom the neare s t ne s t o f any o ther spec i e s .Be fo re leav ing I coun ted S ix teen nest s , a l l o fwh ich appeared to be occupied .

These b i rd s are suppo sed to feed largely uponmu s se l s and crawfi sh and a l ong the coast manysma l l crab s are con sumed . They ret i re t o thefar south in the autumn and do not reappear in

the no rthern par t o f the i r range un t i l March .

A fter the ne s t i ng sea s on many o f the youngwander far in land and in No r th Caro l ina I haveseen them dur i ng the mon th O f Augu s t more thantwo hund red m i le s f rom the coas t .

T . G I LBER T PEAR SON .

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198 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

W HOOP ING CRANE

Grus amer icana L inmous )

A . O . U . Number 2 04

O t her Names . W h i te Crane ; Grea t W h i te C ran e ;Garoo .

General Descr ipt ion . Leng th , 4% feet ; spread o f

wings , 7% feet . P lumage , w h i te . H ead w i t h bare spo ton each s ide be low eyes , a r tcndi ng to a po in t on backof crown. an d spar se ly covered w i t h shor t ha i r s .Col or . A DULTS : l

'

V /i ite ; pr imaries and cover ts ,bla ck ; bare par t of head , carm ine ; b i l l , du sky-green i sh ;legs , b lack ; i r i s , ye l low . YOUNG : En t i re head , fea thered .

Genera l plumage, w h i t i sh , var iegated wi t h ru s ty-brown .

Nest and Egg s . NEST : On the ground ; a we l l

The V VhOOping Crane was named and de

scr ibed by L inné in the e igh teen th cen tury .

Prev i ou s to tha t t ime al l three Amer ican spec ie swere lumped t ogether as Cranes .

M any o f the narrat ives o f the ear ly voyager sand set t ler s te l l o f Cranes m igra t ing and nest inga l ong the A t lan t ic coa s t . Dur ing the fi r s t century a f ter the d i scovery o f the coun try , Cranesev i den t ly were more or le s s numerous a l l a l ongth i s coas t , f rom F l or i da to New Englan d , butthe wo rd has been

,

u sed so f requen t ly t o denotethe larger H eron s that one m igh t be inc l ined toplace l i t t le fa i th in the statemen ts o f sa i l o rs andco lon i s ts were i t not for two fact s : ( I ) In

tho se days Cranes were we l l jknown and conspicu

OuS b i rd s in Englan d and other coun t r ie s of

wh ich the se voyagers were na t ives, or wh ich

they had v i s i ted , and undoubtedly they were

fam i l i ar w i th these b i rds,and cou l d d i s t ingu i sh

them f rom Heron s . In the l i s t s of b i rd sgiven by these ear ly adven turers

,Heron s ,

Hearne s and Hern shaw s ,” B i t tern s,

”and

Egret s”

or“

Egrepes”

are a l s o referred to ,show ing tha t they d i st ingu i shed the Crane s f romthe Heron s . The common European Heron was

a large spec i e s (resemb l ing the Great B lue Herono f Amer ica ) wh ich , at that t ime

,was ca l led the

Hern shaw ,H earneshaw

, or Heron shaw . I t i so f ten impo s s ible t o determ ine wh ich spec i es o fCrane was re ferred t o in these ear ly narrat ivesand ' l i s t s o f b i rd s , as usua l ly no descr ipt i on i s

g iven ; but now and then we fi nd a re ference t oa b i rd tha t mu s t hav e been the VVhOOping Crane .

The VVhOOping Crane i s the on ly b i rd o f Nor thAmer ica that can be descr ibed as

“

a lmo st as

ta l l as a man .

”The V VhOOping Crane stand s

about fi ve feet h igh when s tretched t o its fu l lhe igh t , but be ing wh i te i t appears tal ler , wh i le the

bu i l t s t ructu re of marsh gras s and reed s tems , f rom one

and a ha l f to two feet in diameter and e igh teen in c hesh igh . EGGS : 2 , o l i ve or bu fi y , b lo tched w i t h largei r regu la r spo t s of brown .

Di s tr ibut ion . Nor t h Amer ica ; bred former ly f romnor t hern Macken z ie sou t h to I l l ino i s and Iowa ; now

ma in ly res t r i c ted to sout hern Macken z ie and nor thernSa ska t c hewan ; in m igrat ion former ly not rare on the

A t lan t i c coa s t f rom New Eng land to F lor ida and ca sua lwes t to Co lorado and Idaho ; winters from the Gu l fS ta tes to cen t ra l Mex ico .

Sandh i l l Crane is not so con spicuous on accoun to f its co l or and does not appear so large .

Probably there were few Cranes inhab i t ingMassachu set t s when the P i lgr im Father s lan dedat P lymouth , except a l ong the coast

, on the

i s lands, and on the meadow s and mar she s o f the

r i v er va l leys,for mo s t o f the S tate was then

covered w i th pr imeva l f orest ; and wh i le Crane sare somet imes found in Open woods , they are

shy and wary b i rd s, and prefer the open coun try

,

where they can d i scern the i r enem ies from a far .

The fact tha t they somet imes ate the cornprove s that they were actua l ly Crane s

,not H er

on s, and a l s o helps t o expla in the i r ear ly disap

pearance f rom M a s sachu set t s . They pa i d w i ththe death pena l ty for eat ing the corn . A lso

,as

the se b i rds occupi ed the on ly natura l open land stho se that were fi r s t sough t by set t lers they

were dr iven out w i th in a few years a f ter set t lemen t began . Even had they not a t tacked the

co rn they mus t soon have succumbed becau se o fthe i r large s i ze ,

the i r wh i te co l or, and the i r genera l con spicuousness . In the ear ly days the

Indi an s u sed to s tea l upon the Cranes and shoo tthem w i th arrows . Now the few surv ivo rs o fth i s spec ies in the West w i l l hard ly come kn owingly w i th in a m i le o f the wh i te man .

John Lawson,in h is H is tory of Carol ina,

saysthat Cranes are s omet imes bred up tame and

are exce l len t in the garden t o des t roy f rogs andother verm in .

Th i s b i rd is l ong— l ived and grows wary as the

years go by ; i t now f requen t s pra i r i es , mar shes ,and barren groun d s , over wh ich i t s ta l k s , a lwaysa ler t and watch fu l . I t fl ies low

,its w ings some

t ime s a lmo s t bru sh ing the gra s s t ops , but in migration i t r i ses t o such t remendou s he ight s thati t may pass over a large regi on unno t iced by man .

200 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

I t feed s on f rogs , fi sh , sma l l mamma l s , and insect s , and is sa i d to take co rn and other cerea l sand the succu len t roo t s o f water—plan t s .Nu t ta l l , descr ibing the fl ight s o f the Whoop

ing Crane up the M i ss i s s ippi va l ley in December ,

18 1 1 , says , tha t the bust le o f the i r great m igrat i on s and the passage o f the i r m ighty arm ie sfi l l s the m ind w i th wonder . I t seemed

,he says,

as though the who le con t inen t was giv ing up its

quota o f the Spec ie s t o swel l th i s m ighty host .and the c langor o f the i r numerou s legi on s , pa s sing h igh in a ir

,was a lmost deafen ing. H is s ta te

SANDHIL L CRANE

Gru s m ex icana (M ii l lcr )A . O . U . Number 2 06 S ee Co lor Plate 24

O ther Names . B rown C rane ; Upland C ran e ; F ie ldCrane ; Sou thern Sandh i l l C ran e .

General Descr ipt ion . Leng t h , 4 fee t ; spread of

w ings , 6% fee t . P lumage , s la ty-

gray . H ead w i th barespot fork ing behind ,

not reac h ing on s ides be low eyes ,and t h in ly spr ink led w i t h ha i r .

COIO I‘ .— A DULTS : P lumage, s la ty-

g ray ; pr imar iesand t he i r cover t s , ashy-

gray but l i t t le darker t hangenera l co lor ; cheeks and t h roa t , l igh ter in c l ined to

w h i t i sh ; b i l l and feet , black ; i r i s , brown . YOUNG :

H ead , fea t hered . P lumage , var iegated w i th ru s ty and

brown .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : On the g round , usua l ly

The v i r tua l ex term inat i on , or at bes t the ex

t reme rar i ty , o f the grea t Whooping Crane ,

leaves the much sma l ler Sandh i l l Crane by far

the larges t represen ta t ive o f tha t in teres t ingfam i ly in Amer ica . For i t shou l d be rememberedthat the var i ou s Heron s — notably the GreatB lue Heron — wh ich are common ly ca l ledCrane s ,” not on ly are not Cranes at a l l

,but

d i ffer rad i ca l ly f rom them in bo th d i spo s i t i on and

hab i t s .

I f not in s i ze,then in its con spi cuou s and st r i k

ing character i s t ics, the S andh i l l Crane is a fi t

succe s s o r t o h is tower ing relat ive , who se day sseem t o be numbered . Nor is the b i rd a weakl ing at that . for the he igh t o f the ma le when hes tand s erect is near ly that o f a man o f a verages tature , wh i le the b i rd’s great w ings carry hiscompact and mu scu lar body w i th per fect ea se andat a h igh speed . The b i rd ’s war ines s bespeak sin tel l igen t cau t i on rather than weaknes s or fear .

men t,that th i s grea t hos t o f Cranes was pa s s ing

near ly al l n ight , w i l l give s ome i dea o f the immens ity o f th i s great fl igh t .The W

’

hooping Crane i s doomed to ex t inct i on .

I t has d i sappeared f rom its f ormer hab i ta t in the

East and is now found on ly in un inhab i tedplace s . I t can hard ly be sa i d t o be common anywhere except perhaps l ocal ly in the far No r th .

On ly its ex t reme wa tch fu lnes s has saved thusfar the remnan t o f its once great host .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH,in Game B irds

,

LV i ld -Fowl and S hore B irds .

on a S l igh t kno l l of open gra s sy flats ; genera l ly a mere

depres s ion in the g round, l ined w i t h dry gras s and weeds tem s . EGGS : 2 , f rom pa le o l i ve to Duffy-brown ,

marked over en t i re sur face w i th spo t s of burn t -umber .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer ica ; res iden t in Lou i s iana and F lor ida ; bred former ly f rom sou t hern B r i t i shCo lumbia , Saska tchewan , Man i toba , and wes ternO n ta r io sou t h to Ca l i forn ia ,

Co lorado, Nebraska ,

I l l ino i s , and O h i o ; former ly in m igra t ion eas t to New

Eng land ; now ra re ea s t of the M i s s i s s ippi , except inF lor ida , and rare as a breeder in the sou t hern ha l f ofi t s former breeding range ; w in ter s f rom Ca l i forn ia ,

Texas , and Lou i s iana sou t h to M ex i co .

I ndeed , when the San dh i l l Crane is cr ippled by a

brok en w ing or otherw i se,he may become an

exceed ingly ugly an tagon i s t for the man who at

tempt s t o overpower h im, because o f the sk i l l ,

s t rength , and qu i ckness w i th wh ich he w i l l thenempl oy his l ong and dagger- l ike b i l l in defending h im se l f . M any a hun ter ’s dog has been

bl inded or o therw i se bad ly in jured by the v ici ousth ru s t s o f th i s very dangerou s weapon ,

wh ichthe Crane doe s not he s i ta te to use when he is at

bay and figh t ing for h is l i fe .

Un l ike the Heron s , th i s Crane spend s much o fits t ime , and get s the food wh ich i t seem s t o re l i shmost , on dry land . H ence i t i s o f ten f oun d on

the pla i n s and pra i r i es , s omet imes in sma l l fl ocksbut o f tener in pa i rs or s ingly . Its d iet includesa large percen tage o f roots , bu lbs , gra i ns , and thel i ke ; and i t i s e spec ia l ly fon d o f corn wh ich i ttakes from the shock . Insects , f rogs , l i zard s ,snakes , and m ice are a l so included in i ts b i l l o f

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202 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

the glades . The ne s t s are made ch iefly O f suchvar iet ie s o f tw igs and leaves as are obta inablein the ne ighbo rhood . From f our t o sev en brownspot ted eggs are la i d .

L impk ins at t imes are very no i sy creatures .The i r u sua l ca l l po s ses ses a qua l i ty o f unut terable sadne s s , as though the b i rd was oppre s sedbeyond mea sure by the des o latene s s o f its su r

round ings . For th i s rea s on the name Cryingb i rd is u sua l ly g iven them by the nat ives . In

the spr ing and ear ly summer they large ly haun tthe swampy Sho re s o f s tream s and lakes , but inthe autumn they gather in grea t number s in the

more Open savannas . Thou san d s thu s pa s s thew in ter mon ths on the pon d - co v ered pra i r iesabou t the headwater s o f the Caloosahatchee

R iver ,we s t o f L ake O k echobee. The L impk in

is h igh ly e s teemed for f ood , but ow ing t o the

d ifficu l t ie s o f hun t ing them in the i r ret reats therei s s trong l ikel ihood o f the Spec i es per s i s t ing inF l or i da for many years t o come .

A few years ago many were t o be f ound in theswampy coun try o f nor thern F l or i da , w i th infi f teen or twen ty m i les o f the Georg ia l ine,

and

two or three spec imen s have even been taken insou th Carol ina . T G I L BER T PEAR SON .

A long- legged wad in g b ird of F lor ida and trop ica l Amer ica

Cour tesy of Am . M us . Nat . H is t .L IMPKIN

R AIL S , G AL L INU L E S ,AND CO O T S

Order Pa ludi colaz suborder R a l l i fami l y Ra l l i dce

BOUT fi fty gen era , embracing one hundred and eighty species con sti tute thi sfam i l y , the Ra l l idce,which in cludes the R a i l s (R a l l i naz) , Ga l l inu les (Ga l l inu l i nce) ,and Coots (Ful z

’

cinaz) . The di stribution Of these b irds is virtua l l y cosmopo l itan ,

and about fi fteen species occur, regu lar l y or ca sual l y ,

in North Ameri ca . Theyare from smal l to fair—si zed birds , with n oticeab l y compressed bodies , we l ladapted to rapid progress through thick l y growing reeds and rushes , l ongnecks , sma l l heads , short , roun ded wings , short tai l s , and l ong,

strong l egs andfeet . The bi l l i s short and hen l ike in the Coots and Gal l inu les , but l ong and

Sl ightl y curved toward the end in the R ai l s . The p lumage i s subdued and

bl ended in col or . A fami l y pecu l iarity i s that of runn ing, rather than flying,

to escape danger , a tra i t apparent l y respon sib le for the extermination of certainspecies wh ich had lost the power of flight through di su se of the wings , and the steady d im inution of other s for the same reason .

R ai l s and Gal l inu l es are m ar sh birds , very secretive in habits , keeping we l l un der coverof the den se ru shes and gra sses , except at n ight or in the twi l ight , when they ven ture out on

the muddy Shores . When si l en tl y floating al ong the mar shy stream ,one may often see them

standing motion l ess n ear their favorite cover t s,or wa l k ing del iberate l y al ong the m argin

flirting thei r upturned tai l s and bobbing their n ecks in hen l i ke fashion . Their cries are

al so l oud , and rem ind one of the differen t n otes of our domestic fowl . Con sequen tl y al l

our species of the fam i l y , from the Virgin ia R ai l to the Coot , have received the common nameof M ud Hen s . The flight of R ai l s and Ga l l inules i s feeb le and hesitating. They usual l ytake wing as a la st resort , and then proceed wi th dangl ing l egs , in a direct course,

low over

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204 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

CLAPPER RAIL

R a l lus crepi tan s crepi tan s Gmel in

A . O . U . Number 2 1 1

O ther Names . Common C lapper ; Marsh C lapper ;Mud H en ; Sedge H en ; Meadow H en ; Sa l t—wa terMar sh H en .

Gen eral D escr ipt ion . Leng th , 16 in ches . Co lorabove brown i sh -g ray ; be low , l igh ter . Foreh ead en t i re lyfea thered down to ba se of b i l l ; b i l l , long and s lender .

Co lor . A DULTS : Forehead , dusky ; crown ,s ides of

head, neck , upper pa r t s , and lower par t s as far as

abdomen , pa le ol ive-ash. s t reaked on back , s hou lder s ,and rump w i t h o l i ve-brown ; lores and t h roa t , w h i t i sh ;abdomen and under ta i l - cover ts , pa le brown i sh - Wh i tet raversed w i t h broad indefin i te bars of brown i sh -gray ;

Gra s sy sa l t mar shes are the haun t s o f the

Clapper Ra i l . From Con nect i cu t sou thward to

the F l o r i da Keys they are undoubted ly morenumerou s than any other spec i es found in thesemarshes . On e doe s not fi nd them everywhere inthe i r range but in the l ocal i t ies they l ike bes t thegra s s seems to swarm w i th them . I t is o rd inar i lyvery d ifficu l t t o flu sh them and one may wadeor pu sh a boat through the marsh for hour s and

Drawi ng by R . I . B rasher

S ee Co lor Plate 2 5

w ing-

qu i l l s and ta i l , pla in dusky-brown ; b i l l , ye l low ,

dusky on r idge and tip ; fee t , pa le green i sh -dusky ; i r i s ,reddi sh - brown . There i s muc h var ia t ion in the shadesof plumage , fa l l and w in ter bi rds be ing muc h darker and

w i t h browner shades . DOWN Y YOUNG : Glos sy b lack .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A pla t form of dead reedsand gras ses on the ground in meadows . EGGS : 6 to 15,w h i te to buff, do t ted and blo tc hed w i t h c hes tnu t andsome lavender .

D i s tri bu t ion . Sa l t mar shes of the A t lan t i c coa s t ;breeds f rom Connect i cu t to Nor t h Ca ro l ina ; W in tersma in ly sou t h of New Jersey ; ca sua l nor th to Ma ine .

never see one Wh i le a l l the t ime the i r tan ta l i z ingca l ls are heard near and far . The i r fac i l i ty inkeeping out of s igh t is most remark ab le . FromV i rg in ia s ou thward they are much hun ted dur ingthe m on ths o f September and October . They aresho t f rom sma l l boa t s when the t i de is h igh and

the flooded mar shes affo rd no She l ter Where inthe b i rd s may h i de . Wh i le one man po les theboat a second s tand s in the bow and fi res at the

CLAPPER RAIL (5 nat. s ize)A noisy sal t-water marsh b ird

RA ILS ,GALL INULES ,

AND COOTS

S l ow-flying game as i t r i ses f rom the scan t covero f the expo sed tops o f the gra s s .

Dur i ng the breed ing sea s on one may fi nd many

nes t s w i th in a sma l l area . The fol l ow ing descr ipt i on o f one o f the i r fa v or i te nes t ing co l on ies isquoted f rom mv n ote s made at the t ime o f myv i s i t “

_l ack s Gra s s’is a low i s land o f perhaps

twen ty acres on the No rth Ca rol ina coa s t nearNew In let . I t has no t rees , but is co vered genera l ly w i th gra s s e igh t or ten inche s l ong. Smal lclumps o f ru shes grow ing rarely over three feeth igh are s cat tered over the i s land , and in n ear lyevery one o f the se a Clapper R a i l

' s nes t wasfound . These were compo sed o f mar sh—

gras sblades and s ta l k s , and were bu i l t from s ix t oe igh t inches above the wet sod . The f ragmen t so f gra s s u sed var i ed f rom four t o s ix inches inlength ,

sho rter pieces be ing empl oyed for the toplayer s . The ne s t s mea sured abou t e igh t inche sacro s s the top,

and were o f un i f o rm w i dth fromthe bo t tom . On May 13 two o f the nes t s ex~

amin ed each hel d e ight s l ight ly incubated g g

and one nes t o f ten eggs was seen . One was

found w i th two fresh ly depos i ted eggs , and

ano ther had four incuba ted eggs . Egg- She l l s

f rom wh i ch the young had but short ly depar tedwere found in one in s tance . U sua l l y the nes t swere not s creened f rom v iew by any arch ing o fthe ru shes abo ve them . A l ong the bank s o f thet i de creek s tha t t raver sed the i s lan d the mar shgra s s was o f ten two or mo re feet in length . Herewere many covered runways o f the b i rd s , s ome

o f wh i ch were several yard s in l ength .

”

Three d i s t inct subspec i es , or cl imat i c var iet i es ,o f th i s Clapper R a i l have been recogn i zed bynatura l i st s . One is the L ou i s iana

,or H en shaw

’

s,

Clapper Ra i l (R a l lus crepitans satu rati i s ) , ch i eflyd i s t ingu i shed by hav ing its feather s dark er

ea o q

205

col o red than the common var iety : the F l o r i daClapper R a i l (R al lus crepitans s cotti ) , a fo rmthat i s s t i l l darker ; and VVayne’s Clapper R a i l(R al l us croft

-Harts toay nci ) , found f rom No r thCaro l ina s ou thward . Two cl o s ely a l l i ed but d ist inct spec ie s occurr i ng el sewhere in No r thAmer i ca are the Cal i fo rn ia Clapper Ra i l (R a l l us

Photo by P. B . Phil i p pNE S T AND EGG S OF CLAPPER RAIL

Cour tesy of Na t . Asso . Aud . Soc .

S tone H arbor , New Jersey

obso l eta s ) , o f the sa l t mar shes o f the Pac i ficcoas t , and the Car ibbean Clapper R a i l (R al lusIongiros tr is rar ibrcus ) , found in Texas and the

\Ve s t Ind i e s . The genera l hab i t s O f a l l are verys im i lar to the more fam i l iar eastern b i rd .

T . G I L BERT PEA R SON .

V IRG IN IA RA IL

R a l lu s v irgin ianus L im za’us

A . O . U . Number 2 1 2

O t her Nam es . L i t t le Red-breas ted Ra i l : Sma l l Mud

H en ; F resh -wa ter Mar sh H en ; Long-b i l led Ra i l .Gen era l De scr ipt ion . L ength , 1 1 in ches . L i ke the

K ing Ra i l except for sma l ler s i ze .

Co lor . AD ULTS : Crown , back of neck, and upper

par t s . pa le o l i ve-brown , s t reaked on back and rump w i t h

S ee Co lor Plate 2 5

da rk brown i sh —black ; s ides of [wad and choc/Le s , ashy ;

lores and a na rrow sem i- c i rc le be low eye Wh i te : c h inand upper th roa t , w h i te ; n ee/e and breas t , r ich. ches tnu t ;abdomen and under ta i l - cover t s , dusky w i t h nar rowwh i te t raver se bars w ing-cover t s , ches tnu t ; secondar ies ,brown i sh -b lack edged w i t h o l i ve : pr imar ies and ta i l ,

206

pla in brown i sh -b lack ; bil l , flcs l i color , dusky on r idgeand tip ; legs , dark flesh co lor ; i r i s , reddi sh -brown .

I M MATURE : Darker above t han adu l t s ; under parts ,b lack i sh . DOWN Y YOUNG : Soo ty b lack w i t h ye l low i sh b i l l .Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : In a tu f t of gras s or reeds

in meadow s ; ra t her compac t ly con s t ructed (for a Ra i l )of dry reeds . .

EGGS t 6 to 12 , c ream or buffy , t h in lyspo t ted W i t h ches tnu t or lavender .

D i s t r ibu t i on . Nor th Amer i ca ; breeds f rom B r i t i sh

In general hab i t s I have not no t i ced any veryd ist inct ive d i fference between the V i rgin ia Ra i land the Sora ,

un les s i t be tha t b i rd s o f the f ormerspec ies are m o re incl ined t o keep by them se lvesin s ol i tude or in pa i r s , whereas a good many

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Co lumb ia , sout hern Saskat chewan , sou thern Keewat in ,

O n tar i o sou t hern Quebec, and New B run sw ick sou t hto sou thern Ca l i forn ia , U tah , Kan sas , M i s sour i , I l l ino i s ,New Jersey , and eas tern Nor t h Caro l ina , and in To lucava l ley , Mex i co ; w in ter s f rom O regon , U tah , and Co lorado to Lower Ca l i forn ia and Guatema la , a l so in the

lower M i s s i s s ippi S tates , and f rom Nor t h Caro l ina(ca sua l ly Mas sac huset t s ) to F lor ida ; oc curs casua l lynor t h to nor t hern Quebec and New found land .

pho tograph s . Despi te a l l my care I found i t nex tto imposs ible t o see the bi rd on the nes t be forepu l l ing the thread a t tached to the shut ter . So Ila i d my l ine o f commun i cat i on fur ther ofl? and

pu l led at a ven ture,a f ter wa i t ing a rea s onable

Cour tesy of S . A . Lot tr idgeVIR G INIA RAIL

It h ides away in marshes and is li ttle known

S oras may be found , even du r ing breed ing t ime,in the same bog . The nes t ing is en t i re ly s im i lar .

W i th ne i ther spec i es , as a ru le , can one flu sh the

s i t t ing b i rd d irectlv f rom the ne s t,for i t s l ips off

upon hear ing the approach . In a few cases .where I came up very s i len t ly ,

I have seen thems l ip off through the gra s s , e spec ial ly when Iapproached w i th caut i on ne s t s a l ready located .

On one occas i on , by concea l ing my camera in

a bower o f rushes near a nes t,I secured s ome

t ime . In each ca se except one I secured mysubj ect .The young, as w i th other k ind s , are t iny black

creatures,wh i ch have a mo s t amaz ing way of

d i sappear ing in a bog. See ing the spr i te in the

gra ss , we may do our best t o make a grab, but

the reward is l ikely to be on ly a hand ful o f grassand black s l ime .

Though i t is hard to see the nes t ing b i rd fori den t i ficat i on

,the eggs o f both the V i rgin ia Ra i l

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208

wh ich con ta ined s ix teen eggs , the larges t numbertha t I ever found in a R a i l ’s dom i c i le , e igh t t oten be ing u sua l

,and th i rteen not in frequen t . The

Courtesy of Am . Mus . Nat . H is t .SORA

The ir pecu l iar fli gh t makes them easy targets for gunners

n e s t s are l i t t le plat fo rm s o f dry gra s s or rushleave s

,qu i te wel l ho l l owed . Somet ime s they are

in a cluster o f reeds or ru shes , a l i t t le above thelevel o f the water , or under a th i ck tus s ock o fmeadow grass . But

,a f ter much search ing, I

f ound that the mo re typi ca l l ocat i on , bo th for theS o ra and the V i rgin i a Ra i l was j u s t out o f thebog,

in open meadow , where , on compara t ivelyfi rm gr ound ,

ra ther sho r t meadow—

gra s s grewfrom j u s t a l i t t le wa ter . There the Ra i l s con

s t ructed a l i t t le pi le or i s land o f gras s , ra i sed

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

Photo by H . K . Job

NEST AND EGGS OF SORA

YEL LOW RA ILCoturn icops noveboracen s i s (Gmel in )A . O . U . Number 2 1 5

O ther Names . L itt le Yel low Ra i l ; Ye l low C rake.

Gen eral Descr ipt ion . Leng th . 7 in ches . P reva i l ingco lor , brown i sh - y e l low , pa ler be low and s t reaked abovew i t h dark . Forehead en t i re ly feath ered to base of b i l l ;b i l l shor t and s tou t .

See Color Plate 26

Col or . ADULTS : Crown (narrow ly ) , neck , and

upper par ts , broad ly and regu lar ly s treaked w i t h yel lowish brown and burn t umber , t h i s fus ing on crown and

shading on s ides of neck and s ides of breas t in to red

di sh -brown spo t s ; the dark streak s of back and W ings ,

s l ight ly above the wa ter . The s tem s o f the ratherspar se gra ss hel d i t t ogether , and the end s weretwi sted and t i ed by the b i rd s t o fo rm Over i t aso r t o f roun ded canopy . In wa lk ing over the

m eadow I learned to fi nd n es t s by n ot ing th i sarch i ng o f the gras s , even at s ome d i s tan ce.

