130 THE OOLOGIST 
tervals in a Putnam newspaper. Such 
lists are often useful in compiling gen- 
eral catalogues, government and state 
reports. They are of value when ac- 
curate data of spring and fall migra- 
tions are made, when new arrivals are 
reported, and fresh economic habits 
noted. We wish the author had given 
us more of his experience in the field, 
and said whether he shoots his types, 
as we infer from the close measure- 
ment given of the warblers. No doubt 
his notebook could tell us what use- 
ful birds continue to diminish near his 
house, what kinds hold their own and 
what species of service to the farmer 
may show slight gains. 
colony of martins at Hast Woodstock 
been driven away by the sparrows? 
How many communities of cliff swal- 
lows still remain in or near the vil- 
lage. With no visible enemy to dis- 
turb the many pairs, can this observer 
explain whp there are so many unoc- 
cupied holes in the sand swallow bank 
at the park? There are fewer English 
sparrows at North than at Hast Wood- 
stock, so that one of the charms of 
quail trap life is immunity from this 
pest. Like the Lilibridges, the Mains 
and the Brands, all true bird lovers, 
we give passer domesticus a scatter- 
gun welcome. 
The waders, swimmers and rapacious 
birds are not included in the list we 
refer to, nor is mention made of rare 
winter and summer residents. All of 
the eastern herons are to be found at 
times in Hast Woodstock mill and fac- 
tory ponds and quiet pools of muddy 
brooks, except the snowy and least 
bittern. which are occasionally report 
ed in the lower part of the county, [ 
do not know a better place to observe 
the herons than at Potters’ pond in 
the neighborhood where a pair of great 
blues have been feeding for two weeks. 
Has the last © 
For ten days two great blues have 
been seen daily by the trainmen on the. 
west side of Tadpole near Jewett City 
Night herons feed nearly all summer 
at Potters’, bitterns boom at dusk, and 
green herons are seen there every day 
in summer. Two pairs of green herons 
bred in the pines this season at the 
east side directly over a bed of pur- 
ple cypripedium. I have eaten both 
night and green heron squabs on 
Fishers Island, and can remember 
when Mohegan Indians brought dress- 
ed squabs to market while the squaws 
had hulled wild strawberries for sale 
in tiny cone-shaped baskets. A brood 
of dusky duck, raised last spring on 
the western reedy border, were seen 
all summer by trout and pickerel fish- 
ermen. Irving Paine shot a pair from 
this branch for his table. The wood 
ducks which used to frequent this se- 
cluded water hole departed when the 
hollow forest trees east of the pond 
were cut off. Many the toothsome 
woodducks I have eaten shot here, at 
Gates Pond, Poquetanuck, and at 
Hallville pond, near Lincoln park. It 
is not the fowler’s gun that has made 
wood duck rare; but sweeping the 
county of all standing timber where 
alone they can breed will soon exter- 
minate this beautiful hole-builder, 
The first wood drake | ever shot was 
in Damon Chandler’s pond, North 
Woodstock, and the next one at Fos- 
ter Child’s pond, Village Corners; 
but these ponds are dry and the woods 
around them gone. My first teal was 
from Sam Allen’s pond, Sandy Hol- 
low, first hooded sheldrake from Fort 
Ned, Canterbury, and only eider from 
Fishers Island sound near Nawyaug 
point. Quail, hawk and crows, I first 
winged from the road wagon of the 
late C. A. Brand. A far ery between 
these boyhood pastimes and shooting 
