24 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



same proportion occurs. This state of affairs is easily accounted for, 

 when we consider the superior facilities possessed hy birds for moving 

 about from place to place, and their frequent exposure to storms and 

 other adverse influences while migrating. 



Eightj^-three species (marked *) have been known to breed here, 

 and eighteen others (marked \) are inferred to have done so. Owing 

 to the lack of extended swamps or marshes in this vicinit}-, mauj of 

 the water birds which breed in the central and noi'thern portions of the 

 State, occur here as migrants only ; among these may be mentioned, 

 Ardea herodias, Botaurus niinor, Ardetta exilis, Rallus virgin ianus, 

 Porzana Carolina, Gallinula galeata, Fulica americana, Anas boschas, 

 Gracuhis dilophus var. Jtoridaniis, Ilydrochelidon lariformus, and 

 Podilymhus jjodiceps. Other species, which have been known to 

 breed in Ohio, but not in this vicinity, are, Cistothorus stellaris, Gisto- 

 thorus palusti'is, Protonotaria citra>a.^ Panda americana.^ Jtinco hye- 

 malis (breeds " abundantly" in " Western Resei've" — vide Kirtland, 

 1838), Dolichonyx oi'yzivorus, Empidonax pusiUas var. trailli (Colum- 

 bus, Wheaton), and Haliaetus leucocephalus. 



The " families" represented in our list number forty-six. Of these 

 the most prominent in point of numbers is the Sylvicolida'. or 

 Warblers, the great insectivorous group, represented by thirty five 

 species, ten of which are of rare or occasional occurrence onl}'. Eleven 

 members of this family spend the summer \yith us, the remainder pass- 

 ing on to higher latitudes to breed and returning in the fall on the 

 way to their winter homes in the south. Next in numerical import- 

 ance is the Fringillidoi, comprising the various species of Finches, 

 Sparrows, etc., of which we have twenty -eight species. Seven of these 

 are of fortuitous occurrence, five are constant residents, seven summer 

 residents and seven regular migrants; the other two are regular winter 

 visitants. 



The relative proportions of these two families in this locality, con- 

 flict with a general rule laid down b}- Dr. Cones, who says (p. 126 of 

 "Key") : " Any one United States locality of average attractiveness to 

 birds, has a bird fauna of over two hundred species; and if it be away 

 from the sea-coast, and consequentl}- uninhabited b}^ marine birds, about 

 one fourth of its species are Sylvicolidce and FringillidcB togethav— the 

 latter someirh at in excess of the former.'''' By reference to our figures 

 above given it will be seen that here the contrary is the case, the Syl- 

 vicolida- exceeding the Fringillidoi in a ratio of five to four (35 to 28). 

 The same is partially true of the State at large, according to Dr. Whea- 

 ton's List,^ which enumerates two hundred and ninety four species. 



1 " Food of Birds as related to Agriculture," with a List of the Birds of Ohio, by J. M. 

 Wheaton, M.P. — Ohio Agricultural Report, 1874. 



