56 ' Proceedings of the 



both of moderate si/e and with sandy beds. As breeding 

 inhabitants the Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper were to 

 be noted definitely, and the latter bird was found breed- 

 ing nowhere else. 



2. Smaller- streams zvitli steep, muddy banks. — The Dismal 

 river should probably be partially classified in this group, 

 since in its meanderings it cuts numerous cliffs in the 

 hills that margin its course. These banks are steep and 

 often claye}^ and are occupied by the Belted Kingfisher 

 and the Rough-winged and Bank Swallows, birds, the 

 first two of Avhich at least, in the absence of such situa- 

 tions resort to blowouts in the sandhills for nesting. 



3. Prairie ponds. — This habitat occurs along the river at 

 various points but seems to be lacking near the locality 

 of my observations. The grass}' banks of a tiny brook cr 

 two sheltered a few Redwinged Blackbird nests but the 

 area embraced was too limited to furnish very ample data 

 on such environment. 



4. Thickets along the river. — Thickets occur at various 

 points along the rivers and consist mostly of growths of 

 Wild Plum, Western Choke Cherry, Dogwood (Cornus 

 stolonifera), Haw (Crataegus occidentalisj and Sandbar 

 Willow (Salix fluviatilis) interlaced with a tangle of 

 Wild Raspberry (Ruhns occidentalis), in places so dense 

 as to be almost impenetrable, and, at least in summer, very 

 hot and close. Here are found the Screech Owl, Yellow- 

 billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, Kingbird, Blue Jay, Red- 

 winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, Pale Goldfinch, West- 

 ern Field Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bell Vireo, 

 Yellow Warbler, Maryland Yellowthroat, Long-tailed 

 Chat, Catbird and Brown Thrasher. Of these, the King- 

 bird, Bell Vireo, Maryland Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler 

 and Catbird were found to breed nowhere else. This 

 environment, of all those present on the Reserve, is the 

 richest in species and total inhabitants, for its extent, both 

 during the breeding season and during migration ; more 

 than one-half of the birds included in the following list 

 were found in these thickets at one time or another. 



5. Thickets hack from the streams. — These differ from the 

 foregoing mostly in their position at or near the base of 

 the hills which gives them a partial resemblance to the 



