Vol ^XIVi Ferry, Winter Notes from Southern Illinois. 281 



WINTER BIRD NOTES FROM EXTREME SOUTHERN 



ILLINOIS. 



BY JOHN F. FERRY. 



The following notes were made on a short collecting trip to 

 extreme southern Illinois in the interests of the Field Museum of 

 Natural History, Chicago. The time spent was between February 

 22-28, and the object of the trip was to make as complete a study 

 as possible of the bird life at this season of the year. The region 

 studied was that in the vicinity of Cairo, which city is situated at 

 the juncture of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The area in- 

 cluded was about forty-five square miles, and besides Cairo, the 

 villages of Mound City and Olive Branch were visited. The 

 country near the two rivers mentioned is low and flat and is regularly 

 submerged twice each year, at the times of the spring and fall rises 

 of the rivers. Heavy levees for protecting villages and for carrying 

 railroads and highways are practically the only elevations to be 

 seen. At Olive Branch the country is diversified with low wooded 

 ridges and hills and about two miles to the southeast lies a shallow 

 lake of about five square miles area known as Horse-shoe Lake. 

 Cypress is the prevailing growth about it but oaks, sweet gum, 

 sycamore and sassafras form a considerable part of the surrounding 

 forest. Originally the whole region under consideration was one 

 of continuous forest, and much of this primitive condition still 

 remains, although considerable areas have been cleared for farming. 

 Frequent streams of varying size flow in a general southerly direction 

 into the Ohio River. The most important of these is Cache Creek, 

 a mile below Mound City. The soil is mostly a rich alluvial loam, 

 while, back from the rivers gravels, sand and clays prevail. The 

 richness of the soil and the prolonged season of summer heat produce 

 a luxuriant vegetation, and trees along the rivers grow into magni- 

 ficent specimens of their kind. 



The weather was changeable, cloudy weather predominating, 

 but for about tw T o hours preceding and following midday warm 

 bright weather usually occurred. The effect of this warmth and 

 sunshine upon bird life was very noticeable, a marked increase in 

 species and individuals being observed during the continuance of 



