22 WiDMANN, Gabberet Island Bird Roosts. I Jan. 



Note. — Since most of this paper was put in type, I have 

 received from Dr. C. Hart Merriam some unpublished field notes 

 on Idaho birds made since the appearance of his report upon the 

 subject. He kindly allows me to make the following extracts in 

 order to bring the lists up to date : 



Sphyrapicus thyroideus. — New to Idaho. Sawtooth City, Mr. ^Ever- 

 mann. Near Coeur d' Alene, August, 1895; Messrs. Bailey and Howell. 



Sayornis saya. 



Icteria virens longicauda. — Both recorded as common at Coeur d' 

 Al^ne. These three species are therefore to be added to the list of birds 

 found in the vicinitj- of Fort Sherman. 



I may say that early in 1897 about ten pairs of Oreortyx pictus, cap- 

 tured near Puget Sound, were liberated near the northern base of Mica 

 Peak, and it was proposed to introduce the Bob White. 



THE GREAT ROOSTS ON GABBERET ISLAND, , 

 OPPOSITE NORTH ST. LOUIS, MO. 



BY O. WIDMANN. 



For certain reasons, probably very ' mity ' ones, the Martins 

 {Pro^ne sudis) are anxious to leave, as early as possible, the 

 narrow quarters in which they rear their brood, and to spend the 

 night in the open air in company with others of their kind. The 

 father absents himself from home at nights before the brood is 

 fully fledged, and when the young are on the wing the mother, 

 too, tries to steal away, but not until it is nearly dark, and when 

 the darlings are safely lodged in the old quarters, and well fed. 

 Of course the parents return with the dawn of day, long before 

 the sun is up, to feed and lead them. 



After about a week of practice in catching insects on the wing, 

 the young nee,d no more help from their parents and accompany 

 them to the roost, but the whole family returns to the old home- 

 stead early in the morning, to spend a few hours in play and 

 merry-making. By and by these visits become shorter and shorter, 



