238 General Notes. LApril 



Sparrow (Passer domesticus hostilis 1 ) amongst its many other sins, has 

 been responsible to a large extent for the generally prevailing idea that as 

 sets increase pigment decreases (which seems to be the rule in its case for 

 some unexplained reason), but my 'A Study of Subsequent Nestings' 

 already referred to, goes a long way I think to demonstrate that the oppo- 

 site is the more general rule in the case of other birds. What we really 

 want is a special work dealing with the subject, such as Dr. Bergtold's 

 'The Incubation Periods of Birds' and Dr. Casey Wood's 'The Fundus 

 Oculi of Birds,' wherein the subjects are fully dealt with and discussed 

 in all their bearings. — H. Mousley, Hatley, Que. 



The Destruction of Nests by Farming Operations in Saskatche- 

 wan. — During the summer of 1917 from May 1 to June 15 I worked on a 

 1200 acre grain farm located near a small town, Estlin, sixteen miles south 

 of Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan. This time included the earlier 

 nesting wave which might be said to extend through the last weeks in May 

 and the first in June. It is then that the greatest damage is done to nesting 

 birds through agricultural operations. 



The region in which the farm was situated was one vast treeless plain. 

 Natives at one time or another have tried to grow trees and shrubs about 

 their dooryards but these have either died or merely grown to a height of 

 ten or twelve feet. Of course all parts of Saskatchewan are not treeless 

 for in Regina there are fair sized shade trees along the streets and still 

 farther north there are forests. The land is owned in large tracts of a half 

 section or more, the largest of which I heard covering 16 sections. It is 

 under an extensive system of farming with oats, wheat and flax as the staple 

 crops. Most of the land is under cultivation but there is still some in lots 

 of a half to two sections left in virgin prairie. One would naturally expect 

 that the wild ducks and other ground nesting birds would select the prairie 

 for nesting sites, but such was not in accordance with my observations, as 

 I found that the great majority chose the cultivated areas. 



The ducks and the Chestnut-collared Longspurs were found to be most 

 abundant; of the former, Pintails were in the lead, with Mallards, Teals, 

 and Baldpates in lesser numbers. Canada Geese did not nest there at all, 

 but I was told that they breed commonly not far to the north. Marsh 

 Hawks and Short-eared Owls were very common, as were Red-winged 

 Blackbirds, Killdeers, and Western Meadowlarks. 



The growing season is so short that the ground must be prepared with 

 the greatest speed in the spring, since the large crops and early winters 

 allow little time for fall plowing, thus leaving nearly all to be done just 

 before seeding. We were plowing, disking, harrowing, and drilling grain 

 until the first week in June, while the first duck nest was found on May 6, 

 making at least a full month during which the farming operations may cause 

 the destruction of nests. As above stated the ducks seem to prefer the 

 stubble fields to the prairie, for of the twenty-five nests which I examined 

 all but five were in the former kind of situation; of the remaining five, 



i See Oberholser, Auk, 1917, p. 329. 



