THE OOLOGIST 



97 



THE NEW AMERICAN ORNITHOLO- 

 GISTS' UNION'S CHECK LIST 

 OF NORTH AMERICAN 

 BIRDS. 



The Auk for Jul.v announces the 

 fact — which is important if true, — that 

 this check list will "probably" be ready 

 for distribution about the end of July. 

 So many false alarms have developed 

 in regard to this long expected pro- 

 duction during the four years since it 

 was first annoimced that we may and 

 we may not have it at the time an- 

 nounced. Let us however live in 

 hopes. 



The Annual History of these many 

 announcements, delays and excuses 

 for non-appearance might be interest- 

 ing for our readers, but in view of 

 the announcement in The Auk, will 

 not be published at this time. 



The foregoing was intended for the 

 July issue, but was held up hoping 

 that the lost would be found. At the 

 time of going to press it is still in the 

 land of the unknown. 



OHIO BIRDS. 



Indian Lake (Lewiston Reservoir) 

 is a body of water some five or more 

 miles across, situated in the north- 

 western part of Logan county, Ohio. 

 There is much shallow water about 

 the shores where cat tails and rushes 

 grow, making it a haunt much esteem- 

 ed by many kinds of birds. 



For three successive years, I have 

 visited Indian Lake between July 30 

 and August 2. I have been much in- 

 terested in the status of the great blue 

 heron, and these visits at the same 

 time for three years have afforded an 

 opportunity for an interesting campar- 

 ison of the numbers of the herons. 



In 1908, they were abundant. There 

 were scores of young and old flying to 

 and from the heronry on Crane Island, 



and their croaking was the commonest 

 sound about the water. In 1909, I saw 

 not more than half a dozen. I inquir- 

 ed of persons who permanently re- 

 side about the lake for the cause of 

 the scarcity of herons, but they either 

 did not know or had not noticed. This 

 year, though not so abundant as in 

 1908, they are quite common, and seem 

 to be well protected. One of them flew 

 within thirty feet of our boat as we 

 rowed along. 



For many years, a pair of bald 

 eagles has nested unmolested in the 

 top of a tall oak tree on one of the is- 

 lands. Other quite common water 

 birds were kingfisher, little green 

 heron, spotted sandpiper, et cetra. 

 Two mallards were seen flying. At 

 Lake Ridge, a summering place, there 

 is a considerable flock of mallards and 

 Canada geese in captivity. On July 

 30, 1908, I saw a common tern on In- 

 dian Lake. They do not breed there 

 to my knowledge, and it is the only 

 one I ever saw there. 



One morning we went out on the 

 water while it was yet dark to watch 

 the coming of the day. Many of the 

 birds began to call or sing at the first 

 glimmer of light. Just as the gilt 

 edge of the sun appeared above the 

 horizon, there was a tremendous whir 

 of wings from the nearby cat tails. 

 It was the tree swallows. Thousands 

 of them were arising from the roost 

 with a whir that was almost a roar. 

 They flew up in an immense, funnel- 

 shaped body, not unlike that of chim- 

 ney swifts when they go to roost in 

 large numbers. In a minute from the 

 time the first bird arose, all were dis- 

 persed and pursuing their insect prey 

 over the glassy waters of the lake. 

 WHEELER McMILLEN. 



