THE OOLOGIST 



253 



while hunting muskrat, John Gosner 

 captured a crippled Sora and flushed 

 up a King Rail. He kept the Rail sev- 

 eral days in captivity and then releas- 

 ed it. It was only able to fly a few 

 feet, although its wings appeared un- 

 injured. It was not afterward seen 

 and was undoubtedly shot by a gun- 

 ner. This was also the probable fate 

 of the King Rail, which was capable of 

 rather extended flight, as it was not 

 afterward observed, although searched 

 for diligently. 



On December 17, 1910, in the above 

 marsh, George Pedrich, while hunting 

 for muskrats, found a frozen Florida 

 Gallinule, a bird not quite full grown. 

 It was sitting on the ice beside a 

 muskrat house, in a natural life-like 

 attitude of a bird asleep with its head 

 turned over on its back, and it was 

 undoubtedly frozen to death during 

 the severe weather that occurred at 

 that time. It was a wounded individ- 

 ual left behind in the migrations, just 

 like the others. 



Richard F. Miller. 

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 



Robins Are Plentiful. 



Nobody will be able in the coming 

 spring to claim the credit of having 

 seen the first robin of the season in 

 this vicinity. At the present time 

 there are no less than fifty of the 

 birds around the Soldiers' home 

 grounds. The birds for some unac- 

 countable reason failed to migrate 

 this winter and are spending the 

 winter at the home. They are sure 

 of kind treatment and plenty of food 

 for the old soldiers and widows are 

 noted for their kindness to birds 

 and dumb animals and take great in- 

 terest in the squirrels and feathered 

 pets on the home grounds. — Lafay- 

 ette, Ind., Daily Courier, Feb. 1, 

 1912. 



I can supplement the above with a 



record of a flock of about 25 robins fly- 

 ing toward the south on the morning 

 of January 16th, when the thermome- 

 ter stood perhaps 10 degrees below 

 zero. 



A. D. DuBois. 

 W. Lafayette, Ind. 



We have had Robins, Blue-birds and 

 Bewick Wrens here all winter but 

 have not seen any the last three days 

 now, as it has been very cold and snow 

 is on the ground. I saw the last Blue- 

 bird January 1 st, and the last Bewick 

 wren on same date. Saw one Robin 

 January 1-3-6-9, although thermometer 

 registered 25 below on the 9th, the 

 robin was apparently in good spirits, 

 flying from one tree top to another. I 

 am watching to see if it will return 

 again. 



C. B. Vandercook. 

 Odin, Ills. 



Robins have been with us at Lacon, 

 111., in limited numbers all winter, 

 though the mercury reached twenty 

 degrees below three times. — Editor. 



■ ♦ ■ 



A Rare Occurrence. 



To ascertain the cause of the regu- 

 lar disappearance of chickens, D. A. 

 Schreiner, who resides a few miles 

 north of this place, set a steel trap 

 and in the morning found a large gol- 

 den Eagle as captive. The bird was 

 held by one claw and fought desper- 

 ately when approached. From tip to 

 tij) it measured over seven feet and 

 stood 32 inches in height. It being 

 captured alive, I understand that it 

 was sold to the Eagle Lodge of Tiffin, 

 Ohio, at a large figure, they intending 

 to use it as a mascot if it keeps alive. 

 This is a very unusual thing for the 

 state of Ohio and around here, for in- 

 stance it being observed but once 

 within 25 years. 



R. Lozier. 

 Attica, Ohio. 



