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THB OOLOOI8T. 



105 



complete set of Albino Prothonotary 

 Warbler eggs. And we also have in 

 onr collection, a runt of this species 

 measuring .48 x .40 inches, which is 

 in a set with four other normal eggs. 



The birds seldom wonder far away 

 from the nest, and many of their eggs 

 are destroyed by snakes. 



The time of nesting of the Prothono- 

 tary is largely determined by the 

 stage of the water. Prior to 1900 the 

 Illinois River was in annual flood from 

 about March until June, and many 

 times have we found the nest of this 

 little bird submerged and drowned 

 out by a sudden and unexpected raise 

 in the river. Since January, 190^0, 

 when the water of the Chicago Sani- 

 tary District was turned into the Illi- 

 nois River, the homes of the Protho- 

 notary hereabouts have been destroy- 

 ed, and but few birds are now nesting 

 here, owing to the fact that the perma- 

 nent raise in the river occasioned by 

 the Sanitary District water has flood- 

 ed substantially all the cavities used 

 by them prior to that time, and has 

 killed and destroyed most of the tim- 

 ber in the river bottoms. 



The plate herewith presented of a 

 Prothonotary Warbler's nest is from 

 a photo made by W. E. Loucks, and 

 shows the general character of the 

 outside of a nest of this species, which 

 is just on the point of being sub- 

 merged by a raise in the river. Here 

 is a huge cottonwood stump, two feet 

 in diameter which has stood in the 

 bottom until water soaked ar^- rotted, 

 and in which the Prothonotary has 

 built its nest, at a time when the civ- 

 ity shown in the photo was flve or 

 six feet from the ground. A few days 

 after this picture was taken, this nest 

 was again visited and the fatal work 

 of destruction observed in the six cold, 

 wet and deserted eggs lying at the 

 bottom of the cavity. 



Woodpeckers of Ohio. 



Our most abundant species here, as 

 in many other parts of the Bast, is the 

 Red-head. He comes in the Spring 

 about April 25th, and leaves about Oc- 

 tober 1st. Occasionally he is a winter 

 resident. On March 12, 1908, I was 

 tramping over a large tract of woods 

 through a snow storm, when I heard 

 a familiar c-r-r-r-ruck, and soon locat- 



ed the Melanerpes erythrocephalus. 

 There were perhaps a dozen individ- 

 uals scattered over the tract. At first 

 all were busily foraging, unheeding 

 the snow rapidly falling in large, wet 

 flakes. Later on they became quiet, 

 and soon not one could be seen on the 

 wing, but careful inspection found 

 them here and there clinging to the 

 sheltered side of the trees. I learn- 

 ed aftei-wards from the owner, that 

 they had spent the winter there, and 

 upon consulting my authorities, learn- 

 ed, that, although not a common oc- 

 currence, it was not altogether un- 

 usual. Beech trees were quite numer- 

 ous in the woods, and the crop of 

 beechnuts had been good, which seemr. 

 to go to verify the conclusion that the 

 Red-head's winter residence depends 

 upon the supply of "mast." 



He still seems to prefer to place his 

 nest in a decayed beech trunk or sim- 

 ilar situation, although I have seen 

 many nests in telephone poles, often 

 at cross roads, where dozens of vehi- 

 cles passed by every day. 



The Downy is very common, and 

 the Flicker may be said to be abund- 

 ant. I don't know that I have observ- 

 ed anything about either of these not 

 already known to most bird students. 

 The Hairy is not rare, but few trips 

 will find more than one or two indi- 

 viduals, and often none at all. From 

 my own observations, I am inclined to 

 believe that in this locality he is be- 

 coming scarcer, although I have never 

 compared notes with anyone on the 

 subject. 



The Red-bellied woodpecker is 

 found occasionally, more often in win- 

 ter. I do not know of its breeding. 



Have one record of the Yellow-bel- 

 lied Sapsucker. April 7, 1908, several 

 of them were flying about town, and 

 saw some in the woods next day. 

 Prof. Kreglow of the Ohio Northern 

 University, located here, says he has 

 seen them here several springs. 



HOWARD W. McMILLEN, 

 Ada, Ohio. 



'Bird Island.' 



For more than thirty years I have 

 heard of "Bird Island" and I have 

 heard of the birds nesting there, and 

 the hundreds and thousands of eggs 

 that were gathered from that island 



