52 



THE COIAKJIST. 



ton slaiightpr. Of late a tine Bald 

 Eagle's head was presented for bounty, 

 the learned clerk registered "Hawk" 

 and paid the sum. 



Id closing these rambling notes I will 

 but add that there are fewer birds here 

 this winter, so far, tiiau I liave ever 

 known before. No straggler from the 

 North has come to reward my ardent 

 search. In vain have I looked for rare 

 Hawks, Owls, Grosbeaks or Crossbills 

 etc. In their absence however I will 

 have more time to devote to our most 

 common species which are CAcr with us 

 and which we should niost thoroughly 

 undei'staud. 



L. Whitney Watkix.s 



Manchester, Mich. 



Along the Outlet Creek- 



Ballston Lake is a narrow little sheet 

 of water about three miles long, and 

 drained by a creek, which, for the tirst 

 mile or so, Mows through an extensive 

 muck swamp, psrt of which is under- 

 laid with shell marl of an unknown 

 depth. 



The wagon road across this swamp at 

 the outlet of the lake is constantly set- 

 tling and require,'! tilling in every few 

 years to keep it fi"om sinking below 

 the water level. 



From the lower end of this swamp to 

 the bridge at the lake is part of a favor- 

 ite collecting trip; the swamp is well 

 wooded with elm, soft maple, and ash 

 trees and Red-shouldei'ed Hawk's nests 

 are quite common. I took two sets of 

 their eggs there last spring.also one set 

 of Cooper's and one of Bro id-wing's. 



One day this fall I was through there 

 looking for ducks on the'OutletCreek;" 

 the trip was not a success as a duck 

 hunt, as I saw but two ducks [Anas ob- 

 scum), but I saw the first living Great 

 Blue Heron I ever came across, for al- 

 though the American Bittern and Gi'een 

 Heron frequent the low marshy lauds, 

 the Great Blue is only occasionally met 



with; a friend of mine has one stuffed 

 that was shot in this town. 



As I continued up the creek, flocks of 

 noisy Blackbirds began to fly over and 

 I soon came upon a large flock of 

 Grackles, Robins, Red-wings and Cow- 

 birds, the tirst two named singing their 

 sweetest songs, and the others joining 

 in now and then, and all flitting and 

 hopping hither and thither among the 

 trees and bushes hunting their living. 



I once had a tame Robin that I took 

 as a nestling, that used to sing.oh! such 

 sweet, tender, loving little songs, and 

 his joyous whistle could be heard a 

 block away, but till now I had never 

 heard such demonstrations from the 

 wild Robins, nor did I know what sweet 

 music the common chattering Purple 

 Grackle could make. 



They seemed fairly bubbling over 

 with happiness and love of mother 

 Nature, and of the good God who cares 

 so wisel}' for them. As night was com- 

 ing I had to hurry home, but I felt a 

 closer acquaintance with my little feath- 

 ered friends than had before been my 

 privilege. 



B. A. G. 

 Ballston Spa. N. Y. 



The Spring and Summer Birds of Central Park 

 New Yorli. 



A large number of birls, while wend- 

 ing their way northward on their 

 Spring migration, stop for a few daj's 

 in Central Park, N. Y. before continu- 

 ing their journey towards their accus- 

 tomed breeding places. Quite a few of 

 these visitors seem to be so pleased 

 with their short visits, that they decide 

 to stop with us during the breeding 

 season, and so create a goo. I field for 

 the Ornithologist in the centre of a 

 large and prosperous citj'. 



I spent most of my time dui'ing the 

 early morning hours of May, l.bOS, in 

 observation of the birds that passed 

 through the park during this month, 



