552 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



94. HORNED LARK 



OTOCORIS ALPESTRIS (Linnseus) 



A not very common spring and fall visitant, or probably resi- 

 dent from fall to spring; apparently not present in summer. Our 

 records are as follows: September 29, 1899, a flock of 12 seen 

 flying over the lake. October 19, 1900, two seen flying southwest 

 over the lake and calling, and on November 9, several seen flying. 

 April 9, 1901, two seen in a road west of lake; February 20 and 

 21, three seen ; March 1 and 7, other seen ; November 4, 1906, one 

 seen west of lake. 



95. BLUE JAY 



CYANOCITTA CRISTATA (Linnaeus) 



One of the most common and conspicuous birds about the lake; 

 heard or seen nearly every day in the year, and by all means the 

 most noisy bird in the region. They are most noisy in autumn, 

 mingling their various calls with the sound of dropping nuts. 

 They were noted as particularly noisy October 4, 1904. They be- 

 come very noisy whenever they find an owl. They have many 

 voices and probably mock other birds. A very common call is one 

 that sounds precisely like that of a red-tailed hawk. They have one 

 really musical call, "linnet," "linnet," usually heard in the spring, 

 and low confiding chats during the courting season. Some old nests 

 were found in the woods along the east side of Long Point. In 1906 

 they were heard or seen almost every day about the lake. August 

 5, one appeared to be trying to mock a catbird ; and on Septem- 

 ber 17 one was heard trying to vv^arblo. 



96. COM]\ION CROW 



CORVUS BRACHYRHYNCHOS Brehm 



Crows are a rather common permanent resident. In summer 

 they rarely or never come very near the lake shore. Almost every 

 day a few may be seen flying at some distance, in the vicinity of the 

 cultivated farms lying back from the lake, or on fine mornings their 

 far-off cawing may be heard. It is probable that they breed in the 

 forest back of the lake. In the winter the birds are often seen 

 walking about on the ice picking up any bit of dead fish that they 

 may find. Where ice-fishing was carried on the fishermen fre- 

 quently left dead bait-minnows or sometimes small perch they had 

 caught, on the ice near the holes through which they had fished. 

 The crows soon found these and ate them, picking into the sides 

 and eating the stomach first. 



