44 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 98 



seen; also occasional Snow Buntings and Crossbills. Three flocks 

 or the rare Northern Grosbeaks were seen, of 75, 45 and 8 individ- 

 uals respectively. One was seen as late as May 4th in Jackson 

 Park. They were again seen at the dunes on November 21 last. 

 They feed on berries of Rhus uromatica and Toxicodendron vernix 

 or Poison Sumac. When flying a greater distance, they form com- 

 pact flocks and fly swiftly, straight and noiselessly. In the marshes 

 and swales between the dunes the Marsh Hawk is common; they 

 arrive about the beginning of March, mate about April 1st, and 

 nests with five and four eggs were found on May 20th and 30th re- 

 spectively. In the same places the Prairie Long-billed Marsh Wren, 

 the Short-billed Marsh, Wren and Henslows Sparrow, find con- 

 genial habitats. They are common by April 22d. 



A visit on April 8th to the Longspur paradise, Addison, proved 

 interesting. The temperature was 30-35°, the wind blew a gale, 

 so that it was extremely unpleasant in those wind-swept, bleak 

 hills; in ,fact, making headway and looking about was difficult. 

 And yet, the Longspurs were evidently in their glory, they played 

 and chased each other, twittered and tinkled in great style, as 

 though they regarded that kind of weather as the ideal one for 

 them. Conditions in the arctic tundra, where they breed, are no 

 doubt much like they were here on that day. Many were already 

 in nearly perfect nuptial plumage. 



A later than usual stay on the part of winter visitants was ob- 

 served, when Juncos were seen up to May 4th, after Bobolinks, 

 Orioles, Catbirds, Blackburnian and other warblers had arrived. 

 A real rarity was the finding of a Mockingbird on May 18th near 

 my home. Mr. B. T. Gault, with whom I was taking a walk, and 

 I had a good view of it at close range. 



The nesting season brought along a peculiarity, inasmuch as in 

 "Waller's Park" and nearby, the Robins especially, also the Mous- 

 ing Doves placed their nests lower than other years, as low as 2-3 

 feet in the case of the former, and nearly all on the ground, in 

 the case of the latter. I ascribe it to an attempt to escape the 

 depredations of the Crows and Blue Jays, which probably do not 

 pilfer quite so low, as a rule. 



Unusually late records are the seeing of Chimney Swifts and 

 Nighthawks on September 21st, a Hummingbird on October 6th, and 

 a Black-crowned Night Heron on November 19th. A Saw-whet Owl 

 was caught alive by an Italian in "Wallers Park," in a spruce tree, 

 who promptly wrung off its head, for the reason that its calling 

 disturbed him in his sleep, he said! A pair of Long-eared Owls 

 stayed in one and the samei Norway spruce there for at least four 

 weeks, probably much longer, as there were quite a number of 



