74 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



Notes from Norwich, Conn. 



BV J. M. W. 



In Noank, in this county, is a stiirt'eil Eider 

 Duck, shot at Groton Long Point, in the Winter 

 of 1884. 



A tame crow died in tliis city lately which de- 

 serves an obituary of a word for its linguistic 

 power. When called home from a neighbor's 

 yard, it would say " I won't ! " When told not 

 to run away, it would answer, "1 will!" More 

 distinctly than most Parrots and Cockatoos, I 

 have heard it repeat twelve or thirteen woids, 

 though its vocabulary was said to be much larger. 

 In a late Atldiitic, John Burrough says he finds 

 no mention by bird-writers of the Downy WiH^d- 

 pecker's habit of drilling a Winter home." In the 

 " O. and O." Vol. 8, p. 85 and elsewhere, refer- 

 ence is made to this habit. It has come constant- 

 ly under my obseivation since 1875, and as I 

 write House Sparrows are breeding in two holes 

 in Maples, on Franklin and LaFayelte streets, 

 which I saw Downies drilling last October— the 

 chips falling on the heads ot people jiassing on the 

 city sidewalks. 



Some very queer plans for thinning the ranks 

 of the House Sparrow army of invasion were 

 presented to the committee of the A. (). l'., Ihe 

 most Quioxtic being recommended l>y a cleigy- 

 man, to-wit: the use of fire-engines I Now in 

 Winter when the Sparrows get logethei- in gi-eat 

 companies, if park-keepers and policemen were 

 allowed to use double-barreled guns (m ihe close 

 packs, little apprehension need be had over their 

 increase. I\iiling this or state outlawry, destroy 

 all eggs and young on your own premises. Do 

 not let your bird-boxes remain out all Winter to 

 shelter the pests, but put them up only when 

 White-bellied Swallows, Wrens and Marlins 

 appear, so that welcome migrants will not find 

 /-'. (lonuMicux already in possession. 



Florida Bird Life. 



[Vol. 10-No. 5 



BY E. M. H.^SBUOICK, I'.\I,ATK.\, Fl.A. 



Some time since, I noticed in the columns of 

 this paper, a request to all those who could give 

 accounts of the habits of the Ground Dove, 

 if'ham(epeiinpassi'iina), to do so. So I will com- 

 mence with this bird. It is very numerous here, 

 and is to be met with in most of the clearings, 

 groves, gardens, &c., and is even found in the 

 roadways and sidewalks of the suburbs of the 

 town. They are quite tame, and when walking 

 on the ground, will frequently allow a person to 

 approach within a few feet before flying, but 



when in a tree, they are very hard and difHcult 

 of approach. Of all the places to which they 

 resort, I think that the garden is the most fa- 

 vored. Here they may be found at almost any 

 hour of the day, busily picking up the seeds that 

 fall fiom the various plants. They keep in com- 

 panies of from five to a dozen, sometimes more, 

 and when on the ground, and approached grad- 

 ually, they often huddle together, and utter a 

 queer little chippering of alarm much like a 

 Quail. Should they be approached still closer, 

 they spring into the air, and with rapid strokes, 

 make their way to the nearest tree, or clump of 

 bushes, or else to some remote part of the garden. 

 Their flight is accompanied by a loud flapping of 

 the wings, when suddenly flushed, and although 

 they appear to fly heavily, they really fly very 

 lightly and raj.idly. They are such pretty, iiuaint 

 little things, that I have misgivings about shoot- 

 ing them, and always feel guilty after doing so. 

 It is seldom that a prettier sight is seen than that 

 of a company of a dozen or so of these Utile 

 birds walking along in search of food. They are 

 gregarious, and it is seldom that a single bird is 

 found far from the rest of the flock. In running 

 along the ground, they carry their tails one mo- 

 ment straight out behind, and the next it will he 

 raised at an angle of 80° like a wren's. Tlicy 

 are just commencing to mate, and I hope to be 

 able to secure some of their eggs belore long. 



The Florida Darter, {Plolus hji/iihi/h), is quite 

 common here on the river and snudl streams. 

 They aie an ungainly, awkward bird, and yet to 

 my mind among tlie few birds that combine 

 grace, beauty, and ugliness. They may frequent- 

 ly be found perched in Ihe branches of the trees 

 along the water courses, or sitting on some stump 

 or log in the water. By approaching slowly and 

 carefully, it is possible to get within a few rods 

 of them, and a good shot may be obtained. But 

 if shot at, and wounded, give up all hopes of get- 

 ting him, for with a splash, he falls into the 

 water, no matter how high up he may be, and 

 sinks to the bottom like a stone, and if you remain 

 ([uiet for five or ten minutes, you will see his 

 head and neck apijear at a considerable distance 

 fr<ini where he fell, pushing his way through the 

 lily pads and " Bonnets" towards some retreat. 

 When frightened from their perch, they generally 

 rise high in the air, and fly some distance up the 

 stream, and in a straight line as a rule, although 

 I have seen them flying around in circles like a 

 Hawk. Strange as it will probably sound to 

 those unae(iuainted with the bird, their flight is 

 performed much after the fashion of Hawks ; a 

 few quick, sharp strokes of the wings, then sail- 

 ing a short distance, while their long neck, 



