720 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



April 15; are most numerous in April; some are seen in May and oc- 

 casionally in June. Perhaps a rare summer resident in the northern 

 part of the State. It was first observed in Vigo County, where it 

 has been taken earliest in spring March 19, 1887 (Evermann); March 

 27, 1888 (Blatchley), and March 20, 1896 (Kendrick). At Brookville 

 its earliest spring record is March 26, 1887, while in 1883 it was not 

 noted until April 7. Mr. J. G. Parker has observed it at Liverpool, 

 Ind., March 30, 1895, though he reports it as early as March 20 from 

 Cook County, Illinois. In 1883 it was last noted at Brookville May 6, 

 but in 1884 it was seen May 16. In 1896 it was last seen at Laporte 

 May 6 (Barber), and in 1888 they were reported from English Lake 

 June 3 (Deane). 



In the southern half of the State it is more often reported in spring, 

 when it frequents the edges of ponds and water courses, marshes and 

 wet meadows, but in the northern portion, among the lakes and 

 marshes, it is more common in late summer and early fall. Mr. Parker 

 has observed it to be most common northward during August. It was 

 observed by Mr. C. L. Cass at Clear Lake, Steuben County, August 

 23, 1894. Generally, however, they appear in September, passing 

 southward late in that month and in November. 



Mr. W. 0. Wallace observed a number, and shot two, in Wabash 

 County, along the Wabash Eiver, September 24, 1893. Messrs. L. A. 

 and C. D. Test noted it at Lafayette last, October 21, 1895. In Illi- 

 nois, in June, 1875, Mr. E. W. Nelson found several of these birds 

 about the Calumet marshes, where, from their actions, he was certain 

 they were breeding, but did not find their nests. The 10th of June, 

 1876, Mr. Rice observed a pair about a prairie slough near Evanston; 

 a few days later a set of eggs was brought to him, which from the 

 description of the bird, which was driven from the nest, both he and 

 Mr. Nelson decided must belong to this bird. "The nest was situated 

 in a slight depression at the base of a small hillock at the border of a 

 prairie slough, and was composed of grass and blades. The eggs 

 measure, respectively 1.70 by 1.30, 1.72 by 1.31, 1.74 by 1.32, 1.80 by 

 1.38 inches. The ground color is a deep grayish- white, marked on 

 three eggs with spots of dark brown and on the other egg with spots 

 and well-defined blotches of a considerably lighter shade of the same. 

 In addition there are shell markings and obscure spots o"f lilac. The 

 markings are disposed quite abundantly over the surface of the egg, 

 but are more numerous about the larger end" (Birds of Northeastern 

 Illinois, pp. 128, 129). Both Mr. Meyer and Mr. Tallman have been 

 unable to determine its nesting at the present time, either in Cook 

 County, Illinois, or Lake County, Indiana. 



