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SCIEiMCE. 



[Vol. XX. No. 504 



every clover-field, in June, in Michigan, south of 43 degrees. About 

 1870 a specimen of the turkey buzzard was captured here, and for 

 a long time this note was unique, but vpithin the last few years 

 they have become regular summer visitors, and they have been 

 found nesting at about 43° north latitude, on Lake Michigan's 

 shore. There are dozens of other instances of cases where birds 

 formerly unknown hereabouts, or but rarely met with, have, 

 within the last twenty years or so, become comparatively common, 

 or even abundant. 



The second civilized cause of the unnatural means of change, 

 namely, removal of forests, is remarkable in its effects, and yet, 

 although more birds are forced to leave neighborhoods totally 

 denuded than there are new species to occupy the locality, still a 

 county about two-thirds cleared and well peopled is sure to em- 

 brace more species of bii'ds than is one with its trees all standing. 

 In a fouryeai's' residence at the north and in a new county, I was, 

 although on the alert, and daily making notes, able to secure a 

 list of only one hundred and twenty-odd species ; while here, in a 

 district inhabited over twice as long, and with over nineteen- 

 twentieths of the area cleared, I have a list of over one hundred 

 greater. 



A locality where the trees were all felled would not contain a 

 hawk, owl, woodpecker, grouse, warbler, fly-catcher, jay, crow, 

 and many other species ; but there are also many species, as house- 

 wrens, barn and eave-swallows, chimney swifts, robins, blue- 

 birds, sparrows, and finches of several kinds, kingfishers, and all 

 the plovers, snipes, sandpipers, ducks, geese, and divers, which 

 could remain with us, and many of which would not appear at all 

 if the country was covered with forest. 



The only species which I am satisfied are disappearing rapidly 

 from the devastation of forests are the black woodpecker and wild 

 turkey; of these, both once common, the turkey is being extermi- 

 nated, while the log-cock has sought other quarters and is seldom 

 seen here now. The raven, once abundant hereabouts, has gone for- 

 ever, while its place is taken by its near relative, the crow, which 

 was once not found in this locality. 



Perhaps under this heading we may properly mention that 

 group of birds which have modified their nesting habits to suit 

 the requirements in order to associate with man, and, as we might 

 say, secure his protection. A remarkable instance is that of the 

 so-called clifif-swallow, a bird which has appropriated the space 

 around buildings under the eaves, and which is well known to 

 the boys as the eave-swallow. It is impossible to say how long 

 this modification has existed, but certainly not longer than three 

 centuries, for even now the species clings to its primitive choice 

 of location in the west, still sticking its mud-pellet habitation to 

 the cliffs. . The white-bellied swallow, house-wren, white-bellied 

 nut-hatch, and blue-bird, all have modified their nesting habits to 

 an extent, and occasionally occupy boxes and other receptacles 

 placed for their accommodation. The common pewee boldly en- 

 ters our barns, out-houses, and even attempts to occupy a nook 

 on the front porch, from which it is unceremoniously ousted. 

 Some years ago I found two pewee's nests built in the original 

 style; they were attached to the roots of overturned trees. This 

 was undoubtedly the primitive method of the pewee, until the 

 fortunate appearance of civilized man, when little pewee quickly 

 came to know an advantage, and he adopted buildings and bridges 

 instead of overturned tree-roots. 



The barn-swallow must have adopted the custom of building in 

 the peaks of buildings many generations ago, for no one knows 

 of its ever nesting otherwise. It is even said that the martin was 

 provided with gourd houses before the discovery of America in 

 1492, and that the natives afforded protection to this favored bird. 

 It now accepts the boxes erected for it, or nests in the cornices of 

 buildings in our cities and tov/ns. The chimney-swift is the best 

 example of a species changing from a life in the solitudes to the 

 busy scenes of village and city. Once the swift must have nested 

 in the cavities of trees, and I have heard of nests being found in 

 huge, hollow sycamores, but at present the birds almost confine 

 their nesting haunts to unused chimneys. 



The third cause of change, viz., drainage of land and water, 

 does not produce the great influence that the removal of forests 

 does. Nevertheless, it exerts more of a change than one would 



credit. Many places where rails once nested in abundance, and 

 ducks annually stopped on their migrations, are now compara- 

 tively dry fields and yield good crops. However, these drainings 

 are almost compensated for by the overflow occasioned by the 

 damming-up of streams and the outlets of lakes, as a head for 

 mills, and, further, where lakes have been lowered by various 

 means, it has not infrequently happened that the uncovered shore- 

 line, so increased, has offered attractions to certain littoral species 

 which were formerly rare, but which are now taken seasonally 

 during migrations. 



Enough could be written on this subject to fill a book, but space 

 forbids further comment. It has been plainly shown that peopling 

 a locality, with not too heavy a sprinkling over the agricultural 

 portion, and not too heavy a removal of the trees, actually in- 

 creases the number of the species of birds, and, with a few excep- 

 tions, principally the ducks, increases the number of birds. Though 

 our little corporation does not contain as many birds as formerly, 

 as they are crowded out, I am satisfied that there are in our 

 county each year at least fifty species of birds unknown to the 

 locality fifty years ago. 



Kalamazoo, Michigan. 



THE DUCK ISLANDS.' 



BY LEVI W. MENGEL, ENTOMOLOGIST TO WEST GREENLAND EXPEDI- 

 TION, 1891. 



We left Upernavick toward noon of July 1, with the " Kite's" 

 head to the north -west. On the following morning we were 

 awakened by the cry of "Land, Ho," and upon reaching the 

 deck saw in the distance several small specks, which we were 

 told were the famous Duck Islands, so-called because almost their 

 only inhabitants are the American Eider Ducks which congregate 

 there in the summer to breed. 



The party immediately began to prepare for the day's work, and 

 at four o'clock we brought up under the lee of the largest of the 

 islands. The Duck Islands are situated about 73° north and 58° 

 west, and are three in number. They are all small, the largeb.t 



AN EIDER DOCK NEST. 



not being more than a mile and a half in diameter; all near to- 

 gether, and composed of the same kind of rock, which appeared 

 to be granitic or at least of some igneous origin. 



Our party were soon ready to go on shore. A gun was fired 

 from the ship, and a black cloud of birds arose from the islands. 

 They flew a short distance and then alighted, most on land, yet 

 some in the water. We were soon on shore, and then began a 

 day of sport and slaughter. A portion of the party was detailed 

 to gather eggs and down for the use of Lieutenant Peary in the 

 far north. The remainder of the party were to gun for as many 

 birds as they could get; and we got them. Seldom did a shot 

 fail to bring down a bird, and from every portion of the islands 

 came rapid reports which told of slaughter and^death. One could 

 not walk even a short distance before coming to a nest, and not 

 unfrequently did the female wait until almost trodden upon before 

 flying. The male birds betook themselves away upon the first 

 scent of danger, and upon the water nearby, just provokingly be- 

 yond gunshot, could be seen numbers of them, many wounded 

 but sufiBciently active to keep away. Of the birds shot the fe- 

 males largely predominated, probably ten to one. 



The nests of these birds were all built on the ground (see illus- 

 tration), some on the open, and some few under the shelter of 



1 The plates have been kindly loaned for this article by Dr. R. N. Keely 

 Jr., ot Philadelphia, and are from his excellent narrative " In Arctic Seas." 



