116 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-Ko. 8 



in circumference as a boiler of a river steamer. 

 I do not stretcii tliis I believe, althougli it might 

 have looljed larger to me as I could not reach 

 the nest. The parent bird carelesslj' watched 

 me from the nest not caring for nie in the least. 

 97. Btiteo swainsont Bonap. Swainson's 

 Hawk. Common but does not choose such 

 lofty sites for its nest as the preceding, as its 

 nest will be found in pines of stunted growth as 

 readily as in liigh ones. It also builds or adds 

 to the old nest for several seasons. More fond 

 of building along the streams than in the pine 

 timbers of the mesas. 



(To Ije continued.) 



Changes in the Relative Abundance 

 of Species. 



BV WAI.TKI! IIOXIE. 



A sudden change of habitat is not often ob- 

 served among birds and when it does occur it is 

 a ver}' noticeal)le feature of the locality. This 

 is equally true whether it occurs as an advent 

 of a new species or the desertion of an old one. 

 As an instance of the former I can mention the 

 sudden influx of Cat birds on the sea islands to 

 which 1 have alluded before in these pages. 

 The latter phenomenon is now exemplitied by 

 the Snipe. This winter, so far, I liave seen but 

 three, and last winter probably not more than 

 a dozen. In former years they were one of our 

 commonest Iiirds, coming early and staying 

 late. Why tliey should have taken themselves 

 away so abruptly I cannot surmise. All the 

 conditions of life, so far as I can see, are the 

 same and tliey certainly were not niucli mo- 

 lested. 



The gradual withdrawal of a species is exem- 

 plified in the case of the Kildeer Plover, and 

 here again I can detect no change in food sup- 

 ply or other natural circumstances. Twenty 

 years ago they were a resident bird, breeding 

 aliundantly in the cotton fields. Eight or ten 

 years ago tliey became onlj' a winter visitor but 

 were then very abundant. For the last five 

 years they have steadily decreased in numbers 

 and are now almost I'eady to be classed as a 

 rare bird. If I see three or four in a day it is a 

 fact to be remarked. 



The Long-billed Curlew has lluetuated (juite 

 remarkably. In ante-bellum days 1 am told 

 they were a fairly common breeder. In lS(i8 I 

 saw several pair during the sunnner and they 

 were noticed at that season for eight years 

 more. Then for ten years were never seen ex- 



cept in winter. In the sunnner of 18SG a pair 

 remained about, and I had good reason to 

 suspect them of nestinjj. Last sunnner none 

 were seen. 



Their abundance in winter has also varied 

 curiously. About the time they deserted this 

 as a breeding location the Iludsonian Curlew 

 began to appear among tlie winter flocks. These 

 gradually became more abundant and the Long- 

 bills less so until about 1880 when they were 

 quite rare. Since then they have gradually in- 

 creased and their born allies have grown fewer. 

 This winter there are large flocks with only an 

 occasional solitary Iludsonian to be found 

 among them. 



Similar phenomena to those here cited can be 

 noticed in other localities. I could cudgel -my 

 memory of by-gone days and speak of the 

 Black-breasted and Pasture I'lover in the old 

 Bay State, and my savage feats among them 

 with an (dd " King's Arm." Beally at this 

 remote e|)0ch it seems as if I had to "shinn" 

 up to the top of the old thing to load it. Now 

 do some of you old boys who can nearly go 

 back to " tlint-lock days"' tell the young lads 

 about those good times. 



Rose Breasted Grosbeak "Jack. 



EditorO.it O. : — I again ask you to place 

 on record the fact that my Rose Breasted Gros- 

 beak still lives and is now ten years old. The 

 record in the O. & O. shows that he was taken 

 from the nest a naked little thing early in .Tuly 

 1S7S, he and has kept In good health ever since. 

 The present spring lie commenced to sing as 

 usual, but seemed to take cold and has not sung 

 since, although he tries hard and seems to b'e in 

 good lie;iltli anil is in fine jilumage. ".Jack" is 

 a remarkably Intelligent bird and blessed with 

 a good memory. He is just beginning to moult 

 and shows unmistakable signs of age. He is 

 perhaps the first Rose Breasted Giosbeak that 

 ever spent ten years time in the same cage. — 

 Jos. M. \Vai>e. 



Occurrence of the Least Bittern in 



Salt Marshes at Port Royal, 



S. C, on June 13, 1888. 



BY U. W. <:. C, 



Attention was first attracted to the bird by a 

 succession of unusual and most uncanny sounds, 

 proceeding from the marsh, where the water 

 was about two feet deep. 