R a i l s are n octurna l , and t oward du sk one maywa tch them at the edges o f the bog trot t ing out to

feed . The i r m igrat i on s are qu i te mys ter i ou s .Some f ro s ty mo rn ing the meadows sudden ly are

f oun d to be a l ive wi th them . Then the gunner sget the i r inn ings . In some l oca l i t ie s , such as the

m eadows a l ong the Connect i cu t R iver,n ear its

mou th ,R a i l shoot ing becomes a regu lar in du s try .

A t h igh t i de boatmen po le flat Sk i ffs through the

gras s . The R a i l s flut ter up w i th the i r characteri stic fl ight , mak ing ea sy marks .

In L ou i s iana I found th i s spec i es common in

w in ter on the marshes back f rom the Gu l f coa s t,

on the reser vat i on s . Toward even ing I cou ldwatch them f rom the w indows o f our camp, as

wel l as dur ing cl oudy days . They came out f romthe reed s and fed on the r ice wh ich we scat tered ,

som et ime s ven tur ing even under the house .

H ERDERT K . JOB .

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2 10 B IR DS OF

w h i te bars ; lores and a l ine th rough and back of eye,

dusky ; w ing-

qu i l l s and ta i l , dusky w i t h some w h i tespo t s . DOWN Y YOUNG : B lack .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A very w e l l -made and

deeply cupped s t ruc ture o f fi n e gras ses and weed s tems ;w e l l concea led in a depres s ion of the ground . EGGS :6 to 9 ,

w h i te,spar se ly spo t ted w i t h sma l l ches tnu t do t s .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Eas tern Nor t h Amer ica ; breeds f romsou th ern On tar i o and Mas sachu set t s sou t h to Kan sas ,I l l inoi s . and Sou t h Caro l ina ; w in ter s f rom Texas eas tth rough the Gu l f

_S ta tes and sou t h to Jama i ca and

Guatema la ; casua l in Bermuda .

The B lack R a i l , the sma l les t Ra i l in Amer ica ,

is bel i eved to be a very rare b i rd in New England ,where i t has been recorded on ly f rom Ma ine ,

Connect icut , and Mas sachuset t s , in wh ich S tatesi t po ssibly breed s . So far a s our pre sen t in forma t i on goe s , Mas sachu set t s appear s t o be near

the no r thern l im i t o f its breed ing range on the

A t lan t i c coa s t , but i t may go far ther n orth .

R eco rd s are rece ived w i th caut i on , as the

black , downy young o f larger R a i l s are m i s takenfor B lack Ra i l s . Wayne appear s t o be the fi rstobserver who has ac tual ly seen the fema le B lackR a i l on her nes t in the Un i ted S tates , and re

corded it. The nes t was in an oat field , and the

stand ing gra in ,where the nes t was , had been cu t.

The bi rd is so secret ive that , as re lated by

Wayne , two men and a dog searched f our hour sfor the male in the oat field bef ore i t could besecured

,a l though i t was ca l l ing incessan t ly . Th i s

b i rd may not be as rare as i t i s rated .

AMER ICA

The B lack Ra i l run s sw i f t ly , l ike a mou sethrough the herbage, and se l d om fl ie s

, al though inm igrat i on i t has reached the Bermuda I s land s .Gos se quotes a M r . R ob in s on who says that inJama ica i t i s so foo l i sh as to h i de its head and

cock up its ta i l , th i nk ing i t sel f sa fe. when i t iseas i ly taken a l ive .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU S H . in Game B irds ,

W'

i ld-Foa 'l and S hore B irds .

Courtesy of Am . Mus . Nat . H ist .BLACK RAIL

PURPL E GAL L INUL E

Ion orn i s martin icus (L innceus )

A . O . U . Number 2 18

O t her Name . Su l tana (Jama ica ) .

General Descr ipt ion .— Leng th , 14 inches . H ead,

neck . and under par t s , purpl i sh ; upper par ts , o l i vegreen . H ead w i th f ron ta l sh ie ld ex tending f rom ba seof bi l l and cover ing forehead ; toes s lender and W i thout lobes ; b i l l shor ter t han head .

Col or . ADULTS : H ead , neck , and under par t s ,deep purpl is lb blne ; abdomen b lack ; under ta i l - cover tswh i te ; back and upper par t s in genera l , o l i ve-

g reen ;

w ing-cover t s , b lue-edged ; W ing and ta i l - fea th er sdusky w i th ou ter webs blu i sh -g reen ; f ron ta l sh ie ld ,pa le coba l t ; ba sa l ha l f o f b i l l , carm ine, f ron t ha l f yellow ; a narrow w h i te s t reak on s ide of face at base of

b i l l ; legs , ch rome-ye l low ; i r i s , red . IM MATURE : Upper

S ee Co lor Plate 2 7

par t s , wa shed wi th brown i sh ; under par ts , mo t t led w i t hw h i te. DOWN Y YOUNG : G los sy-black w i t h numerouswh i te ha i r- l i ke fea ther s on head .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : P laced in reeds over wa ter ;con s t ruc ted of dead rushes . EGGS : 6 to 10, creamy ,

t h in ly spo t ted and do t ted w i t h brown and lavender.

D i s tr ibu t ion — Tropi ca l and subtropica l Amer i ca ;breeds f rom Texas , Tennes see, and Sou t h Caro l inasou t h th rough M ex ico and the W es t Indies to Ecuadorand Paraguay ; w in ters f rom Texas , Lou i s iana , and

F lor ida sou t hward ; i rregu lar ly nor t h in summer to

Ar i zona, Nebras ka , W i s con s in . On tar io , Quebec . NovaSco t ia , and New B run swi ck ; acc iden ta l in Eng landand Bermuda .

RA I LS,GALL INULES

,AND COOTS 2 1 1

The Purple Gal l inule has been r i ch ly endowedw i th beaut i fu l feather s . the S ingle excep

t i on o f the ma l e “food Duck i t mu s t be regardedas po s ses s i ng the mo s t s tr i k ing co l o r s o f any o four s outhern water -b i rd s . On the r i ce plan tat i on s a l ong the A sh ley R i ver abo ve Char les t own ,

South Carol ina,I f oun d th i s spec ies very abun

dan t and o ften saw them run acro s s the roadahead o f our buggy . There was much waterabou t and they seemed t o pa s s f requen t ly f romone pond or d i tch to another

,the i r s tout fa i r ly

l ong legs send ing them forward at a good speedwhen ha s te was des i red .

W' i th much v i v i dne s s do I recal l one spr ing

mo rn ing when ,wh i le I was fi sh ing f rom a boa t in

L evy Lake,F l o r i da

,these b i rd s were much in

ev i dence . I t was dur ing the ma t ing seas on and

they were the per s on i ficat i on o f act iv i ty . Therewas here an abundan t growth o f water l i l ie s , andthe b i rd s seemed to tak e the grea tes t plea sure inwa l k ing over the l i ly pad s , the i r yel l ow l egstw in k l ing in the sun l igh t . As they wa l ked

,the i r

ta i l s j erked in a mo s t pert and amu s ing manner .

When spr ing ing f rom pad t o pad the i r w ingswou l d be hel d h igh above the head . One o fthem cluck ing and d i splay i ng h is superb plum age

t o every po s s ible ad van tage approached s ome

bu shes wh i ch grew near shore and cl imb ing the

l imbs proceeded w i th many flut ter s and l oudbur s t s o f gut tura l n otes t o cl imb upward un t i l i t

Photo by T . H . Jackson Courtes y of Nat. Asso. Aud . Soc.

NES T AND EGG S OF PURPLE GALL INULEOrange Lake, Flor ida

D rawing by R . I . B rasher

PURPLE GALL INULE (énat. s i ze )A southern water b ird of superb p lumage

reached the branches o f a den se magno l ia t ree .

Here from a he igh t o f twen ty feet i ts purpleplumage shone w i th a mo s t resplenden t beau tyunder the fu l l glare o f the m o rn ing sun . The

whole per formance comb ined to make a pi cturenot ea s i ly forgot ten .

When mak ing short fl ight s , and espec ia l lywhen cha s ing each o ther , the legs hang down as

i f ready for immed i ate use i n case o f emergencv .

They sw im wel l al though they are not web

footed . The l ong s lender t oes mus t be very

2 12 B IR DS OF

ser v i ceable in a i d ing them t o run over the in

secure pathway paved on ly w i th the floa t ingleave s of the water l i l ies or to c l imb among the

tangles o f gra s s and wa ter -

plan t s .

The Pu rple Gal l inu le appears in its summer

home in Apr i l or May and a f ter a per fect lyproper per i od o f cour tsh ip n es t bu i ld ing is begun .

Th i s in teres t ing receptacle for the eggs is usual lybu i l t in reed s or ru shes a few feet above the

water . Not l ong ago I exam ined S ix ne s t s in a

pond in l ower L ou i s iana . W i thout except i on

AMER ICA

these were con s t ructed o f gra s s- stem s and ru shes ,each be ing bu i l t in a separate bunch o f th i ckrushes . The surroun d ing s ta lk s were pu l leddown in such a manner as t o h i de each nest completely f rom v i ew . They were l ocated above thewater at he ight s vary ing f rom two t o fi ve feet .In the M i ss i ss ippi va l ley the Purple Gal l inu ledoes not breed much no r th Of M i s sour i . In the

Ea s t and South (except F l o r i da ) i t i s confinedlarge ly t o the t i de-water sect i on s .

'

T . G I L BER T PEAR SON .

FL OR IDA GAL L INUL E

Ga l l inu la gal ea ta (L ichtens tein )A . O . U . Number 2 1 9

O t her Names . Amer ican Ga l l inu le ; Common Ga l

l inu l e ; R ed -b i l led Mud H en ; W a ter H en ; WaterCh i c ken .

General D e scr ipt ion . Leng t h , 14 inches . P reva i l ingco lor

, b lack i sh . Forehead covered by naked sh ie ld at

ba se o f b i l l ; toes s lender and w i t hou t lobes ; b i l l s lender ,sha rp, and near ly as long a s h ead .

COIO I‘ .— ADU LTS Z H ead

,neck a l l around

, breas t,and under par t s , dor /c s la te , du sk ier on h ead and n eck ,and wh i ten ing beh ind ; upper par t s , brown i sh - s late ;w ings and ta i l , du sky ; s ides of under ta i l -cover t s , edgeof w ing ,

ou ter web of fi r s t pr imary , and s tr ipes on

flank s , w h i te ; bil l , fron ta l plate , and a r ing around

upper par t of leg ,red ; tip of b i l l , ye l low ; a nar row

Wh i te s t r ipe on face at base of b i l l ; legs , green i sh —yellow ; i r i s , red . YOUNG : S im i lar to adu l t s . but du l ler ,

Pho togra ph by A . A . A l len

S ee Co lor Plate 2 7

A FLORIDA GALL INULE TURNING ITS EGG S

w i t h w h i t i sh under par t s , and brown i sh b i l l and fo rehead .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : In the marshes ; con

s t ructed of dry reeds ; o f ten placed on a buoyan t pla tform o f the same ma ter ia l , capable of r i s ing and fa l l ingw i th the water ; in some places i t i s bu i l t on dry par t sof the meadow . EGGs : 6 to 12 , buffy-wh ite, rathersparse ly spotted w i th brown .

Di s tr ibu t ion . Tropica l and temperate Amer ica ;breeds f rom cen tra l Ca l i forn ia ,

A r izona , Nebraska,M inneso ta , On tar io , New York , and Vermon t sou t hth rough the Wes t Indies and Mex i co to Ch i le and

A rgen t ina , and in the Ga lapagos and Bermuda ; w in ter sf rom sou t hern Ca l i forn ia, A r i zona . Texas , and Georg iasou t hward ; casua l in Co lorado, Quebec, Nova Sco t ia,New B run sw i c k . and Ma ine.

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RA I LS,GALL INULES ,

AND COOTS

So hen - l i k e in many o f its m o vemen t s i s the

F l o r i da Ga l l inu le that one can read i ly under s tan dwhy its near rela t i ve in Europe shou l d be namedthe Moo r H en . In hab i t s i t much re sembles boththe K ing Ra i l and the Coot s , and its hom e i s in

the same character o f coun t ry occupie d by botho f thes e spec i es . I t i s a b i rd o f the pond s andmar she s o f our s ou thern coun t ry , a l though i tocca s i ona l ly breed s as far no rth as M innes otaand Ma ine . L i ke the R a i l s i t o ften has more or

les s favo r i te pathway s through the th i ck mar shgra s s , and l i ke the Coot is s omet imes seen sw imm ing about in Sha l l ow weed —

grown waters .

W'

hen thu s occupied the head bobs back and

for th w i th each s t roke o f the feet . They canno t

Drawing by R . I . B rasher FLOR IDA GALL INULE (g nat. s i ze)The source of many of th e hen l ike no is es heard in fresh-water mars hes

r ight ly be sa i d t o a s semble in fl ock s,a l though

as many as a dozen are at t ime s seen feed ingnear t ogether . O f ten they come on sho re for

food or as semble in sma l l compan i e s t o sun and

res t at s ome fa v o r i te rend ezvou s . At a d is-tancethey s omewha t res emble the Coo t , but a nearer

v iew w i l l revea l the d i fference . The br igh tscar let b i l l and head - sh i el d is a fiel d mark fori den t ificat i on qu i te d i s t in ct f rom the wh i te b i l lo f the Coot .F l o r i da Gal l inu le s po s ses s a wonder fu l reper

t o i re in the ma t ter o f ca l l s . They are al l veryhar sh

,but they sugge s t the en t i re range o f pas~

s i on s . For example , there i s the appeal ing tick et,ticket o f the l ove l o rn male . the petu lan t tuka ,

tuka

2 13

o f de spondency . and the que s t i on ing expl o s i v e( 111461? o f inqu i ry . They a re v ery no i sy b i rd s andthe i r n otes are among the mo s t fam i l iar and con

stan tly heard ca l l s o f the ru sh—

grown lake s i de .

the incuba t i on o f the eggs begin s the

1 o lume o f sound s decrea se s perceptive lyz

.

D

R a re lyha ve I heard one ca l l at n igh t , for th i s b i rd isnot so noctu rna l as the R a i l s and many o f theHeron s .

L i k e mos t b i rd s , the Ga l l inu le i s very cl ean lyand bath ing is one o f its f requen t d iver s i on s .In fl ight i t i s mo s t unga i n l y and when flushedits pa s sage through the a ir is a t tended w i the very i nd i cat i on o f ext1 eme wear ines s .The Ga l l inu le’s nes t i s wor th a wade in the

pond to d i sco ver . I t i s made o f flags or rushes,

and is placed f rom j us t abo ve the water to a

he igh t o f a foot or two . I t i s wedged in among a

clump o f ru shes or in a ru sh -h i dden bu sh . Pre

quen t ly i t i s a foot and a ha l f in d i ameter and

severa l inches th i ck . The cen t ra l ca v i ty is

s l igh t ly sunken and is j us t large enough t o hol dthe s i .\ t o twel ve spot ted eggs tha t axe la i d In

cubat i on begin s as s oon as egg- laying commences ,

w i th the re su l t tha t s ome 1-0ung appear f rom a

week t o t1vel 1 e davs be fo re the other s . Amongthei r enem i e s ma1 be men t i oned the cot ton mou thmocca s in that swa l l ows the i r eggs and the f rogsand a l l igato r s tha t snap up the young when

sw imm ing. T . G I L BER T PEA RSON .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

COOT

Fu l ica am er ican a Gmel in

A . O . U . Number 3 2 1

O t her Names — Amer i can Coo t ; Mud H en ; Wa terH en ; Marsh H en ; Moor - head ; Meadow H en ; WaterCh i c ken ; Pond H en ; Mud Coo t ; I vory-bi l led Coo t ;Wh i te—be l l ied Mud H en ; W h i te-b i l l ; H en -b i l l ; Crowb i l l ; Sea C row ; Pond Crow ; Crow Duck ; F lus terer ;B lue Peter ; Spla t ter ; Shuffler ; Pel ick ; Pu l l -doo .

Genera l D escr ipt ion .“ Length , 16 in ches . P reva i l

ing co lor , s la te, dark above and l igh t be low ; forehead,covered by naked sh ie ld at ba se o f b i l l ; b i l l s tou t , near lya s long as h ead ; toes lobed a long edges .

Col or .— ADU LTs : En t i re plumage, dark s la te-

g ray ,

b lacken ing on h ead and neck , t inged w i t h o l i ve on

back ; under ta i l - cover ts , edge of w ing , tips of secondar ies , and ends of some pr imar ies , wh i te ; bi l l , wh i te w i t hsma l l spo t s of reddi sh near end and at ba se of f ron ta ls h ie ld ; f ron ta l sh ie ld , brown ; feet, pa le ol ive-

g reen ish ;

i r i s , red . DOWN Y YOU NG : B lac k i sh above, wh i t i sh be

Many people th ink that the Coo t is a Duckbecau se i t is usua l ly seen sw imm ing . A s a mat tero f fact

,however i t bel ongs t o the Ra i l tr ibe . Its

feet are not webbed s tra ight acros s , but each toehas a sor t o f sca l l op o f l obes , wh i ch an swer j u s tabout as wel l in padd l ing. Another popu lar mistake i s to appl y the nam e Coo t t o tho se mar ine

Photo by W . L . F in ley and H . T . Bohlman

S ee Co lor Plate 2 7

low, w i t h numerous orange- co lored ha i r- l i ke fea t herson t h roa t and upper par ts . IM M ATURE Z S im i lar to

adu l t s, but l igh ter be low , and b i l l flesh co lor .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : Con s truc ted o f dead reeds ,gras ses , and bi t s of decay ed vege ta t ion ; afloa t 011 thewa ter or in the reeds nearby . EGGS : 7 to 16, c reamy ,

fine ly and regu lar ly spo t ted over en t i re sur face w i t hspecks of dark brown and black .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h Amer ica ; breeds from cen tra lB r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sout hern Macken z ie, Man i toba , Quebec. and New B run sw i c k sou th to nor thern LowerCa l i forn ia,

Texas , Tennes see , and New J er sey , and

a l so in sout hern Mex i co , sout hern Wes t Indies,and

Gua tema la ; w in ter s f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Co lumbia ,

Nevada , U tah , the O h io va l ley and V i rg in ia sou th toCo lomb ia ; casua l at For t Yukon , A la ska , and in Green

land , Labrador , and Bermuda .

Ducks wh ich are proper ly ca l led Sco ter s , not

Sea Coot s .The rea l Coot

,wh i le hav ing s ome l im i ta t i on s,

is notably versat i le w i th its feet . Not tha t i t isexact ly a fea thered Pavl owa , but w i th markedabi l i ty i t can run

,wa lk , sw im ,

and sk i t ter .

”In

the Mud H en sk i t ter ,” wh i ch m igh t we l l be

COOT STheir odd ways make one laugh

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O RDER OF SHO RE B IRD S

Order L im icolce

HORE bi rds include seven cl osel y re lated fami l ies —

so cl osel y rel ated that

no suborder has been estab l i shed wi th in th i s order . The vari ous speciesfrequent open area s , u sua l l y a long watercourses , ocean beaches , or marshes .

They average smal l in si ze ,the l argest Nor th American species being the

Long—bi l led Curl ew, and the sma l lest being the Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers , or Peeps , so abundan t in the spring, summer , and fal l everywhere inthe maritime di stricts . In col or they are gen eral l y brown or bl acki sh above ,

mottled and streaked with buff or whiti sh . The wings are l ong and pointed,

the primaries graduating rapidl y from outer to inner , the secon daries reversingthi s order — thi s giving a V — shape to the open wing. M an y species are capabl e o f su stainedflight , and perform a lmost in credibl e j ourn ey s during migration . The tai l i s short . The

legs are l ong and thin with l ong, sl en der , u sual l y unwebbed , toes .The food of the Shore Birds i s the mol lusk s , crustacean s , and in sects , foun d in the mud

or al ong the moi st strand of their habitat . They nest on the ground , usual l y l aying foureggs , which are so wel l spotted or bl otched with dark col ors that they are qu ite incon spicuousamong the gra ss or pebb l es . When hatched the young are covered wi th down of a gray or

brown color mar ked with bl acki sh . At the approach of an “

enem y these down y chicksl ie flat on the ground in an endeavor to escape detection .

Shore Birds have mel l ow , piping or wh i stl ing,voices , which can be heard for some d i s

tance . They are greatl y pri zed as game birds and have been hun ted to such an extent thati t is not uncommon to hear them spoken of as our van i shing shore birds .

P H ALAR O P E S

Order L im i colae fam i l y Pha laropodi dae

ITTLE swimming Sandpipers the Pha laropes were aptl y cal led by Dr . Cones .

They are essential l y b irds o f the northern hemi sphere , and al l of the threespecies occur in North Amer ica , though on l y one , Wi l son

’s Phal arope,is

actual l y a permanen t resident of th i s continent . A pecu l iar and in terestingcharacter i stic of the fam i l y i s that the u sual d ifferences between the sexesof mos t species are reversed in the case of the Pha l aropes ; which is to say ,

the fema l es are not on l y the larger and have the more stri k ing p lumage ,

bu t they are the aggressors in the courtship performances and the ma lesd o the nest-bu i lding and incubate the eggs .Al l of the Pha l aropes are comparativel y smal l b irds from seven to n ine

inches l ong —and have noticeab l y thick , duck - l i ke p lumage to protect their

bodies from the freez ing water s in which they are often found , and a b i l l in which the l ateralgroove is prol onged nearl y to the hardened and poin ted tip, while the bil l i tsel f i s as l ong as or

longer than the head . The toes are equipped with margina l webs . The l egs are norma l l ylong and s lender . The wings are long ,

flat , and poin ted , with the outer primaries l ongestand the inner secondaries e longated , giv ing the wing in flight a V - shaped appearan ce . The

tai l i s short , stiff , broad , and rounded .

Dr . Coues’

s popu lar name for the Phal aropes i s in recogn i tion of their pe lagic , or at l eastaquatic , habits , wh ich often take them man y m i les out to sea , even in the dead of winter .

The nests are mere depression s in the ground and sometimes are th in l y l ined wi th grass .

Three or four eggs are la id but on l y about two young are successful l y hatched and rai sed .

[2 16 ]

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2 18 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

NOR THERN PHALAROPE

L ob ipes loba tus (L inna’us )

A . O . U . Number 2 2 3

O t h er Name s . Sea Goose ; Mackere l Goose ; W eb

foo ted Peep ; Bank ~bird : W h i te Bank-b i rd ; Sea Sn ipe ;W ha le-b i rd ; H yperborean Pha larope ; Red-neckedP ha larope .

Gen era l De scr ipt ion .— Leng t h , 7 in ch es . Co lor

above , a shy-

gray ; b i l l very s lender , cy l indr i ca l , and

sharp (need le- l i ke ) ; f ron t toes w i t h lobed or s ca l lopedwebs .Col or . A D ULT MALE IN S UM M ER : Forehead , t h roa t ,

breas t , and lower par ts , pu re wh i te ; crown , s ides of

h ead , back of nec k , upper back , ashy-gray ; foreh ead

and f ron t par t of c rown , mo t t led w i t h a shy ; lores ,dusky ; a broad a rea of r ufous extend ing from nape

downward a cross upper breas t, in terrupted on upper

br eas t wi th dusky s treaks ; s ides of breas t much mot t ledw i t h a shy-

gray and w h i te ; flank s and s ides marked w i thar row head- shaped dusky spot s ; shou lders , ru fousbrown , eac h feat her w i t h b lack i sh cen ter and w h i tet ipped ; w ing- cover t s and pr imar ies , dusky , the grea tercover t s w i t h rear por t ion w h i te ; a w h i te sem i - c i rc leabove and ano t her be low eye ; b i l l , b lack ; i r i s , brown ;feet , dusky gray . ADULT FEMALE IN S UMMER : H ead

Drawing by R . I . B rasher

S ee Co lor P late 29

f rom chm back of neck , shou lder s , and back , pla ing ray i sh -ash ; t h roa t and lower s ide o f head , wh i te , bor

dered beh ind and below w i th a large pa tch of r i chtawny , t h i s co lor in c luding upper breas t ; under par t s .w h i te, broken on s ide of brea s t , s ides , and flanks , w i t hashy-

gray ; a br oad l - shaped s tr ipe of yel low ish-br own

on back ; two nar row ones of same color on shou l ders

w ing- cover t s and pr imar ies , dusky ,the greater cover t s

broad ly w h i te 011 ends , form ing a con spi cuou s bar , a

w h i te sem i -c i rc le above and ano t her below eye ; b i l l ,b lack ; legs and feet, b lu i sh —gray ; so les of feet , green i shye l low ; i r i s , deep brown . ADU LTs IN W 1NTER : Fore

head , broad l ine over eye runn ing a long s ide of head and

m eeting wh i te of ch in , br eas t , and lower pa r ts , pure

wh i te ; a broad s t reak beh ind eye, c rown , bac k of n eck ,and upper par ts , plain l ight ash ,

var ied w i t h w h i te edgeso f fea t hers , t hese l igh ter edges form ing a V - shapedmark on bac k and more ex ten s i ve on shou lders . becoming narrower on longer w ing- cover ts beh ind ; s ides ofbrea s t mo t t led w i t h ash ; s ides and flanks , w i t h a fa intt inge of g ray , t h in ly spo t ted w i t h darker ; w ing as in

summer ; a was h of pa le ru fous on s ides of neck ; a

NOR THERN PHALAROPE (fema le ; gnat. s ize)She leaves al l the fam i ly duti es to the less handsome , more modes t ma le

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220 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

W IL SON ’

S PHALAROPE

S teganopus tr i co lor V i e -i l l at

A . O . U . Number 2 24

O t her Name . Summer P ha larope .

Gen era l Descr ipt ion . Leng t h , 9 in c hes . Co lorabove , gray ; bi l l longer t han head and very s lender ;f ron t toes w i t h marg ina l webs , but the membrane not

sca l loped .

Col on — A DULT MALE 1N S UM M ER : Forehead , c rown ,

and upper par t s in genera l , in c luding w ings and

ta i l , du l l gray i sh , s t reaked on back , shou lder s , and w ingcover ts w i t h darker gray ; lores and a broad s tr ipe overand beh ind eye, w h i t i sh ; t h roa t and a pa t c h on nape,

w h i te ; res t of under par t s , du l l w h i te, wa shed on s idew i t h pa le ye l low i sh ; a rus ty a rea on s ide of neck , bordered above w i t h dusky ; du sky Spo t in f ron t of eye and

an ind i s t in c t one of the same co lo r , beh ind ; b i l l , du sky ;fee t , du l l horn ; i r i s , brown . ADULT FEM ALE 1N S UM M ER :Crown , pa le ash chang ing to w h i te on a na rrow s t r ipeon back of neck , th i s co lor chang ing aga in on back toash , con t inu ing down and becom ing w h i te on rump and

upper ta i l — cover t s ; a broad black area co zn-inencing

behind eye, runn ing ha lfway down neck. wher e tar/iden

ing and chang ing in to r ich purpl ish- ches tnu t, extend inga long back i n a nar rower s treak : shou lders , the same

co lor , bordered 011 eac h s ide w i t h gray i sh ; w ings , pa leg ray i sh - brown ; pr imar ies , dusky ; ta i l , mo t t led w i t hgray and w h ite ; c h in and t h roa t , pure w h i te ; res t ofunder par ts , white ; s ide s of neck , breas t , and flank s

Photo by W . L . Fin ley and H . T . Bohlm an

S ee Color Plate 3 0

wa shed w i t h pa le ru fous ; a large w h i te spo t over eye,

bo rdered in f ron t w i t h b lac k s t reak ; a sma l ler spo t ofw h i te be low eye ; b i l l , dusky ; feet , horn black i sh ; i r i s ,brown ; no wh ite pa tch on w ing . AD ULTS IN W i NTER :

C rown , back of neck , and upper par t s , ashy-

gray , eac hfeat her usua l ly edged w i t h wh i ter ; w ing—cover t s and

seconda r ies , dusky-

gray edged w i t h pa le ye l low i shw h i te ; pr imar ies , pla in dusky ; upper ta i l - cover t s , l ineover eye , and under par t s , wh i te, shaded on s ides of

brea s t w i t h g ray i sh ; a dusky Spo t in f ron t o f eye ; an

indi s t inc t s t reak beh ind eye o f l igh t dusky ; b i l l , du sky ;legs , ye l low ; i r i s , brown . YOUNG : B rown i sh -blac kabove

,t h i s soon succeeded by co lo r ing of w in ter adu l t .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A s l igh t depres s ion in the

ground ; l ined w i t h gras s . EGGS : 3 or 4. c reamy , buff ,or drab,

spo t ted, specked , and sc ra t ched w i t h brown of

di fferen t shades .D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and South Amer i ca ; breedsf rom cen t ra l Wash ington ,

cen t ra l A lber ta , and LakeW inn ipeg sout h to eas tern Ca l i forn ia , sou thern Co lorado , sou t hern Kan sas , nor t hern Iowa , and nor t hwes tern Indiana ; w in ters f rom cen t ra l Ch i le and cen

t ra l Argen t ina sou t h to Fa lk land I s lands ; casua l inm ig ra t ion on Pac i fi c coas t f rom sou t hern B r i t i sh Columb ia to Lower Ca l i forn ia and on A t lan t ic coas t fromMa ine to New Jersey .

