A Southern Illinois Lunch Counter 257 



of walnuts was exhausted, and then depart to be seer no more until more 

 put out, then they smelled them afar off, and came hastily back. 



These arc- only a few of the bird- seen in the yard, and probably many others 

 fed there. Very little time was taken to keep up the lunch counter (a good deal 

 was spent watching the little boarders however), and we felt well repaid by their 

 evident appreciation, and cunning wa. -. 



Our success — I had a list every year of nearly a hundred species, seen mostly 

 in our own yard — shows what can be done, and easily done, by producing food 

 and water, and what protection is possible against their enemie-, particularly 

 cats, Screech Owls, and small boys. Any one will find it well worth doing. 



Bird-Lore's Ninth Christmas Bird Census 



Till, plan of reporting one'- observations afield on Chri^tma-^ Day has met 

 with such cordial and practical endorsement by bird students throughout 

 the country that IjIRO-Lokk's CJhristma-. Bird Census may now be con- 

 sidered a fixed event, which increases in interest as the accumulating records 

 give additional material for comparison. From a total of 25 lists received in 1900,. 

 it has grown to 142 lists in 1907. 



Reference to the February, 1901-1908 number-. >>\ BntD-LoRE will acquaint 

 one with the nature of the report of the day's hunt which we desire; but to those 

 to whom none of these issues is available, we may explain that such reports 

 should be headed by a brief statement of the character of the weather, whether 

 clear, cloudy, rainy, etc.; whether the ground is bare or snow-covered, the direc- 

 tion and force of the wind, the temperature at the time of starting, the hour of 

 starting and of returning Then should be given, in the order of the A. O. I". 

 'Check-List, 'a list of the species seen, with exactly, or approximately, the number 

 of individuals of each species recorded. A record thould read, therefore, some- 

 what as follows: 



Yonkers, X. Y. Time, 8 a. m. to 12 M. Clear, ground bare; wind west, light; tem- 

 perature 38°. Herring Gull, 75. Total, — species, — individuals. — James Gates. 



These records will be published in the February issue of Jjird-Lore, and 

 it is particularly requested that they be sent the editor fat the American Museum 

 of Natural History, New York City) not later than December 28. It will save 

 the editor much clerical labor if the model here given and the order of the A. 

 O. U. Check-Li~t be closely followed. 



