58 



THE OOLOGlSt 



EXPERIENCES IN BENTON COUN- 

 TY, ARKANSAS. 



During the summer of 1922 I had 

 several interesting experiences with 

 the birds found in Benton county. 



About March 20, in a clump of 

 bushes and grapevines, I saw a year- 

 old nest, presumably that of a Shrike. 

 A few days later I was surprised to 

 see the tail of a Loggerhead Shrike 

 extending above the edge of the nest, 

 and upon investigation I found the 

 nest to be relined and a set of six 

 eggs laid. In examining it, I held my 

 hand over the nest for a moment and 

 was instantly reproved by the male 

 Shrike, who took his stand at one 

 side of the nest and used his bill to 

 good advantage. 



Later, in a thicket of wild plum 

 trees, I found a Robin's nest, not two 

 feet above the ground, which con- 

 tained a set of four eggs. The mother 

 bird often allowed me to approach to 

 within ten inches of the nest before 

 flying, but would not accept food of- 

 fered by me. 



In July I had the pleasure of watch- 

 ing the actions of the female Pied- 

 billed Grebe and her one charge in 

 their native haunts, which in this 

 case was a weed and brush-grown 

 pond. 



In an upright fork of one of these 

 bushes was a Red-winged Blackbird's 

 nest containing a set of four eggs. 

 Both nest and eggs were about the 

 size of those of the Orchard Oriole, 

 and greatly resembled them. Numer- 

 ous other Blackbird nests were of the 

 regular type. 



The overflow drain from this pond 

 led into a swamp which was a verit- 

 able bird paradise, though few nests 

 were found there; of which, probably, 

 that of a Green Heron was the most 

 interesting. This nest contained three 

 eggs. 

 During the entire summer I found 



between 100 and 125 nests, which 

 were of the following species: Log- 

 gerhead Shrike, Chipping Sparrow, 

 Green Heron, Brown Thrasher, Flick- 

 er, Dove, Cliff Swallow, Robin, Wood 

 Pewee, Orchard Oriole, Cardinal, Tow- 

 hee. Bluebird, Indigo Bunting, Catbird, 

 Red-winged Blackbird, Pied-billed 

 Grebe, Crow, Dickcissel, Quail, Phoebe, 

 Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, 

 Meadowlark, Yellow-breasted Chat, 

 Crested Flycatcher, Bluejay, Yellow 

 Warbler, Kingbird and Bewick Wren. 

 J. G. Lewis, 

 Bentonville, Ark. 



PLUMBEOUS CHICKADEE 



I have found many nests of this 

 bird. One nest I found went through 

 an unusual tear up, but at last I got 

 the set. I found the nest March 17 

 and tore open the hole, but there 

 were no eggs. So I closed it up again, 

 and tied the bark with string. March 

 19 one egg was laid. I took the bird 

 off the nest; she was very tame. 

 Again I called in a few days and re- 

 moved the bird from the nest. She 

 was still tame. On March 25 I col- 

 lected a set of seven eggs, fresh. The 

 nest was five feet up in a dead tree, 

 near a small creek that runs into Lake 

 Worth. Ramon Graham, 



Texas Bird Notes, 1923. 



THE FLIGHT OF GULLS. 



Robert C. Miller was awarded the 

 Cooper Club- prize of Ornithology 

 offered by the University of California, 

 1921-2, for the best study of any sub- 

 ject concerning the birds, for his pa- 

 per, "A Study of the Flight of Sea 

 Gulls," published in the January, "The 

 Condor." It shows exhaustive investi- 

 gation and careful preparation, and 

 we have no doubt but that the award 

 was very properly made. Mr. Miller 

 is to be congratulated. 



R. M. Barnes. 



