104 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 7 



A Trip on Utah Lake. 



Being encouraged by your kind invitation to 

 write an account of some collecting expedition 

 I will tender a description of a tiip I have 

 recently taken on Utah lake in which we were 

 amply repaid for our trouble, and which, I 

 think, may prove of interest to the lovers of 

 bird life. 



Early one beautiful morning some two weeks 

 ago, my friend. Captain Eastmond, a young 

 Mormon boy and myself set sail in the yacht 

 "Sea Gull" to explore a locality called 

 Powell's Sleugh some twelve miles from Amer- 

 ican Fork. We carried a skiff with us and with 

 light hearts and a good breeze soon anchored 

 off the mouth of a small creek, or "sleugh" as 

 it is locally called, and soon were in the small 

 boat exploring the devious windings of the 

 stream through the almost impassable rushes 

 or tules. Our first find was a set of eight 

 fresh Mud Hen's eggs which were in a nest 

 built of dead tules actually floating on a calm 

 tributary to the main stream. Soon we 

 observed a great number of small, ball-like 

 nests, evidently Tule Wrens and obtained 

 many beautiful sets of the same. We were 

 next startled by nearly running over a Mud 

 Hen's nest containing nine eggs, also placed 

 on the surface of the water. Yellow-headed 

 Blackbirds were abundant and we took some 

 twenty sets. Birds were abundant and we 

 thirsted for rarer eggs as we saw rarer birds. 

 Terns and Gulls flew about continually. Kail 

 and Snii)e were seen and a couple of 

 Mergansers flew overhead. Diligent search 

 having failed to produce other than some more 

 Mud Hen's eggs and a storm approaching we 

 hurried to the shelter of the yacht where we 

 were soon snug and eating supper, though 

 under difficulties, as the yacht was rolling and 

 pitching with a heavy squall blowing over. 



After supper we prepared for bed but sleep 

 was next to impossible for me. The storm 

 had cleared and it seemed that the swamps 

 were- alive with feathered friends. The 

 American Bittern's boom was heard on all sides 

 and answered by the Loons and Divers 

 peculiar whistle out on the lake. The Black- 

 birds kept up a chatter all the time and 

 the Herons would quack as they flew over. 



The next forenoon we intended to visit an 

 island about ten miles out in the lake and said 

 to be the breeding place for Gulls and Terns, 

 but we were prevented by heavy weather and 

 high seas and concluded to try our luck again 



in the swamp. This time we were successful 

 in finding many fine eggs among which were 

 Sora Rails, Bitterns, Snipes and Blue-winged 

 Teals. 



About noon we got under way and sailed for 

 home with the yacht plunging at every sea and 

 and careening to the wind. On the way a 

 flock of big White Pelicans with black wings 

 flew over and we shot one which fell near the 

 boat and was secured. In course of time we 

 anchored off the resort and were soon home. 

 This trip I consider to be one of the most 

 enjoyable I have spent. 



//. C. Johnson. 



Brief Notes From Raleigh, N. C. 



Among other captures this spring have been 

 Traills Flycatcher 9i ^^^y 1-ith; Canadian 

 Warbler $, May 13th; Wilson's Warbler $, 

 May 13th; Cape May Warbler $, April 7th; 9, 

 May Otli; Short-billed Marsh Wren $, May 4th 

 and Black Pail $ and J, June 8th. We have 

 also taken Turkey Vultures, Gieen Herons, 

 King Rails and Killdeer in the down. The 

 Green Herons were ugly. 



Of eggs we have taken the following worthy 

 of note: one set of King Rail; two sets each of 

 Black Rail, Louisiana Water Thrush, Wood- 

 cock, Yellow-throated Warbler and Crested 

 Flycatcher, and three sets of Prairie W^arbler. 



The spring was backward, though the first 

 Warblers came a few days earlier than last 

 year, but there were very few species that 

 occurred in any numbers till May. Blackpoll 

 Warblers passed through in very large numbers 

 and the last one was seen on May olst, unusu- 

 ally late for any kind of migrant except a 

 Sandpiper, in this locality. There were more 

 shore birds about this spring than in any year 

 since 1889, but not a third of the number we 

 saw that year. 



C. S. Brlmley. 



Raleigh, N. C. 



On May 21st, while examining Bank 

 Swallow's' nests in the rain 1 found twelve 

 Swallows in one hole. Two flew out and I had 

 to pull the others out. I never heard of any- 

 thing of the kind before. Is it unusual ? 



Arthur M. Farmer. 



Amoskeag, N. H. 



