Birds of Fort Leavenworth Keservation 81 



roundabout the major feature which is a great expanse 

 of ridges and hills well forested with oak, hickory, elm, 

 linden, ash, cottonwood, etc., and undergrowth — black 

 haw, wild plum, red bud, seedlings, etc. The hilltop strata 

 of shale and limestone issue seepage which assembles down 

 the valleys in rills that foregather the waters into stream- 

 lets coursing to tJie great river. 



The flats along the bottom are populated sparsely as 

 to variety of species and only fairly well as to individuals. 

 At mid-day they appear almost deserted, except for lovers 

 of the ground such as juncos and song sparrows. On the 

 river i+self I seldom saw bird life. The open waters of 

 ponds and " cut-off " lakes in the Missouri river-bottoms 

 harbor water-fowls, but there are no lakes on the reser- 

 vation. 



The checkered uplands are well populated, and the 

 watered valleys among the forested hills are " birdland "^ 

 for certain — a bird lover's paradise. Here he may feast. 

 Frequent rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, harmless serpents, 

 snails, insects and botanical curiosities especially fungi, 

 make sauce for the feast. Thirsty mosquitoes try his ap- 

 petite and classify him a full blooded devotee of Audubon 

 or a weak sister only. 



Annotated List 

 The subjoined list is arranged under consecutive dates. 

 The first observation of a species is the only entry of it. 

 Many species not identified with certainty, if they had been 

 set down by guess, would well-nigh double the number re- 

 corded. 



March 16, 1919 



1. St lamella magna magna — Meadowlark. 



Meadowlarks are abundant and tuneful residents in the open 

 meadows. They are all eastern meadowlarks. I have listened 

 carefully from March to July and never once have heard a western 

 meadowlark. Knowing that the latter species is not uncommon a 

 few miles westward, I am struck by its absence from this vicinity. 



2. Plancsticiis migratorius migratorius — Robin. 



