September 1891.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



141 



house witliin twenty feet of a door, througli 

 which there was oontinuil jiassing. The nest 

 contained four young. The trough was of tin 

 and the birds must have got wet during every 

 rain. 



I also saw a Chimney Swift whicli was 

 impaled on a liglitning rod wliich I suppt)se 

 It must have struck as it was diving down 

 the chimney C. E. Lincoln. 



Mitlilletowii, Conn. 



Turkey Buzzard Breeding in 

 Michigan. 



From May 2.)th to 2Sth of this spring, Elmer 

 Durfeeand I occupied in exploring the marshes 

 of the Pottowattimie Club on the Kalamazoo 

 river. To give all our experiences in detail 

 would far exceed the limits of a magazine 

 article so I will briefly rehearse the principal 

 finds. The marsh is typical of its class; water 

 two or three feet, mud twenty or thirty feet 

 deep; overgrown with rushes, marsh grass and 

 wild rice; intersected by numerous bayous of 

 comparatively open water. With a fiat- 

 bottomed duck boat and a punting pole we 

 were enabled to explore the liayous in a 

 reasonably thortuigh manner, but the main 

 body of the marsh was inaccessiljle. Follow- 

 ing is a brief synopsis, in due order, of the 

 more important observations. 



The American Bitterns were fairly common. 

 Towards evening every day their quaint cries 

 of plum jnidun were heard in several parts of 

 the marsh. While dragging for ducks' nests 

 in one of the few spots where a footing was 

 afforded, we ran across a nest of this species 

 containing Ave eggs. This was a stroke of 

 pure luck, as the bird was not discovered. 



Least Bitterns were common, but it was too 

 early for eggs. 



Great Blue Herons were extremely common. 

 At any time several could be seen flying. 

 Said to breed about eight miles from the marsh. 



Florida Gallinulos were by far the most 

 abundant breeders. Hundreds of eggs could 

 be collected, and, in fact, the natives gather 

 them, when fresli, for food. 



American Dunlin, Ring Plover, Solitary 

 and Least Sandpipers were shot, evidently 

 migrating. 



The third day we visited a swampy woods, in 

 search of Wood Duck's eggs. Before entering 

 it, as the bird is seen in this country Ijut once 



in two or three years, Elmer calling especial 

 attention to a Turkey Buzzard circling about. 

 After proceeding through the woods for some 

 distance we found a large sycamore and, 

 approaching for the pvirpose of rapping it, 

 Elmer found some kind of animal in a large 

 cavity at its foot. He at once called me, and, 

 on further investigation, resolved the unknown 

 into a Buzzard. With great excitement, and a 

 stick, we poked her to one side, uncovering a 

 clutch of two eggs. As .she declined to furnish 

 us with an opportunity for a wing shot, I 

 backed off and killed her with a charge of dust. 

 After raking the eggs out from their foul- 

 smelling depository, we held an impromiitu 

 war-dance, for this was the first set ever taken 

 in Michigan. 



Whip-poor-wills were common along the 

 wooded i)ortions of the river and made their 

 presence known by their peculiar cries. 



A nest with one egg of the Swamp Sparrow 

 was found. 



Here the Bronzed Grackles seem to employ 

 their aboriginal method of nidiflcation. In- 

 stead of constructing nests of their own, as do 

 the civilized Quiscali of our country, they 

 employed hollow stumps. 



Tree Swallows also were true to their name. 

 At that time they were engaged in the con- 

 struction of their nests. One fresh egg was all 

 we succeeded in piocuring. 



Exactly one hundred species of birds were 

 recorded, of which twenty-four were found 

 breeding. To those situated as we are, far 

 from any water and almost destitute of water 

 birds of any kind, such a trij) was a treat long 

 to be remembered, especially since we estab- 

 lished a new record for Michigan. 



Stewart E. WIdte. 

 fir.inil Rapids, Mich. 



Si..\uonTER OF Spabrows. — One of the curi- 

 ous effects of Wednesday night's terrific rain 

 in Covington was the slaughter of thousands 

 of Englisli Sparrows. They were killed in 

 such vast numbers as to clog the sewer open- 

 ings and flood the streets for squares. The 

 street car stables were so flooded from this 

 cause that thirty horses and mules had to swim 

 out to keep from drowning. Cincinnati, July 

 31st. 



[Dispensation of Providence to counteract 

 man's folly. — Ei>.] 



