140 



THE OOLOGIST 



to find the Towhee Bunting increasing 

 appreciably in numbers. 



We are peculiarly located (as I take 

 it) just on the north edge of the Che- 

 wink's habitat. The bird arrives quite 

 early. The first one I ever saw, was 

 noted on the 7th. of April (1888) and I 

 think that that is about the date of its 

 arrival in these parts. 



The Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos. 



In this vicinity both of the Cuckoos 

 named above are quite common. The 

 Black-billed, although considered the 

 rarer through the country as a whole, 

 is, I think the more common of the two 

 here. It may be distinguished from the 

 Yellow-billed by its different figure, 

 being thicker and perhaps a trifie short- 

 er bodied, and by Its darker plumage 

 Also, as its name signifies, by its dark 

 colored bill. Its nesting place is ever- 

 green bushes, such as cedar and hem- 

 lock bushes but its favorite nesting 

 place is in pine shrubs where it builds 

 a loosely made nest of sticks lined with 

 a few leaves. It lays from two to five 

 eggs in this nest which is from four to 

 six feet from the ground. 



The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a trim? 

 mer built bird than the Black-billed. 

 Its bill is yelloy and curved downwards 

 and the bird has light spots on the 

 underside of its tail. Its favorite nest- 

 ing place in this vicinity is in beech or 

 hardhack saplings from five to ten feet 

 from the ground. Its nest resembles 

 the Black-billed. The cry of the birds 

 are much alike being something like 

 "cow-coo cow-coo" several times re- 

 peated varying to a clucking sound 

 when driven from the nest. Either 

 bird will stay on its nest till one is very 

 near them. It is not uncommon to find 

 an egg of either bird in the others' nest. 

 The number of eggs of the Y r ellow-bill- 

 ed are from two to four. 



W. E. Aiken, 

 Benson, Vt. 



Changes in Michigan Orinthology. 



In less than twenty years a great 

 change has come over the flora and 

 fauna of the south-eastern portion of 

 Michigan. Of course a similiar change 

 has taken place in a large portion of 

 the state, but I propose to notice more 

 especially the changes in the ornithol- 

 ogy of the south-east portion of the 

 state, simply noticing the Ravens and 

 Bald Eagles, once very abundant in 

 most parts of the state, especially in 

 the Upper Pennisula, are now local 

 chiefly in the Upper Peninsnla. In 

 1885, the only Ravens I found in num- 

 bers were near Escanaba. Young Bald 

 Eagles were not rare along the lake 

 shore. By the way, the difference in 

 the appearance of the young and old 

 Bald Eagles is so great that it is diffi- 

 cult for one not not familiar with them 

 to believe that they belonged to the 

 same species, however, an Eagle is 

 always a royal bird, and could not be 

 mistaken for one of another race. 



It is decidedly interesting, when boat- 

 ing on the great lakes, to round a cape 

 and suddenly surprise a pair of these 

 royal birds standing upon the beach, 

 looking for fish cast up by the waves. 



Eagles are now rarely seen in south- 

 east Michigan. Ravens have entirely 

 disappeared. Crows are as numerous 

 and noisy as ever, so are Blue Jays, 

 Robins, Blue-birds, Bob-o-links, Balti- 

 more Orioles, Cedar Wax-wings, Red- 

 wing Black- birds, Cow-birds, etc. 

 While the Bronzed Grakles are still 

 common, owls and hawks seem less 

 abundant, still the Great Horned Owl 

 is by no means scarce, and the blood- 

 curdling cry of the Screech Owl is still 

 heard in some localities. Four or five 

 other species are now rarely met with. 

 Ruffed Grouse, Wrens, Indigo birds, 

 Swallows, Martins, Snipes, Plovers, 

 and most waders and swimmers, are 

 less common than formerly. The Great 

 Blue Heron, however, still holds its 