MALE WIL SON‘S PHALAROPE RE TURNING TO HIS TASK OF INCUBAT ING

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2 22 B IRDS OF AMER ICA

ground in swampy pl aces ; the eggs are three or four in number , o f ol ive or buff co lor profusel ymarked with dark brown spo t s .

Of the true Sti lts there are seven or eight species , on l y one of which occurs in Amer ica .

The fami l y differs from the Avocets in having no web between the midd le and inner toes ;in being con siderabl y sma l ler , wi th an average length of about thirteen inches ; and in hav ingthe wings l ong and poin ted . The common Amer ican Species occurs in both con tinen ts andi s found most often in sma l l flocks on muddy flats , where the bird wa l ks wi th l ong, del iberatestr ides , probing the mud with its l ong bi l l or catching fi sh in the sha l low waters . Phy sica l l yand in their hab its

,there i s con siderable general simi lari ty between the Sti l ts and the Avocets .

The young of both Avocets and Sti l t s are covered with down at bi rth and Shortl y afterleav ing the she l l are abl e to run about . Th i s nata l down is soon rep laced by the first or

juvenal plumage .

AV OCET

R ecu rviros t ra am er i cana Gmel in

A . O . U . Number 2 2 5

O ther Names — Amer ican Avocet ; B lue S tock ing ;B lue S hanks ; I r i sh Sn ipe .

Gen era l D escr ipt ion .— Leng th , 18 in c hes . Co lo r

,

w h i te w i t h some b lack a reas ; b i l l fla t tened and up

tu rned ; t h ree f ron t toes webbed .

COIOI’.— ADULTS 1N S UM M ER : l ’Vh ite ,chang ing

imper cept ibly to ches tnu t - brown of head and neck ;shou lders and w ing s , b lack ; some seconda r ies and

cover ts , w h i te ; ta i l , pea r l -gray ; b i l l , b lack ; leg s , du l lblue ; i r i s , red or brown . AD ULT S IN W IN TER : H eadand neck , pear l -g ray ; O t herw i se l i ke summer plumage.

YOUNG : H ead and neck , washed w i th ches tnu t , the

blac k feat her s edged w i t h same co lor ; b i l l , near lys t ra igh t .

Courtesy of Amer ican Museum of Na tura l H is toryAVOCET

The mos t showy of North Amer ican shore b ir ds

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : In the marshes , h idden inthe gra s s and con s t ruc ted of g ra s s and weed s tems .EGGS : 3 or 4, pa le o l i ve or buffy , un i form ly and

t h i c k ly spo t ted w i t h burn t umber and oth er shades ofbrown .

D i s tr ibu t ion .~ North Amer ica ; breeds f rom eas tern

O regon , cen t ra l A lber ta , and sou th ern Man i toba (rare lynor t h to Grea t S lave Lake ) sou t h to sou t hern Ca l iformia , sou t hern New Mex i co

,nor t hwes tern Texas ,

nor thern Iowa , and cen tra l W i scon s in ; w in ter s f romsou thern Ca l i forn ia and sou t hern Texa s to sout hernGua tema la ; casua l f rom On tar io and New B run sw i c kto F lor ida and the Wes t Indies , but rare eas t of M iss iss ippi R i ver .

AVOCETS AND ST ILTS

The Avocet s tand s out among No rth Amer i canshore b i rd s as the mo s t showy Of them a l l . Its

wh i te body and black and wh i te- s t r iped w ingsrevea l its presence at a great d i s tance . I t is a

large b i rd , be ing about a foo t and a hal f l ong .

Th i s,added to the fact that i t make s a mo s t

acceptable d i sh when ser v ed on the table,is

respon s ible for the ex tende d per secut i on to wh ichi t has been subj ected by gunner s . One o f thename s by wh i ch shooter s know i t is B lueShan ks

,the col o r o f its l ong,

bare legs be ingrespon s ible for th i s . Wh i le search i ng for w i l dDuck s ’ n es t s 011 the mar shes o f the K lama thR i ver in O regon I fi r s t came upon these remarka-ble b i rd s . Ev i den t ly a sma l l group was n es t ingin the ne ighbo rhood , for upon our appearance

three b i rd's came i n t o v iew and at once set up a

great outc ry . Our fi r s t v i ew o f them was when

they came flying toward us giv ing ven t to the i ralarm -

and resen tmen t at our approach . Theyflew overhead and c i rcled about much as i s the

cu s t om o f W' i l l et s unde r l ike c i rcum s tances .The i r scream ing soo-n brought Other s , who m ay

have been the i r ma tes ca l led f rom the nes t s bythe genera l a larm . At t ime s they a l igh ted on theground at a sa fe d i s tance ,

or set t led in the wa terof the s l ough . Here the maneu v er s o f headbobb ing and w ing-wa v ing were mo s t amu s ing .

S omet imes the body wou l d be a l l but submergedand w i th head la i d out a l ong the wa ter the b i rdwou l d sw im away j u s t as a wounded w i l d Goo sew i l l o ften try to e scape the fowler .

The Avo-

cet’

s ne s t is a depres s i on in the

ground in the v ic i n i ty o f wa ter and is l in ed w i thgras s . The young upon emerging f rom the

sp-otted eggs are able t o run a lmo s t at once .

Audubon has th i s to say in reference to the i rfeed ing hab i t s :They search for fo od prec i sely in the manner

o f the R o seate Spoonb i l l , mo v ing the i r head s t oand fro s i deways , wh i le the i r b i l l is pa s s ingthrough the so f t mud ; and in many i n s tances ,when the water was deeper , they wou l d immer se

Photo by H . T . Boh lman Courtesy of Nat . Asso. Aud . Soc .

NE S T AND EGG S OF AVOCET

BL ACK-NECKED ST IL T

H iman t opus m ex i canu s (M i l l /er )

A . O . U . Number 2 26

O t h er Name s . S t i l t ; Longshank s ; Lawyer .

General D e scr ipt i on . Leng th , 13 in c hes . Co lorabove . b lack , sharply con t ras t ing w i t h the wh i te of

under par t s ; legs very long .

Col or . ADULTS ; Back , shou l der s , and w ings , g los sy

V O L . I 16

black ,cont in -

n ing up back of neck , 011 crown , en

larg ing 011 s ide o f h ead , and inc luding the eyes ; a spotover and beh ind eye , one benea t h eye , forehead, forepa r t o i c rown , lo res , ch in , s ides o f head be low eye ,

s ides o f n eck , en t i re unde r par t s , rump, and upper ta i l

the i r who le head and a po rt i on o f the back , as

the Spoonb i l l and R ed —brea s ted Sn ipe are won tt o d o . When ,

on the con t rary ,they pur sued

aqua-tic in sect s , such as sw im on the sur face ,they

ran a fter them , and , on get t ing up t o them ,sud

den ly se i zed them by thru s t ing the lower man

d ible beneath them , wh i l e the other was ra i sed a

good way abo ve the su r face ,much in the mann er

o f the B lack Shea rwater [B lack S k immer ] ,wh ich

,howev er , per f o rms th i s act on w ing.

They were a l s o exper t at- catch ing flying in sect s ,a fter wh ich they ran w i th par t ia l ly expandedw ings .

”

In the U n i ted S tate s the Avocet is t o —day con

fined almo s t en t i rely t o the terr i tory ly ing wes t

of the M i s s i s s ippi R iver . The Federa l M igrato ry B i rd L aw ex tend s protect i on t o i t at al l

t ime s , and i t is to be hoped th i s splend i d game

bi rd may be spared the melancho ly fate o f theE s k imo Cur lew and the VVhooper Swan .

L i ke severa l o ther shore b i rd s,the A v ocet

makes i t sel f very u sefu l by des t roying d iv ingbeet les

,wh i ch are predato ry in the i r hab i t s and

do much damage to fi sh ha tcher i es by feed ingupon in sect s wh i ch are the natura l d iet o f fi shes .I t al s o feeds freely upon gra s shopper s and uponb i l l -bugs , wh ich i n jure the corn crops . Sna i l sand mar ine worm s a l s o par t o f its d i et .

T . G I LBER T PEARSON .

224

cover ts . w h i te ; ta i l , ash ; bi l l , b lack ; i r i s , red ; legs ,fl esh co lor . W h i te of rump covered by the w ings inl i fe . In the fema le the b lack i s o f ten dingy . YOUNG :Upper pa r t s , brown , marked w i t h w h i t i sh .

Ne s t and Eggs . NEST : A depres s ion in the sandor a f ra i l s t ruc tu re of g ras s and sma l l s tems h i dden in

a bunch of w eeds . ECGs : 3 o r 4, bufly or o l i ve—brown ,

t h i c k ly spo t ted and blo tc hed w i t h dark brown .

Di s tr ibu t ion . Tempera te Nor t h Amer ica and nor t hern Sou t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom cen tra l O regon ,

The B lack—necked S t i l t has been brough t t overge o f ex term inat i on a l ong the A t lant ic coa s tby the spr ing and summer shoo t ing . I t i s not

uncommon in the Wes t and S outh ,be ing par

Cour tesy of S . A . Lot tr idgeBLACK-NECKED S TIL T

The b ird wa lks wi th long de libera te s tr ides

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

nor th ern U tah,and sou t hern Co lorado to sout hern Ca l i

forn ia , sou t hern New Mex i co , sout hern Texas , coas t ofLou i s iana , and in Mex i co

, and f rom cen t ra l F lor i da and

Bahamas th roughou t the W es t Indies to nor t hernB raz i l an d Peru ; former ly bred nor t h to New Jer sey ;w in ter s f rom sou t hern Lower Ca l i forn ia ,

sou t hernTexas , sou th ern Lou i s iana , and sou t hern F lo r ida sou t ht h rough Central Amer i ca and the Wes t Indies to nor t hern B raz i l , Peru , and the Ga lapagos ; casua l in m igrat ion to Nebraska , W i s con s in , and New B run swick .

R . I . BRA SH ER .

ticu lar ly abundan t about the a l ka l ine lakes andpoo l s o f the Great Bas in where i t i s o f ten seen

in the company o f the Avocet .On the ground , whether wa lk ing or wad ing,

the bi rd [the B lack—necked S t i l t ] m oves gracefu l ly

,w i th mea su red s teps ; the l ong legs are

much ben t at every s tep (on ly at the j o in t,how

ever ) and plan ted fi rm ly, per fect l y st ra igh t ;

except under cer ta in c i rcum s tances , there is

n oth ing vac i l lat ing,feeble , or un s teady , in e i ther

the at t i tude s or the movemen ts o f the b i rd s .When feed ing,

the legs are ben t backward w i than acute angle at the hee l jo in t t o br ing the bodyl ower ; the la t ter is t i l ted fo rward and downwardover the cen ter -of equ i l ibr ium ,

where the feetrest

,and the l ong neck and b i l l i reach the res t

o f the d i stance t o the ground .

”

(Cones , )When the b i rd s l igh t they ra i se the i r w ingss tra igh t up above the body for a m omen t , thenc l o se them s l ow ly over the back . Many wa terb i rd s have th i s same hab i t ; and i t is undoubted lya recogn i t i on mark t o keep in touch w i th the res to f the flock as the pose is a very con spi cuou sone ,

enabl ing the b i rd t o 'be seen f rom a l ongd i s tance .

The B lack- n ecked S t i l t 's d iet i s kn own t oinclude in con s i derable quan t i t ie s severa l spec i eso f the predac i ou s d iv ing beet le s wh ich ,

because

they prey upon in sects that are the natura l f oodo f fi she s

, are coun ted a nu i sa nce in a l l fi sh hatcher ies . In th i s respect its econom ic va lue is a

m a t ter o f fact , not o f theory . Gra s shopper s aredestroyed in large number s by th i s b i rd , and a l s ob i l l -bugs wh i ch feed upon co rn

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SN IPES , SANDP IPER S ,ETC . 225

SN IP E S , S AND P I P E R S ,ETC .

Order L im ieolee ; fami l y S colopaci daz

HE Sn i pes , Sandpipers , and the c lose l y a l l ied spec i es which form the fam i l yS eolopaez

’

dee of the order of Shore B i rds , or Wading B irds , are represen ted ina l l the hab i tab le parts of the wor ld , bu t during the breed ing sea son they are

found w i th few exception s on l y in the northern parts of the northern hem isphere . There are about one hundred spec i es in the fami l y , abou t ha l f of whichnumber occur regu lar l y or occa siona l l y in America .

The mem bers of th i s fami l y vary grea t l y in si ze , shape , and co lor, but in

genera l they are of sma l l or m ed ium si ze and never reach the average si ze ofHeron s . Usua l l y the bi l l i s long and sof t - sk inned , genera l l y s traight , roundi sh , and sl im , but somet imes curved ei ther upward or downward and in one

species, the Spoon —bi l l Sandp iper of eas tern Asia

,the end is spoon - shaped .

The head i s feathered to the bi l l . The legs are of moderate length . The wings are norma l l yl ong,

flat , and poin ted . The tai l is rather short , stiff , broad , and rounded .

As ind i cated by the name of the group in wh ich th i s fam i l y has been placed ,i ts members

are sel dom found far from the shores o f bodies of water or from moi st l ands . They migrateand pass the win ter in flock s , but duri ng the breeding season are not gregari ous . Likeother shore birds , they al l

,with the exception of the European Green Sandpiper and the

American So l i tary Sandpiper,nest on the ground . The eggs u sua l l y number fou r ,

bu t se ldomdoes a pai r succeed in bringing more than two young birds to ma tu ri ty duri ng a sea son .

The bab ies are c lothed with down when hatched , and are precocia l , that is , they are not

cared for in the n est by their paren t s,but are ab le to run about within a very short time

a fter leaving the she l l .Many of the species in thi s group are greatl y pri zed as game bi rds

,and to thi s fact is

due to a l arge exten t the decrease in their numbers . The deve lopmen t of l and for agri

cul tura l purposes has restricted their breeding grounds , and thi s is an indirect , but nev ertheless another , cau se for their lessen ing numbers . Not on l y because of their food va lue are

the birds en ti tl ed to protection ,but al so because of their u sefu lness . They search out and

des troy many crea tures that are detrimen tal to man ’s in terests . Among the pests whichthey eat are grasshoppers , army worms , cutworms , cabbage worms , cot ton worms , bol lweevi l s , rice weev i l s , Texas fever tick s , horseflies , and mosqui toes .

W OODCOCK

Ph i l-obe l a m in or (Gmel in )

A . O . U . Number 2 2 8 S ee Co lor Pla te 3 1 ,

O ther Names — Amer ican Woodcock ; Woodhen ;B ig- headed Sn ipe ; Big Mud Sn ipe ; B l ind Sn ipe ;W h i s t l ing Sn ipe : Wood Sn ipe ; N igh t Pa r t r idge ; N igh tPeck ; T imber Dood le ; H ookum Pake ; LabradorTw i s ter ; Bogsucker ; Bog-b i rd ; P ewee ; Wh i s t ler ; Big~eyes .Gen era l De scr ipt ion . Length , I I in ch es ; co lor

above , brown ; be low , pa le orange-brown ; head , large ;neck , shor t ; eyes ,

large and set far bac k and h igh ; bi l l ,very long and compres sed , the lower sec t ion shor tert han the upper in to w h i c h i t fi ts at the tip, and the

upper sec t ion capable of be ing flexed l i ke a finger ;w ings , shor t and rounded ; three ou ter pr imar ies ,

s cythe-shafted ; l egs , shor t amt s tout w ith th ighs

fea t/tered : toes , w i t hou t webs .Co lor . Above , fine ly b lended and va r ied w i th black ,warm brow n s , g ray , and rus se t , the brown predom i

na t ing , the g ray tend ing to form s treaks above and

be low shou lder s ; forehead . g ray i sh ; t/zr ee square

pa tches of Nae/c extend ing from to]? of crown to nape

and s epa ra ted by nar row gray bars ,

“

3 b lac k s t r ipe f romgape to eye ; c h in , w h i t i sh ; res t of under par t s , pa leorange-brown w i th a few black spo t s on s ides of ches t ;pr imar ies , pla in brown i sh ; b i l l , brown i sh flesh co lor ,du sky on r idge and tip ; fee t , flesh co lor ; ey e- r ing ,

wh i te ; i r i s , dark brown .

226 B IR DS OF

Nes t and Eggs . NEsr : O n ground . on brushybo t tom s or in open woods , usua l ly not far f rom wa ter ;a depres s ion in the leaves w i t hou t l in ing . EGGs : 3 or

4, bufl‘y to g ray i sh -w h i te ,

i r regu lar ly and t h ick ly spot tedw i th pa le reddi sh -brown .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Eas tern Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f romnor t heas tern Nor t h Dako ta , sou t hern Man i toba , nor th

Dur ing the day the \f\7oodcock s i t s qu i et ly in a

shadowy retrea t , u sua l ly in the swamps , but o f tenin open uplan d wood s . I t may a l s o be flu shedin

'

s la sh ings ,” where w i l l be found the fo rmo f o l d lea ves where i t had nest led . The swampycover t s wh ich “ M r . B ig

— eyes prefer s are clean ,

sweet l oca l i t ies,where a l der s and w i l l ow s l ike t o

grow . The b i rd i s by no mean s'

con fi ned t o suchre s o r t s for i t may be f oun d ne s t ing wel l up inthe h i l l s

,though even there a favo r i te re s ort is

genera l ly not far away , t o wh ich i t t rave l s in the

even ing and f o rage s for its n octurna l supper .

O f ten in the even ing I hav e seen i t aga in s t thefad i ng wes t , bound for its own par t i cu lar restau

ran t . Even a f ter n igh t had fa l len its fam i l iars cape cou l d be heard .

Some o f our b i rd s are envei led in mys tery and

Draw ing by R . I . B rasher

AMER ICA

ern M i c h igan , sou t hern Quebec, and Nova S co t ia sou thto sou t hern Kan sas , sou t hern Lou i s iana , and nor thernF lor i da ; w in ters f rom sou th ern M i s sour i

, the O h ioVa l ley , and New Jer sey (rarely Mas sac huset t s ) sout hto Texa s and sou t hern F lor ida ; ranges ca sua l ly to

Saska tchewan , K eewa t in , Co lorado , Newfound land , andBermuda .

WOODCOCK (g nat. s ize)A game b ird that is not d is turbed by the adven t of agr icu l ture

the Woodcock is not the least s trange o f th i sco ter ie . I t o f ten l ives where its presence is um

suspected . One of the best Woodcock covers Ihave kn own was w i th in the l im its o f the c i ty o fB rook lyn . For tunately th i s know ledge was not

shared by others , so the b i rd s were l i t t le hun ted .

In t o th i s retreat the b i rds wou ld come s i len t lys ome Apr i l n ight , and from i t they wou ld d isappear some Oct ober day as mys ter i ous ly .

The fl igh t i s sw i f t though short , s omet ime saccompan ied w i th a clat ter ing sound , at o thersas s i len t as an ow l ' s . I have f requen t ly seenthem col l ide w i th l imbs when flushed . Th i s may

be due t o the fact that the b i rds’ eyes are placedfar back in the head , or i t may be because theyare wa tch ing the in t ruder and cann o t look forward and beh ind at the same t ime.

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228 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

gu lar and en terta in ing. I t breeds on the northernborders o f the Un i ted S tates and nor th t o the

Arct ic Sea . On the Magda len I s land s I havewa tched i t w i th both amu semen t and amazemen t . The background i s o f the mo s sy bogsand mar shes

,in ter sper sed w i th sha l l ow pond s

and clumps o f sma l l spruce . There,in May and

June , we may see and hear the ma le bi rd dar t ingabou t in w i de c i rcl ings up in the sky , l ike a s or to f feathered meteor , produc ing w i th its w ings ahumm ing,

mu rmur ing s ound , not un l ike tha tac companying the fl igh t o f the Whi s t ler or

Go lden - eye . Then the mode o f the per fo rmance

change s . The s ingular , l ong—b i l led creature now

fl i es low , em i t t ing a voca l yelping or cack l ing,

in general f orm not very d i fferen t f rom that o fthe Yel l ow— legs , on l y con t inuous , la s t ing for

severa l m inutes at a spel l . Pre sen t ly i t a l igh t son a spruce tree or a s tub and con t inues i tsvoc i fera t i on s .Po s s ibly the fema le may indulge a l s o in the

c i rcl ing and winnowitng per formance,for I have

seen two or more b i rd s at a t ime execut ing th i s ,and in one ca se we thu s t raced a b i rd to its ne s t .Watch ing where i t al igh ted , a f ter much flyingaround , a member o f our party flu shed i t f roma ne s t o f four hand s omely marked , po in ted eggs ,in the gras s near a l i t t le bu sh . I embraced the

opportun i ty t o set the camera by the nes t , w i th

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co.

WIL SON’S SNIPE ON NEST

D rawi ng bv R . I . BrasherW IL SON’S SN IPE (i nat. s ize )A favor i te wi th s portsmen

thread a t tached , and thu s secured s ome in teres t ing pic-ture s .The usua l haun t s o f th i s Sn ipe are open

meadows or f resh-water marshes, where the

ground is wet and s o f t,and where there is gras s

en ough t o conceal i t . I t m igra tes down acros sthe Un i ted S ta tes f rom mid- September to freezing

- up t ime,and is much hun ted . F lush ing

sudden ly f rom the gra s s , i t dar ts off w i th rapi d ,er rat i c fl ight , u t ter ing re i tera ted squeaky n otes ,common ly represen ted as seaip, seaip, or escape,su i t ing the act ion to the wo rd . I t w in ter s f romthe Sou thern S ta tes t o as far south as B raz i l .On the L ou i s iana mar shes

,in the w in ter o f

19 15— 16

,I f ound i t very abundant . U sua l ly i t

is found in scat-tered par t ies on the meadows,but

here I found i t in large flock s , s omet imes n ot ingse vera l hund red in fl igh t in a compact mas s .Sma l ler part ies , or w i sps ,

"say o f twen ty t o

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230 B IR DS OF

on border s o f mar shy lakes and ponds ; a loose s t rueture of gras ses and leaves . EGGS : 4, green i sh -o l i ve tol igh t c lay- co lor

,spo t ted w i th dark brown .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Eas tern Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ;breeding range unknown

,but probably nor t hern U n

The Dow i tcher’s regu lar food includes severa lspec ies o f destruct ive gra sshoppers, d iv ingbeet le s wh ich do much damage in fi sh ha tcher iesbes i de s dest roying in sect s wh i ch are the natura lf ood o f fis hes , and var i ous mar ine wo rms wh ichprey upon oys ter s . Its usefu lnes s t o man , there

f ore,is very con s ide rable .

I t is a b i rd o f the open meadows , feed ing a l ongmarshy shores and on sand bars bared by the

reced ing t ide, in flocks , and o f ten in the companyo f other wader s . Th i s gregar i ous in s t inct , combined w i th its gen t leness , i s a fata l t ra i t , and

enables gunners t o s laughter them unmerc i fu l lyand somet imes t o ex term inate every ind iv idual ina bun ch .

” To turn a 12—

gauge cann on l ooseamong these un su spic i ou s b i rd s , w inn ow ing inover the decoys w i th f r iend ly notes o f greet ing,

is abou t as sportman sl ike as shoo t ing in t o a buncho f ch i cken s . To catch them w i th a camera

requ i res sk i l l and pat ience, and here in l ies thehope for fu ture ex i s tence o f our d i sappear ing

AMER ICA

gava ; w in ters f rom F lor ida and the Wes t Indies sou t hto nor th ern B raz i l ; in m igrat ion regu lar ly on the

A t lan t ic coas t , and occa s iona l ly in I l l ino i s , Indiana ,and

On tar io ; ac c iden ta l in Green land,Bermuda, Grea t

B r i ta in , and F ran ce .

ST IL T SANDPIPER

M icropa l ama h iman topus (B onaparte )A . O . U . Number 2 3 3

O t her Names . Long- legged Sandpiper ; Fros tSn ipe ; Mong rel ; Bas tard Ye l low - legs .Gen eral Des cr ip t i on . L engt h , 9 inches . Upper

par ts , in summer , mo t t led w i th b lack i sh -brown ,w h i te,

c hest nu t , and dusky ; in w in ter , ashy-

gray . U nder par ts ,w h i t i sh barred w i th dark . L egs long and s lender ; toeswebbed at ba se ; b i l l long , s lender , and s l ightly curved.

Col or . IN S UM M ER : Forehead , crown , a l ine from

gape through eye broaden ing on s ide of head ,rufous ;

cen ter of c rown . dusky ; a w h i t i sh s treak f rom b i l lover and back of eye ; upper part s , blac k i sh -brown ,

each fea ther edged and t ipped w i t h wh i te or ches tnu t ;upper ta i l -cover t s , barred w i t h w h i te and dusky ; ta i l ,mo t t led w h i te and ash ; w ing-coverts

, g ray i sh , the

feat her s edged w i th l igh ter ; pr imar ies and secondar ies ,gray i sh -brown , lat ter edged w i th wh i te ; under par t sf rom th roat , w h i t i sh , somet imes w i th a pa le ru fouswash , spotted on brea s t , barred ev erywhere below wi thbrown ish ; b i l l , dusky-

green i sh , darken ing at tip ; l egs ,dus ky ye l lowish-

green ; i r i s , brown wi th a wh i te crescen t be low. IN W IN TER : Above, a shy-

gray ,c rown nar

See Color P la tes 3 3 , 3 4

rowly s t reaked and fea t her s o f back more broad ly edgedw i t h l igh ter ; wing-cover t s , brown i sh-ash , the fea ther sl igh ter -edged ; pr imar ies and secondar ies , dusky , the

la t ter edged w i th w h i t i sh ; a dusky s treak f rom b i l lt h rough and beh ind eye ; under par ts f rom ch in ,

w h i te,narrow ly and t h in ly barred wi t h dusky ; b i l l , dusky ;leg s , du l l brown i sh -ye l low ; i r i s , brown w i t h a wh i tec rescen t be low.

