130 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 9 



the day was spout mcistly iiappiiii; on the bar 

 mider an avvninj; rigged ont of the oars and 

 bhmkets. As tlie sun went down we took a 

 walk around the bar, found several fresh 

 turtle nests, one containing thirteen large eggs. 

 Also found some of the bones of a dead calf 

 we discovered near camp on our last trip, and 

 dragged it on to the sand-bar in hopes of 

 attracting them close enougli for a good shot. 

 but in vain. 



Bunked in our blankets on the bar again, and 

 in the morning as we lazily watched the sun 

 rise the Buzzvrds appeared again, one and two 

 sailing about, until finally about twenty-five 

 roosted in the tree sunning themselves. Making 

 a hasty toilet I rowed "Ses" across the river 

 and then returned to the bar to watch proceed- 

 ings. I could not see him but the report of 

 the gun and the fall of tviro birds showed me 

 he was getting in his work. To our surprise 

 only a few of them flew off; they soon return- 

 ing, he got two more shots but only one more 

 bird. This was a young one, though grown 

 and full feathered. One of the first two, the 

 one he had singled out for a target, was a fine 

 old fellow, the white of the bill contrasting 

 strongly with the bright red of the head. 



Returning home I mounted him, and as an un- 

 usual as well as an odd looking bird it at- 

 tracts as much attention as a Bald and a 

 Golden Eagle, both fine specimens, by wliich 

 he stands. 



We were much elated with our success and 

 after breakfast spent the rest of the morning 

 chasing butterflies, tiger beetles, sand wasps 

 and other insects with which the sand swarmed. 

 After a refreshing bath and lunch wc started 

 on our return journey, and after throe hours' 

 easy row landed at the boat house at Des 

 Moines. Our faces, necks and arms were well 

 sunburned, and the mosquitoes had managed 

 to get in numerous bills for settlement, but we 

 had obtained what we were after and had liad 

 a good row. Frank W. Shchlon. 



Dee Moines, la. 



Birds and Their Value. 



A few evenings ago a friend and I were 

 returning from a hunt, and as the Western 

 Nighthawk was plentiful, we watched their 

 habits for some time, and afterward shot one. 

 Few people realize the quantity of insects that 

 tliese birds destroy. Upon dissecting the one 

 we killed, which was a male, I found its 

 stomacli contained tlic fidbnving lot of insects: 



Tliroe water beetles that were one to one and 

 a quarter inches long, four or five smaller 

 beetles, six squash bugs, severiil moths and 

 one ant-lion, — all from one bird, and it was 

 catching more at the time we shot it. The 

 Xighthawk certainly does its share in de- 

 stroying insects which, in most cases, are 

 injurious to fruit and vegetables. 



In several of our states there are laws jn-o- 

 tecting the different birds, and in sojiie cases 

 the Nighthawk is not on the list of protection, 

 but, on the other hand, you will find birds 

 that do less good to the farmer (as well as 

 others) heading the list. 



At the last session of the Oregon State Leg- 

 islature a bill was introduced to protect song 

 and other birds. It was no doubt written by 

 one that knew little about them as, for 

 instance, the Indigo Bunting was down for 

 protection — a bird that was never known to 

 be found in this state. Perhaps Lazuli Bunt- 

 ing was the bird referred to. 



If the people want to make a law for the 

 protection of birds that do the most good wliy 

 not let someone that understands their liabits 

 write out the bill? Tiien let them make 

 a clause to give collectors a permission to 

 collect for scientific purposes. 



All Flycatchers are more or less beneficial, 

 and yet I think none were on the list. Speak- 

 ing of the latter reminds me of a little occur- 

 rence that liappened some few years ago. 

 During the fall and winter of '87 I spent sev- 

 eral months in Los Angeles, Cal., and one day 

 while on my way home from a collecting trip, 

 having w-alked some distance, I sat down under 

 an oraiige tree to rest. While there I spent 

 the time in studying the habits of dilTeient 

 birds when presently a Black Phcube flew to a 

 neighboring tree and at once began to catch 

 insects, when a dragon-fly, over three inches 

 long, flew by. The Pha'be made a <lart at it; 

 then the dragon-fly wcuild swiftly fly by the 

 Phadie. They kept this up for some time 

 when at last the Phoibe made a successful 

 dart. — it caught its prey. Next came the 

 funny parr, when it tried to swallow it. It 

 made several attempts and at last did so, 

 much to ray surprise. 



There are several varieties of hawks that 

 really do good in the way of destroying insects 

 and small (piadrnpeds that are injurious to 

 grain, etc., yet they are often killed by the 

 farmer, mistaking them for others of the 

 family that kill pnnltry. 



Clyde L. Keller. 

 Salem, Orejjcon. 



