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Bird - Lore 



merely overlooked which is hard to believe. 

 At all events the recorded local status of this 

 species will need to be entirely revised. 



A deluge of rain, accompanied by a gale 

 of wind, early in July, did some damage to 

 )-oung birds, and a severe squall near the end 

 of the month added something to the mortal- 

 ity, but in the main the season has been 

 favorable to bird-life and there is much 

 evidence of an enormous crop of young of all 

 the common species. Late in July the Robin- 

 and Dove-roost in the grove of old pines on 

 the Country Club golf-course was visited 

 and found to be in use by even more birds 

 than last year. The Robins especiallj^ are in 

 greater numbers and are flying in from all 

 points of the compass, whereas last year 

 they were noted coming from the east or 

 northeast. The usual large flocks of return- 

 ing Crackles testify each evening to the 

 continuance of the Rockhill roost of this 

 troublesome species. 



The writer does not remember ever having 

 seen all kinds of wild fruit in such abundance 

 as this year. Wild cherries are actually 

 hanging to the ground, and dogwood trees 

 are loaded with berries. Other berries be- 

 loved of birds, such as poison iv}', bittersweet, 

 sumac, wild grape, together with all the 

 ornamental shrubs and market fruits, are in 

 the greatest profusion, and it will be in- 

 teresting to note what effect, if any, this 

 will have on migration. 



Full-grown young Mockingbirds were 

 seen on Juty 31. This is one of the off years 

 for this bird, as only two pairs have been 

 found in a territory where a dozen or more 

 have been located in other years. 



A few troops of Blue-winged Teal have 

 lately been seen on the river near the city, 

 and stragglers have been met with on ponds 

 nearby, indicating that tlie usual few broods 

 have been raised in the region. The pair 

 referred to in the last letter as beginning a 

 nest within tlirowing distance of a boule\ard 

 had to abandon their site to the small boy. 

 Other possible sites are rapidly being im- 

 proved and cultivated until there is little 

 hope of ever seeing the increasing water- 

 owl stop here to nest. It is different, 

 however, with the Bob-white. This bird 

 has found conditions so favorable within the 



southern boundaries of the city and adjacent 

 territory that it has about reached the limit 

 of its abundance. It has become so tame in 

 certain localities as to stalk about in full 

 view of passing traffic and to perch about 

 on fences and street signs. The past several 

 seasons have been favorable to its rapid 

 increase, and what with being entirely let 

 alone except by its natural enemies it has 

 increased by leaps and bounds. 



Thomas Hayes Whitney writes of the 

 singing of the Veery at Atlantic, Iowa, during 

 the spring migration. Mr. Whitney has a 

 summer home in the north woods and knows 

 the bird well. It is rare indeed that this 

 bird is heard in song while in transit through 

 this region. 



A. Sidney Hyde had unusual good fortune 

 with migrating Warblers in the Topeka 

 region, and reported such local rarities as the 

 Bay-breasted and Canada Warblers and 

 the Woodcock. 



Ralph J. Donahue reports seeing an Egret 

 at close range on a lake in the vicinity of 

 his home at Bonner Springs, Kans., on 

 July 30. — Harry Harris, Kausas City, Mo. 



Denver Region. — Many readers of Bird- 

 Lore are familiar with the belief held bj^ 

 ornithologists that some western birds raise 

 the first brood in the spring on the plains, 

 and the second or later broods higher up in 

 the adjacent mountains. I believe that this 

 is correct with at least two or three species 

 common about Denver. This belief, how- 

 ever, has not been susceptible of proof up to 

 date, but that it will be settled after a while 

 cannot be doubted, for the establishment in 

 the near future of banding stations on the 

 plains and in the mountains will furnish 

 positive data for or against the hypothesis. 

 A recent motor trip acrosg the Continental 

 Divide focused anew my attention on this 

 question. When leaving Denver early one 

 morning, no Pine Siskins were noted in the 

 city nor in its surrounding country, j^et, 

 immediately on getting well into the moun- 

 tains (not lower than 7,000 feet) they became 

 common and seemed to be nesting. 



This motor trip exhibited in a striking and 

 most enjoyable manner how well an auto 

 lends itself to making a vertical cross-section 



