48 THE A.MKkiCAX MIDLAND NATURALIST 



weather in February brought some so much earlier. A surprising 

 condition may be mentioned. At La Grange, just five to six miles 

 south of River Forest, not only winter residents such as Juncos 

 Tree Sparrows, Nuthatches, Creepers, etc. are found in much 

 greater abundance throughout winter than here, but species like 

 the Song Sparrow, even the Carolina Wren and Cardinal, witli 

 an odd Robin, Meadowlark and Red-winged Blackbird are seen 

 every winter. Why the Carolina Wren should never be seen here, 

 let alone in winter, and the Cardinal rarely, and why the others 

 should find conditions for winter residence so much more con- 

 genial these five miles farther south than here, would be hard to 

 say. At any rate, it emphasizes the fact that we are located in 

 the Transition Life Zone, where northerly and southerly species 

 meet and overlap. 



The sand dune region is always interesting, ornithologically 

 even in winter. Several pairs of Great Horned Owls and several 

 Ruffed Grouse may be seen any day in winter in a half day's walk, 

 and the rare northern visitors such as the Crossbills, Evening 

 Grosbeak, Redpolls and Snow Buntings have been seen last 

 winter and also during the present. At the same time such 

 southerly species as the Tufted Tit, Carolina Wren and the Car- 

 dinal may be seen. Some winters, as in the present, Red-headed 

 Woodpeckers and a Flicker or two also stay here. Later, end of 

 February and early in March, the Marsh Hawk puts in an ap- 

 pearance. The many long marshes, surrounded by wet swales 

 are ideal conditions for him and consequently the number of these 

 species seen here, is surprising. Later in the year the Short - 

 billed Marsh Wren finds these same areas so much to its liking 

 that at least one such swale near Mineral Springs may be called, 

 a Marsh Wrens' paradise. Its long-hilled relative is abundant 

 nearby, where the cattail grows in water. The Marsh Hawk was 

 seen mating on April ist; nests with five and four eggs were found 

 May 20th and 30th respectively. 



To turn to the prairie part of the area under discussion, we 

 find the fields about Addison, jo miles northwest of Chicago, a 

 veritable paradise for Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus). 

 The writer knows of no place where they are so plentiful as here. 

 The higher, wind-swept fields here, seems to 1 e their ideal habitat 

 from fall to the time "!' their return to their Hudsonian habitat, 

 during the lirst days of May. In company with a friend 1 revisited 



