Thk Wil.^on Butj.etin — No. 4S 75 



not ^eeni very encouraging and the first day on the water, 

 which was higher than for the last 13 years, onl}- confirmed 

 this. We saw great numbers of the Great Blue Heron, flocks 

 of 18 and 25. and one Coot, the only one seen on the trip, 

 and one bird which by elimination we thought to be the Sand- 

 hill Crane, but identification was not as satisfactory as it 

 should have been. As soon as we reached the oil derricks 

 bird life was extinct. 



We rowed back in a fierce gale and concluded to start 

 out bright and early the next mor.iing on the pike to St. 

 Marys. So 6 a. m., July 2, found us out on the road with hip 

 boots, gun and camera. After walking nine miles to the east 

 we turned off to the Reservoir, and three miles east of the oil 

 wells struck a place which was promising. The trees fring- 

 ing the Reservoir were standing in about three feet of water, 

 mostly willows, water ash and a few oaks. With their green 

 arches they were keeping almost every ray of sunlight away 

 from the oozy recesses beneath. Spotted Sandpipers and Red- 

 starts were common and in a few moments I saw a female of 

 the Prothonotary Warbler, w^hich we observed for about five 

 minutes. Later on in a similar place we saw another female 

 of tlie same species. This would indicate that it is still a very 

 rare summer resident at the Reservoir. The call note, to my 

 ear, faintly resembled the chirp of the Yellow Warbler, while 

 the colors in general, setting aside the size, would remind one 

 of the lilue- winged Warbler minus the wing bars. 



In this shady retreat we also found the Chestnut-sided 

 Warbler in s-everal specimens. Most likely they had bred in 

 the neigl.boorhood. Rowing across a space of open water we 

 soon tnterid a dense swampy margin and here was the only 

 place where the Long-billed Marsh Wren could be found, and 

 then sparingly only, not to be compared with the vast num- 

 bers at the Sandusky Bay marshes. Bitterns were booming 

 plentifully, but the Least Bittern was not there. Gallinules 

 and Rails were also absent, while a Wapakoneta sportsman, 

 who is also a practical taxidermist, had found a nest of the 

 King Rail on the previous week off Russell's Point at the 

 Lewiston Reservoir. After poking around in the cat- tails for 

 a while, we suddenly started a female Blue-winged Teal, but 

 in spite of a very diligent search, we did not find the nest. The 



