58 



THE OOLOGIST 



EXPERIENCES IN BENTON COUN- 

 TY, ARKANSAS. 



During the summer of 1922 I had 

 several interesting experiences with 

 the birds found in Benton county. 



About March 20, in a clump of 

 bushes and grapevines, 1 saw a year- 

 old nest, presumably that of a Shrike. 

 A few days later 1 was surprised to 

 see the tail of a Loggerhead Shrike 

 extending above the edge of the nest, 

 and upon investigation 1 found the 

 nest to be relined and a set of six 

 eggs laid. In examining it, I held my 

 hand over the nest for a moment and 

 was instantly reproved by the male 

 Shrike, who took his stand at one 

 side of the nest and used his bill to 

 good advantage. 



Later, in a thicket of wild plum 

 trees, I found a Robin's nest, not two 

 feet above the ground, which con- 

 tained a set of four eggs. The mother 

 bird often allowed me to approach to 

 within ten inches of the nest before 

 flying, but would not accept food of- 

 fered by me. 



In July I had the pleasure of watch- 

 ing the actions of the female Pied- 

 billed Grebe and her one charge in 

 their native haunts, which in this 

 case was a weed and brush-grown 

 pond. 



In an upright fork of one of these 

 bushes was a Red-winged Blackbird's 

 nest containing a set of four eggs. 

 Both nest and eggs were about the 

 size of those of the Orchard Oriole, 

 and greatly resembled them. Numer- 

 ous other Blackbird nests were of the 

 regular type. 



The overflow drain from this pond 

 led into a swamp which was a verit- 

 able bird paradise, though few nests 

 were found there; of which, probably, 

 that of a Green Heron was the most 

 interesting. This nest contained three 

 eggs. 

 During the entire summer I found 



between 100 and 125 nests, which 

 were of the following species: Log- 

 gerhead Shrike, Chipping Sparrow, 

 Green Heron, Brown Thrasher, Flick- 

 er, Dove, Cliff Swallow, Robin, Wood 

 Pewee, Orchard Oriole, Cardinal, Tow- 

 hee. Bluebird, Indigo Bunting, Catbird, 

 Red-winged Blackbird, Pied-billed 

 Grebe, Crow, Dickcissel, Quail, Phoebe, 

 Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, 

 Meadowlark, Yellow-breasted Chat, 

 Crested Flycatcher, Bluejay, Yellow 

 Warbler, Kingbird and Bewick Wren. 

 J. G. Lewis, 

 Bentonville, Ark. 



PLUMBEOUS CHICKADEE 



1 have found many nests of this 

 bird. One nest I found went through 

 an unusual tear up, but at last I got 

 the set. I found the nest March 17 

 and tore open the hole, but there 

 were no eggs. So I closed it up again, 

 and tied the bark with string. March 

 19 one egg was laid. I took the bird 

 off the nest; she was very tame. 

 Again I called in a few days and re- 

 moved the bird from the nest. She 

 was still tame. On March 25 I col- 

 lected a set of seven eggs, fresh. The 

 nest was five feet up in a dead tree, 

 near a small creek that runs into Lake 

 Worth. Ramon Graham, 



Texas Bird Notes, 1923. 



THE FLIGHT OF GULLS. 



Robert C. Miller was awarded the 

 Cooper Club prize of Ornithology 

 offered by the University of California, 

 1921-2, for the best study of any sub- 

 ject concerning the birds, for his pa- 

 per, "A Study of the Flight of Sea 

 Gulls," published in the January, "The 

 Condor." It shows exhaustive investi- 

 gation and careful preparation, and 

 we have no doubt but that the award 

 was very properly made. Mr. Miller 

 is to be congratulated. 



R. M. Barnes. 