Nes t and Eggs . NEsr : A depres s ion in the g roundl ined wi th a few leaves and gras s . Eccs : 3 or 4,

gray i sh -wh i te or l igh t drab, bo ld ly marked w i th spo t s ofches tnu t , brown , and lavender , more numerous at the

large end .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor th and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breedsnear the coas t of Macken z ie and probably sout h to

cen t ra l Keewat in ; w in ter s in Sou t h Amer i ca sou th toU ruguay and Ch i le ; casua l in w in ter in sou thern Texa sand Mex i co ; in m igra t ion oc curs in wes tern M i s s i ss ippi va l ley , W es t Indies

, and Cen tra l Amer ica ; les scommon on the A t lan t i c coas t , and casual in B r i t i shCo lumb ia , New found land

, and Bermuda .

w i l d l i fe — subs t i tut i on o f the len s for the

gun !

The ca l l o f the Dow i tcher is a rather lowpi tched ser i es o f wh i st le-s 1— phen—phen -pheu

phen —phen ,w i thou t the d im inuen do o f the Yel

low— leg’s n otes .

The L ong—b i l led Dow i tcher (M acrorhamphus

gr iseus seolopaeens ) di ffers from the commonDow i tcher in its larger s i ze

,r i cher co l orat i on ,

and l onger b i l l . But the,

two can on ly be nu

err ingly separated by a c l ose compar i son w i ththe spec imen s in the hand . The L ong-b i l ledDow i tcher i s k n own l oca l ly as the Greater L ongbeak

,the Greater Gray-back , and the Red

be l l ied Sn ipe . I t is found in wes tern NorthAmer ica and South Amer ica ; it is supposed tobe rare or casual on the A t lan t i c coas t and declared t o be the on ly represen tat ive o f the genu sin the west — wh ich wou ld be importan t i f i twere a fact . Nes t ing and hab i ts same as stockform .

”

(Couca )

SN IPES,SANDP IPERS ,

ETC .

A l though con s i dered rare,the S t i lt Sandpiper

is mo re numerou s a l ong the A t lan t ic coa s t thanis suppo sed , s ince i t is f requen t ly m i s taken for theYel l ow- legs by gunner s or by tho se not t ra inedto cl o se observat i on . The s im i lar i ty o f the twospec i es is acknow ledged by the popu lar name,

Ba s tard Yel l ow— legs ,”wh ich the spor t smen o f

L ong I s land have g i ven t o the S t i l t Sandpiper .

The d i fferen t co l or o f the long legs w i l l a lways

23 1

be a d i s t ingu i sh ing mar k,however , between these

cou s in s .I t fl ie s in flock s

,or ind iv i dua l s may j o in fo rce s

w i th other spec ie s . A S t i l t Sandpiper among a

number o f Sem ipalmated San dpiper s is in s tan t lynoted

,hi s l ong legs ra i s ing his body conspicu

ou s ly above h is smal ler compan i on s . Its genera lhab i t s o f feed ing are s im i lar t o tho se o f the

sma l ler Sand-piper .

KNOT

Tr inga canutus L inna’us

A . O . U . Number 2 3 4

O t her Names . Red Sandpiper ; Red -breas ted Sandpiper ; R ed -brea s ted P lover ; F reck led Sandpiper ; A sh

co lored Sandpiper ; Canute’

s Sandpiper : Gray-bac k ;

S i l ver-bac k ; Rob in Sn ipe ; W h i te Rob in Sn ipe ; Rob inbrea s t ; Beach Robin ; R ed -brea s t ; Bu ff-breas t : Buffbreas ted P lover ; H or se foo t Sn ipe ; W h i te-bel l ied Sn ipe ;May

-b i rd ; B lue P lover ; S i lver P lover .

Gen eral De scr ipt ion . L engt h , 10 in ch es . In sum

mer , co lor of upper par t s gray i sh -brown and the breas tru fous-brown ; in w in ter , pla in gray above and w h i tebe low . B i l l s tra igh t , longer t han the head , and flat

tened and en larged at tip ; toes s lender and not webbedat base .

Col or .— ADULTS 1N S UM MER : Upper par t s , gray

i sh -brown narrow ly s t reaked on crown and back of

D rawing by R . I . B rasher

S ee Co lor Pla tes 3 3 , 34

neck w i t h dusky ; fea t hers of back and shou lders , t ippedand edged w i t h g ray i sh -wh i te, t hose of shou lder s ,t inged w i t h ye l low i sh -brown ; rump and upper ta i leover ts , wh i te w i t h traverse bar s of du sky-brown ; ta i l .g ray i sh edged w i th a shy—w h i te ; l ine over and back of

eye , s ides of head , chi n , throat , and under par ts , pla in

rufous —brown shading in to l igh ter on flanks , in to wh i teon under ta i l -cover t s ; lat ter w i t h a r row head spo t s ofdu sky ; w ing - cover t s and secondar ies , gray i sh edgedw i t h l igh ter ; pr imar ies , pla in dusky gray ; b i l l and feet ,green i sh -black ; i r i s , brown . ADULTS 1N W IN TER :Above , pla in gray

-ish : crown ,s t reaked w i th darker gray ,

fea thers o f back , w ing-cover t s , and secondar ies , edged ,or not, w i t h w h i ter ; rump and upper ta i l—cover t s , w h i tew i th dusky spo t s and bars ; pr imar ies , dusky ,

l igh ter

KNO T (i nat. s ize)A b ir d that is known on the shores of every con t inen t

23 2 B IR DS OF

t ipped ; below , whi te ; s ides of breas t and s ides , w i t hdusky mark ings more di s t in c t and wedge- shaped on

s ides ; an ind i s t inct dusky l ine f rom gape t h roughand back of eye ; legs and b i l l , dusky-

green i sh ; i r i s ,brown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST :l ined w i t h gra s s . EGGS :w i t h brown .

Di s tri bu t ion . Nor t hern and sou thern hein ispheres ;

A depres s ion in the ground ,4, l igh t pea-

green ,speck led

A flock o f Kno ts t r ipping a l ong the beach in

the i r spr ing plumage wi th ru fous breas t-s give sthe Observer the impre ss i on tha t s ome Rob in shave acqu i red naut ica l propen s i t i es and come

down t o the ocean for a change o f f ood . Wh i lefo l l ow ing the ret rea t ing surge s glean ing m i nutecru s tacea lef t stranded by the rece s s i on o f thewaves they ta lk in so f t low no tes to one anotherand are so preoccupied that they o f ten come

w i th in a few feet o f a mo t i on les s watcher .

A f ter nes t ing in the ex t reme North they returnto the coas t in the autumn w ith an en t i rely d i fferen t d res s

,no l onger w i th the robin ’s brea s t , but

w i th a so f t gray above and wh i te be l ow .

L ike s ome other mar i t ime b i rd s , in d iv i dua l so f ten rema in as fa r s ou th as L ong I s land , New

Yo rk, a l l summer

,be ing apparen t ly not in terested

in mar i ta l dut i e s — w i se bachel or s or o ld ma id swho prefer a good table and com fortable cl imatet o the l ong j ourney and inc lemency o f the A rct ic

AMER ICA

breeds f rom northern E l lesmere Land sout h to

Me lv i l le Pen in su la and Ice land , and a l so on Ta imyr

Pen in su la , S iber ia ; w in ter s sout h to sou th ern Patagon ia , and f rom the Medi ter ranean to South A f r i ca

,

India, Aus t ra l ia , and New Z ea land ; casua l in win teron the A t lan t i c coa s t of the Un i ted S ta tes ; in m igra t ionoc cur s on the A t lan t ic coas t of Nor t h Amer ica and

over mos t of the eas tern hem i sphere ; rare in the

in ter i or of Nor t h Amer ica and on the Pac i fi c coa st .

PUR PL E SANDPIPER

Arquatel l a mar i t ima mar i t ima (B r ann ick )

A . O . U . Numbe r 2 3 5

O ther Names . Rock Sandpiper ; Rock Sn ipe ; RockP lover ; Rock -b i rd ; Rockw eed B i rd ; W in ter R ockb i rd ; W in ter Sn ipe .

Gen eral D e scr ipti on . Leng th , 9 inches . P r in c ipa lco lor s , b lack and w h i te . Legs shor t and s t rong . Genera lbu i ld , shor t , t h i c k , and squa t ty .

Col or . ADULTS IN S UM MER : Upper par ts . bla ck ;c rown

,s t reaked w i t h ye l low i sh or gray i sh —wh i te ; back

and shou lders var ied w i t h c hes tnu t , pa le buff, or

w h i t i sh , the reddi sh co lor on s ides , the pa ler co lor st ipping the fea t h er s ; s ides of head , w i t h a ru fouswa sh , separa ted f rom the c rown by a wh i t i sh l ine ;under par t s , w h i te shaded on t h roa t and brea s t w i t htawny and here and there s treaked w i t h b lack i sh ; res tof lower par t s w i th dusky-

g ray mark ings ; rump and

upper ta i l -cover t s , pla in dusky ; wing s , du sky ; les serw ing- cover t s , na r row ly t ipped w i t h w h i te ; grea tercover t s , broad ly t ipped w i t h the same ; secondar ies ,

S ee Color Plate 3 4

mos t ly w h i te increas ing in S i ze toward the innerfea t her s ; inner ta i l - feathers , dusky ; ou ter ones , g ray .

ADULTS 1N W IN TER : En t i re upper par t s , so f t black i shbrown w i t h purple refl ect ion s , each feat her l igh ter bordered ; g rea ter and les ser w ing-cover ts , inner secondar ies , and shou lder s , edged and t ipped w i t h w h i te ;secondar ies , broad ly t ipped w i t h wh i te ; pr imar ies , deepdu sky ; upper ta i l - cover t s and m idd le ta i l - fea ther s , l i keco lor of bac k ; out s ide ta i l - fea thers , l igh t ashy ; t h roatand breas t , brown ish-ash shading in to the w h i te of res tof under par t s ; fea thers of s ide, w i th wedge- shapedl igh t dusky cen ters ; lores dusky : eye—r ing , w h i t i sh ; b i l l ,ye l low w i t h du sky tip ; feet . du l l orange- red .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : S l igh t depres s ion in the

ground , th in ly l ined w i t h dry gra s s . EGGS : 4, gray i sho l i ve, bo ld ly and di s t inct ly marked w i th r ich burn tumber over the en t i re sur face .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Northern hem i sphere ; breeds f rom

Ci rcle,where those w i th a proper sense o f domes

tic respon s ib i l i ty set t le down for a few week sand ra i se a fam i ly .

When not haras sed by gunners they are

remarkably gen t le and un su spic i ous, and I havela i d in a ho l l ow scooped out o f the sand wh i lea flock fed a l l around me , one or two actual lypeeping over the edge o f the pi t, w i th in threefeet o f my face !The Kn o t is an indu s t r ious eater o f grass

hopper s wh ich are in j ur i ous to crops , and o fcrawfi shes wh ich do much damage in r ice and

corn fie l d s in the South and t o l evees by bor ingi n t o and weak en ing them . I t a l so feeds upon themar ine worms wh ich are dest ruct ive paras i tes o fthe oys ter , and upon the d iv ing beet les wh ichprey upon the natura l in sect f ood of fish . For

these serv ices i t is en t i t led at least t o such protection as w i l l guard aga ins t any decrease o f thespec ies . R . I . BRA SH ER .

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SN IPES, SANDP IPER S ,

ETC .

M e lv i l le I s land , E l lesmere Land , and nor t hern Green

land sou th to Me l v i l le Pen in su la , Cumber land Sound ,and sou t hern Green land , and in No rway , R u s s ia ,

S iber ia ,

Ice land , and Faroe I s lands ; w in ters f rom sou thern

A member o f the Sn ipe fam i ly feed ing on the

w in t ry beach seem s a lmo s t as much out o f placeas a Humm ingbi rd and the obser ver is l i kely t oth in k the b i rd ’s j ou rney has been in ter rupted byin j ury .

I have seen Purple Sandpiper s on the rockyM a i ne coa s t in December , search ing carefu l lyin seaweed for the i r food and apparen t lyind i fferen t t o the co l d .

-\ s nea r ly as I cou l dmake out they seemed to be feed i ng on smal lmu s sel s and clam s , wh ich they swa l l owed she l land a l l .

A l though nowhere common in Amer i ca , s in ceits pr in c ipa l l ine o f m igrat i on fol l ow s throughNorway in t o other part s o f Eu rope ,

i t can be

found du r ing the w in ter mon ths as far s outh as

L ong Is l-and,N . Y .

,where , l i ke the Ipsw ich

Sparrow ,i t i s le s s rare than is genera l ly sup

pos ed becau se few obser ver s brave the openw ind - swept dunes in w in ter .

23 3

Green land and New B run sw ic k to Long I s land ; ca sua lin m ig ra t ion to the Grea t Lakes

, Georg ia ,F lor ida , an d

Bermuda , and in the Ea s tern H em i sphere sou th to

Grea t B r i ta in and the Med i ter ranean .

Two var i et i es o f the Purple Sandpiper occurin A la ska . The se are the A leu t ian Sandpiper(A rquatel l a, mar iti ma eones i ) and the Pr ib i l o for B lack -brea s ted Sandpiper (A rquatel la mar i

tima pt'iloenemris ) . “ l i en fi r s t de scr ibed these

two subspec ie s were suppo sed t o be separatespec ies f rom each other and f rom the Pu rpleSandpiper , a l though a cl o se re la t i on sh ip be~

tween the three was acknowledged . Ca refu ls tudy has e s tabl i shed the i r exact s tatus . In the i rrespect i ve w in ter plumage s the A leu t ian and

Purple Sa ndpiper s are not d is t ingu i shable and in

the other sea s on s there is very l i t t le rea l d i fferen ce between them

,but the A leut ian bo th breed s

and w in ters w i th in the boundar ies o f A la ska,

occa s i ona l ly s tray ing o ver t o P l over Bay , S iber ia .

The Pr ib i l o f Sandpiper breed s on the St. Law

rence,S t . Mat thew, and Pr ib i l o f i s lands and

w in ter s on the coast o f s ou theas tern A la s ka .

R . I . BRA SH ER .

PECTORAL SANDP IPER

P i sobia m acu la ta (iV ie'i l lot )A . O . U . Number 2 3 9

O t her Names .— Gras s Sn ipe ; Jack Sn ipe ; Gras s

b i rd ; Meadow Sn ipe ; Cow Sn ipe ; B rown ie ; B rownback ; T r idd ler ; H ay

-b i rd ; Fat-b i rd ; S hor t- neck ; Squa tSn ipe ; Squa t ter ; K r ieker ; Mar sh P lover .

General D e scr ipt ion . Leng th , 9 inch es . Co lorabove , brown i sh -b lack ; be low ,

w h i te marked w i t h duskyon brea s t . Tai l double n ot ched , the mi ddl e ta i l —fea therspoin ted and longer than a l l the others .

Col on — Crown , s t reaked w i t h b lac k i sh -brown and

ches tnu t ; s ides of h ead, n eck , and br eas t , pa l e ye l l ozc'ishbrozt'n , spotted w ith dusky brown ; upper pa r ts , brazen

ish—blaeh, each feather edged w ith ashy or ches tnu t

,

shou lder fea ther s w i t h l igh ter marg in s ; outer upper

ta i l — cover t s , w h i te w i t h ar row head spo ts of du sky ;les ser cover t s , brown w i t h broad brown i sh -a sh edges ;secondar ies and greater cover t s , brown i sh , edged and

t ipped w i t h w h i te ; pr imar ies , dusky b lack ; cen t-m l ta ilfeathers , brozt'h ish-blaek w i th l igh ter edges ; res t o f

Dur ing the mat ing sea s on the male Pectora lS andpiper devel ops a grea t pouch ,

fo rmed o fthe sk in o f the throat and brea s t

,wh i ch he i s

S ee Color Plate 3 5

ta i l - fea ther s , a shy ,ma rg ined w i t h w h i te ; th roa t , abdo

men , and under ta i l - cover t s , w h i te ; s ides , ye l low i shbrown spo t ted w i t h dusky ; b i l l and legs , dusky-

green

i sh ; broad , indi s t in c t s t r ipe above , and a r ing around ,eye , w h i t i sh .

Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : On the ground ; a mere

depres s ion , spa r se ly l ined w i t h g ras s . EGGS : 4, green

i sh -drab, spo t ted and blo tch ed w i t h brown .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breeds onthe A rc t i c coa s t f rom nor the rn A la ska to mou th o f

Yukon and nor t heas tern Mackenz ie ; w in ter s in Sou t hAme r i ca f rom Peru and Bo l i v ia to nor thern Ch i le ,

A rgen t ina ,and cen t ra l Pa tagon ia ; in m ig ra t ion very

rare on Pac i fic coa s t sout h o f B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , exceptin Lower Ca l i forn ia ; common in fa l l m ig rat ion in M iss iss ippi va l ley and on the A t lan t i c coas t , rare in spr ing ;casua l in nor t hea s tern S iber ia , Una la ska , and Green

land ; acc iden ta l in H awa i i and Eng land .

able to infla te unt i l i t is near ly as large as the

body . H e now become s a s ong b i rd , and flut ter supward twenty or th i rty yards in the a ir ,

as i f

234

emu la t ing the famou s S ky lark , and ,in flat ing h is

great pouch , gl i de s down aga in to the groun d ;or he fl ies s lowly a l ong the ground , hi s headra i sed h igh and h is ta i l hang ing stra igh t down ,

u t ter ing a succes s i on o f boom ing no tes . A S he

s tru t s abou t the female his low n otes swel l andd ie away in mu s i ca l cadence s . ” (Forbus lm)A l though m igrat ing in flock s the Kr iek ers

scat ter when a good feed ing meadow i s reached ,and are genera l ly . flushed from the gra ss s ingly .

They prefer the bays i de meadows , and are se l domseen a l ong the margins o f pond s or on the

beaches . I t i s probable tha t they fa t ten up”

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

on s ome favo r i te f ood fur ther no r th,for they are

ex trem ely fat when they arr ive on the L ongI s land (N . Y . ) m ar shes in September . Theyl ie

”wel l

,flush ing w i th in easy gun sho t range

w i th a fl igh t S im i lar t o tha t o f W i l s on’s Sn ipe

but les s rapid . The z igzags are shor ter , the

cour se rapi d ly s tra ighten s out, and i f the sport sman wa i ts a few seconds a fter they Spr ing, i ti s n ot d ifficu l t to add them t o the bag.

” Whenthe ear ly mo rning m i s t s o f September hang lowover the meadows Pect o ra l Sandpiper s , magn ifi ed by the fog, appear near ly as large as W i l s on

’sSn ipe . R . I . BRA SH ER .

W H ITE -RUMPED SANDP IPER

Pi sobia fusc icol l i s (V i ez'

l lot)

A . O . U . Number 2 40

O t her Names . Bonapar te’s Sandpiper ; Sch intz’

s

Sandpiper ; Sand-b i rd ; Bu l l Peep.

Gen era l D escr ipt ion . L engt h , 7 in ches . In summer ,

the upper par t s pa le brown i sh w i th dusky s tr ipes andthe lower par t s w h i te wi t h brown i sh mark ing s ; inw in ter , brown i sh -ash above and w h i t i sh be low . M i dd leta i l - fea thers poin ted and longer t han o t her s .Col or .

— A DULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown and upper

par t s , pa le brown i sh , eac h fea ther w i t h a large du skycen ter, form ing s tr ipes on back ; c rown , s t r iped w i t hdark brown ; shou lders , more c hes tnu t ; rump and upper

ta i l - cover ts , wh i te ; cen tra l ta i l - fea t hers , brown i sh -b lack ,the res t l igh t gray i sh , broad ly edged and t ipped w i t hwh i te ; s ides o f head , neck , and brea s t , wash ed wi thpa le ye l low i sh -brown ,

spo t ted w i t h darker ; an indi st in c t da rk brown s treak f rom b i l l t h rough and beh indeye ; w ing-cover t s and secondar ies , gray i sh -brownedged w i t h l igh ter ; pr imar ies , dusky ; ch in and t h roa t ,w h i te ; abdomen and res t of under par ts , w h i te ; b i l land feet , dusky-green i sh ; i r i s , brown sur rounded by a

w h i te r ing . ADULTS IN W i NTER : Crown , back of n eck ,

back , and s hou l ders , brown ish-ash , indi s t in c t ly s t reaked

The Wh i te- rumped Sandpiper is u sua l ly f oundamong the L ea s t and Sem ipa lma ted Sandpiper str ipping over awa sh seaweed or runn ing a l ongthe shore . They sel d om a s s oc ia te w i th flock s o fthe i r own k ind

, but prefer the company o f otherSpec ies . In autumn plumage they can be ea s i lycon fu sed w i th the sma l ler San dpiper s , but c lo sescru t iny w i l l revea l the wh ite upper ta i l - co ver t s~ a con spicuous i den t ificat i on mark . The i r

S ec (‘

olor Pla te 3 5

w i t h darker ; rump and upper ta i l—cover ts , whi te ; cen

t ra l ta i l - fea t hers , du sky ; the res t,l igh t ash ; some

fea ther s of shou lder and back , deep ches tnut edged w i t hw h i te ; w ing , as in summer ; a broad s treak over eye,

c h in , t h roat , and under pa r ts in genera l , w h i t i sh fa in t lyspo t ted w i t h pa le brown ; a s treak f rom b i l l t h rough andbeh ind eye, dark brown i sh -ash ; b i l l , dusky horn ,

l igh terat base ; feet , dusky-

green i sh ; i r i s , brown surroundedby a w h i te r ing .

Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : A depres s ion in the ground ,

l ined w i t h a few leaves . Eccs z 4, l igh t o l i ve or o l i vebrown , bo ld ly spo t ted and ma rked w i th deep sepia .

c h iefly at large end .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and South Amer i ca ; breedsa long the A rct ic coas t f rom nor thwes tern Macken z ie toCumber land I s land ; has occu r red in summer wes t toPo in t Bar row and ea s t to Green land ; w in ter s f romParaguay to sou thern Pa tagon ia and the Fa lk landIs lands ; in m igra t ion mos t abundan t in the M i s s i s s ippiva l ley , les s so on the A t lan t i c coas t ; casua l in the

Bermudas , Grea t B r i ta in , the Wes t Indies , and Cen tra lAmer ica .

hab i t s are s im i lar t o tho se o f o ther members o fthe fam i ly and they are n atura l ly un su spi c i ou sun les s repeated ly d i s turbed .

An impor tan t par t o f the d i et o f the Wh i terumped Sandpiper con s i s t s o f gra s shopper s o fSpec i e s kn own to be in j ur i ou s’ to crops . Th i s isa rea l serv i ce t o m an wh ich shou l d not be overl o oked when mea sures for the adequate pro-tec

t i on o f the b i rd s are con s i dered .

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SN IPES , SANDPIPER S ,

‘

ETC . 2 3 5

BA IRD ’

S SANDP IPER

P i sob ia ba i rd i (f ou rs )A . O . U . Numbe r 24 1

O t her Name . Gras s —b i rd .

Gen eral D e scr ipt ion . L eng th , 7 inches . Co lor_above, brown i sh -black ; be low , w h i te w i th pa le brown i shon brea s t . Resembles the Pec tora l Sandpiper but

sma l ler and breas t les s heav i ly s treaked .

Col or . A DULTS : En t i re upper par t s , brown i shblack , eac h fea ther borde red an d t ipped w i th l igh tredd i sh -ye l low , t hese t ips broader and n ear ly pure w h i teon shou lder s ; cover t s and secondar ies l i ke back, la t terl igh ter t ipped ; cen t ra l ta i l — fea t hers , brown i sh -b lack ;rema inder , succes s i ve ly l igh ter , a l l narrow ly borderedw i t h w h i te ; breas t pa le brown ish w i th fai n t spots and

s treaks of dusky ; th roa t and under par t s . w h i te ; b i l land legs , dusky ; i r i s , brown . YOUNG IN AUTUM N : S idesof head , t h roa t , brea s t , and upper pa r t s, in c luding w ings .near ly un i form pa le ye l low i sh —brown , each fea t herdarker cen t ra l ly ; c rown (s t rong ly ) , s ides o f head ,

A l though i t is s l ight ly larger than the L eastand Sem ipa lmated Sandpiper s i t is not ea sy tod i s t ingu i sh the Ba i rd’s Sandpiper f rom tho seSpec i es . Its gen

-era l co l o r in the fie l d i s mo reyel lowi sh

e brown and i t is found a lmo s t exc lu

S ee Co lor Plate 3 5

s ively a l ong .the pra i r i e s l oughs and lagoon s o fthe M i dd le Wes t . Its hab i t s are s im i lar to othersma l l Sandpiper s ; i t run s a l ong the Shore in

the same con fi d-ing way , and un l e s s fr igh tenedw i l l s omet ime s feed a lmo s t at the observer’s feet .

L EAST SANDP IPER

Pi sobia m inuti l l a (V ie il lot)A . O . U . Number 2 42

O t h er Names . Peep ; W i l son ’s S t in t ;Mud -

peep ; Sand-peep ; L i t t le Sand-peep.

Gen eral De s c r ipt ion . Leng th , 6 in ches : the sma l les tSandpiper , and not heav i er than an Eng l i sh Sparrow .

Co lor above, g ray i sh -brown ; be low , wh i te w i th the

brea s t darker . M uc h l i ke the Sem ipa lma ted Sandpiper ,but the fee t w i t h no webs .Col or .

- A DULTS IN S UM MER : E n t ir e upper par ts ,

dus ky brown s t r iped on head and neck w i t h ches tnu t ,each fea th er on back and Shou lder s edged w i t h ches tn ut and t ipped w i t h wh i t i sh ; cen ter ta i l - feat her s , blacki sh edged w i th ches tnu t , o t her s , gray edged wi t h w h i te ;w ing - cover ts and secondar ies , brown i sh edged w i t h bay ;secondar ies , t ipped w i t h w h i te ; pr imar ies , dusky ; breas t ,wa shed w i t h pa le rus ty and spot t ed w i th brown ; a

diflfuse s t reak f rom b i l l th rough and back of eye , dusky ;bi l l and l egs . dus ky gr een ish i r i s , brown w i t h wh i teeye

- r ing ; th roa t , abdomen . and res t of under par t s ,wh i te . A DULTS IN W i NTER : En t i re upper par t s , pa le

Ox-eye ;

See Co lor Plate 3 5

t h roa t , and breas t (mo re fa in t ly ) , s t reaked or Spo t tedw i th brown ; res t o f under par t s , wh i te ; b i l l , dusk y ,

l igh ter at base ; legs , du l l o l i ve .

N es t and Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in the groundunder she l ter of tu f t of gras s , l ined w i t h a few leavesand gras ses . EGGS ; 4, buffy , Spo t ted w i t h shades ofches tnu t -brown .

D i s t r ibu t ion . Nor th and Sou th Amer i ca ; breedsa long the A r c t i c coas t f rom Po in t Ba r row to nor thernK eewa t in ; w in ter s in Ch i le , A rgen t ina , and Pa tagon ia ;oc curs regu lar ly in m igra t ion f rom the Rocky Mounta in s to the M i s s i s s ippi R i ver , and in Cen t ra l Amer i caand nor thern Sou th Amer ica , and i r regu lar ly in au tumn

on the Pac i fi c coas t f rom A laska to Lower Ca l i forn iaand on the A t lan t i c coa s t f rom Nova S co t ia to New

Jer sey ; casua l in summer in Guer rero , M ex i co : ac c iden ta l in Eng land and Sout h A f r i ca .

g ray i sh -brown , eac h fea t her darker cen tra l ly ; seconda r ies and pr imar ies , wh i te- t ipped ; breas t , shaded w i t hvery pa le brown i sh—gray , Spo t t ing obso lete ; b i l l as in

summer ; fee t , yel low ish-

gr een .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : Nea r wa ter ; a mere de

pres s ion in the ground . l in ed w i t h leaves and gra s s .EGGS : 3 or 4, c reamy -bu ff to l igh t d rab,

heav i ly spo t tedw i th ch es tnut and lavender .

