Bulletin of the Scientific Laboratories of Denison University. 

 Vol. XII. Article VIII. December, 1905. 



THE BIRDS OF LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 

 By I. A. Field. 



Introduction. 



Licking county hold.s a central position in the State of 

 Ohio, being bounded on the north by Knox county, on the 

 east by Coshocton and Muskingum, on the south by Fairfield 

 and Pcrr}' and on the west by Franklin and Delaware counties. 

 It lies on the 40th parallel between the 82nd and 83rd meridians. 

 It extends 2234 miles north and south and 30 miles east and 

 west, embracing 675 square miles. The topography of the 

 count)' is quite varied, being very rough and hilly in the eastern 

 portion while that of the west more nearly approaches a level. 

 The western part, however, is in hummocks and hillocks, the 

 result of glacial action. Geologically considered the eastern 

 part of the county is a Carboniferous exposure, the middle 

 Sub-carboniferous and the western is covered with glacial drift. 



The county is drained by the Licking river which is fed 

 by numerous small streams chief among which are the Raccoon 

 and Licking creeks. All these streams converge towards the 

 east. 



In the southern part of the count)' lies the Licking reser- 

 voir which extends into Fairfield and Perry counties. This 

 body of water covers an area of nearly 6000 acres, has many 

 muddy beaches and is bordered for miles by a wide, swampy 

 growth of bushes and reeds. It is a typical place for shore and 

 aquatic birds and these may be found there in great numbers 

 at the proper season. Washington township contains a small 

 lake known as Hass lake which covers an area of about twenty- 

 five acres. This is surrounded by a broad margin of swamp 

 land win'cli supports a very dense growth of vegetation. Be- 

 sides these bodies of water, numerous small ponds are distrib- 

 uted here and there throughout the count)'. These in the 

 spring are frequented by many different species of water-birds. 



Considerable timber is distributed over the county. Most 



