TH F" 



WILSON BULLETIN 



NO. 113 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 

 VOL. XXXII DECEMBER, 1920 NO. 4 



OID SERIES VOL. XXXn. NEW SERIES VOL. XXVII. 



BIRD NOTES FROM ITASCA COUNTY, MINNESOTA 



BY ALVIN R. CAHN ' 



Each passing year, with its opening of new country to 

 homesteaders and tourists, makes it more and more difficult 

 for the nature lover — the one who seeks the undisturbed 

 wilderness — to find gratification for his longing. The 

 passing j'ears have witnessed the deforestation of much of 

 northern Wisconsin and Michigan, and with the disap- 

 pearance of the old trees has gone the animal life both big 

 and small. The virgin forests of white pine are practically 

 gone, razed either by the willful hand of man, or, through 

 his carelessness, by fire. Whereas the last generation en- 

 joyed this virgin wilderness, the present generation must 

 content itself with isolated and i)rotected areas, or with 

 an occasional giant pine that has, somehow, withstood the 

 ravages and accidents of Time. All of which is greatly to 

 be regretted, the more so as much of the devastation could 

 have been prevented. Each succeeding generation will 

 have to content itself with less and less of the wilderness 

 as it was, until eventually a time must come when, outside 

 of national and state preserves, carefully policed and pro- 

 tected, but little deserving of the title of " wilderness " 

 will remain. 



To the zoologist, northern Wisconsin and Michigan are 

 still practically virgin soil, and there is much research 

 work to be done in both states. Northern Minnesota is, 



