70 BULLETIN No. 36 



they did not make any efforts to catch any of the fish, though 

 they noticed the splashes of the latter. 



R. M. Strong, IVooJs Hole, Mass. 



FIVE Days Among the Islands of Lake Erie. Five 

 days, from August 5th to the 9th, spent among the islands near 

 the western end of Lake Erie yielded surprising results. We 

 two insatiable bird cranks. Rev. W. L, Dawson and the writer, 

 left Oberlin on the noon train and left Sandusky on the 3:30 

 boat and were landed on the wharf of Middle Bass Island at 6 

 o'clock. The work of recording the resident birds began at 

 once. A large pond near the middle of the island was swarm- 

 ing with shore birds of eight species, not to mention a half dozen 

 Great Blue Herons, nine King Rails, many Green Herons, a 

 Bittern and a flock of fourteen Black Ducks. Swallows skim- 

 med the water's surface and Common Terns winged across the 

 island. A solitary Kingfisher sprung his rattle upon us. This 

 was a most propitious beginning. Yellow Warblers were ap- 

 parently still in full song. 



1 shall not take the time to go into detail now, but rather 

 briefly summarize the work done. 



From Middle Bass we secured a row boat, and in it visited 

 nine islands, involving about 30 miles of rowing, some of it in 

 rough seas. Upon four of the islands Common Terns were 

 still nesting in considerable numbers, while perhaps half of the 

 birds flying about were in young plumage. On one island the 

 Purple Martins formed a roost of nearly 2000 individuals. The 

 best of evidence pointed to a considerable roost of blackbirds 

 on one other island. 



It is interesting to note that Carolina Wrens and Card- 

 inals were seen and heard singing on East Sister island, well 

 into the Canadian boundary, while in Lorain county they are 

 not at all numerous. Indeed, the Carolina Wren is a rare find at 

 anytime of year. On the other hand. Yellow Warblers were 

 not recorded north of Middle Bass, where they were in full 

 song. The physical conditions were apparently as favorable 

 on East Sister as on Middle Bass, and certainly no less so on North 



