THE OOLOGIST. 



2a 



The yard where the notes were taken 

 Is almost exactly 5 x 12 rods in size, and 

 in nearly the exact center of the cor- 

 porate limits, which were two and a 

 half miles square at the time when the 

 list was begun, in the village of about 

 5,000 inhabitants; but at present we 

 have a city of over 25,000. A house, 

 barn and shed were situated on the old 

 homestead, and several evergreens, 

 maples, burr oaks, apple trees, and a 

 row of cherry trees, together with cur- 

 rant and raspberry bushes and other 

 shrubs, and a flower and small vegetable 

 garden filled in the space of this typical 

 village home. Time has greatly chang- 

 ed the flora and fauna, and naturally, 

 many species of birds which formerly 

 frequented the yard, either as regular 

 visitors, spring and autumn, or as occas- 

 ional transients are now seen no more, 

 an undoubted result of the increased 

 size of the city with the consequent re- 

 moval of the forests surrounding the 

 corporation. Notwithstanding the 

 changes resulting from over thirty years 

 in a thriving manufacturing city, there 

 are still many species which visit us 

 each year in migrations from the south, 

 and a few which are fairly regular in 

 their appearance in the winter, and 

 there still occur occasional surprises in 

 the appearance of little expected spec- 

 ies. 



This list embraces the species of birds 

 seen within the enclosure of about sixty- 

 one square rods, or observed flying 

 above the yard. 



In addition to the list presented, there 

 are a dozen or more others which I have 

 recorded, but feel uncertain of and so 

 do not embrace. 



Among the divers the common Loon, 

 Red-throated Loon and strangely 

 enough the Pied-billed Grebe, were seen 

 flying over; the latter an unusual sight 

 in migrations. 



Of the gulls, the Herring was repeat- 

 edly seen, supposedly of the variety, 

 and the Bonaparte's. 



Few of our twenty odd species of 

 ducks were identified among the thous- 

 ands which flew over, as they generally 

 migrate at night However, I have dis- 

 tinguished the Goosander, Butterball, 

 Pintail, Wood Duck and Mallard. The 

 Whistling Swan has been observed 

 sweeping over, and of the geese, the 

 Common Brant, Snow Goose and Cana- 

 da Goose have been observed, the two 

 latter still annually observed. 



Passenger Pigeons, so abundant for- 

 merly, were frequently seen in immense 

 flocks, both spring and autumn, and 

 when these misused birds nested in the 

 vicinity of Kalamazoo I have known the 

 young to straggle into our yard and 

 once noted one which made its home in 

 the neighborhood for several days. An 

 occasional Mourning Dove was seen to 

 flit by. A good sized flock of Ruffed 

 Grouse flew bewildered into our yard, 

 and one which came in contact with tne 

 house was stunned and captured. It 

 was not rare to see Bob-whites in the 

 village years ago, and they visited our 

 lot on one occasion. These birds are 

 still found to wander into the city, and 

 when not molested remain for some 

 time. It may be mentioned that within 

 the last year that a woodchuck was cap- 

 tured within twenty rods of this yard 

 and less than twice that distance from 

 the post ofiice. There are many other 

 instances which point to the fact that 

 the wild creatures, if given a chance, 

 will associate with us. 



Golden Plovers fly over in autumnal 

 migrations. Occasionally I hear a 

 Semi-palmated, and also the Least, Pec- 

 toral and Spotted Sandpipers as they 

 wing their way in the dark, while the 

 well known call of the Killdeer is often 

 heard. The form of the Woodcock was 

 once seen at dusk, while the towering 

 Snipe was not rare twenty years ago, 

 but it now confines its mating flight to 

 the marshes. Field Plovers and Greater 

 and Lesser Yellow-legs have been re- 

 corded from their notes. 



