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Bird -Lore 



fifteen, who was with me, is a first-rate 

 observer. We know perfectly the Mourn- 

 ing Dove, which is common in Minnesota. 

 But this bird was very much larger, and 

 its note was utterly difi'erent. At once 

 we pronounced it a Passenger Pigeon. 

 It was perched on a dead, broken limb of 

 a tree on lower ground, and, with the sun 

 at our back, we had an excellent light, 

 though the bird was about one hundred 

 and fifty feet away. There is a stuffed 

 specimen of the Passenger Pigeon in our 

 High School Museum with which we are 

 familiar. 



While we watched, the bird flew, and on 

 the wing he gave a harsh squawk, a call 

 with which we are quite unfamiliar. 



As we were in a wooded pasture, the 

 bird was soon out of sight; but he alighted 

 not far away, and called several times. I 

 started to follow it; but, after squawking 

 several times, it flew off toward the river, 

 a half-mile or more away. 



On reaching home, we studied the 

 'Color Key to North American Birds,' 

 and were confirmed in our opinion, by the 

 description of the Wild Pigeon's call as 

 therein given, as "an explosive, squeaky, 

 squawk." This was the note, precisely. 



We see no possibility of our being mis- 

 taken in the identification, though we 

 know that "to err is human." — Francis 

 Leseure Palmer, Rector of Ascension 

 Episcopal Church, Stillwater, Minn. 



Notes from Ohio 



The rare Prairie Warbler was observed 

 on three successive days. May 5, 6 and 7, 

 1 914, at East Liberty, Ohio. This was my 

 first acquaintance with this bird. 



The Cape May Warbler was also much 

 more abundant than usual. For several 

 days males visited our orchard, sometimes 

 singly, or in twos and threes. At nine 

 different times the bird was seen. 



Also, the Pileated Woodpecker has been 

 observed here at Hiram on four different 

 days, February 18, 19, March 9 and 12. 

 The birds have been seen by Robert 

 Peden, Ray Hagstrom, and Spencer 

 Cleaver, besides myself. 



Earnest Roth and Howard Wilson to- 

 day very closely observed a Crow with 

 both wings pure white, an interesting 

 albino. 



The migration seems to have begun 

 earlier than usual this year, though it was 

 interrupted. Several Robins arrived Sun- 

 day, February 14, and the Bluebirds and 

 Song Sparrows arrived on February 15. 

 However, several birds which are now due 

 have not yet arrived, or at least have not 

 been observed near Hiram. 



Tree Sparrows, and especially Juncos, 

 have been scarce this past winter. Juncos, 

 indeed, have been rare. — Ruskin S. 

 Freer, Hiram, Ohio, March 13, 1915. 



The Starling in New Hampshire 



Four Starlings were seen here on April 

 17, 1915. As this is the first time these 

 birds have been observed here, their 

 appearance seems worthy of record. — E. 

 Gordon Bill, Hanover, N. H. 



The Crow as a Murderer 



One sees many sad tragedies in bird 

 circles, but perhaps none more exaspera- 

 ting than those occasioned by the dealings 

 of birds with other birds. I place the Crow 

 first in the ranks of transgressors, and the 

 reason will be plain when you read of what 

 a dastardly deed I actually saw two Crows 

 attempt. 



It happened in Fairmount Park on the 

 last day of April, at about ten-thirty in the 

 morning. I was traveling along the river 

 in the wooded section when a Crow on the 

 ground nearby caught my attention. I 

 was convinced by his preoccupied air that 

 he was up to some mischief, — I raised a 

 Crow once-upon-a-time, and was taught 

 much, — so I stopped and found that the 

 old fellow was standing on the back of a 

 struggling Flicker, and bringing his bill 

 down on the Flicker's head with the speed 

 and rhythm of an electric riveter. I 

 stopped that, and the Flicker got up and 

 flew dizzily away, with the Crow and its 

 mate in silent pursuit. The Flicker sped 

 along about twelve feet from the ground 



