THE 



WILSON BULLETIN 



NO. 56. 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 



VOL. XVIII SEPTEMBER, 1906 NO. 3 



MY NEIGHBORS' HOMES IN CLAYTON COUNTY, 



IOWA. 



1!V AI.'iUEA R. SUKRiMAN. 



In suniniier I liavc many neii^libors, Ijut in one class only do 

 I feel a consnniing interest — an interest that consumes much 

 time and energy. Within one-fourth of a mile of our home 

 thirty species of birds are likely to breed every year. Some 

 years there may be a failure on the part of two or three of these 

 species to come quite within this limit, but they are very near. 

 The nests of sixteen of these, besides the eggs of the Cowbird, 

 have been found upon our grounds, and there is very good 

 circumstantial evidence to show that four common birds, the 

 Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Dickcissels and Maryland Yellow- 

 throats have had their nests here, although I have failed to 

 finfl them. 



In the summer of liHi.j on our home plot eleven species nested 

 whose nests were found, nine being occupied at one time. These 

 eleven were the Alourning Dove. Flicker, Kingbird, Phoebe, 

 Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, Chipping Spar- 

 row;, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, American Robin, and 

 Bluebird. The five species that have nested with us but did not 

 that year were the Bobwhite. Chimney Swift, Song Sparrow, 

 ]5arn Swallow and Catbird. 



Of the other species within the quarter of a mile limit the 

 Clifif Swallow breeds abundantly if undisturbed; Vesper Spar- 

 rows, and Prairie Horned Larks are common awav from the 