D i s tr ibu t ion .— Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breeds

f rom nor thwes tern A laska , sou t hern A rc t i c i s lands , andnor t hern U ngava to Yaku ta t Bay , A laska , va l ley of the

Upper Yukon , nor t hern Macken z ie , cen t ra l Keewa t in ,

sout hern Ungava , Nova S co t ia . and Sabl e I s land ;w in ters f rom Ca l i forn ia , Texa s , and No r t h Caro l inath rough the W es t Indies and Cen t ra l Amer i ca to B raz i l ,Ch i le , and the Ga lapagos ; in m igra t ion occu rs t h roughout the Un i ted S ta tes and w es t to nor t hea s tern S iber iaand the Commander I s lands , nor th to Green land , and in

Bermuda ; ac c iden ta l in Europe .

2 3 6

To the l over o f unspo i led Na ture our grandopen sea beache s woul d not seem l ike the rea lth ing were i t not pos s ible at t ime s t o see flockso f i nnocen t l i t t le Sandpiper s runn ing gracefu l lya l ong the margin , cha sed by the advanc ing waves .The t in i es t at om o f its t r ibe ,

the L ea s t San dpiper , accompan i ed by severa l other k ind s

,is

s t i l l w i th us,and is perhaps increas ing, thanks t o

the out lawry o f Shoot ing them under the Federal

Drawing by R . I . B rasher

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

LEAST SANDPIPER (gnat. s ize )The baby among shore b irds

Law . I t w i l l be a so rry day when we need sucht iny th ings for food , each one affo rd ing but a

mere ta s te .

Th i s spec i es and the Sem ipa lmated San dpipercon s o r t t ogether and re semble each other so

c l osely tha t i t i s hard at a d i s tance t o te l l themapar t . There i s a S l igh t d i s t inct i on in hab i t

,in

that the Least Sandpiper i s mo re apt t o be foundon mar shes , wh i le the other pre fer s the beach ,

though there i s no certa in d i s t ingu i sh-ing o f themin th i s way . A S th ings go ,

they are comparat ivelycomm-ou in May and aga in in Augu s t and the

fir s t par-t o f September qu i te genera l ly o ver thecoun try ,

wherever there are any con s i derablebod ies o f water , par t icu lar ly on bo th our sea

coa s t s,a l s o in the M i s s i s s ippi val ley , and on the

sha l l ow pra i r ie s lough s o f the Nor thwes t .Wherea s mo s t o f the larger Sho re b i rd s cro s st o the in ter i or o f the con t inen t to breed , the

Sandpiper s as a cla ss seem not to a v o i d the northern A t lan t ic coas t in the spr ing fl igh t and in the

nes t ing sea s on . Th i s is t rue o f the L ea s t Sandpiper . Though it breed s in the far Nor thwes t ,i t a l s o does so on our ea s tern coa s ts

,wel l t o the

n or th .

not a but our l i t t le Sandpiper , the

b i rd , c i rcl ing abou t on qu iver ing wmgs , s ingi ngt o his l i t t le mate who lorters on the edge o f a

Photo by H . K . Job

AN AN! IOU S M O THERCour tesy of Houghton M ifli in Co.

Leas t Sandp i per wa tchi ng the photogra pher near her bab ies

O ne day ,a june 13 a t iny b i rd flu t tered a lmo s t

f rom benea th the feet o f my compan i on , and

I t was my good f or tune t o be able t o s tudy itsne s t ing hab i t s when I found i t breed ing on the

Magda len I s land s , Gul f o f St . L awrence . Pic

ture there , on the se i s lan d s , broad expan ses o fmeado-wy coun t ry

,carpeted w i th short . gras s and

mo s s,i n ter sper sed w i th pa tches o f low spruce

and j un iper , and dot ted w i th smal l Sha l l owponds . Here ,

in ear ly Jun e, we may l i s ten to a

sweet , twi t ter ing l i t t le song,and spy the au thor

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23 8

The A t lan t ic b i rd s w in ter ma in ly in the Un i tedS tates , and the Pac i fic b i rd s are common in winter on ly as far s ou th as s outhern Ca l i f o rn ia . The

fu ture o f th i s spec ies , there fore ,is in our hand s .

I t can be protected or ex term i nated by the peopleo f the U n i ted S tates and Canada . In Spr ingthe eastern m igrat i on pa s ses mo re t o the wes t

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

ward , and the spec ies appears in number s on the

Great Lakes , becom ing rare t o the n or theas t o fMas sachu set t s .

The Red -backed San dpiper feed s largely on

worms , crus tacean s,and in sect s .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH, in Game B irds

,

Wi ld-Fowl and S hor e B irds .

SEM IPALMATED . SANDP IPER

E reunetes pus i l l us (L innaeus )

A . O . U . Number 246

O ther Names . Peep ; L i t t le Peep ; Sand-peep ;B lack — legged Peep ; Ox-eye ; Sand Ox-eye .

Genera l D escr ipt ion . L engt h , 61 2 in c hes . P r inc ipa lco lor above, c hes tnut ; be low , w h i te w i th spo t s on

brea s t . Toes , webbed at base ; b i l l , s t ra igh t and en largedat tip ; ta i l , double-no tched .

COIO I‘ .— ADULTS IN SUM M ER : Above, va r ied w i t hb lack

, pa le ch es tnut , ashy , and w h i te,each feat her

du sky cen tra l ly w i th a reddi sh edge and w h i t i sh tip ;

rump and upper ta il - cover ts ,dusky ,

more w h i t i sh on

S ides ; cen tra l ta i l - fea t her s , brown , o th ers , a shy-

gray ;

w ing-covert s and secondar ies , brown i sh and ru fous ,edged w i t h l igh ter ; pr imar ies , pla in dusky ; a du skyl ine f rom gape t h rough and beh ind eye and a w h i te l ineabove ; lower parts , pure wh i te t inged w i th pa le ru fouson brea s t , w here spot ted w i t h pa le dusky ; b i l l , b lac k :legs , dusky green ; i r i s , brown . AD ULTS IN W IN TER :

Photogra ph by H . K . Job

See Co lor Plate 3 5

TURNS TONES AND SEM IPALMATED SANDP IPERS

Above , pla in ashy , the feat her s l igh ter - t ipped ; l igh t endsof secondar ies , les s con spicuous as i s a l so the l inet h rough eye ; under par ts , pu re w h i te w i t h dusky spo tt ing very fa in t ; b i l l , leg s , and i r i s , as in summer .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : A ho l low in the ground,l ined w i th dry gras s . EGGS : 3 or 4, f rom gray i sh too l i ve, u sua l ly bo ld ly Spo t ted and spla shed w i t h brownor ches tnut , but somet imes fine ly dotted over en t i resur face .

Di s tr i bu t ion . Nor t h and Sou th Amer ica ; breedsfrom the A rc t i c coa s t of Nor th Amer i ca south to

mou th of Yukon and to sou t hern Ungava ; win ter sf rom Texas and Sou th Caro l ina th rough Wes t Indiesand Cen tra l Amer ica to Pa tagon ia ; m igrates ma in ly eas tof the Rocky Moun ta in s ; casua l in B r i t i sh Co lumb ia

,

P r ibi lof I s lands , and northeas tern S iber ia ; acc iden ta lin Europe .

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240

beach at h igh t i de , wa i t ing for the recess i on O f

the waters ; but as the ebb begin s , the l i t t le flockscat ter s a l ong the shore

,ret reat ing before each

wave ,fo l l ow ing down the backwash , un t i l s ome

t ime s f o rced to fly by the oncom ing surge, in ten tupon the flot sam and j etsam o f the sea wa shedup for the i r delectat i on ,

Spread for a br ie f momen t upon the s l oping sands and then carr i edback in to the deep. The Sander l ing neglect s noOppo r tun i ty . I t fo l lows its prey at t imes un t i lup to its brea s t in the wave but a lways n imblyavo i ds immer s i on . Becau se o f th i s hab i t , the

Sander l ing is beter known t o many as the Sur fSn ipe . I f d i s turbed the l i t t le flock r i ses , fl iesout over the sur f and turn s , flying up or downthe beach ,

now low in some grea t sea ho l low ,

now j u s t sk imm ing the crest o f a f oam ingbreaker

,but they s oon sw ing in aga in and d rop

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

HUDSON IAN GODW IT

L imosa heemastica (L inneeus )

A . O . U . Number 2 5 I

O ther Name s .— R ed-brea s ted Godw i t ; R ing - ta i ledMa r l in ; Spo t - rump ; F ie ld Mar l in ; Goose-b i rd ; B lackta i led Godw i t ; B lac k - ta i l ; Amer i can B lack - ta i led Godwit ; W h i te- rump ; Sma l ler Dough or Doe-b i rd .

Gen eral D escr ipt ion . L engt h , 16 inches . In sum

mer , co lor of upper par t s brown i sh -b lack mo t t led w i t hl igh ter co lors , under par ts , ch es tnu t ; in w in ter , upper

par t s pla in du l l a shy , under par t s l igh ter ash shadedw i t h bufly ; a lways a w h i te spot j u s t above the ta i l .Col or .

— A DULTS I N S UM M ER : Upper par t s browni sh -b lack w i t h green i sh g los s , var iega ted w i t h ru fou s ,ye l low i sh , or w h i te,

l igh ter co lors sca l loping edges offea t hers ; rump, black -ish ; upper tai l —cover ts , conspicu

ous ly wh i te ; ta i l , b lack , w h i te at ba se and w h i te- t ipped ;h ead and neck , s t reaked w i th dusky ; under par ts ,

r i chches tnu t cr oss ed w i th numerous bla ck bars , t h ese bar stending to Spo t s on breas t an d nec k ; rear under par t s ,cros sed a l so w i th w h i te bars ; b i l l , pa le reddi sh , term ina l

The Godw i t s con s t i tute a genus (L imosa ) o fthe Sn ipe and Sandpiper fam i ly , and includeabou t ha l f a dozen spec i e s Of wh ich two are

Amer ican b i rd s . Two other s,the Pac i fic Godwi t

(L i ino s a lappon ica bauer i ) and the B lack— ta i ledGodw i t (L ini osa l imosa ) , are included in checkl i s ts O-f No r th Amer ican av i fauna the fi rst because a few i nd iv i dua l s have s t rayed f rom S iber iat o the i sland s Off A la ska and there reproducedthe i r k ind , and the second because o f its acc i

See Co lor Plate 3 8

t h i rd black ; legs , blu i sh -gray ; i r i s , brown . AD ULTS INW IN TER : Genera l plumage, pla in du l l ashy l igh ten ingon h ead , neck , and under par t s w here Shaded wi t h pa lebufly ; ta i l , as in summer ; upper tai l - cover ts , conspicuous ly wh ite ; b i l l , flesh-co lored w i t h dusky tip ; feet ,blu i sh -gray . P lumages in termediate between the two

are common .

Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : A ho l low scooped out of

the ground , l ined w i t h a few leaves and gras ses . EGGS :4, dark o l i ve—drab marked w i th s t i l l darker brown i shshade O f the ground co lor .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom the lower Ander son R i ver sout heas t to cen tra lKeewa t in ; w in ter s in A rgen t ina , Pa tagon ia , and the

Fa l k land I s lands ; in m igrat ion oc cur s pr inc ipa l ly eas tof the Grea t P la in s , mos t common ly on the A t lan t iccoas t in autumn and in the M i s s i s s ippi va l ley in spr ing ;casua l in A la ska .

den ta l occurrence in Green land . The Godw i tsare cha racter i zed by a very l ong and S l igh t ly upward- curved b i l l , wh ich i s grooved near ly to thetip ; the shank s are part ly bare ; the m idd le or

outer t oes are par t ly webbed ; the w ings are l ongand po in ted ; the ta i l in l ength equal s or s omewha t exceeds the w ing. The i r preva i l ing co lo ri s redd i sh or brown i sh

, but there i s con s i derablevar ia t i on o f co lo r accord ing t o age ,

sex, and

sea s on .

ping upon the sands resume the i r absorb ingoccupa t i on .

The San der l ing’s comm on n ote is a sharp chi t.

The b i rd may be d i s t ingu i shed f rom the l i t t le“

Sand-

peeps ,” wh ich i t much re sembles , by its

larger s i ze, and from other Sandpipers by its

l ight co l or and wh i t i sh head . When in fl ight itShow s a l ine o f con spicuous wh i te Spo ts on the

w ing. When in hand i t may be read i ly d i st ingu ished f rom al l other San dpiper s by the lacko f a h ind toe — a character i st ic o f the P l overs .In the Spr ing and au tumn m igra t i ons the Sander l ing i s not un common on the Grea t Lakes andis recorded from var i ou s par ts o f the M i s s i s s ippiva l ley

, but the sea is its fi r s t l ove . Its fl ight s arelarge ly made over the ocean and i t can rest onth e water i f nece ssary and swim w i th the easeo f a duck . EDWARD HOWE FOR BU SH .

SN IPES , SANDP IPER S ,ETC . 241

Marked pecu l iar i t ies o f the genu s are tha t thefema les are larger than the ma les , and tha t incu

'bat i on is per fo rmed by the ma les . The b i rd sare found in mar shes

,sa l t -water meadow s . and

a l ong the sho res o f bay s or lake s . They placethe i r ne s t s on the ground , but not invar iably near

water,and lay three or four eggs , o f a general ly

d rab hue ,marked w i th dark brown . The i r f ood .

wh i ch con s i s t s o f aquat ic in sect s , she l l - fi sh ,

worm s and the l ike ,they capture by prob ing the

sand or mud w i th the i r l ong b i l l s , or by fol l ow ingret reat ing waves and snatch ing up the sma l lcreatures thu s le f t s t randed .

O f the Hud s on ian God-wit M r . Forbu sh says :Du r ing my boyhood I f requen t ly heard O ld

gunner s abou t Bo s ton tel l the i r ta les o f the

Goo se-b i rd wh i ch was wel l and favo rabl y k nown_a l l a l ong our - coa s t . But i t is impo s s ible now t otel l wi th cer ta in ty wh ether these ta le s re ferredt o one or both o f the Godw i t s . The Hud s on ianGodw i t is now le s s rare than the larger spec ibut few are seen or taken regu lar ly on the Ma s sachusetts coa s t . I t is Shy, l i ke its larger rela t ive,

MARB L ED GODW IT

L im osa fedoa (L innceus )A . O . U . Number 249

O t h er Names . Grea t Marb led Godw i t : Great Godw i t ; Red‘ Cur lew ; B ran t -bi rd ; Mar l in : R ed Mar l in ;B rown Mar l in ; Spi ke-b i l led Cur lew ; Spi ke-b i l l ;Badger-b i rd ; Dough or Doe-b i rd .

Genera l Des c r ipt ion .— L engt h , 2 1 inc h es ; larges t

Shore b i rd , except the Long—b i l led Cur lew . P reva i l ingco lor , reddi sh , darker above ; no Wh i t e spo t at base of

ta i l . B i l l curved s l igh t ly upward .

Col or . A l igh t du l l ye l low i sh - ru fous , brownerand r i c her above but vary ing muc h in in ten s i ty w i t hindi v idua l s ; broad l ine over ey e , s ides of head , ch in ,

and upper t h roa t , more w h i t i sh ; an indi s t in c t dusky l inef rom b i l l t h rough and beh ind eye ; crown , brown i sh ;nec k a l l around , spo t ted w i t h du sky ; upper par t s w i t hbrown i sh -b lack cen ter on eac h fea ther ; rump, ta i lcover t s , and ta i l , barred w i t h black i sh and brown ;pr imar ies , ru fous , ou ter w ebs and ends of a few outer

My fir s t acqua in tance w i th the Marbled Godwit was one beaut i fu l June day in No rth Dakota ,

when I was wad ing in a large s l ough , deep not

on ly in mud and water , but in the del ight s o fin spect ing ne s t s o f Canva s -back ,

R edhead , Ruddy

S ee Co lor Pla te 3 8

ones d usky ; throa t, breas t , and s ides , traversely barr edw i th. brown , the mar k ings na r row : b i l l . flesh- co lored .

dusky on r idge and term ina l ha l f ; legs , blu i sh-ash ; i r i s ,brown .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : On the ground in a d ryfie ld but not far f rom wa ter ; a depres s ion ,

l ined w i t hgra s s . EGGS : 4, c reamy-buff to l igh t O l i ve-drab. t h i ck lyspo t ted w i t h var iou s shades O f umber brown .

D i s tr ibu t i on . Nor t h Amer i ca ; breeds f rom va l leyo f the Sa ska tc hewan sout h to Nor t h Dako ta ( former lyto Iowa and W i scon s in ) W in ter s f rom sout hern LowerCa l i forn ia , Lou i s iana , F lor ida , and Georg ia to Gua tema la and Be l i ze ; ca sua l in Ca l i forn ia in w in ter ; in

m igra t ion occu r s on Pac i fi c coas t nor th to B r i t i shCo lumb ia , and on the A t lan t ic coas t to the Ma r i t ime

P rov inces ( former ly ) and sout h to the L es ser An t i l les ;ac c iden ta l in A laska .

Duck , and var i ous o ther in tere s t ing water b i rd s .A l l at once I began t o hear loud outcr ies , and a

flock o f abou t twen ty big brown b i rds w i th longstra ight bi l l s swept pa s t me and al ighted in the

grass just back f rom the sho re . In great exc i te

but a good b i rd ca l ler find s no d i fficu l ty in lur ing :

i t t o h i s decoysThe breed ing range and m igra t i on o f th i s .

spec ies are mo re or le s s shrouded in mys tery . .

The eggs have been found once by MacFar lane

in the Anderson R i ver regi on , wh i ch pro ve s thatthe b i rd s breed near the coa s t O f the A rct i c Sea ,

and tha t is about a l l we know o f its breed ingrange,

ex cept tha t i t summer s in Keewat in . wemu s t a s sume tha t the spec i e s goes t o S outhAm er i ca by sea

,l i k e the E sk imo Cur lew

, and

land s on Cape Cod and L ong I s land in number son ly when d r iven there by s t o rm s . I t was con

s idered rare by-'

V i l s on and Audubon , as i t probably never was seen on the coa s t o f the M i dd leand Sou thern States in any number s un l e s sd r i ven in by a severe s t orm .

”

(Game B i rds ,lV i ld

Fow l and S hor e Bi rds . )The. I—Iudson ian Godwi t feed s t o a con s i derable

ex ten t upon mo squ i t oes and ho r se-flies,as exam

ination o f its s tomach has amply proved . I t istherefo re t o be coun ted a u sefu l b i rd , s ince the

in sect s i t destroys are known to be harm fu l .

242

men t I fo l l owed , and w i th my b inocu lar s had a

Splend id v iew o f them as they st rode about onthe i r s t i l t - l ike legs and caught in sect s .Not un t i l I v i s i ted Sa skatchewan d i d I l ocate

the i r breed ing—

ground s . There I found themn es t ing in sca t tered pa i r s , very common ly overthe dry pra i r ies . L ik e the large Curl ew , they arepar t ia l t o an a lkal ine coun t ry . Though theya re a lways in the genera l v i c in i ty o f some s l ough ,

the i r actua l nes t ing is back on the dry pra i r i e .

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Ou t ing Pub . Co .

GREAT MARBLED GODWI TOn Saska tchewan prair ie

Am id the ra ther Shor t dry pra i r i e gras s a S l ighthol low is selected

,a f ra i l nes t o f gras s con

s tructed , and four large hand s ome eggs are depo s i ted the lat ter par t o f May or ear ly in June .

The nes t is not espec ia l l y concea led , except bythe vastnes s o f the surround ings and the blending co l orat i on O f the brood ing b i rd . who s i ts

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

The Marbled Godw i t is o f very rea l serv i ce t ofarmer s by reason o f the fac t tha t i t feeds freelyupon var i ous Spec ies o f gra sshopper s wh i ch are

very in jur i ous t o crops . I t shou l d , theref ore ,

receive adequate protect i on ,espec ial l y dur ing its

breed ing season .

GREATER YEL L OW -L EGS

T o tanu s mel anol eucus (Gmel in )A . O . U . Number 2 54

O ther Names — B ig Tel l - ta le : Greater Te l l - ta le ;T e l l — ta le Godw i t ; Ye l low - sh in s ; W in ter Ye l low - legs ;B ig Ye l low - legs : B ig Ye l low - legged P lover ; Grea terYe l low - shanks ; Cucu ; B ig Cucu ; Long- legged Tat t ler ;S tone-bi rd ; S tone Sn ipe ; Yelper .

S ee Color P late 3 6

Gen eral Descr ipt ion . Lengt h , 15 in ch es . Co lorabove

,b lack i sh -brown ; be low , w h i te w i t h brown Spo t s on

brea s t and neck . B i l l longer t han head , s lender , and

e i t her s tra igh t or w i t h end ha l f very s l igh t ly curvedupward ; l egs and toes long and s lender .

qu i te cl ose,so that the nes t i s f ound largely by

acc i den t . One day Wh i le d r iv ing our team and

outfi t over the t rack les s pra i r i e, we were s tar t ledby an a lmo s t human scream as a large brownb i rd flu t tered f rom under the feet o f the horses .L ucky i t was tha t the nes t was not trampled ,SO I was able t o take photograph s o f i t . My com

pan i on on the t r ip,A . C. Ben t

,a f terwards found

an other nes t on wh ich the femal e sat so per

s i sten tly that actua l ly he l i f ted her f rom i t byhand W i thout hav ing her make the s l igh tes t eff or t t o escape .

When the young are hatched, the b i rd s be~come a lm o s t as v i o len t and no i sy in the i r demonstration s as the VV i l let. They fo l low one

around on the pra i r i e ,fly ing abou t

,a l ight ing

nearby , and t ro t t ing Off, ever shr i ek ing tha t incessan t d in o f god-wit

, god-wit

,f rom wh ich I as

sume the i r name may have been der ived . On one

occas i on a Godw i t f o l l owed me near ly al l dayand kept up th i s scream ing, un t i l in the a f tern oon it got SO hoarse that its vo ice wou ld breakin t o a sor t o f ga sp or croak , as though i t had a

bad co l d Hence I n i cknamed th i s absurd crea

ture my Catarrh-b i rd .

”U nder these c i rcum

s tances they were so tame that I was able t o takew i th a reflect ing camera a l l the pho tographs ofthem tha t I needed .

Former ly th i s spec i es was qu i te abundan t al ongthe A t lan t ic coa s t on its m igra t i on s , wherea snow i t is on l y an acc i den ta l s traggler . I haveseen a few in w in ter in L ou i s iana

, but mo s t o fthem m igrate beyond our border s t o warmer

c l imes . I t is a hand s ome,i n teres t ing spec i es

wh ich ,l ike near ly al l the larger Sho re b i rd s , is

in danger o f ex term inat i on un less the rad ica lmeasures a l ready enacted are r igi d ly en forced .

HERBER T K . JOB .

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244

to represen t the b i rd and s tuck up in the mud

n ear a shoo t ing bl ind . To these decoys theyo f ten come W i th l i t t le hes i tat i on , espec ia l ly i f t oth i s decept i on the hun ter add s an add i t i ona l lureby im i tat ing the i r ca l l w i th a fa i r degree of

a ccuracy .

There is a w i de spread i dea tha t these b i rd sappear later in the autumn than the L es serYel l ow— legs , so they are much ca l led W in terYel l ow- legs . " Tat t ler ” and Te l l - ta le ”

are

a l s o popular names for th i s spec i es . The breeding groun ds are ma in ly no r th o f the U n i tedS tates

,to Wh ich terr i t o ry they ret i re in May, but

by Ju ly many i nd iv i dua l s are back . In fact , thet i de o f the m igrat i on o f the Yel l ow- legs tha tebbs and flows a l ong our coa s t and in ter i orwaterways , seem s n ever to cea se, for every

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

m on th in the year they are found in many Sou thern S ta tes . One reas on for th i s is the fact tha tnot a l l are mated any one s ea s on and numberso f the unpa i red b i rd s do not go nor th at al l . In

the Gu l f S tates many Grea ter Yel l ow— legs pas sthe W in ter , but the grea t bu lk go farther afie ldand scat ter throughou t the lands t o the south as

far as Pa tagon ia .

The i r food con s i s t s o f m innows and such insect s and o ther sma l l f o rm s o f l i fe as are ob

tainabl e in and about the water . Where bar sand mud flat s are expo sed at low t ide, there theYel l ow- legs are won t to come . A l ong the Shore so f pond s , lake s , and r ivers o f the in ter i o r theyare f oun d , and in fact , few , i f any ,

shore b i rdshave so ex tended a range .

T . G I L BER T PEAR SON .

YEL LOW -L EGS

T o tanu s flav ipes (Gi n el in )

O . U . Number 2 5 5

O t her Name s . Common Ye l low - legs ; L es ser Yell ow- legs ; L i t t le Tel l — ta le ; L es ser Te l l - ta le ' Les serYe l low - shanks ; Yel low - legged P lover ; Summer Ye l lowl egs ; L i t t le Ye lper ; Sma l l Cucu ; L i t t le Stone-b i rd ;L i t t le S tone Sn ipe ; Les ser Long- legged Tat t ler .

General D escr ipt ion . L eng t h , I I in c hes . An exac tm in ia ture of the Grea ter Ye l low- legs , from w h i c h i td i ffer s on ly in s i ze.

N es t and Eggs . NEST : A depres s ion in the

g round under she l ter of tu f t O f gra s s or bush es , or inthe open . E005 2 4, creamy . bu ffy or c lay- co lor , usu

a l ly bo ld ly marked . splash ed , or blo tch ed w i th burn t

Photogra ph by H . K . Job

See Color P late 3 6

umber , b lack i sh , and lavender , but some t imes w i th sma l lspo t s over en t i re sur face .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou th Amer ica ; breedsf rom Ko t zebue Sound

,A laska, nor th ern Macken z ie .

cen t ra l Keewa t in , and sou th ern U ngava to the va l leyO f the upper Yukon , sou t hern Saska t c hewan

,and

nor t hern Quebec ; w in ter s in A rgen t ina , Ch i le, and

Pa tagon ia , an d casua l ly in Mex i co , F lor ida ,and the

Bahamas ; in m igra t ion occurs ma in ly ea s t O f the RockyMoun ta in s (ra re in Spr ing on the A t lan t ic coa s t ) and in

the P r ib i lof I s lands , Green land , and Bermuda ; acc iden ta l in Great B r i ta in .

YELLOW-LEGS IN MANI TOBA SLOUGH

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246

eyes,ca tches them deft ly as they flee from the

d i sturbance . Th i s b i rd seem s to feed very largelyon aquat ic in sects , sma l l mo l lu sks, etc .

, but i tdestroys grasshoppers , mo ths , and o ther destruct ive land in sect s , some o f wh i ch i t pursues andcatches ea s i ly on the w ing .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH .

B IR DS OF AMER ICA

TheWes tern , or Cinnamon , Sol i tary Sandpiper(H elodromas s o l i tar ius cinnamomeus ) is not a l

ways d i st ingu i shable from the eastern So l i tarySandpiper . I t averages larger and the spot s onthe upper part s are or approach a c innamonbrown . I t occur s in western Nor th and SouthAmer i ca , breed ing n or th o f the Un i ted S tates .

W IL L ET

Catopt rophoru s s em ipa lmatus sem ipa lm atus (Gmel in )A . O . U . Number 2 58

O th er Names . Sem ipa lmated Sn ipe ; Span i shP lover ; S tone Cur lew ; Duck Sn ipe ; W i l l -w i l let ; P i l lw i l l -W i l let ; B i l l -W i l ly ; H um i l i ty ; P ied-W ing Cur lew .

