THE OSPREY. 



57 



WARDEN'S LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

 By William Palmer, Washington, D. C. 



Following is the extracted bird matter from a from the view, approached slowly, until he 



copy of a very rare book on the District of brought them in reach of his gun. 



Columbia in the possession of Prof. Lester F. By an act of 1730, the shooting of deer was 



Ward of Washington, who has kindly permitted prohibited from the first of January to the first 



me to examine it. It is especially interesting of August. The penalty was four hundred 



for the fact that it is the oldest list of the birds pounds of tobacco. Bv other acts of 172s. any 



of the vicinity of Washington that I have been master, mistress, owner of a family, or single 



able to find. There are 32 species given in the taxable person, was obliged to produce yearly to 



list; but 3 others are mentioned in the letter- the justice of the county, three squirrel scalps 



press, so that we have a total of 35 species or crow's heads. The penalty in this case was 



known to the author. An interesting feature is three pounds of tobacco. A premium of two 



that Mr. Warden writes of the Crow Blackbird pounds was given for every scalp more than 



as "the crow black-bird." three. The reward for a wolf's head was two 



Mr. Warden was wrong in speaking of the hundred pounds. 



disappearence of the Wild Turkey and Geese. Analostan Island abounds with birds of 



The former is still found sparingly a few miles various kinds. The catbird is almost tame, 



west from the island up the Potomac River, and Winn it- nesl is in danger, it makes a loud 



Wild Geese are occasionally seen flying over the noise, and seems as if it would tear the face i <t 



city of Washington during the migrations. A the person who approaches it. We saw in the 



few words about Analostan or Mason's Island garden a partridge nest, containing nineteen 



maybe of interest. This is a wooded island of eggs. The humming bird:) frequents [ISO] this 



perhaps 7- acres, situated close to the Virginia place. When caught it feigns death like the 



sioreoppo ite Georgetown or West Washington. opossom, and by this means, escapes from the 



It is a part of the District of Columbia. In our hand. We saw one escape from the pretty hand 



author's time it was quite a noted place with a of Mrs. B e. 



fine mansion and well kept grounds. A ferry The mocking birdj does not frequent this 

 from its northern end to Georgetown was the island, though it is seen on the adjacent borders 

 regular line of travel from the island, the city of the river. Perhaps it has been expelled by 

 of Alexandria and the south, to Washington. the crow blackbird, | its natural enemy, which 

 Now the island is in litigation, its mansion is a swarms in this, place. It is a pity that so en- 

 ruin, and the broad acres are grown up with a chanting a spot is deprived of the notes of this 

 tangle of vegetation abounding in birds. A inimitable songster. |The list referred to is 

 long marsh borders its entire eastern side. given on pages 210-211, and is here reproduced 



It is certainly very unexpected to tind a list of verbatim el punctuatim]. Mr. Jefferson in his 



Washington birds published in English in "Notes mi Virginia," has given a list of more 



Paris. The full title of the work and its parti- than a hundred birds, inhabitants of that region, 



tiou on the title page are as follows: most of which are probably common to the 



4 11. , • , i j i , ,• , j • District of Columbia; but this we were unable 



A chorographical and statistical descrip- . • , , ,, . , 



.. t . , i r-S . ■ . ' - ^ ', . • .. . r , to ascertain, having seen the following only 



tion of the i District of Columbia the seat of ... . , b .... , , ■ 



., i 1 ,,, „,, T . .. .... i thirtv-two in number. 1 he names ol those em- 



the ' general (lovernment of the United States, , - . , ,,.., . ,-.,•., , ,, 



-.■ A , f. u j- , r, ■ ploved by Wilson m his Ornithology of he 



with an engraved plan of the district, and view: K ■ ■■. . ..,- ... , .. . , 



of the capitol. .Paris: Printed and sold by United States, a work winch does great honor 



Smith. Rue Montmorency. 1816. [Bv D. B. to the a " th ° r, „ aI ? d . t0 U . ,e c °" n *y <* which he 



,, r , , - L - was an adopted citizen. 



The first notice of birds appears on pages .luas Canadensis Canada Goose. 



148-150. Sponsa Summer Duck. 



"The deer, wild turkey, canvas-back duck* — Valisneria Canvas-back Duck or 



and Wild Goose, which inhabited this placeabout Whiteback. 



fifty years ago, have all disappeared. This — Ferina Red-headed Duck. 



species of duck, so delicious to the taste, was Alauda Magna Meadow Lark. 



then sold for sixpence. Alpestris Shore Lark. 



The following method was formerly employed ( olumba Migratoria Passenger Pigeon. 



to kill the Wild Goose, f This bird, shy and Corvtts Crisfatus Blue Jay. 



cunning, feeds in the midst of a plain or open Caprimulgus Americanus. Night Hawk. 



field, and forms a regular line at the extremity / Ot iferas Whip poor Will. 



of which is placed a centinal, to give warning Fringilla Tristis Yellow bird, or Gold- 



in case of danger, which, if remote, is indicated finch. 



by a certain position of [149] the head, and if Cyanea Indigo Bird. 



imminent by a certain cry. The sportsman by — Ru/a Fox-coloured Spar- 

 means of a docile horse, which concealed him row. 



♦Supposed to be the anas tenia ot Linnaeus, or mildorin of Button. 



tAnser canadensis. 



(Muscicapa vertice nigra. — Catesby. 



§Trochilus colubris. 



iGracula guiscula. 



