The Season 



95 



about 150 of them, as near as I could 

 estimate, and about 300 Longspurs in 

 one flock." And on the following day they 

 "were to be heard and seen almost every- 

 where, particularly in pastures, being 

 more numerous on the whole than hereto- 

 fore. They seemed to be in full song, many 

 standing on stones or clods of earth while 

 singing, and I noticed one soaring to a 

 height of 200 feet, just as they do in the 

 spring (thermometer 54° plus at 2 p.m.)." 

 The particular interest in this is that this 

 bird has of late years been very scarce in 

 many places where it was formerly abun- 

 dant. 



Winter visitants have thus far not been 

 numerous. Snowy Owls have appeared in 

 limited numbers, only seven reports to 

 February 15, the most southern being from 

 St. Peter, well down toward the Iowa 

 line. Only five reports of Evening Gros- 

 beaks, three of Pine Grosbeaks, six of 

 Bohemian Waxwings, five of Snow Bunt- 

 ings and three or four of the North- 

 ern Shrike. Redpolls have been no- 

 where abundant and reported from only 

 three localities. Lapland Longspurs have 

 been noted at two places in the western 

 part of the state, Mr. Peterson stating 

 that they are wintering in large numbers 

 in the vicinity of Pipestone, Pipestone 

 County. 



Several correspondents continue to 

 report seeing unusual numbers of Prairie 

 Chickens. Mr. H. J. Jaeger writes that 

 he saw, not long since, a flock of at least 

 150 in each of three southwestern counties 

 and many additional scattered birds. — 

 Thomas S. Roberts, Zoological Museum, 

 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 

 Minn. 



Chicago Region. — This region has 

 enjoyed the mildest January since 1906 

 and this weather still prevails. The cold- 

 est time during the recent period was the 

 last week in December when the mercury 

 dropped to around zero. Since then the 

 temperature has averaged about thirty 

 degrees. 



This weather seems to have kept away 

 the usual winter birds from the North as 



no Redpolls, Siskins or Crossbills have 

 been reported. The only one here is the 

 Northern Shrike. One seen at Beach by 

 Mr. Gregory, December 26 and one at 

 Willow Springs, January 8 by Mr. Abbott. 

 However, a number of birds that generally 

 go south are staying here for the winter. 

 Mr. Gregory reports a Lincoln's Sparrow at 

 Beach, December 26 and Mr. Sanborn, a 

 Flicker, February 6. Meadowlarks and 

 Bronzed Crackles have also been reported 

 from here. On January 4 a hunter was 

 arrested here with a young Black-crowned 

 Night Heron which he had just shot. The 

 specimen came into the possession of Dr. 

 C. W. G. Eifrig, who preserved it. 



West of the city, about at La Grange, 

 Song Sparrows and Meadowlarks are 

 reported and at Oak Park on February 6, 

 Dr. Eifrig reported a Fox Sparrow and a 

 Robin. In the sand dunes of northern In- 

 diana a Rusty Blackbird and Bonaparte's 

 Gulls were seen by Dr. Lewy on December 

 15. Messrs. Coffin and McBride report 

 two Bluebirds here January 22. 



Other birds of interest for this time of 

 the year are Saw-whet Owl, Rough-legged 

 Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker and 

 Brown Creeper, seen by Mr. G. A. Abbott 

 about Willow Springs, January 8. 



The common winter birds are here in 

 their usual numbers, including Cardinals, 

 Prairie Horned Larks and the winter 

 Ducks, Mergansers, Golden-eye, Old 

 Squaw and Scoter. — Colin Campbell 

 Sanborn, Chicago Ornithological Society, 

 Chicago, III. 



Kansas City Region. — Midwinter has 

 been marked by most unusual warmth. 

 During the entire current period there have 

 been scarcely ten days of cold, but com- 

 paratively few birds have been present to 

 enjoy the fine open weather. Unusual 

 numbers of Doves in large flocks and 

 scattered over a wide area have been found 

 wherever there are suitable feeding places, 

 and at least one flock of Crackles, contain- 

 ing about two dozen birds, has wintered 

 within the southern city limits. This bird 

 does not stay here in winter in numbers 

 except under the most favorable circum- 