Gen era l De scri pt ion . Lengt h , 16 in c hes . Co lor,

gray , l igh t be low and dark above, w i t h dark mark ings ;a good dea l of w h i te on w ing s , and the rump and

upper ta i l - cover t s Wh i te . B i l l , s lender , s t ra igh t , and

longer t han head ; toes , webbed at base.

Col on — ADULTS IN S UM MER : Genera l co lor , ashy,l igh ter be low ; crown and back of neck s treaked w i thdus ky ; shou lder s and back w i t h spo t s and Speck s of

the same co lor ; rump,upper ta i l -cover ts , and ta il , wh ite,

the ta i l barred w i t h narrow traverse s treaks of brown ;pr imar ies , du sky-brown w i t h a large whi te spa ce a t base,t h i s co lor in vading secondar ies ; pr imar ies benea t h ,black i sh , the w h i te show ing two con spi cuous area s infl igh t ; lores , w h i t i sh ; a dusky s t reak f rom b i l l to eye ;

t h roat,

narrow ly streaked ; breas t and s ides , t h i c k ly

Drawing by R . I . Brasher

S ee Co lor Plate 3 7

marked , w i t h na rrow traverse arrowhead bars ; b i l l .blu i sh -horn , b lac ken ing toward tip ; legs , pa le lavender ;i r i s

, brown . ADULTS IN W INTER : Above , l igh t ashyw i th a t inge of brown , w i t h l i t t le or no darker mark ing ;upper ta i l - cover t s , w h i te ; w ing , s im i lar to summer

plumage ; be low , pa le a shy or w h i te shaded w i t h gray on

brea s t and S ides ; S ides of h ead , pa le brown ; b i l l , pa lerthan in summer ; a w h i te eye

-r ing .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : In a tu s sock of gras s orweeds , c lose to the wa ter, in f resh or sa l t-watermarshes ; a care les s ly bu i l t s tructure of sma l l reeds andgras s . EGGS : 4, green i sh -Wh i te or dark brown i sh -o l i ve,

bo ld ly marked w i t h spo ts in var i ou s Shades of brownand lavender .

D is tribu t ion . Nor t h and Sout h Amer ica ; breedsf rom V i rg in ia ( former ly Nova Scot ia ) sou t h to F lor idaand the Bahamas ; W in ter s f rom the Bahamas to B raz i land Peru ; acc iden ta l in Bermuda and Europe.

WILLE T (é nat. s ize)A noisy, s e lf-assertive b ird

SN IPES , SANDP IPER S ,ETC .

H ere is a no i sy,sel f - as sert ive b i rd , i f there

ever was one . l i fe,l i tera l ly ,

is a per fectscream . And y et th i s f orward creature has

been n i cknamed Hum i l i ty .

”becau se i t probes

for wo rm s in the humb l e mud in the in terva l sbetween the per i od s when i t l i f t s up the vo i ceon h igh . Con s t i tut i ona l ly , the b i rd seems un

able t o keep its mouth shut , as though i t hadbl own off the sa fety va l ve and was compel ledto keep go ing,

f rom sheer i nab i l i ty to s top,w i th

a compel l ing motor power beh ind . Its rela t i ve s ,the two spec ies o f Ye l l ow- legs , have somewha tthe same inqu i s i t i ve and a s ser t i ve d i spo s i t i on s ,though apparen t ly in les ser degree . Gunner sha ve f requen t ly l odged compla in t tha t the no i sy“fi l let warn s away the i r game .

The acme o f its fan ta s t i c performance comes

du r ing the nes t ing sea s on , par t i cu lar ly when the

young are abroad . Then as l ong as one i s m indedt o rema in on the mar sh , the b i rd s , fa i r ly bes idethem selves

,fly about yelping and scream ing . O n

Sm i th ' s I s land , V a .

,I watched one , perched on

the dead fo rk o f a bu sh out on a broad mar sh .

\f\-'

ith abso lute mechan ical prec i s i on ,for a quar ter

o f an hou r at a s tretch,w i th hard ly an apparen t

pau se t o get breath ,the b i l l wou l d Open and

shu t,l ike cl ock wo rk , t o the tune o f yip, yip, y ip,

and so on,rapi d ly re i terated . When i t t ook t o

w ing i t wou l d s tar t up its pifl l - z t'i l let cr ies .

U sua l ly the nes t is hard t o find . I havewa tched the b i rd s on the mar she s o f the s outherncoa s t and by the s l oughs on wes tern pra i r ies, butnever had the luck t o l ocate a nes t t i l l abou t May

10,1904,

when I was on a cru i se a l ong the coa s to f South Caro l ina . We landed on an uni n

hab i ted i s land,mo s t ly mar sh

,but w i th a beach

in fron t , backed by a nar row r i dge o f sand between beach and m ar sh . Clumps o f coar se beachgra s s grew a l l a l ong th i s r i dge ,

and from near lyevery other clump, as we advanced

,a W i l let

sprang f rom her f our large dark mo tt led eggs ,un t i l on tha t one i s land we had exam ined overfi f ty n es t-s . These were f ra i l s t ructu res o f drygras s , l in ing ho l l ow s scra tched in the sand underthe gra s s clumps .

247

I t need not be as sumed f rom th i s that theW i l let i s an abundan t b i rd

,for i t is another o f

our rapi d ly vani sh i ng sho re b i rds .” Fo rmer ly

i t was common a l ong our A t lan t ic coa s t, but

now the s ight o f one is a rar i ty .

Dur ing the fa l l m igrat i on ,i t is seen ca sual ly

in muddy s l ough s or on the flat s and mar she s o fthe sea- coas t mo re reser ved than is its won t , as

WILLET ON NES T

though s obered by the though t o f ex i le f romthe fiel d s o f its voca l expl o i ts . Dur i ng w in teri t i s absent on its annua l j unket t o var i ed southern scene s as far rem ote as B raz i l and Peru .

HERBER T K . Jon.

The Wes tern W i l let (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inom atus ) d i ffer s f rom the ea s tern W' i l letin larger S i ze and in shade s o f co l o r

,but its

genera l appearance and habi ts are the same . Th i sgeograph ica l var i ety breed s f rom cen t ra l O re

gon , s ou thern A lber ta , and southern Man i t oba ,

s outh t o no r thern Ca l i fo rn ia,cen tra l Co lo rado ,

s outhern Sou th Dakota , and no rthern I owa , and

on the coa s t s o f Texas and L ou i s iana : in w in teri t occur s f rom cen tra l Ca l i f o rn ia ,

Texa s,L ou i s

iana,and the Gu l f coa s t o f F l or i da t o Mex i co

and L ower Ca l i f orn i a . I t is s omet imes foun d inthe A t lan t ic S ta te dur ing m igrat i on .

UPL AND PL O V ER

B ar t ram ia long icauda (Beehs tein )A . O . U . Number 261

O t her Names .— Bar t ram ian Sandpiper ; Bar t ram ’s

Sandpiper ; Bar t ram’s P lover ; Upland Sandpiper ; Uplander ; H i l l -b i rd ; Fie ld P lover ; H igh land P lover ;

S ee Co lor Plate 3 7

Pas ture P lover ; Gras s P lover ; P ra i r ie P lover ; P ra i r ieP igeon ; P ra i r ie Sn ipe ; Papabotte ; Qua i ly .

General Des c r ipt ion .— L ength , 12 in ches . Co lor

248 B IR DS OF

above, black i sh -brown ; be low , gray i sh -w h i te . Bi l l,

shor ter than head ; gape . w ide ; n eck,long ,

“

ta i l,long

and g radua ted ; ou ter and m idd le toes w ebbed at ba se ;inner toe f ree . Found ma in ly in pas tures and old fie ldsaway f rom wa ter , even at the sea- shore .

Col on — Above , blac k i sh -brown ,a l l fea t her s edged

w i th tawny or w h i t i sh , the brown preva i l ing on crownand back , the l igh ter edg ings of la t ter produc ing a

s treaked effect ; on long inner secondar ies , the darkco lor mere sma l l bars ; w ing-cover t s marked w i t hw h i t i sh ; pr imar ies , dus ky , ou ter one bar red w i th wh i te ;rump and upper ta i l - cover ts , pla in brown i sh -b lack ;m idd le ta i l - fea t her s , dark brown w i t h ru fous edges andi rregu lar ly barred ; res t o f ta i l - feat her s , orange-brownw i t h numerous broken bars or spo t s of b lack and a sub

term ina l black bar ; l ine over eye and under par t s ,g ray i sh -w h i te, t inged w i th ye l lowi sh -brown on breas t

My ear ly recol lect i on s o f the Upland P l over ,once a fam i l iar game b i rd

,are o f open ro l l ing

gra s sy tracts on Cape Cod ,Mass

,in ter sper sed

w i th pa tches o f bay berry bu shes , in la te Ju lyand Augu s t , and s ome very shy brown b i rdsthat , despi te m o s t o f my a t tempts to s ta lk them ,

wou l d r i se w i l d ly wel l out o f gun sho t and w i thshr i l l cr i es fly on t o the next h i l l s ide, a l igh t ingand watch ing in an erect a t t i tude , the i r headspro j ect ing f rom the shor t spar se grass .

Upland P l over shoot ing is now becom ing a

th ing o f the pa s t , under the pro tect i on o f Federa l L aw . Th i s is as i t shou l d be

,for here we

have another spec ies wh i ch i s in great dangero f ex term ina t i on . L i t t le by l i t t le, both throughexces s ive shoot ing and by the destruct i on o fn es t s in cu l t ivated area s , i t has been grow ingmore and more scarce . On ce i t was a commonb i rd in the Eastern S tates , but now on ly an occa

s i oua l l one pa i r is foun d there . The grassypra i r i es o f the Nor thwest are now its pr in c ipa lbreed-ing ground , but owing to the i r increasedreclama t i on for agr i cu l tural purpo se s , i t is be ingfur ther pu shed out. Th i s is a lamen table declens ion f rom the days when in New Englan d i t wascomparable in abundance t o the Meadowlark ,and pa i r s were nes t ing in near ly every fiel d .

Cla s s ing i t as a“ shore b i rd , is on ly on the

ba s i s o f structure and relat i on sh ip,for o ther

w i se there i s no b i rd wh ich is les s fond of the

v i c in i ty o f wa ter . Its haun t s are dry gra ssyfi el d s , where i t l ives ch iefly on i n sects in j ur i oust o the field s , such as cutworms and gras shopper s .Here is where i t n es t s , the last o f May and ear lyJun e . The fema le s i t s cl o sely , and on the pra ir ies o f North Dak ota ,

Man i t oba,and Saskatche

wan I have f ound ne s t s on ly by flu sh ing the

brood ing b i rd ,wh ich a l l ows on e a lmost to step

upon her be fore she w i l l leave . The nes t is inrather th ick bunches o f pra i r ie grass , a s imple

AMER ICA

and s ides of head ; breast and s ides , wi t h each featherma rked by a brown i sh arrowhead- shaped spo t ; b i l l ,ye l low i sh -green , dusky at tip ; legs , yel low i sh -o l i ve ;i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : A s l igh t depres s ion in open

d ry pra i r ies , l ined or not w i th gra s s . EGGS : 4, pa lebu ffy or c ream , spot ted w i th dark brown and lav

ender .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sout h Amer ica ; breedsf rom nor thwes tern A laska , sou t hern Mac kenz ie , cen

tra l Keewa t in , cen tra l W i scon s in,sou t hern M ich igan ,

southern On tar io , and sout hern Ma ine to sou t hernO regon , nor thern U tah , cen t ra l Ok lahoma ,

sou t hernM i s sour i , sou t hern Indiana , and nor t hern V i rg in ia ;w in ters on the pampas o f Sou th Amer ica to A rgen t ina ;in m igrat ion occur s nor th to New found land and in

Europe ; acc iden ta l in Aus tra l ia.

affa i r o f dry gra s s leaves . Four i s the invar iablenumber of eggs wh i ch I have found . The b i rdis almost exact ly the co lor o f dead gra ss , and

even when the nes t has been f ound and rev i s i ted,

i t is aston i sh ing how hard i t i s to d i scern the

brood ing b i rd . In one case she a l l owed me toopen by han d the gras s wh i ch covered '

her,set

up the camera and photograph her w i th in two

feet o f the len s . Shy as the b i rd s become underpersecu t i on , they are gen t le in nest ing t ime . On

the wes tern pra i r ies they are much le ss shy thanin the Ea s t .As soon as the young are able to fly

, in Ju ly,they al l begin to m igrate south,

and mo s t o f themare gone be fo re Augus t is far advanced . Th i swas the reason why the o lder laws a l l owed Upland P l over shoo t ing in Ju ly . In the summer

o f 1912 I was in Man i t oba . At the open ing o fth i s ear ly hun t ing season ,

a gunner came out

near our camp and shot near ly f or ty UplandP l o vers

,wh i le h is boy pi cked up l i t t le downy

ch ick s and carr i ed them in h is pocket . I reportedth i s t o the head author i t i es

,who are excel len t

con serva t i on i st s , and the law was changed . I tw i l l need the bes t o f care, by every S ta te and

Prov ince, and the coopera t ion o f publ ic sen t imen t

,t o save f rom ex t inct i on th i s beaut i fu l and

va luable species . HERBER T K . JOB .

The invest igat i ons o f the Governmen t biologi s t show tha t the Upland P l over is natura l lyan indu s tr i ou s dest royer o f many d i fferen t spec ies o f n ox i ou s in sects . There can be no doubtthat the b i rd feeds upon the h igh ly des truct ivel ocust

,and a lso upon grasshoppers , the cl over

root curcu l i o , b i l l -bugs (wh i ch des troy much

corn ) , crawfi sh ,wh i ch are a pes t in corn and

r ice fiel d s and a l s o weaken levees by the i r burrow ing,

and var i ou s grubs wh i ch damage gardentr uck

, corn , and co tt on crops .

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SN IPES , SANDPIPER S ,ETC .

BU FF-B REA STED SANDP IPERT ryngites subrufi col l i s (V i ei

'

l lot )

A . O . U . Number 262

O t her Name . H i l l Gras s-b i rd .

Genera l D escr ipt i on . Leng th , 8 in ches . Co lorbe low , bufl

'

; above ,dusky brown . B i l l shor ter t han

head . S lender , hard at tip ; gape w ide ; ta i l rounded ,cen t ra l fea ther s proj ec t ing ; toes n ot webbed . P re fersd ry upland fi e lds and i s rare ly seen on the shore .

Co lon — ADULTS IN S UM MER : Above , du sky-brown ,

fine l y s t reaked on head w i t h pa le ye l low i sh -bu ff .

t h i s s treak ing runn ing down bac k o f nec k to fea thers ofback and shou lders w h i c h are edged and t ipped w i t htawny ; pr imar ies , secondar ies , and cover t s . g ray i shbrown ,

the la s t two w i t h l igh ter edges ; i nn er webs of

pr imar ies and both webs of s econdar ies , pear ly wh i temar bled wi th black ; lo res . s ides of head to above eye ,

t h roat , breas t , and a l l under par t s , pla in buff unmarkedexcept by a few brown i sh spot s on s ide and ches t ;

The Buff-brea s ted Sandpi per is ra ther a rare

b i rd upon the A t lan t i c coa s t , and po s s ibly a lwayshas been ,

as i t breed s in no rthern A la ska and

its ma in m igrat i on rou te doe s not touch the At

lan t i c coa s t .Former ly i t was v ery abun dan t in Texas , ands t i l l i s common there , but decrea s ing . The re

port s of its decrease in the -’e

’

st are very impress ive . Apparen t ly i t i s on the way to ex t inct i on .

I t is u sual ly a very gen t le and con fi d ing b i rd

S ee Color Plate 3 7

SPO TTED SANDP IPERAct i t i s macu lar ia (L inuceus )A . O . U . Number 263

O t her Name s . Peep ; Peetweet ; Teeter-peep ;Teeter- ta i l ; Teeterer ; Tip-up ; T i l t -up ; Sand Lark ;See— saw ; Sand-peep ; Sand Sn ipe ; R i ver Sn ipe .

Gen eral D escr ipt i on . Leng th , 7 inch es . Co lorabove, ashy-o l i ve ; under par t s pure w h i te . un spo t ted inw in ter , but in summer w i th round black spo ts . B i l ls t ra igh t , s lender , and abou t as long as head ; outer and

m i dd le toes , webbed at base ; inner toes , f ree : ta i l ,rounded and ha l f as long as w ing . T h i s i s the on lySandpiper wh i c h has large and di s t inc t spo t s on i tsunder par t s ; i t near ly a lways teeter s when a larmed ;and in fl igh t shows a w h i te l ine on the w ings . Foundmos t o f ten near s t reams and ponds .COIOI‘ .— A DULTS IN S UM M ER : Crown and upper

par t s , including w ings , so f t ashy-o l i ve , fine ly var iedw i t h dusky , in s treaks on h ead and neck , el sewhere inwavy i rregu lar crossbars ; l ine f rom b i l l to eye and

back of i t , o l i ve-dusky ; a l ine over eye and en t i re underpar t s , pure w h i te : under par ts , as far as under ta ilcoverts , w i th numerous sharp, circu lar black spots , more

See Color Plate ‘

3 6

249

cen t ra l ta i l - feat her s , brown ; o t her s , ru fous w i t h a sub

term ina l dusky bar ; b i l l , dusky ; legs . dusky-

g reen i sh :i r i s , brown . ADULTS IN W INTER : The broad edg ings offea th er s above , na r rowed to w h i t i sh sem i - c i rc les ; underpar t s , w h i ter ; w ing and ta i l . as in summer .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in the ground ,sparse ly l ined w i th gras s and w i t hered leaves . EGGS :4. gray i sh o r pa le O l i ve-buff , sharply spo t ted w i t h r i chbu rn t umber .

D i s tr ibuti on . No r t h and Sout h Amer i ca ; breedsa long the A rc t i c coas t f rom nor t hern A la ska to nor t hern Keewa t in ; w in ters in A rgen t ina and U ruguay ;

mos t abundan t in m igra t ion in the M i s s i s s ippi va l ley :occas iona l on the A t lan t ic coas t in fa l l ; casua l on the

Pac i fic coas t nor t h to S t. M ichae l , A laska . and to no r theas tern S iber ia ; s t ragg les to Bermuda and Europe .

and pays l i t t le a t ten t i on t o the hun ter . I t isva luable as an in sec t eater

, part icu lar ly in the

We s t , but in its pur su i t th i s fact i s over l oo k edand its food va lue on ly is con s i dered . Doct orHatch found i t l i v ing upon cr i cket s , gra s shoppers , an t s and the i r eggs ,

"and o ther in sects .

and on m inu te mo l lu sk s taken from the Sho reso f shal low ponds in the warmes t par t o f the day .

EDWARD HOWE FORBU SH, in Game B irds

,

[Wi ld-Fowl and S hore B irds .

c rowded on the fema le ; pr imar ies and secondar ies,

brown i sh -black , largely whi te at ba se , not show ing in

fo lded w ing ; feet, g ray i sh flesh co lor ; bi l l , flesh co lorw i t h b lac k tip ; i r i s . brown surrounded wi th a w h i ter ing . ADULT S IN W I N TER , AND YOUNG : A s in summer ,

but w i thou t mark ing above or be low ; breas t , s l igh t lygray i sh and w ing- cover t s more s t rong ly ou t l in ed w i t hl igh ter .

Ne s t and Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in the g roundin the v ic in i t y of wa ter : ra ther we l l con s t ructed of

g ras s , leaves , and weed s tems . EGGS : 4, c reamy , bufl’y ,

or g ray i sh , blo tched w i th b lack i sh and purpl i sh -gray .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breedsfrom t ree l im i t in nor t hwes tern A la ska . nor th ern Mac

ken z ie, cen t ra l Keewa t in , nor t hern Ungava . and New

foundland sou th to sout hern Ca l i forn ia , Ar i zona . southern Texas , sout hern Lou i s iana , and nor thern Sout hCaro l ina : w in ter s. f rom Ca l i forn ia . Lou i s iana , and

Sou t h Caro l ina to sou thern B raz i l and cen t ra l Peru ;s t ragg les to Great B r i ta in and H elgo land .

250

Probably there i s no shore bi rd more w i delyand in t imately known a l l Over the coun t ry thanthe Spo t ted Sandpiper , wh i ch is popu lar ly n ick

Photo by S . A . Lot tr idgeNEST AND EGGS OF SPOTTED SANDP IPER

named Teeter or T ip—up, from its nervou s

hab i t Of con stan t ly t i l t ing its body , and Peetweet from its no tes . A s typical ly seen ,

i t runsa l ong the shore Of a pond or st ream ,

st ops andwags its head and body up and down severa lt imes

,then run s aga in ,

and,i f further ap

proached , fl ies out over the water w i th a pecu

l iar qu iver ing fl igh t , the w ings be ing held stra ightout, w i th a l ternat i on s Of qu iver ing downwardbeats and br i e f in ter va l s O f soar ing. U sual lv i tc i rcles back and al ights not far f rom the same.

place . I t is not by any mean s,however

,con

fined t o the v ic in i ty o f open water but i s o f tenseen in meadows , and even on dry uplands , particu lar ly in cu l t ivated fiel d s where crops are

grow ing.

M o s t shore b i rds breed far t o the nor th , but

here is one spec ies wh i ch i s remarkably impart ia l in its t opography . Though i t breed s i n n or thern A laska

,i t a l so does so near ly a l l over the

Un i ted S tates , even down on the Gu l f Of Mex ico,

a l ike on seaboard and in ter i or . In th i s pra i sewor thy or iginal i ty i t is en t i rel y un i que

,surpa s s

ing even the R ob in , wh i ch does not breed so far

s outh .

In the nor thern S tates I have usua l ly foundf resh eggs dur ing the la s t week Of May, gener

a l ly four in number . The nest may be found in

B IRDS OF AMER ICA

many sor t s o f s i tuat i on s . P robably that mostpre ferred is j u s t up f rom the shore Of a pondor stream ,

un der a bunch O f gras s or a clumpo f weed s . Usua l ly nests are qu i te wel l h i dden ,

but I have seen them eas i ly v i s ible, under sparseweed s on Open gravel ly shore . However

,they

are O f ten placed qu i te a d i stance f rom water , inpa s tures or among crops , qu i te O f ten in fie lds o fcorn or pota toes .Some shore b i rds act up t o draw away in

truders f rom the i r ne s t s,when these are be ing

approached . The Spo t ted Sandpiper makes no

such at tempt un t i l af ter b e ing flushed , when bothb i rds appear and run about anx i ou s ly .

The fema le is a cl ose s i t ter , and d i scl oses hersecret by flut ter ing out when cl o sely approached .

Owing t o th i s hab i t , I have inspected dozens o fnests , whereas , i f the b i rd wou l d d i screet ly w i thdraw

,the wel l -h idden nest wou ld seldom be

found,except when placed in cu l t i va ted fi elds .

Photo by H . K . Job

SPOTTED SANDP IPER ON NE ST

Some o f these b i rd s w i n ter on our southerncoa s ts , but the ma j or i ty pa s s on fur ther , penetrating in to B raz i l and Peru . HERBER T K . JOB .

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252 BIR DS OF AMER ICA

I found them in scat tered pa i r s . Conspicuou sin s i ze

,they al so make them se lves so by the i r

re i terated loud , h igh—

pi tched , tr i l l ing cr ies,es

pecia l ly when they have young or eggs in

the v ic in i ty . They are shyer than the MarbledGodwi ts wh ich share w i th them these a lka l inepla in s .

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Ou ting Pub . Co .

YOUNG LONG-B ILLED CURLEWS

The nes t i s a s imple ho l l ow in the pra i r i e, am idra ther sparse grass , l ined w i th dry s tems . Threeor four very large eggs make the usua l complemen t . I t i s hard t o fi nd ,

as the male b i rd givesthe alarm when an in truder approaches , and thefema le j o ins h im . Perhaps they bec om e some

HUDSON IAN CUR L EW

Numen ius hud son icu s L a t/tamA . O . U . Number 265 S ee Color P late 3 8

O ther Names . Jack Cur lew ; Jack : S t r iped- head ;Crooked b i l led Mar l in ; Amer ican W h imbre l ; S hortbi l led Cur lew .

Genera l De s c r ipt ion . Leng th , 18 in ches . Can be

di s t ingu i shed f rom young Long-b i l led Cur lews on ly at

c lose range .

Col or . Top of head ,un iform bla ck ish-brown wi th

we l l -defi ned whitish cen t ra l an d s ide s tr ipes ; a di st inc t s t reak of dusky f rom b i l l t h rough and beh indeye and a pronounced broad w h i t i sh s t reak above i t ;upper par t s , b lack i sh —brown var iegated w i t h wh i te,ocher , or pa le brown in the same pa t tern as the Longb i l led Cur lew but ton e les s ru fou s ; pr imar ies and t he i rcover t s , du sky the former brok en - barred wi th pa l er ;ta i l

,a shy-brown w i t h a number O f narrow blac k i sh

bar s ; beneat h , very pa le brown i sh —wh i te ; breas t , w i t h

what accust omed t o the cowboys who r ide arounda f ter the cat t le, s ince al l o f the nests wh ich Iknew about were d i scovered by cowboys on

hor seback through flu sh ing the b i rd from the

nes t . Though the anx i ous paren t s are in ev i

dence, fly ing or trot t ing abou t at a d i s tance and

wh i s t l ing, they give no defin i te clue as to the

d i rect i on in wh i ch the cho sen spot i s l ocated .

One even ing at sundown a f ter a for ty m i led r ive over the pla in s , we were approach ing a

ranch,in ro l l ing pra i r ie coun try , when we not iced

two b i rds squa t t ing t ogether in the shor t grass .They proved to be young Of th i s spec ies . qu i telarge, yet s t i l l in the d owny s tage, very pret ty and

in teres t ing. There was j u s t enough l igh t to takephotograph s o f them by t ime- expo sures . Mean

wh i le the paren ts were flying about,Swooping

angr i ly pa st us at cl o se range,scream ing most

voc i ferou s ly . A l together i t was a spectaclewh ich I would not have m i ssed for a good dea l .

HER BER T K . JOB .

The L ong-b i l led Cur lew is ev i den t ly a pers i s ten t eater o f the h igh ly in j ur i ous l ocust , as isshown by the fact that ten s tomach s o f the b i rdwere found by Governmen t exper t s t o con ta infor ty—e igh t l ocusts each . Th i s wou ld be suffic i en treason for giv ing i t a place among the b i rds o fgreat econom i c va lue t o man . But the b i rd’susefu lness does not stop here, for i t is known to

feed freely a l s o upon var i ous in jur i ous gras shopper s , and i t is m ore than l ikely that its d ietinc ludes o ther n ox i ou s in sects , so that its usefu lne ss is beyon d ques t i on o f a doubt .

dusky s t reaks c hang ing to arrow heads or broken barson s ides ; b i l l , dusky , ye l low i sh be low for abou t oneth i rd i t s length , darkes t at tip ; fee t , gray i sh -b lue ;i r i s , dar k brown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : L i ke t ha t of Long-b i l ledCur lew. EGGS : 4 c reamy to pa le o l i ve-

gray, bo ld lymarked w i t h shades o f umber-brown .

D i s tr i bu t ion . Nor t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breeds onthe coa s t O f A la ska f rom mou t h of Yukon to Ko t zebueSound , and on the coas t of nor thern Mackenz ie ; W in tersf rom Lower Ca l i forn ia to sou t hern H onduras , f romEcuador to sou t hern Ch i le. and f rom B r i t i sh Gu iana to

mou th of the Amazon ; m igra tes ma in ly a long the

Pac i fi c and A t lan t i c coas t s ; rare in the in ter ior ; casua lon the P r ib i lo f I s lands and in Green land and Bermuda ;acc iden ta l in Spa in .

