70 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXVI, 1919 



In the fall it was a tolerably common migrant from August 21 to 

 September 19. On August 22, 1914, a large number were seen 

 feeding in a willow thicket. 



179. Sctophaga ruticilla. Redstart. An abundant migrant and 

 locally common summer resident. Its earliest spring appearance was 

 May 3, and the latest record was September 19. Usually this spe- 

 cies ranked with the myrtle, yellow and Tennessee warblers in 

 abundance during migration. A nest discovered June 26, 1915, at 

 Mormons Ridge contained one tgg. An ^gg was laid on June 27, 

 and a third on Tune 28, after which the female commenced to incu- 

 bate. A female was found incubating two cowbird eggs in another 

 nest a short distance away. Both of these nests were built in hazel 

 bushes about three feet from the ground. 



180. DiimcteUa caroUncnsis. Catbird. An abundant summer 

 resident from May 3 to September 26. It was no trouble to discover 

 a catbird's nest as practically every gooseberry bush and plum 

 thicket along the river contained one. They also built commonly in 

 bushes and vines about the houses in Marshalltown. The earliest 

 nesting date that I have is of a nest containing one tgg May 22, 

 1914, and the latest a nest containing four eggs, July 14, 1915. 'A 

 nest containing three nearly fledged young was noted August 3, 

 1914. 



181. Toxostoma riifnm. Brown Thrasher. An abundant sum- 

 mer resident from April 20 to September 29. Like the catbird this 

 species nested so abundantly that it was not difficult to find their 

 nests. Two nests found on May 22, 1913, were built on the ground. 

 One was placed beneath a pile of drift material left by the river 

 and the other was beside a small bush. Many small, exceedingly 

 dense hawthorne trees or bushes, which were dwarfed by browsing 

 animals, were scattered over the pasture lands along the river. 

 Many of these, only a foot or two in height and consisting of 

 masses of twigs and broken branches, were favorite nesting sites 

 for the thrashers. A nest containing one &gg, discovered on May 

 14, 1914, and one containing two eggs found on June 28, 1915, were 

 the earliest and latest nesting dates. 



182. Troglodytes ccdon parkmani. Western House Wren. The 

 house wren was an abundant summer resident from April 24 to 

 October 8. It nested commonly about Marshalltown in boxes pro- 

 vided for it. At least two broods a year were raised. Three curious 

 nest locations were noticed. One in the pocket of a hunting coat 

 has already been described (Wilson Bui., p. 152, Vol. XXVI, Sept., 

 1914). On June 5. 1914. a nest was found built inside one of the 



