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IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXV, 1918 



nesting birds, and the writer has found the field sparrow, red- 

 winged blackbird, grasshopper sparrow, dickcissel, meadowlark, 

 bobolink, and ]\Iaryland yellow-throat nesting in it. Diekeissels 

 frequently build in weeds growing in oat and wheat fields, and 

 the writer has found goldfinch nests in thistles in similar situa- 

 tions in other parts of Iowa. The cornfields are practically de- 

 void of bird life, the prairie horned lark and tlie killdeer lieing 

 the only two species which the writer has found commonly there 

 during the nesting season. 



FiK- 14. Open lowland pastuie with a scattered growth of Hawthorn 

 ( Crataesjus sp.) 



This leaves for consideration the towns and artificial groves, 

 which contained the greatest concentration of bird life. The 

 bronzed grackle was rarely found breeding except in the vari- 

 ous groves of conifers scattered aliout the country. In ^larshall- 

 town the robin, Baltimore oriole, chipping sparrow, dicker, and 

 red-headed woodpecker nested commonly in the trees and shrul^s 

 along the city streets. Every year the nighthawk nested on the 

 roofs of buildings, although the writer never found it elsewhere. 



