THE OOLOGIST. 



135 



■out the burrows before the midiile of 

 May. This singular bird has the re- 

 markable habit, shared in by only two 

 other species of birds, to my knowledge 

 in this section, of laying its egj^s in a 

 burrow in a bank or sidf> hill, usually of 

 sand. The tunnel is of a size to easily 

 admit a bird, and is from three and a 

 half to six feet long, but generally 

 about four to four and a half fe-^t in 

 length. The tunnel is usually straight, 

 but is sometimes found to wind slightly 

 At the end an enlargement is hollowed 

 ■for the accomodation of the eggs and 

 setting bird, and herein the duties of 

 incubation are performed. 



The eggs from five to six in number 

 are smooth, white and shining, as with 

 nearly all birds who nest in excava- 

 tions. They much resemble the eggs 

 of the Burrowing Owl. When the 

 young are fed at first the old ones par- 

 tially digest the fish and then regurgi- 

 tate, but long ere the young anglers 

 have left their home in the sand bank 

 for a life on lake or river, they are ablf> 

 to engulf as large a minnow as the old- 

 er ones. 



As a fish destroyer the Kingfisher is 

 undoubtedly at the head as to numbers 

 in the northern United State-, although 

 the loons, herons, and many other 

 species are far more destructive as 

 weight goes. I have repeatedly seen 

 this blue-coated epicure trying his skill 

 along trout streams, and at these times 

 wished that the whole race was obliter- 

 ated, particularly when I had good 

 reasons to begrudge him his never var- 

 ying luck, and mine was poor. 



The Belted Kingfisher is the only 

 species in my neighborhood which dives 

 clear under water for its prey after 

 hovering over the water. Other birds 

 as the ducks and loons dive when 

 swimming, while the Osprey drops up- 

 on its prey with its feet first, but the 

 Kingfisher is the only bird which makes 

 a regulation dive from the air. It 

 secures its minnow about once in three 



attempts, and I have seen a bird dive 

 in the same spot seven times before 

 success crowned its efforts. 



MOKRIS GiBBS, M. D., 



Kalamazoo, Mich. 



Prairie Hen in Illinois. 



It is with great interest that I note 

 the gradual increase of the Prairie Hen 

 {Tympanuchus amcricanus) in tuis part 

 of Illinois. 



This increase while very slow for sev- 

 eral years, has now become so notice- 

 able as to excite comment among even 

 the casual observers of bird-life. How- 

 ever it has long been a well known fact 

 am'^ng the hunters, who have been 

 handicapped by an excellent game Jaw 

 and who are in consequence clamoring 

 for an extension of time for shouting 

 this noble bird. 



It is owing to the fran:er of the 

 '•three xenr law" in which no Prairie 

 Chickens wt-re lawfully killed, that 

 "Tym^inuchus" has gained a new 

 lease of life The result is, that a bird 

 rapidly b( c ming extinct, is now so 

 well rooted and established that its fu- 

 ture is almost assured. 



Our prei^fnt game law allows its 

 shooting only during the s-pace of thirty 

 days or from Sept 1st to Oct. 1st and is 

 a grand aid in the preservation of the 

 species. 



As with all our game birds, the Prai- 

 rie Hc-n raises a large family. The 

 complete set numbers from 12 to 17 

 eggs and when a lesser number is found 

 I believe it to be due to some foreign 

 agent. 



The Prairie Hen usually begins nest- 

 ing about the middle of April and the 

 full complement is ready for incuba- 

 tion about May 10th. A typical set of 

 thirteen eggs in my collection were 

 found April 27, 1898. I regard this as 

 one of the earliest sets as the hen was 

 setting and incubation had fairly be- 

 gun. 



