82 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. iS-No. 6 



along the horizon, shadowed by grim, cold 



clouds ; and the night was upon me, seven 

 miles from camp, with many marshes between 

 and not a road nor cow path, alone ; too light 

 clad for the night's chill. Casting about for 

 directions and landmarks I began the lonely 

 trip, and long before the dark line of ridges 

 was reached there was utter darkness. Now 

 I had come upon a marsh, hip-deep of 

 water and saw-grass. Through it I waded, 

 fearing to lose the way should I deviate. 

 .At length the hills were reached, bestrewn 

 with great boulders, among which was dififi- 

 cult walking, the prairie grass having been 

 burned away by a recent fire. Against one 

 of these great stones I stumbled, when from 

 off its top flew an Eagle, fanning the night 

 wind into my face, and disappearing from 

 directly over me. For a moment could be 

 heard the heavy beating pinions, and then 

 all was still but the ever whistling night wind. 



Along this ridge and on and on 1 wandered, 

 misguided by a red glow sent up against the 

 cloud by a distant prairie fire. Lost ! and 

 for a moment the cold chills crept up along 

 my frame and a strong effort was necessary to 

 compose the nerves. Then at length my 

 foot struck a path which led me to the lake, 

 where weary and worn I spent the few re- 

 maining hours of that frosty night. 



Next day I was wheeling on across the 

 prairies towards Spirit Lake, and the far 

 sweeps of vision from occasional elevations 

 were inspiring. Lying away to the west 

 were the dim flats of Kossuth County. Not 

 a sound, no shrubs for sighing winds; the 

 wheels rolled muffled on the ])rairie grass. 

 At one point, where the ground lay more 

 rolling and dryer, were many Long-billed 

 Curlews, the males guarding their nests, and, 

 hovering near the wagon, uttering that pe- 

 culiar mellow whistle so characteristic of the 

 wild, free prairie. Soon I was delighted to 

 see an old Curlew flutter from the horse's 

 feet leaving the four speckled eggs exposed. 

 Further on a mother Curlew led her mottled 

 downy chicks from danger. 



Then a Marbled Godwit flew flapping from 

 her nest of chocolate-colored eggs. In this 

 locality a number of prairie wolves strolled 

 leisurely along just out of gunshot. One 

 sneaked away from a newly dug burrow. 

 Now and then a jack rabbit sprung from its 

 "set" to disappear like a spectre. Yellow- 

 legs and rhalarope picked up their meal 

 from the wet meadows ; while the flocks of 

 Golden Plover that wheeled about over the 

 burned tracts were the delight of a sportsman. 

 Occasionally were fields of blue anemone. 



,/. ir. I'rvstoii. 



Baxter, Iowa. 



(To be continued.) 



Distribution of the Black-Crowned 

 Night Heron in Illinois. 



% E. Dickinson. No. 3. 



Summer resident ; abundant. Arrive April 

 5th; leave October. Breeds in colonies in 

 oak groves adjacent to swamps or creeks. 

 Nest placed from 25 1045 feet high — com- 

 posed of dead sticks. Sets found from May 

 10 to early June. Has found nearly hatched 

 young and birds building in same colony on 

 May 27th. Set, 4 to 5 ; 6 eggs average 2.10 

 X 1.50; largest, 5.04 x 1.5 1, smallest, 1.99 x 

 1.54 ; color of eggs, blue. Common names, 

 " Qua bird," " Onak," " Shite Poke." 



F. A. Gregory. No. 3. 



Summer resident. Not common. 



Breeds in colonies. 



Nests in second growth timber from 2 to 

 3 feet high, of twigs loosely laid together. 

 Eggs may be seen from below. 



Full sets found May 12. 



Sets, 3 to 5 ; 4 average. 



Measurements, 2.01 x 1.51, 2.04 x 1.52, 

 2.00 X 1.50, 2.02 X 1.50. Average, 2.02 x 

 1.51. 



Color, pale bluish green, but are much 

 stained and dirty as incubation advances. 



{('. E. Pratt. No. 6. 



June 30, 4 young. 



{.\s this is his only note of the nesting of 

 this bird in Lake and Cook counties, we may 