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254 B IRDS OF AMER ICA

Cour tesy R ecreation

HUD SONIAN CUR LEW

ESK IMO CUR L EW

Num en ius borea l i s (f . R . Forster )

A . O . U . Number 266

O t h er Names . Fu te ; Dough or Doe-b i rd ; L i t t leCu r lew ; P ra i r ie P igeon .

Gen era l D escr ipt ion . Leng th , 15 in c hes . Co lor l i ket ha t of the H udson ian Cur lew , but more reddi sh . B i l ls lender , curved, and about tw i ce the lengt h of head ;toes , webbed at base.

Col or . Upper par t s , brown i sh -b lack var iega tedw i t h pa le cinnamon~brown ; crown

,w ithout cen tral

l ight l ine ; s t reak over eye of w h i t i sh ; under par t s ,tawny oc her to w h i t i sh , marked everywhere w i th duskys t reaks , bars , or a rrowhead spo ts , these mark ings very

I t i s a great pi ty that we must ‘ speak Of the

E s k imo Cur lew in the pa s t ten se .

ance is but ano ther t r ibute to the effect ivenes s Ofmodern fi re- arm s and the short - s igh ted selfi sh

nes s Of the average Amer i can hun ter . In the

seven t ies and ear ly e igh t i es E sk imo Cur lews incoun t le ss number s came annua l ly t o the coast o fMa s sachuset t s and ear l ierwriters men t i on them a sbe ing very plen t i fu l in the Caro l ina s . The i r sum

mer home was in the Barren Grounds and o ther

Its d i sappear

S ee Color P late 3 8

numerous except on c h in ; b i l l , b lack , pa ler at ba sebe low ; feet , lead-gray ; i r i s , brown .

Nes t and Eggs . NEST : U sua l ly on the open pla in s ;a mere depres s ion in the ground, l ined w i th a few dryleaves or gras s . EGGS : 4, ground co lor var iable, f rompa le green , gray , or brown to O l i ve-drab, wi t h numerousbo ld mark ings of sepia and umber-brown ,

morec rowded around large end .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor th and Sou th Amer i ca ; breeds onthe Bar ren Grounds of nor t hern Macken z ie ; w in ters inArgen t ina and Pa tagon ia ; now near ly ex t inct .

regi on s in the nor thern part o f No r th Amer ica .

In autumn they c o l lected in Newfound land inenormous flock s . One Observer declares thatthey came in m i l l i on s that darkened the sky .

A f ter fo l l ow ing down the coas t to Nova Scot iathey launched out over the ocean for SouthAmer ica ,

and many o f them never s ighted landun t i l they reached the West Ind ia Is lands .

Whether dur ing th i s l ong j ourney they everre s ted on the wa ter , or whether they con t inued

PLOVER S 255

the i r voyagew i thout pau se ,is not known . Au tumn

ga le s , however , d iver ted many O f them f rom the i rcour se and they landed on the Bermuda I s land sas wel l as a l ong the coa s t o f the no rthern S ta tes .

Ten s Of thou sand s thu s came t o the i s lands and

beaches o f New England where . accord ing toForbu sh ,

they were merc i l es s ly sho t for food .

Becau se at th i s season they were a lways ex

tremely fat they were known genera l ly as

Dough—b i rd s .A f ter reach ing Sou th Amer i ca the Cur lews

proceeded sou thward , spread ing out o v er the

con t inen t as far as Patagon ia . Here they pa s sedthe w in ter . In March and Apr i l the grea t fl ight swou l d appear on the Sho res o f tho se S tates border ing on the Gu l f Of M ex ico . Pa s s ing a gan tlet Of gun

— fi re the sur v ivor s j ourneyed up the

Mi s s i s s ippi va l ley to no r thern Canada , and so

on t o the i r breed ing ground s . I t w i l l thu s bes een that ' the i r m igrat i on s were among the mo s te x ten s i ve o f any under taken by our No r thAme r ican b i rd s . T , G I L BER T PEAR SON .

P L 0 V B R S

Order L im icolm fam i l y Ch-a radr i idm

HE Pl overs compr i se the fam i l y Charadri ida’ of the order of Shore B irds andin clude about seven t y — fi ve species Of compara t ive l y sma l l birds , which , duringthe breeding sea son ,

have a cosmospol i tan di s t ribu t ion . The birds genera l l yare migratory and they are l ike l y t o cover grea t d i s tances in their j ourney sbe tween their summer and win ter homes , thi s being par t icu lar l y t rue of theGol den P lover . E igh t species occur in Nor th Am er ica . Externa l l y the

Pl overs differ marked l y from the Sn ipes in having a comparative l y short and

pigeon — l i ke b i l l , wh ich i s hardened and som ewhat swo l len at the end ,and i s

i l l -adapted for prob ing in mud or soft sand , and they must , o f necessity ,feed

from the sur face . For th i s reason , a l so ,Pl overs are Of ten found feeding in

the dry up lands not frequen ted by the Sn ipe . Fur the rmore , in the P lovers thebody i s re lative l y shor ter and plumper than in the Sn ipes , and the neck i s much Shor ter and

th i cker . P lovers ’ wings are long and poin ted , and , except in a few species , when foldedex tend to or beyond the end of the ta i l

,which i s comparative l y short , general l y rounded ,

and

con si s t s of twel ve feathers . Their p lumage varies grea t l y , and in some . species Shows considerab l e seasona l changes .

They nest on the ground and l ay u sua l l y four eggs , wh ich are marked or spo t ted wi thdark co lors in a manner that makes them hard to detect among the pebb les by wh ich theyare l ikel y to be surrounded . But one brood i s ra i sed in a season . The young when ha tchedare covered with sof t buff or gray i sh down ,

spotted wi th b lack ish . Whe ther or not the

chicks know that these co lors are pro tec t ive , i t i s cer tain that they l ie very s t i l l among thepebb les and grass when an in truder approaches , and therefore may eas i l y be over looked .

P lovers ’ voices u sua l l y are me l low , piping wh i s t les wh ich have singu lar carry ing power .

V O L . I — 18

S i nce 1900 perhaps a dozen spec imen s havecome t o the a t ten t i on o f o rn i tho l ogi st s a l l

dead bi rd s — and i t is o f cour se po s s ible tha t afew may s t i l l ex i s t . But the grea t flock s are goneand the spec ies i s doomed .

L ike a l l the Cur lew s th i s b i rd was an inhab

itan t o f regi on s where water abound s . A l ongthe coa s t they fed in the beach—

pool s and mar shesbut not genera l ly on the sandy beaches so com

mou ly f requen ted by Sandpiper s and s ome o f theP l o ver s .In the spr ing and summer the i r grea t joy was

t o wade in the pond s , s l ough s , and sha l low,

gras sy lakes o f the in ter i or . They were o f no

spec ia l econom i c value to the farm ing in teres t so f the coun try , for they did not feed on in sect sin j ur i ou s t o crops , but they were o f much va lueas a food product , and w i th proper laws en fo rcedfor thei r con ser va t i on the grea t fl ock s m ighthav e been spared indefi n i tely for the plea sureand benefi t o f mank ind .

2 56 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

B LACK-BEL L IED . PL OVER

Squa taro la s quataro la (L inh ceus )A . O . U . Number 2 70

O ther Names . B lack—breas t ; B lack-breas ted P lover ;Bu l l—head ; Bu l l - head P lover ; B eet le- head ; Bo t t le-head ;Chuck le- head ; H o l low - head ; Owl - h ead ; W h i s t l ingP lover ; W h i s t l ing F ie ld P lover ; P i lo t ; May Cock ;Sw i s s P lover ; Ox-eye ; Four- toed P lover ; Gump ; GrayP lover (au tumn ) ; Mud P lover ; Pa le-be l ly (young ) .

General D escript ion . L eng t h , 12 in ches . In sum

mer, upper par t s b lack and w h i te, lower par t s black ; inw in ter

, wh i t i sh a l l over but t inged w i t h brown above.

Four toes , but h ind toe very sma l l ; ou ter and m idd letoes webbed at ba se ; b i l l rat her sho r t .CO ] O I’. —ADULT S IN S UM M ER : Forehead, crown

,

s ides of head to upper l evel of eye, back of neck , and

s ides of some, pure whi te w i t h a few dusky spo t s onnape and cen ter of neck ; rest of upper par t s , includ ingcoverts , shou lders , and inner seconda r ies , w h i te, eachfea t her wi t h a sma l l exposed dusky area , t hese forming bar s on the inner secondar ies ; ta i l and upper

cover t s, barred w i th du sky ; below,

in c luding lores ,

ch in ,throat, par t of s ide of head, breas t , and abdomen ,

pure black ish-brown ; under ta i l - cover t s , w h i te ; pri

mar ies , dark brown blacken ing at ends wi th large whi teareas at base ; bi l l and feet , dusky-

gray ; eye, remarkably large and lus trous , deep brown . ADULTS IN

W INTER : Ground co lor a l l over , w h i t i sh ; upper part s ,

The largest o f our P l overs , the B lack-bel l ied orB lack-breas t , i s a l so the shyest . I recal l tha tonce, in boyhood , I was t ry ing t o creep up on a

flat to get a shot at a sma l l fl ock o f course in

Drawing by R . I . Brasher

See Co lor Plate 3 9

t inged wi t h pa le brown ; crown , ye l lowi sh s treaked wi t hdusky ; s ides o f head , back of neck

,t h roat , and breas t ,

fine ly s treaked w i t h brown i sh ; feat her s of back , of

w ing-cover t s , and of inner secondar ies , wi th wedgeshaped dusky cen ter s ; res t of under parts , unmarked ,t hus showing none of the black area so conspi cuous insummer ; bi l l , feet , and eye as in summer ; in termedia tesbetween t hese two plumages , show ing an adm i x ture of

black and wh i te be low , are very common . YOUNG :Upper par t s , l igh ter w i t h a go lden shade on eachfea t her ; under par ts , wh i t i sh ; breas t , s t reaked w i t hgray i sh .

Nes t and Eggs Nasr : A mere depres s ion in the

ground, l ined w i t h gras s and leaves . EGGS : 4, l igh tbuffy-o l i ve to deep o l i ve-buff, heav i ly spo t ted wi t hsepia or black .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Near ly cosmopo l i tan ; breeds on the

A rct i c coa st f rom Poin t Barrow to Boo t h ia and Mel

v i l le pen in su las , and a l so on the A rct ic coas t of Rus s iaand S iber ia ; w in ters f rom the Medi terranean to Sout hA f r ica , in Ind ia and Aus tra l ia

, and f rom Ca l i forn ia ,

Lou i s iana , and Nor th Caro l ina to B raz i l and Peru ; inm igrat ion occurs t h roughout the Un i ted S ta tes and inGreen land and the Bermudas ; acc iden ta l in the H awa i ianI s lands .

va in . A fi sherman sa i d t o me, as I returned :Sonny , you m ight as wel l try t o wa lk up to an

ol d B lack Duck in broad dayl igh t as t o them’

ere P l overs .

”

BLACK-BELL IED PLOVER nat. s ize)The larges t and shyes t of the P lovers

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2 58 B IRDS or

P lumage .— ADULTS IN SUM M ER : Forehead , broad

s t r ipe over and beh ind eye and con t inu ing down s ide of

nec k and brea s t , pu re w h i te ; cron '

n,back of n eck

,back ,

and shou l ders , black ish- brown,s t reaked on crown and

back of n eck , and each fea ther o f res t o f upper par t ssharply inden ted a l l around w i t h go lden ye l low ; w ingcover t s and secondar ies , more brown i sh , but show ingsome go lden -

ye l low spo t t ing ; pr imar ies , pla in du skyg ray darken ing at t ips and w h i ten ing at base, but no

pronounced wh i te areas as in the B lack -brea s ted P lover ;ta i l

,w h i te w i t h brown i sh bars ; lores , t h roa t , s ide of

h ead in f ron t of w h i te s t r ipe , breas t , and under pa r ts ,pure brown i sh -b lack ; bi l l , dusky ; fee t , lead co lor ; eye ,

large and lus trous brown . A DULTS IN W I N TER : Above,

somew ha t as in summer but co lor s les s in ten se ; moregreen i sh -ye l low and pa ler brown ; s ides of h ead , n eck ,brea s t , and under par t s in genera l brown i sh or gray i shwh i te, nar row ly s t reaked on s ides o f head and t h roat ,mo t t led on neck , breas t , and abdomen , w i th da rk

In the Go lden P l over we have a noble and

beaut i fu l spec ie s wh ich has woe fu l ly decrea sedin numbers and may even be in danger o f exterm inat i on . Its won der fu l m igrat i on s have beenmuch wr i t ten about . B reed ing a l ong the Arct iccoast s o f n or thwes tern Nor th Amer ica

,the

AMER ICA

gray i sh -brown ; an obscure dusky s t r ipe beh ind eye ;b i l l , legs , and eye as in summer . YOUNG : Above ,

du sky mo t t led w i th du l l wh i t i sh spo t s , becom ing ye l lowon the rump ; be low , a shy , deeper on lower neck and

brea st .Nes t an d Eggs . NEST : A s l igh t depres s ion in the

mos s or ground . EGGS : 4, creamy -wh i te to bufl'

y

brown , spo t ted bo ld ly w i t h b lo tches of brown and

black .

D i s tr ibu tion .- No r t h and Sou t h Amer i ca ; breeds

f rom Ko t zebue Sound a long the A rc t i c coas t to mou t hof the Macken z ie , and f rom Me l v i l le I s land

, W e l l ing tonChann e l , and Me l v i l le Pen in su la sout h to nor t hwes ternH udson Bay ; w in ters on the pampas of B raz i l and

A rgeh tina ; m igrates sou t h ac ros s the A t lan t i c f romNova Sco t ia and New B run sw i c k ; a few pas s sout hth rough the M i s s i s s ippi va l ley ,

and a l l m igra te nor t h byt h i s rou te ; in m igrat ion to Ca l i forn ia, Green land , and

Bermuda ; former ly abundan t , now becom ing rare .

Go lden P l over s in August'

proceed eastward toLabrado r , and down the coa s t t o the pen in su lao f Nova Scot ia . Then ce they launch f orth overthe open A t lan t ic , s t ra ight s outh , pas s ing severa lhund red m i le s off the New Englan d coast , un les sd r iven ashore by easter ly ga les . Con t inu ing,

they

Courtesy of Amer ican Museum of Na tu ra l H is toryGOLDEN PLOVER(Win ter plumage)

A nob le and beaut if ul s pecies which has woefu l ly decreased in numbers

PLOVER S

pa s s the -"est Ind ies , cro s s the Gu l f o f Mex ic o

and appear on the coa s t o f B raz i l . Be ing able t oa l ight on the water and feed among ma s ses o fd r i f t -weed mak es such a l ong j ourney po s s ible .

R each i ng land , they keep on down to the pampa so f A rgen t ina . R eturn ing nor th to breed , theypa s s , in Apr i l and May ,

up through the in ter i orUn i ted S tates , espec ial ly the M i s s i s s ippi va l ley ,neglect ing the A t lan t i c coa s t , and thus aga inreach the breed ing ground s .The au tumna l fl ight on the New England coa s t

u sed to be a gre a t even t , watched for w i th eager

nes s by the l oca l gunners . I f a tropi ca l hurr icanecame up the coa s t between abou t Augu s t 20 and

the m i dd le o f September , w i th its v i-o le'

n t on

sho r e gales f rom the no r theas t , there wou ld be a

wonder fu l influx o f Golden P l over s , d r iven off

the i r cour se, accompan i ed by equa l ly grea t flock sbf the E s k imo Cur lew ,

now,a la s

, probably ex

t i nct .The last rea l ly grea t fl igh t o f both thesespecies wh ich I w i tnes sed was in late August ,1883 , at Cha tham ,

Ma s s,at the sou thern end o f

the pro j ect i on o f Cape Cod . The w ind was

shr iek ing ,and I hard ly cou l d s tand aga in s t i t

on“

the exposed head lands , where I watched great

259

K IL L DEEROxyechus v ociferu s (L int-la ws )A . O . U . Number 2 73

O t her Nam e s .— K i l'ldeer P lover ; No i sy P lover ;Cha t ter ing P lover ; K i l l d-cc.

Gen eral D e scr ipt ion . L eng th , 10 in c hes . Co lorabove , o l i ve—brown ; be low , pure whi te . A f ron t v iew of

the b i rd shows four black bands , two on head and two

on breas t . W ings , long and , in fl igh t , show ing a wh i teV ; ta i l long and rounded ; b i l l s lender .

Col or . ADU LTs : Foreh ead , wh i te f rom eye to

eye , pro longed below : above t h i s, a b lack band ; a

brown i sh -b lack patc h f rom g ape a long lower s ide of

head ; a w h i te co l lar around n eck con t inuous w i t h w h i tet h roa t ; a broad di ffuse" s t r ipe of the brown i sh -b lackback of eye ; c rown , back , shou lders , w ing— cover t s

, and

secondar ies, pla in o l i ve—brown ; rump and upper ta il

coz 'c r ts , orange—brown deepen ing to ches tnu t beh ind ;

severa l inn er pa i r s of ta i l — feat her s , o l i ve-brown shadingin to b lack , th en l igh ten ing aga in and chang ing in torus ty t ips , o th ers w i t h the orange—brown at rump, blacksubterm ina l bar s

,and pu re w h i te t ips , the ou ter pa i r ,

mos t ly wh i te, w i t h severa l broken blac k bars on inn er

The K i l l deer get s its name f rom its l oud,

s tr i den t,and f requen t ly re i terated cry,

wh i chsomewhat resembles the wo rd s K i l l deer ”

or

the syl lables K i l l -dee .

” I t is a t rue P l o v er,and

S ee Co lor Pla te 3 9

a member o f the impo r tan t sho re—b i rd fam i l ywh i ch are u sua l ly to be found near the wa ter or

in mo i s t places . But the K i l l deer a l s o occur s i requen t ly on per fect ly dry land , many m i l e s f rom

compact mas ses O f these wonder fu l b i rd s , h igh ina ir

, blow ing in f rom the sea . They a l ighted , as

was the i r won t , on the upland gra ssy pa s tures a swe l l as on the mar she s

,where they eager ly lev ied

to l l on the i r fa vo r i te gra s shopper d iet , wh i le thegunner s al s o t ook to l l o f them . Thu s ear ly inthe sea s on a l l were in the changing adu l t plumage,

the pa le—bel l i ed young not arr iv ing t i l l about m idSeptember .

In Nova S cot ia ,befo re they launched for th

on the i r great v oyage ,I have wa tched large flock s

O f them per fo rm wonder fu l aér ial e vo lut i on so ver the mar shes , sw inging h igh and low manyt imes befo re a l igh t ing . They came qu i te read i lyt o tin or wooden decoys be fo re a wel l —placedbl ind . Dur ing the spr ing fl igh t , in May , I havewatched them on the No r th Dakota pra i r i e ,

when

they were in the i r exqu i s i te breed ing plumage .

As they faced me , the i r coa l -black brea s t s so

blended w i th the black l oam s o i l that i t was hardat fir s t to m ake them out . Apparen t ly rea l i z ingthe i r concea l ing co l o ra t i on . they wou l d s tand perfectly st i l l t i l l I came w i th in fi f teen or twen typaces , whereupon they wou l d dar t off t ogether inthe i r sw i f t fl ight , piping the i r me l od i ou s cal l s .

HERBER T K . Tori .

webs ; pr ima r ies,dusky with a w h i te space on ou ter

webs and a longer one on inner webs ; secondar ies ,mos t ly w h i te, but w i th black areas inc reas ing f romw i t h in ou tward ; a, bla ck br eas t - band encir c ling neck ;below this a whi te space,

and below th is aga in. anotherblack breas t—band n ot extending a round neck ; res t ofunder par ts , pure w h i te ; b i l l , dusky ; legs , leaden g ray ;

i r i s, brown ; eyel ids , orange or red. YOUNG : B lac k of

adu l ts replaced by g ray ; fea t her s of upper pa r t s markedw i th ru s ty -brown .

Nes t an d Egg s . Eocs : Depos i ted on the ba re

g round in fie lds , usua l ly n ear wa ter ; 4, du l l buffy ,

t h i c k ly spo t ted and blo tched w i th brown and sepia.

D i s tr ibu t ion — Nor t h and Sout h Amer i ca ; breedsf rom c en t ra l B r i t i sh Co lumb ia , sou t h ern Macken z ie,

cen t ra l Keewa t in , and cen t ra l Quebec sou t h to the Gu l fcoas t and cen t ra l Mex ico : w in ter s f rom Ca l i forn ia ,

Ar i zona,Texas , Ind iana , New J er sey , and Bermuda

sou th to Ven ezuela and Peru ; casua l in New found land,

Paraguay , and Ch i le ; ac c iden ta l in Grea t B r i ta in

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262 B IRDS OF

D i s tr ibu t ion . Nor t h and South Amer i ca ; breedsf rom Me l v i l le I s land , W e l l ington Channe l , and Cumberland Sound to the va l ley of the upper Yukon , sou t hernMackenz ie

,sou t hern Keewa t in , and Gu l f of St. Law

The Sem ipa lmated P l over i s the commonP l o ver o f the A t lan t ic seaboard , for dur ing the

m igrat i on s there are probably mo re o f them t o beseen than o f a l l the other P l overs comb i ned , buteven at tha t they are far from be ing numerous asthey once were . In my boyhood I have seenfl ocks o f hundreds , wh i le now i t is a ma t ter o fdozens . Yet we are f ortunate in hav ing thems t i l l wi th us t o i l lust rate the P l over type on our

D rawing by R . I . B rasher

AMER ICA

ren ce ; w in ters f rom southern Lower Ca l i forn ia , Lou i s iana, and Sou th Caro l ina to Pa tagon ia ,

Ch i le, and

the Ga lapagos ; ca sua l in S iber ia , Green land , and the

Bermudas .

bound in re spon se . When they take t o w ing thesen o tes are speeded up and re i tera ted as the flockc i rcles out over the wa ter and da shes pas t . Theyare w i th us in May , and aga in in August and

September , be ing more numerous in the lat terper i od , re in f orced by the new genera t i on .

Through Augus t we see the adul ts , w i th the i rd i st inct black breas t -band s , but i t i s not t i l l September , usua l ly , that the grayer young begin to

SEMIPALMA’

I‘

ED PLOVER (3 nat. s ize)A gracefu l l i ttle P lover and sk i l lfu l in the art of concea lmen t

beaches and flats — b i rd s w i th head s proport i onately large ,

w i th rob in - l ike act i on s in rac ingoff for a few yards , then s tand ing s t i l l t o gazeand med i tate ,

though w i th the body more hor iz onta l than the R ob in ,

then s tooping t o conquerthe smal l mar ine l i fe at the i r feet .They f requen t both beaches and flat s , prefer

ably the lat ter , and somet ime s poo l s on the marsh .

Here they scat ter out in feed ing but bunch t ogether in fl igh t . From the fla t s

,be fore we d is

co ver them ,come s tha t. s ingu lar ly at t ract ive

character i s t i c ca l l wh ich a lways makes my pul ses

appear , i l lust rat ing one o f the s trange phases ofb i rd hab i t s , tha t in many ca ses the young makethe l ong un t r ied j ourney s outhward a f ter mo s t o fthe paren t s have gone on be fore . They are f oundin the in ter i or , as wel l as on the coas t , but most lya l ong the larger bod i es o f water , or on mar shes .where there are shal l ow s l ough s and mud-flats .

The breed ing-

groun d s are most ly in the Far

North , even beyond the Arct i c Ci rcle . The southernmost po in t where they are known t o breed isthe Gu l f o f St . Lawrence . There I have s tud iedthem , on the Magda len I s lands , fi nding a scat tered

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264 B IRDS OF AMER ICA

PIPING PLO V ER

[Egial itis mel oda (0rd )A . O . U . Number 2 77

O ther Names — R ingneck ; Pa le R ingneck ; W h i teR ingnec k ; Be l ted P iping P lover ; W

'

es tern P ipingP lover ; C lam B i rd ; Mourn ing B ird ; Beac h P lover ;Sand P lover .

Genera l Descr ipt ion . Length , 7 inches . Upper

par ts , co lor of dry sand ; under par t s , snowy w h i te .

Toes,not webbed ; h ind toe m i s s ing ; b i l l shor t .

Col on— Forehead , wh i te ; a black band on f ron tof c rown f rom eye to eye ; lores , s treak beh ind eye ,

ch in , t h roat , s ides of head, a ha l f co l lar around back ofnec k , and en t i re under par ts , pure snowy w h i te ; c rownand upper par ts , very pa le ashy

-br ozwi ; a b lack bandon upper brea s t tending to enc i rc le n eck but not mee ting ; an indi s t inct dusky s t reak beh ind eye ; pr imar ies ,dusky wi t h wh i te spaces at base ; secondar ies and

grea ter cover t s , mos t ly w h i te ; long inner secondar ies ,s im i lar to back ; upper ta i l -cover t s and base o f ta i l ,wh i te, la t ter b lacken ing toward end , and outer pa i r of

fea t hers , en t i rely wh i te ; an orange- red r ing around eye ;

Truly a b i rd o f the beach- sand i s the P ipingP l over . W i th propr iety i t m ight have been

named the Sand P l over . I t l ook s the part , fori t l ives on the sand and so cl osely resembles thesand in co l or that i t i s rendered almo s t inv i s ibl et i l l i t move s . Then whoever i t is tha t approachesmay n ot ice a wh i t i sh st reak proj ect ing i t sel fahead over the in ten sely br igh t dry san d so

rapi d ly that i t m igh t more read i ly seem t o bes ometh ing flying than runn ing. Its piping ca l l sare pla in t ive and pret ty,

harmon i z ing finel y w i ththe genera l spi r i t o f the ex tended beach

,the

daz z l ing sand , and the flow ing sea w i th its

monotonous under tone.

Somehow the sea—beach hard ly seem s ful lygenu ine w i thou t i t . None the l es s many o f ourbeaches have l o s t th i s l i t t le gem o f a res i den t .W i th the adven t o f increa s ing throngs o f summer

v i s i to r s , the eggs are s tepped on or pi cked up,

and the b i rds are sho t by vanda l s or are fo rced tomove on . At some t imes i t has seemed that theseb i rd s wou ld be ex term inated

,but law and publ ic

sen t imen t have come t o the re scue, and in some

quar ters they s t i l l cl ing tenac i ous ly t o the i r o l dhaun ts . They are f ound not on l y on the sea

coa s t , but on the sandy or pebbly shores o f thelarger in land lakes .

The eggs o f th i s P l over general ly number fourand are la i d in a rather deep,

wel l - rounded cav i ty,

in a lmo s t c lear sand,when there is such , but

o therw i se on sh ingle or pebbl y areas,at the top

o f beaches . They are la i d in the lat i tude o fs outhern New England dur ing the lat ter par t o f

basa l ha l f of b i l l , orange yel low, front ha l f , b lack ; fee t ,ye l low i sh ; i r i s , brown . ADULT FEM ALE : The crown bari s u sua l ly dark brown and the breas tband much reducedand brown i sh . YOUNG : No trace of dark co lor on

head, and l i t t le, i f any , on s ides of neck ; feather s ofupper par ts w i th pa le or rus ty edg ings ; b i l l , ma in lyb lack .

