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A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS 



Official Organ of The Audubon Societies 



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^PR 1 5 1920 



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Vol. XXII 



March— April, 1920 



No. 2 



A Bird Watcher in France 



By DR. HERBERT R. MILLS, Tampa, Florida 



FROM August 191 7 until July 19 19 it was my fortune to serve as medical 

 officer with the American Expeditionary Forces, first with the British 

 Army in Belgium and later with the American First Division in France 

 and Germany; and during this time I made such bird-notes as my limited 

 opportunities would permit. In the northeastern part of France, where for 

 obvious reasons these notes were principally taken, bird-life is fairly abundant, 

 as far as the small song-birds are concerned and the insectivorous and seed- 

 eating species, while the larger raptores and water-fowl are notably lacking, 

 The country is beautiful rolling farm-land cultivated to the ordinary grains, 

 vegetables, and fruits. Among the carefully groomed fields, meadows, and park- 

 like woods, the little villages are clustered as closely almost as single farm- 

 houses are in our country. I do not believe that the average United States 

 soldier would consider it an exaggeration to call the climate ''cool and moist." 

 I believe that the most conspicuous birds of France are the Crows of several 

 species, and it was with the Rook (Corvus Jrugilegus) , a member of the Crow 

 family, that I became most intimately acquainted. Rooks are everywhere — 

 hundreds may be seen feeding in the field at one time, and they nest in the 

 woodland groves in colonies of thousands; whence it is likely that our word 

 "rookery" originated. The young are used for food, and about April, when the 

 nestlings are still in the down, the people resort to the rookeries with climbing 

 irons and sacks and gather the young from all the accessible nests. The govern- 

 ment pays a bounty of 25 centimes (5 cents) for young and old birds, so that, 

 since the French soldier is said to be paid but 25 centimes a day for his services, 

 I do not wonder that he seeks to augment his meager pay and wartime rations 

 with this source of food. In the fields, associated with the Rooks, are Crows 

 {Corvus corone), Hooded Crows (Corvus comix), Jackdaws {Corvus monedula), 

 and Starlings. 



In December, 19 18, on the march of the First Division into Germany, I saw 

 thousands of Jackdaws swarming to the Moselle Valley every night to roost. 

 At that season, and in that northern latitude, it is interesting to note that the 



