THE MUSEUM. 



309 



well dressed for this time of the year, 

 bright chestnut and blue -gray colors 

 in conspicuous places, but the bright 

 red cap which they donned before de- 

 parture in the spring must have been 

 left behind somewhere in the neighbor- 

 hood of their nests. 



From the direction the Mallards 

 took comes the report of a heavy gun, 

 and the Mallards come frying back in 

 haste, but there are only five of them. 



In the locust over our head a most 

 startling outcrv is now heard, almost 

 like a chicken in great distress. It is 

 a Shrike, which therewith calls the at- 

 tention of its mate to the hidden foe 

 beneath, saying, no doubt, "Be on 

 your guard, there is one of those mon- 

 strous gum-boots who carry thunder 

 and lightning into our tranquil habita- 

 tion, and shed the blood of the inno- 

 cent wherever they go." Kri kri 

 comes from the neighboring tree, mean- 

 ing clearly: "I see him, I keep an 

 eye on him; better let us go;" and off 

 they go. 



Turning away from the lake we fol- 

 low the slough, a narrow ditch inclos- 

 ed by a wide border of flags, several 

 feet high, deep green below; but cin- 

 namon on the tips. This is the home 

 of the Marsh Wrens, and one, with a 

 conspicuous superciliary, almost white 

 and sharply contrasting against the 

 plain dark pileum comes up into a 

 bush and sings its simple tune, keep- 

 ing time with the tail, which goes 

 rhythmically up and down. Several 

 more of the Longbills come into sight 

 but only one of the little Shortbills has 

 the courage to show its streaked head 

 above the sheltering flags. 



Since we advanced through the high 

 marsh grass, many small birds have 

 jumped out, not exactly from under 



our feet, but within two or three yards, 

 and after a short, nervous flight, in 

 which they alternately spread and fold 

 the pointed tail-feathers, sink down 

 and out of sight among the wavy yel- 

 low blades. Although the flight is 

 short, a quick and practised eye can 

 catch the yellow hue of neck and head 

 and, together with its diminutive size, 

 we know him well, — it is our friend 

 the Leconte Sparrow. But present- 

 ly we shall be treated to a novel sight. 

 Five of the beautiful creatures adorn 

 the leafless branches of a little haw- 

 thorn tree, eight feet in height and 

 raising its head only a fev»^ feet above 

 the tips of the surrounding grasses. 

 A sixth one comes up to take a seat; 

 it is now their time to take an airing 

 and a sunning, the only hour of the 

 day when they remain exposed to view 

 for any length of time. We pass a 

 few more of these isolated thorn-trees, 

 standing in line like sentinels along 

 the slough, as if to keep the flags from 

 marching upon the domain of the 

 grasses. Each one has at this hour a 

 small contingent of Lecontes, who af- 

 ter paying a visit to the watery region 

 of the flags return to dry and preen 

 upon the branches. But our hour is 

 over. — TJie Aiik, July, 18^^. 



The American Crow. 



NOTES ON ITS HABITS: NOTABLY FEEDING, 

 NESTING, KOOSTING, FLIGHT, RELATIVE 

 ABUNDANCE, ETC., BY VARIOUS OBSER- 

 VERS IN WIDLY' SCATTERED LOCAL- 

 ITIES. 



Extracts from Bulletin No. 5, of the Wilson Ornitholo- 

 gical chapter of the Agassiz Assocation. 



^'CorviLS anicricanus is found 

 throughout the United States with the 

 exception .of Southern Florida, where 

 it is replaced by the sub-species flori- 

 daniis; and the Central Plains and 



