134 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Northern Shrike, or Butcher Bird, and White-Rumped Shrike. The 

 first is a winter visitor only, remaining about the cornfields and feeding 

 almost wholly upon mice. 



Tlie White-Rumped remains in this State during the summer. Its 

 food consists principally of small snakes, grasshoppers, and beetles. 



The Night Hawk and Whippowil both feed upon insects, but whether 

 those beneficial or injurious to the fruit grower, is yet to be learned. 



In this order, also, are the Certhidce or Creepers, both the White and 

 and Red-Bellied Nuthatches. Of these species, the former is very common ; 

 but of the latter, very few are found in this State, as I have seeii but two, 

 in many years' collecting — one at Rock Island and the other in Lincoln 

 Park, Chicago. These active, industrious little fellows are continually at 

 work doing good, running over the bark of the fruit and forest trees, in 

 search of bark-lice and the eggs of spiders, and the small moths; and 

 although few remain with us to nest, yet, as they come here to spend the 

 winter, they should by all means be protected. Being veiy tame, many 

 are killed by boys, with stones ; as I have seen in several instances, within 

 a few weeks in this city, (Chicago). 



The same good may be said of the Black-cap Titmouse [Parus 

 Atricapillus)^ which remains during the whole year, and may be seen 

 during the coldest days of winter, in the orchards and forests, looking 

 after his favorite food, the bark-louse and the eggs of small moths. 



The Buntings, Finches, and SpaiTows, nearly all of whose food consists 

 of seeds, may with propriety be classed among the beneficial birds, as they 

 devour immense quantities of noxious seeds which would otherwise be 

 scattered by the winds to propagate again. A few of them eat insects, 

 but whether those beneficial or injurious, I am not yet certain. 



Among the Rasores^ or Game Birds, I will make mention of our 

 beautiful little Quail {Ortyx Virgmiafius)^ w^hose good services in 

 destroying noxious seeds and insects, merit for them the kindest care and 

 protection, and if I was " lord of the soil," I would not allow one of them 

 killed upon my premises at any season of the year. I have heard from 

 several persons — one, in particular, was Prof. B. D. Walsh — that the 

 quail eats the chinch bug. Of this I have no positive evidence, but 

 would like to have this very important information confirmed. In nearly 

 20 specimens of quails, dissected last winter, I did not find that number 

 of grains of corn. The crops were all filled with the seeds of noxious 

 weeds, although the specimens were all shot in a cornfield. 



Among the Water Birds [Grallatores)^ there are none that deserve 

 particular mention except, perhaps, the Actiturus hartramhis^ Old Field 

 Plover, which nests on the prairies and in the cornfields. He destroys 

 many grasshoppers, beetles, and small snails, doing us some good, and 

 certainly no harm. 



The order Natatores^ or "swimming birds," includes Geese, Ducks, 

 Loons, and Grebes. These birds I consider neither especially beneficial 

 or injurious, except that they sometimes damage the farmer by feeding 

 in his cornfields in the fall. 



You will perceive that In the above few species enumerated, I have 



