THE OOLOGIST 



67 



that have come to me in my life in 

 the cab of a locomotive, and on any 

 day of the year one can study bird 

 life from this point of observation all 

 the year round, and always see many 

 sights new to him and learn much 

 about the birds nesting, feeding, flight 

 and various other points of interest 

 to a true lover of Birds. 



George W. Morse. 

 Tulsa, Oklahoma. 



Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin 



This nationally known marsh, 

 which in years gone by was without 

 doubt one of the greatest wild fowl 

 resorts in North America, has been 

 given over to the drainage man and 

 the farmer, with the result that crops 

 are now raised where wild fowl form- 

 erly congregated. 



This season, however, the local pap- 

 ers report that "Wild geese are more 

 numerous this spring than ever wit- 

 nessed before within the recollection 

 of the oldest residents of that sec- 

 tion," all of which is another illus- 

 tration of the good being done by the 

 Bird Treaty Migration Law. — R.M.B. 



A DAY AFIELD 



The winter has been very mild and 

 birds that usually migrate to more 

 sunny climes, are with us still. 



Today, Sunday, January 23rd, I was 

 afield almost the entire day. I saw 

 the following birds in my ramble. 



White Tailed Hawk (Buteo Albican- 

 dus). Red-tailed Hawk, Meadowlark, 

 Song Sparrow, Turkey Buzzard, House 

 Wren, Junco, Quail, Cardinal, Gros- 

 beak, Barn Owl, Cooper's Hawk, Chick- 

 adee, Red-naped Sapsucker, Blue Jay, 

 Crow, Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker. Red 

 Headed Woodpecker, Downy Wood- 

 pecker, Sparrow Hawk, Wood Thrush, 

 White Breasted Nutchatch, Killdeer. 



This has been an unusually mild 

 winter, and it has only snowed twice, 

 and only one day that the thermometer 



lias been below zero. So the birds 

 have had a good chance to make their 

 living. Anyone that knows the specie 

 that usually winter in South Central, 

 Illinois, can tell by the above list how 

 mild it has been. Quails ha"ve been 

 very numerous, in fact I have not 

 seen so many left after the hunting 

 season, as I have this winter. I never 

 hunt the little fellows, so I am indeed 

 pleased to find so many left. Now and 

 then 1 see Mourning Doves. I have 

 seen Turkey Buzzards all winter and 

 House Wrens are very numerous. 



J. Earl Harlow, 

 Jan. 23, 1921 Texico, 111. 



THE CARACARA FOLLOWING THE 

 PRAIRIE CHICKEN 

 For years F. B. Armstrong of 

 Brownsville, Texas, took many nests 

 of the Audubon's Caracara. and all re- 

 ports showed them as by no means 

 rare. Dr. Sterging, of Austin, report- 

 ed them as breeders around Austin, 

 and J. K. Streaker, reported them as 

 rare breeders as far South as Waco, 

 Texas. 



In the last ten days I have covered 

 about 1000 miles of territory in a car 

 from San Antonio to Brownsville, 

 thence up to Rio Grande as far as Del 

 Rio, and not as much as one single 

 specimen observed, although a close 

 watch was made for them. 



Inquiry was frequently made about 

 these birds, and they seem to have 

 quit South Texas, and the Mexican 

 border. Turkey and Black Vultures 

 are common Cooper's, Red Shouldered 

 and Marsh Hawks are by no means 

 rare, but Caracaras seem to have 

 totally disappeared. 



Armstrong took complete sets as 

 early as February 23rd, so it does not 

 seem possible that they could have 

 been over-looked, and especially in 

 breeding season, and the very time 

 you wanted them. 

 R. L. More, Vernon, Texas. 



