The Oologist. 



VOL. XVi. NO. 1. 



ALBION, N. Y., JAN., 1899. 



WnoLK No. 150 



Diskcissel in His Illinois Haunts. 



Is it not a strange omission on the 

 part of our people— when one of our 

 representative birds, probably more 

 common in this section than any other 

 migrating species and certainly as con- 

 spicuous during its breeding season- 

 should be so overlooked, as to be given 

 neither common nor local names. 



Our little Dickcissel (Spiza anieri- 

 (•ana), enjoys this doubtful distinction 

 and while seemingly an unappreciated 

 bird, is really fortunate in having no 

 '^outlandish" nicknames attached to 

 its pretty v ;. h 



Even our cl/i!(lren, are acquainted 

 with the Bluel' I I and Oriole and can 

 readily distinguu-h ,md name them — yet 

 the Dickcissel, many times more num- 

 erous and with tqually attractive 

 features, is practically a nameless bird. 



Any one who passes along our hot 

 and dusty country highways during 

 June or July can describe the little, 

 yellow-breasted songster, mounted 

 every few rods along the hedge-rows, 

 but few indeed, are they who are able 

 to give you his true name. 



Perhaps nowhere on the American 

 continent is this bird to be found in 

 greater numbers, than through central 

 Illinois, bordering on the 40th parallel. 

 Just why he has seemed to have chosen 

 this section for the center of his base of 

 operations, I am unable to say. 



I remember "Dick" to have been 

 present in much less numbers than 

 now, when I was a lad, but still they 

 were numerous enough to be noticablc 

 among the boy collectors. "Old timers" 

 however do not seem to remember him 

 and I would gather from this, that ho 

 has been a follower of the great march 

 of civilization westward. 



The destruction of our forests and 

 the transformation of our swamps and 

 lowlands into broad acres of tillable 

 soil, has elfected the disapearance of 

 many of our former birds, several of 

 which we will never sec here again. 



This same cause however has given 

 us the Dickcissel— he is a bird of civili- 

 zation and it is evident from his rapidly 

 increasing numbers, that he has come 

 to stay. While they seem to be quite 

 evenly distributed through our timothy 

 and clover lields, along the open ditches 

 and in the hedge-rows bordering the 

 public roads, occasionally, one will dis- 

 cover a colony, of perhaps ten or a 

 dozen pairs in some out-of-the-way, but 

 suitable breeding place. 



The song of this interesting bird in- 

 variabily begins with three notes, very 

 much resembling the sylables— Dick! 

 Dick! Dick! These are followed by an 

 indescribable warble with the notes 

 running rapidly together. 



there is a perseverance in his song 

 that compels one to notice and admire 

 him, for on the hottest of midsummer 

 days, when the sun beats down so 

 fiercely that all Nature seems to be 

 dying under its merciless rays — little 

 Dick is all animation and his sprightly 

 notes come as a welcome relief. 



If you approach too near the singer 

 you are apt to hear his alarm notes- 

 sharp and metallic and exceedingly 

 penetrating. While these notes convey 

 no meaning to the average listener,they 

 are fully understood by his dusky little 

 sweetheart, who, not far distant, silent- 

 ly slides off a nest of pale blue eggs and 

 remains' hidden until she hears her 

 lord and guardians reassuring song. 

 If however you are particularly ob- 

 trusive she excitedly joins her mate 

 and remains by his side until all dan- 