Nes t and Eggs . EGGS : Genera l ly la i d amongs tones on the beac h ; 4, c lay co lor or creamy-w h i te,

t h in ly and un i form ly marked w i t h sepia specks , some

t imes mere po in ts .D i s tr ibu t ion . Eas tern Nor th Amer i ca ; breedsloca l ly f rom sou t hern Saskatchewan , sout h ern On

tar io , Magda len I s lands , and Nova Sco t ia sou th to

cen t ra l Nebraska , nor t hwes tern Indiana , Lake Er ie,New Jersey ( former ly ) , and V i rg in ia ; w in ters on the

coas t of the Un i ted S ta tes f rom Texas to Georg ia , and

in nor t hern Mex i co ; ca sua l in m igra t ion to Newfoundland , the Bahamas , Greater An t i l les

, and Bermuda .

May or in ear ly June . I have even found fresheggs in ju l y , but such case s are more l ikelysecond layings , a f ter the fi rs t set is dest royed , asshore b i rds as a class seem t o rear but one broodeach season . The eggs are d i st inct f rom tho se o fother a l l ied spec ies in be ing finely speck led instead of coarsely marked .

Photo by H . K . Job

NE ST OF P IP ING PLOVER

Cour tesy of Doub leday , Page (Sc Co.

The young l ook l ike l i t t le bunches o f co t tonba t t ing bl ow ing over the sand . Though born out

in the open glare o f the sun on the hot sand , theycanno t at fi r s t endure much heat , but are care

fu l ly brooded by the i r paren ts , or el se h ide underdr i f t-weed or in the clumps o f beach -

gra ss .

The food o f these l i t t le P l overs is the t iny

PLOVER S

mar ine l i fe cas t up by the waves on the broad l i t t le th ings has a lways seem ed to me an at roc i ty ,wh i te beaches where they spend the i r innocen t happi ly now made a cr ime . both by S tate enactl i ves and beaut i fy the impres s ive surround ings . men t s and by the laws o f the na t i on .

The s ight o f a big man w i th a gun cha s ing the H ERBER T K . JOB .

SNOW Y PL OV ER

l Egia l itis n ivosa Cass in

A . O . U . Numbe r 2 78

O ther Name . Snowy R ing P lover .

Gen eral D e scr ipt ion . Length , 7 in ches . Co lorabove, ashy -

g ray ; be low , snowy-w h i te ; no complete

t t'h ite r ing around n eck . B i l l s l ender,shor ter t han

head ; h ind toe‘

m is s ing .

Col on — ADULT I\I : \ LE IN S UM M ER : Forehead , l ineover eye,

s ides of head and w ho le under par t s , snowyw h i te ; broad b lack bar f rom eye to ey e ; c rown , pa leorange-brown ; na r row blac k s t reak f rom back o f eye

tending to mee t i t s fe l low on nape ; res t of upper par t s ,pa le a shy-

gray ; severa l pa i r s of ta i l— feat her s , l i keback , darken ing towa rd ends ; two or t h ree out s idepa i rs , en t i re ly w h i te ; pr imar ies , dusky w i t h a browni sh cen t ra l space ; grea ter cover t s . a shy—

g ray . w h i tet ipped : pr imary cover t s , darker , a l so wh i te- t ipped ;outer secondar ies , dark brown , long inner ones , co loro f back ; a broad blac k patc h on eac h s ide o f brea s t ,

Someth ing l ike poet i c l icense mus t be invokedas an excu se for cal l ing th i s P l over

' snowy ,s ince in po in t o f fact on ly about ha l f

,and tha t

the l ower ha l f,o f the b i rd is wh i te ,

wh i le the

upper par t s genera l ly are buffy-

gray . I t is e s sentia l ly a b i rd o f the we s tern Un i ted S tates . Its

n o te is s im i lar to that o f the P iping P l o ver and

so are its hab i t s , e spec ia l ly tha t o f search ing formar i ne cru s tacea and worm s a l ong the seashore ,

fo l l ow ing the reced ing waves and ret reat ing before them as they come s l i d ing in .

The ma le and female take turn s at incuba t ingthe eggs and the b i rd who is on the nes t i s fedby the other . But for the t rack s made by the

b i rd s in these v i s i t s , the eggs u sua l ly wou l d beexceed ingly hard to fi nd ,

as the i r co l or O f tenmake s them blend per fect ly w i th the sand and

d r i f t abou t them .

The breed ing hab i t s o f the b i rd s were cl o sely

no t mee t ing on bac k o f neck or f ron t of brea s t ; b i l land feet , black ; i r i s , brown . ADULT FEMALE IN S UM MER :Band over eye and s t r ipe back of i t , w i t h breas tpatch , du sky-

g ray ; O t he rw i se s im i lar to ma le . A DULTSIN W INTER : B lack pa r ts replaced by gray i sh brown ;o t herw i se s im i lar to summer plumage .

Ne s t an d Egg s . NEST : A depres s ion in the sandybeac h . EGGS : 3 , pa le buff or c lay co lor w i t h numerou ssc ra tc hy mark ings o f da rk brown and b lack .

D i s tr ibu t i on .— VVestern Un i ted S ta tes , to Sou t h

Amer ica ; breeds f rom cen t ra l Ca l i fo rn ia , nor t hernU tah , and sout hern Kan sa s sou t h to nor t hern LowerCa l i forn ia and sout hern Texa s ; w in ter s f rom sou thernCa l i forn ia and Texa s sou t h a long bo t h coas t s o f Cent ra l Amer ica , and on the w es t coas t to Ch i le : ca sua lin O regon , Wyom ing , On ta r io , Lou i s iana ,

F lor ida ,Ba

hama s , Cuba , Venezue la , and B raz i l .

observed at San ta Barbara , Ca l i fo rn ia , by Hen ryW . Hen shaw

,and the fo l l ow ing graph i c descr ip

t i on o f the i r conduct when the i r nes t was d isco vered is inc luded by Dr . Ba i rd in N orth Amer i

can B irds : Grea t was the a larm o f the co l onyas soon as his [ME H en shaw

’

s ] presence wasknown . They ga thered in t o l i t t le knot s , fo l l owing h im at a d i s tance w i th s orrowfu l cr i es .When her nes t was seen t o be rea l ly d i scovered

,

the fema le woul d fly c l o se by h im and make u se

o f al l the ar t s wh ich b i rd s o f th i s k ind know so

wel l how t o empl oy on l ike occa s i on s . W i thw ings drooping and t ra i l ing on the sand

,She

wou l d move in f ron t t i l l hi s a t ten t i on was

secured , and wou l d then fa l l helpless ly down ,

and,burying her brea s t in the sand , presen t the

very pi cture o f despa i r and woe,wh i le the ma le

b i rd and the other pa i r s expressed the i r sym

pa thy by l oud cr i es .

266 B IR DS OF AMER ICA

W IL SON ’

S PLOV ER

O chthod romu s wil son ius (0rd )

A . O . U . Number 2 80

General Descr ipt ion . Leng th. 8 in ches . Co lorabove , a shy -

gray ; be low , pure w h i te . H ead large ; b i l llong and large ; outer toes webbed ha l fway .

Co lon — ADULT MALE IN S UM M ER : Forehead ,wh i te, ex tending bac kwa rd above eye ; narrow b lackband ac ross fore c rown , n ot reac h ing eyes ; lores , dusky ;a w h i te co l lar con t inuous w i t h th roa t . around neck ;upper pa r t s , pa le a shy-

gray t inged w i t h brown or och eron bac k o f head and n eck , feat her s o i back and w ingcover t s , w i t h l igh ter edges ; pr ima r ies and c en t ra l ta i lfea t her s , dusky ; the ou ter pa i r w h i t i sh ; o t hers , co lorof back , grow ing darker toward end , and wh i te- t ipped ;a b lack ha l f r ing on fore—breas t not completed a roundneck ; res t O f under par t s , pure w h i te ; secondar ies , ex

cept inner ones mos t ly w h i te on inner web, darker on

ou ter ; b i l l , black ; legs , flesh co lor ; i r i s , dark brown ;

W i l son ’s P l over l ook s l ike a bleached and

faded copy o f the Sem ipa lmated , or e l se a morerobus t and darker type o f the P iping P lover .

I ts much larger and s t ou ter b i l l , howev er , procla im s i ts i den t i ty,

as doe s the fact tha t i t is seenin summer on the s ou thern coa s t , s outhward o fthe breed ing range even o f the P iping P l over ,though these ranges may over lap occa s i on a l ly on

the coa s t o f V i rg in ia . Its favor i te haun t s are

the mo re ret i red sand beaches and bar s f rom tha tS tate sou thward and on the Gu l f coa s t , pre ferabl yon the ocean fron t , though i t feed s t o some ex ten tback on the flat s or a l ong in let s . Fo l l ow ing the

water - l ine,we meet i t s i ngly or in pa i r s , though

there may be severa l pa i r s a l ong a good s t retch o fbeach . L ater in the summer , f rom about Ju ly ,when the young a re on w ing,

there may be a

semblance o f fl ock ing.

By keepi ng ou r eye s we l l peel ed , carefu l lywatch ing the sand as we wa lk a l ong,

we may spy

the spo t ted eggs ly ing in a s l igh t cav i ty o f thesan d

,u sua l ly among s ca t tered she l l s or bun ches

o f weed s or gra s s , in the d ry flat area o f wh i tesand above h igh—wa ter mark . The on ly ne s tbu i l d ing , a s i de f rom the scratch ing out o f theho l l ow

,is t o l ine i t w i th a few ch ips o f broken

shel l . I t is hard to see wha t par t i cu lar purpo seth i s may ser ve ,

un les s po s s ibly t o make the eggsa l i t t le les s con spi cuous . At the be s t they are

not read i ly found , and the b i rds them selves g ive

no co lored r ing around eve. ADULT MALE IN W INTER :B lac k replaced by du sky-

gray . AD ULT FEMALE : B lackon breas t of ma le replaced by dark gray , w i th a rus tyt inge ; o t herw i se s im i lar to summer ma le . YOUNG :D i ffer on ly f rom the adu l t fema le in hav ing no b lac kon c rown o r lores .Nest

‘

an d Eggs . EGGS : La i d among the loose pehbles of the open beaches ; 3 , pa le o l i ve or green i sh -g ray ,spo t ted and spla shed a l l over w i t h black i sh -brown .

D i s tr ibu t ion . Sout hern Nor th Amer ica ; breedsf rom Texa s ea s tward a long the Gu l f coa s t , and f romsou t heas tern V i rg in ia (former ly New J er sey ) , sou t h tothe nor t hern Bahama s ; w in ter s f rom sou th ern LowerCa l i forn ia , Texa s , and F lor ida sou t h to sou t hern Guatema la and probably to the W es t Indies ; casua l in NovaSco t ia and New Eng land , and at San D iego , Ca l i forn ia .

l i t t le clue t o the whereabouts o f the i r t rea sure s “They are not very shy , and pat ter a l ong the san dahead

,u t ter ing flute- l ike n o tes . For a wh i le they

keep flying on ahead,and presen t ly w i l l c i rc le

out over the water t o the rear .

Photo by H . K . Job Courtesy of Houghton M it’flin Co.

WIL SON’S PLOVERIts favor i te haun ts are the more retired sand beaches

1 have found the i r eggs in sou thern F l or i da inlate Apr i l , and on the shores o f South Caro l inat oward the m i dd le o f May .

HERBER T K . JOB .

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B IRDS OF AMER ICA

SURF-B IRD

Aphr iz a virga ta (Gmel in )

A . O . U“

. Number 2 82

O ther Nam e . P lover-b i l led Turn s tone .

Gen eral Descript ion . Leng th , 10 in c hes . Co lorabove,

dark ashy-brown s t reaked and var ied ; be low ,

du l l w h i te w i t h dark mark ings ; b i l l s tou t w i t h roundedtip ; ta i l , s l igh t ly no tched .

Col on — ADULTS IN SUM MER : Above, dark a shybrown s t reaked w i th w h i t i sh on head and neck and

va r ied w i t h c hes tnu t and black on back and w ingcover t s ; upper ta i l - cover ts and basa l ha lf of ta il , pur ewhi te ; cr es t of ta i l , black t ipped w i th z t'hi te : pr imar ies ,dus ky , t ipped wi t h w h i te ; greater cover t s , w h i te- t ipped ;large space on secondar ies , a l so w h i te ; under par ts , du l lw h i te or ashy var iega ted w i t h brown i sh -blac k marks ;th roa t and fore-breas t, narrowly s treaked, t hese s treaks

O rn i tho l ogi sts have been d iv ided as t o whetherthe Sur f -b i rd shou ld be con s i dered a P l over or a

Turns tone,and a f ter much argumen t have com

prom i sed by g iv ing it d i s t inct gener ic rank .

Ev i den t ly . the b i rd occur s frequen tly on the

Hawa i ian an d o ther i s lands in the Pac i fic Ocean ,

c hang ing on breas t proper to c rescen t ic bar s ; res t ofunder par ts , spar sely spo t ted ; b i l l . b lac k ; legs , green i shyel low ; i r i s , brown . A DULTS IN W INTER : H ead, n eck .

breas t , and upper par t s genera l ly , un i form dusky-brownw i t h darker sha f t l ines ; no w h i te or reddi sh ; w ing sand ta i l , as in summer ; benea th , du l l wh i te fa in t lyspo t ted . YOUNG : Above, brown i sh-

gray w i th wh i teedg ings to fea t hers ; below , wh i te streaked w i th dusky .

Nes t and Eggs . Unknown .

D i s tr ibu t ion — Paci fi c coas t of Nor th and Sou thAmer i ca ; breeding range unknown , but probably in the

in ter ior of nor thwes tern A laska ; w in ters in Ch i le to

S tra i t s of Mage l lan ; occur s in m igra t ion f rom KobukR i ver , A laska , to sou th ern Sou t h Amer i ca .

and i t i s known a l s o t o v i s i t the Pac i fic coast o fthe Un i ted S tates , but n owhere is it abundan t .Its breed ing

’

grounds are unknown . The b i rdfrequents the outer beaches o f the sea- coasts ,where i t perm i ts the spray from the heavy sur ft o da sh over i t ; hence the name given to it.

RUDDY TURNSTONE

Arenar ia in terpres mor inel l a (L inncrus )

A . O . U . Number 28 3 3

O ther Names — Turn s tone ; Sea Do t tere l ; Sea Qua i l ;Sand- runner ; Stone—pecker ; H orse foo t Sn ipe ; B ran tb i rd ; Bead-b i rd ; Checkered Sn ipe ; Red- legs : R ed

legged P lover ; Ch icken ; Ch icken P lover ; Ch i ckenb i rd ; Ca l ico-back ; Ca l i co-bi rd ; Ca l ico-j acke t ; Sparkedback ; S treaked—back ; Chuckatuck ; Creddock ; J inny ;B i shop P lover .

Gen eral D escr ipt ion . Leng t h , 9 in ches . Upper

par ts ch es tnu t . black , and wh i te ; low er part s b lack and

w h i te ; b i l l w i t h sharp tip in c l ined upward ; ta i l s l igh t lyrounded .

COIOI‘ . — ADULT MALE IN SPR ING AND S UM M ERForeh ead

,ch eeks , s ides of head , an d bac k of neck ,

w h i te wi t h a bar of b lack f rom s ide of neck to be loweye, con t inu ing forward and mee t ing i t s ma te over baseof b i l l and en c los ing a w h i te lora l pa tch ; ano t her b lacks t reak on s ide of neck ; top of head , s treaked w i t h b lackand w h i te ; lower h ind neck

,ba ck and shou lders

,z 'ar ie

ga ted w i th black and ches tnut ; ramp and upper ta ilcoverts , s nowy-wh i te

,the la t ter black in cen ter ; ta i l ,

wh i te w i t h a broad subterm ina l b lack band ; cen terta i l - fea thers , w h i te- t ipped ; wing-cover t s and inner sec

See Color Pla te 3 3

onda r ies,m i xed black and ch estnut ; greater coverts ,

mos t ly w h i te ; m iddle s econdar ies , en t irely whi te be

com ing gradua l ly more dusky ou tward ly , produc ing an

obl ique w h i te w ing bar ; pr imar ies , dusky , large ly w h i teat base ; under par ts , snowy-tarh -i te ; breas t and throat,jet-black , en c ircl ing a wh i te pa tch ; b i l l , b lac k ; feet,orange

-r ed ; i r i s , deep brown . A DULT FEM ALE IN SPR INGAND S UM MER : Les s s trong ly co lored ; ches tnut replacedby pla in brown , espec ia l ly on w ing-cover ts ; darkerparts res tr i c ted ; black not g los sy . AD ULTS IN W I N TER :Che s tnut absen t , the black s mos t ly replaced by brown sor gray s , the pa tc h on ches t sma l ler and much broken .

Nest and Eggs . NEST : A ho l low s c rat ched in the

ground and l ined w i t h b i t s of g ras s or seaweed . EGGS :4, green i sh -gray spo t ted and blo tc hed heav i ly w i t h yellow i sh and umber—brown .

Di str ibu t ion . North and Sou th Amer ica ; breeds onA rct ic shores f rom Macken z ie R i ver eas t , probablyto Me lv i l le Pen in su la , and nor th to Me l v i l le I s land ;w in ter s from cen tra l Ca l i forn ia,

Texa s , Lou i s iana ,

and South Caro l ina to sou t hern Braz i l and cen tra lCh i le .

SUR F— B IRDS AND TURNSTONES

Shore b i rd s as a c la s s are fo remo s t among theearth’s greates t t raveler s . The typi ca l spec i e s o fth i s c la ss breed on the A rct ic tund ra ,

and , when

w in ter approaches , m igrate near l y t o the furtherend of the South Amer i can con t inen t . Such a

wanderer is the Turn s tone ,a beaut i fu l spec i es ,

r ichly co l ored , and po s ses sed o f great powers o ffl igh t . The mon th o f May find s i t rapi d ly pas sing acro s s the U n i ted S tates , fo l l ow ing boththe A t lan t ic and Pac i fic coas ts and a l s o throughthe in ter i or . In the lat ter i t i s foun d a l ong the

larger bod ie s o f water , but a l s o on the s l ough s o fthe pra i r i es , espec ia l l y where a lka l ine cond i t i on sproduce open muddy shores . Some flock s are

seen as late as the fi rst week o f June . R eturn ing

Cour tesy of Am . Mus . Nat . H is t .TURN S TONE (énat. s ize)

H is method was not un lik e tha t of th e proverb ia l bu l l in the chi na- shop

band s begin to appear as s oon as the la s t o f ju ly ,and dur ing Augus t the ma in s ou thbound t i deis on .

The i r preva i l ing hab i t is t o keep in compactflock s

,mo re o f ten abou t a dozen

, when o f ten theyfly in l ines , as wel l as bunched up. None the

les s they are a l s o found scat ter ing,two or three,

or even a l one one . They fly very fa s t,u sua l ly

w i th a s or t o f tr i l l ing, rapi d ly re i terated ser i es o fnotes . They are wel l known to hun ter s

,fre

quen t ly by the names o f Ch icken P l over, Ca l i co

b i rd , and o ther s .The i r favo r i te haun t s are s tony beaches on the

open coa s t and a l s o in let s w i th gravel ly or par t lymuddy sho re s . For feed ing purpo ses they carryno kn i fe , l ike the Oys ter- catcher , but have an

arrangemen t no les s effect ive for the i r purpo sea wedge—shaped b i l l . How they use th i s I had

269

one ex cept i ona l chance t o watch . I t was in latea f ternoon t oward the m i dd le o f September ,

on

a sandy sh-ore,S l igh t ly muddy

,where shel l s and

debr is had been wa shed up. The select com

pany was one l i t t le Turn s tone and I , ” the lat terarmed w i th binocu lar s

,the fo rmer t oo bu sy to

not i ce in truder s . H e was a fi ne gen t leman ,

dres sed in the gaud i es t ca l ico po s s ible for thefa l l fa sh i on s , yet not t oo proud to work for h i ssupper . H is method was not un l ike that o fthe proverb ia l bu l l in the ch ina shop,

for he

t rot ted abou t,

“ t os s ing near ly everyth ing thatcame in h is way . In sert ing the wedge undera pebble, a shel l , or wha t not, he woul d give a

rea l t oss o f h is imper i ous head , and flop over i t

wou l d go . Presen t ly he tack led a sh ingle , and

had a hard t ime t o budge i t . H e tr ied i t on a l l

s i de s, and then aga in ,

un t i l at la s t he l i f ted and

threw i t over . H is effo r t s seemed to be we l lrewarded , for he fed there s ome l i t t le t ime, as

though many s lugs and wo rm s had taken refugebenea th i t . I t i s in search o f such prey that theturner o f s tones operates , a cog in the whee l o fthe sys tem o f na ture

,wh i ch decree s that every

po s s ible corner and crev i ce o f the great sys temsha l l have its guard ian ,

even the t iny spo t o fground beneath the pebble on the beach .

H ERBER T K . JOB .

The Turn s tone’s d i et i s not confined t o the an i

ma l food men t i oned,but inc ludes gra s shopper s o f

spec i es wh i ch o f ten menace ser i ou s ly var i ou scrops . Its ser v i ce in keeping down these pe st s is

2 70 B IR DS or AMER ICA

undoubted ly very valuable, and for th i s rea s ona l one the b i rd deserves carefu l protect i on at a l l

t imes .The B lack , or B lack -headed, Turnst one (Are

nar ia n i clanocepha la ) averages a t r i fle smal lerthan the R uddy Turns tone . In its summer

plumage the crown and upper back are blackw i th a green i sh—bron zy gl o s s ; the rest o f thehead , neck , throa t , and ches t are black , the forehead and s i des o f the head spot ted w i th wh i te,and a wh i te spot in f ron t o f the eye ; the re s t o f

the under part o f the body i s wh i te . In the

w in ter , the head , neck , and che s t are soo ty—blackw i thout spot s . The n es t ing and o ther hab i t s o fth i s Turn s t one dupl i cate those o f the R uddyTurn s tone . I t occur s on the Pac i fic coa s t o fNor th Amer i ca

, breed ing from Kot zebue Soundsou th to the val ley o f the l ower Yukon

, and

w in ter ing f rom B r i t i sh Co lumb ia s outh t o L owerCa l i forn ia . Somet imes i t wanders n or th t o Po in tBarrow , Alaska , and over t o nor theastern S i

ber ia .

O YS TE R - CAT CH E R S

Order Limi colae ; fami l y H cernatopodidce

HE Oy ster —catchers (H a’in atopodidaz) include ten species , and are v irtua l l ycosmopol itan in their di stribution . Th ree species occur in North America ,

and al l are essen t ial l y mari time birds . They are found (excepting by accident)on l y al ong the ocean fronts , where they get the prin cipal parts of their d iet ,oysters , c lams , mussel s , and various shel l - fi sh , whose shel l s they force apartwith their strong,

wedge- shaped bi l l s . They al so feed on marine worms andin sects .

These birds have very stout l egs and strong feet from which the h ind toei s lack ing . The pl umage i s chiefly black on the upper parts and wh i te underneath . The bil l of the l iving bird i s bright red . On the groun d Oy stercatchers wa l k with a de l iberate and dign ified stride , or run with ease and

con siderab le speed . Their flight a l so i s swi ft and gracefu l , though when flu shed whenthey are feeding they are not l i ke l y to fly far . They bui ld no nest but l ay in a

s l ight depression in the san d u sua l l y three eggs , which are buffy white , b l otched and

speck led with dark brown . Various ob server s have declared that incubation i s per formedentirel y by the fema le , but that she covers the eggs on l y at n ight or on cloudy day s and at

other times leaves her work to the sun and the hot sands .

OYSTER -CATCHER

H a matopu s pa l l iatus Temnzineh

O . U . Number 2 86

O t h er Name s .— Amer i can Oys ter -ca tcher ; Man t ledOys ter - catc her ; Brown -backed O y s ter - ca tch er ; Sea

C row .

Genera l De scr ipt ion — L eng t h , 2 1 in ches .b lac k , back brown ,

and under par t s w h i te .

Col on — E n t ire head and neck a l l around , g lossy

r ies ; pr imar ies , dusky-black i sh at ends ; en t ire under

par ts from the breas t , pure whi te ; b i l l , verm i l ion or

cora l - red, ye l low i sh at end ; legs , pa le purpl i sh fleshco lor ; i r i s and eye

- r ing , red or orange .

Ne s t an d Eggs . NEST : A s l igh t depres s ion on

sandy beaches . Eccs : 2 o r 3 ,w h i te or cream . spo t ted

H ead

blu ish—black,f requen t ly w i t h a g laucou s shade ; ba ck ,

shou lder s,rump, and upper ta i l —cover t s , dusky-brown

,

the s ide an d cen t ra l cover ts w h i te ; tai l , tcvhi te a t base ,

t h en brown i sh shading to b lack i sh at ends ; inner sec

ondar ies ,dusky -brown . ou ter ones , pure w h i te ; grea ter

cover t s , broad ly t ipped w i t h w h i te form ing a conspic

uous area in comb ina t ion w i th the w h i te of seconda

and b lo tch ed w i t h dark brown , black . o r lavender .

D i s tr ibu ti on . Coas t s o f Nor t h and Sout h Amer i caf rom Texas . Lou i s iana, and V i rg in ia ( former ly New

Jer sey ) ,sou th on bo t h coas t s of M ex i co to the Wes t

Indies , sou t hern B raz i l , and cen t ra l Ch i le : casua l nor t hto New B run sw ick ; breeds probab ly t h roughout i t srange .

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2 72 B IR DS or AMER ICA

the Oyster—ca tcher s are seen flying on ahead as

one advances , and then return ing in a c i rcu i t,i t

is l ikel y tha t there are eggs or young not far off.

The eggs are hard t o fi nd ,though they l ie r ight

out in the open ,on the h ighes t and dr i es t par t o f

Photo by H . K . Job Cour tesy of Houghton Mifli i n Co.

OY S TER -CATCHEROn nes t. South Carol ina

the bar, o f ten among shel l s and bunches o fdr i f ted sea-weed

,w i th wh ich they apt ly blend .

The young are even harder t o d i scover , un lessthey are seen t o run . I have searched a bar

,as

i t were, w i th a fi ne—too th com-b be fore detect ing

Photo by C lyde FisherON ORANGE LAKE

Courtesv of Nat . Asso . Aud . Soc.

The I s land , here shown , was purchased by the Nationa l Associat ion of Audubon Societies fora bird res erva tion

the l i t t le creatures — exact ly the co l or o f thesand ly ing out stretched by some weed or bit o fdébr i s .

One very absorb ing exper ience wh ich I havehad was in photograph ing an Oyster-catcher at

her nes t . The open sand-flat afforded no po ss ibleconcea lmen t . At n igh t I placed a bunch o f seaweed near the two eggs . In the morn ing I setthe camera under th i s

,and , a t tach ing a spoo l o f

strong thread to the Shut ter , had my f r iendsbury me in the sand , at the thread

'

s end ,a l l but

head and arm . When the re s t o f the party lef tthe i s land

,the b i rds wa lked r igh t pas t me

, gaz ingw i thou t fear at the apparen t l y d i sconnected headcast up by the waves . Soon the fema le wassh ie l d ing her eggs from the blaz ing Carol ina sun .

Then exc i tedl y I pu l led the thread and the picturewas m ine ! HERBERT K . JOB .

The B lack,

or Bachman’s

,Oys ter- catcher

(H ematopns hachmon i ) i s pecu l iar to the Pac i ficcoa s t o f No r th Amer ica

,breed ing from Pr ince

\V i l l iam Sound , A laska ,west through the A leu

t ian I s lan ds and s outh to cen t ra l L ower Ca l iforn ia , and w in ter ing from s outhern B r i t i shCo lumb ia t o L ower Ca l i f orn ia . I t averages abouttwo inches shorter than its eastern congener . Its

head and neck are du l l b lu i sh—black , and the resto f its plumage brown i sh -black . In hab i t s it,a lso , is st r i ct ly a shore—b i rd .