Field Notes. 201 



Happed off the nest and uncovered a single fresh egg! It was the 

 female, new to her duties, who clamored for food, and perhaps for 

 sympathy, from her dallying lord. 



Once discovered the method proved the touchstone of success. A 

 stealthy approach was made later to another part of the colony 

 and three females were heard uttering the iliunger-cry, An{h), 

 .l.n(h), Aii(li). A male Crow detected the ambuscade and shout- 

 ed a warning, whereupon one of the Itrooders promptly subsided. 

 Other birds, presumably males, came hurrying up and a general 

 alarm was sounded, but one female, a sjjoiled darling, insisted upon 

 having attention from her reluctant mate. He, poor fowl, stood 

 the teasing as long as he could, then yielded at last in a moment of 

 weakness and paid a surreptitious visit to a certain treetop, while 

 the man took notes. When I found that the nest, perfectly con- 

 cealed at a height of sixt.v feet. cont;iined a single greenish blue 

 egg, as innnaculate as a Robin's, I jiardoned the young husband's 

 indulgence. 



Never, ah, ncA^er, does a man need the prophetic gift as when he 

 is gazing covetously, doubtfully, upon a "short" set. If he takes 

 it be knows he will upbraid himself for his incontinence the rest 

 of his days. If he leaves it he braves a thousand mischances, .lays, 

 squirrels, storms, worst of all the .iealous owners themselves. Well, 

 I took the latter alternative, and upon returning ten days later, 

 gazed into the emptiest nest I ever saw 



It was notable also upon the later visit that there was no more 

 shouting of "Here am I" ou the part of the sitting birds. They 

 had learned their lesson. 



Blaine, Wash. W. Lkox Dawson. 



Some Illinois Cardinals. — As far as I am able to gather, the 

 Cardinal seems to be considered a rather rare bird about Chicago. 

 The meager literature at my disposal classes it thus, and I have 

 heard it referred to t>.v collectors as a "Capture" well worth while. 

 In his "Birds of the Chicago Area," Mr. F. M. Woodruff sums up 

 the Cardinals' status thus : 



"I have heard of the Cardinal .being taken in our pulilic parks, 

 and have myself secured one specimen, which showed, however, 

 unmistakable signs of having been an escaped cage bird. Mr. J. 

 Grafton Parker, Jr., has a specimen of this species which was 

 talven at Kouts, Indiana, on December 11, 1893. Some years ago 

 I found a nest of the Cardinal at River Forest, Illinois. jNIr. O. M. 

 Schantz informs me that in the year 1904 there were two pairs 

 nesting at Riverside, Illinois." 



