no 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 18-N0. 8 



the northern portion of the county ; rare in 

 the southern. Breeds commonly in the 

 latter half of May or first of June. Over 200 

 nests found in one day. Eggs invariably 4 ; 

 one brood. 



La Salle County, No. 18. 



A. Hamfeldt. Has not observed it, al- 

 though there are many prairie sloughs in the 

 vicinity. 



Marshall County, No. 25. 



R. M. Barnes. Summer resident ; rare. 

 Never found it breeding in the county, but 

 it breeds commonly a few miles north of the 

 county line (Putman County, No. 24). One 

 brood raised ; date of nesting depends on 

 the stage of the water. Has taken eggs from 

 June I to July 6. 



Stark County, No. 26. 



X. Chase. Has not observed it. 



Keokuk, Iowa, opposite No. 31. 



E. S. Currier. Has seen but one, which 

 was with a flock of (Crackles. Reports that 

 it is said to have been seen late in May at 

 Grove Pond, Clark County, Mo. 



Clark County, Mo., opposite No. 31. 



C. P. Fore. A rare bird. One or two 

 individuals observed in the spring of 1888. 

 Formerly observed in company with the Red- 

 wings. 



Fulton County, No. 33. 



W. S. Cobleigh. Transient. Can be seen 

 associating with flocks of Cowbirds and 

 Grackles in the spring migration. Does 

 not remain to breed. 



Ur. W. S. Strode. Has not observed it. 



Peoria County, No. 34. 



B. F. Bolt. Transient but rare. Has 

 never found it in the summer and does not 

 consider it a breeder. 



W. E. Loucks. This bird passes through 

 this locality in very limited numbers accord- 

 ing to my observations. 



Tazewell County, No. 36. 



D. Meixsell. Has observed it in flocks 

 of other Blackbirds in the spring migration. 



Vermillion County, No. 40. 



G. C. Pearson. Summer resident. Ar- 



rives with the Red-wings in parties of 30 to 

 100 birds. Departs in September in im- 

 mense flocks. Nests in sloughs and feeds 

 on seeds and small grains and insects. 



Logan County, No. 45. 



Charles Wells. Reports no swamps in his 

 locality (Atlanta) and so has not observed it. 



Morgan County, No. 54. 



C. F. Tindall. Does not mention it in 

 his report. 



Madison County, No. 73. 



List of birds, etc. Julius Hurler. A rare 

 transient. May 4 one specimen. 



Bond County, No. 74. 



Philo Smith, Jr. "One bird killed in 

 Carlysle and several seen in Fulton County." 



St. Clair County, No. 75. 



W. L. Jones. "A very rare visitant; 

 does not breed." 



O. Widmann. Regards it as a rare strag- 

 gler. Single mdividuals, females, were met 

 May II, 1882, and May 9, 1885, in com- 

 pany with Bobolinks and female Red-wings. 



Marion County, No. 77. 



C. B. ^'andercock. Has no record of it. 



Perry County, No. 88. 



J. C. Elliott. Has no record of it ; is not 

 acquainted with it. 



Gallatin County, No. 92. 



C. J. Lemen. Has not observed it. 



Cj. W. Rearden. Transient. Passes 

 through in April and May in flocks of 5 to 

 20 individuals. 



Jackson County, No. 95. 



Prof. L. K. Baird. Has not met it. 



A species of irregular distribution and re- 

 stricted to certain localities. 



The geographical range of this bird in Il- 

 linois is difficult to define. Essentially a 

 bird of the prairie sloughs, its restriction to 

 them accounts for its irregularity in the state. 

 Although Illinois is generally considered a 

 prairie state, the settlement of the country, 

 the drainage and culti\ation of. the land has 

 caused the rapid elimination of many of these 

 prairie sloughs. Consequently the resorts of 

 the Yellow-headed Blackbird are few and far 



