S6 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. (3 



439. Ked-sliouldered Hawk. Rare. Breeds. 



451. Bald Eagle. Not rare. While out 

 hunting ducks last winter I wounded a Whistle- 

 wing, and after chasing him around a while 

 he took to the old device of diving and stick- 

 ing just the end of his bill out of the water. 

 I soon lost trace of him and went on but hap- 

 pened to look back and saw an eagle trying to 

 catch my duck. I ran back hoping to get a 

 sliot, but as soon as the eagle saw me he flew 

 away. I saw tliree more that year, two of 

 them at one time. 



459. Turkey Buzzard. Rare. But one of 

 these has come under my observation; tliat 

 was shot about five miles south of here. 



460. Mourning Dove. Not rare. Breeds. 

 473. Ruffed Grouse. Common. Breeds. 



Affords fine sport for liuuters. Lives in tlie 

 woods and underbrush. Builds on tlie ground 

 and lays nine to twelve eggs. Tliey do not 

 migrate but subsist on bugs during the winter. 



480. American Quail. Common. Breeds. 

 Seems to prefer the fields and inarsliy places 

 for its nest. Lives on grain, etc. Are very 

 fine eating. 



487. Great Blue Heron. One or two are 

 usually shot every year. Found along the 

 rivers and creeks; lives on small fish and frogs. 



494. Little Green Heron. Common. Found 

 along the river banks and creeks; lives on 

 dragon flies, small fish, etc. Breeds. Builds 

 in trees. The nest is composed entirely of 

 twigs and is lined with a few dried leaves. A 

 set of four taken by me measure 1 1-2 in. by 

 1 1-8 in., 1 1-2 in. by 1 1-8 in., 1 1-2 in. by 

 1 3-10 in., 1 5-8 in. by 1 3-10 in. Their color is 

 a sky blue; they are very coarse and rough 

 looking. 



497. American Bittern. Very rare. One 

 was brought to me to mount. This is the 

 only one that has been seen in these parts. 



510. Killdeer Plover. Rare. But one of 

 these birds has come under my observation. 



525. American Woodcock. Common. 



Breeds. Gives the hunter great pleasure. 



520. Wilson's Snipe. Found during the 

 spring migration around the wet and swampy 

 places. Arrives here in small detached flocks. 



557. Spotted Sandpiper. Common. Breeds. 

 Lives on small bugs, lamprey eels and worms. 

 Builds on the gi'ound under a stone or tussock 

 of grass. The eggs are a "yellowish-drab 

 color spotted and blotched with umber and 

 sienna." The usual measurement is 1 2-8 in. 

 by 7-8 in. 



580. American Coot. One of these birds 

 is seen nearly every spring. 



594. Canada Goose. Occasionally stops a 

 day or two on its migration. 



602. Black Mallard. Occasionally found in 

 the spring in the ponds and standing pools 

 from overflows. 



012. Green- winged Teal. Rare. One was 

 shot here a time ago, only one ever seen around 

 here. 



013. Wood Duck. Rare. 



614. Big Black Head. Not common. Found 

 in the spring and fall in puiva or small flocks 

 of three to five. 



620. Whistle-wing Duck. Common. This 

 duck is one of the most common of the ducks 

 which inhabit this part of the counrry. It may 

 be found in the spring, fall and winter on our 

 Susquehanna river. It is called Whistle-wing 

 because after attaining the height of about 

 fifteen feet its wings make a whistling sound, 

 which may be heard for fully a quarter of a 

 mile. When slightly wounded this duck dives 

 and sticks just the end of its bill out of water. 

 They are expert swimmers, divers and fliers. 

 Their food consists of small fish and mussels. 

 Out of the crop of a full-grown male I counted 

 sixty-one small shells and three pebbles. The 

 full-grown males are very beautiful, their head 

 being of a glossy green, with a white puffy 

 spot at the root of the bill. Their weight is 

 from two pounds to two pounds and a half. 

 They are fair eating. 



021. Butter Ball. This little duck is not rnie 

 but may be found in small flocks of tlirei^ 

 to six. It is very tame until after it has been 

 shot at a number of times. Makes fine eating. 



023. Old Wife or South Southerly. Com- 

 mon. Comes up the Susquehanna in the 

 spring and fall in flocks of fifteen to thirty. 

 They are expert swimmers, divers and fliers. 

 Living on small fish. Like numbers of othei' 

 ducks when wounded it dives and puts just 

 the end of the bill out of water. They are 

 very tame but are not good eating. Out of 

 the crop of one of these birds I took 52 small 

 pike, most of them an inch long, and six or 

 seven two inches long. A full-grown male 

 often weighs two pounds. The favorite days 

 for these ducks are when it is cold and the 

 wind is blowing just after rain. 



038. Hooded Merganser. Rare. Seldom seen. 



731. Red-throated Grebe. Common. Found 

 in pairs and singly; like the preceding species 

 it dives at the flash of a gun and also lives on 

 fish and they have the habit of eating their 

 own feathers. 



732. Eared Grebe or Hell Diver. Common. 

 Does not breed. Found here during the 



