November Bird-Life at Reelfoot Lake 27 



elm and C3^press predominating, with a considerable growth 

 of switch cane and vines. In spite of the latter, however, the 

 woods are fairly open. At this season of the year bird-Hfe 

 fairly teems in this woodland, due doubtless to plentiful food 

 supply and the protection the extensive forests afford against 

 the winds. 



Before going into the annotated list a few general obser- 

 vations may prove of interest. 



The fact that Brown Thrashers, Red-headed Woodpeckers 

 and Florida Gallinule were present was a matter of some sur- 

 prise. The last named is not regularly found in middle Ten- 

 nessee, but the two preceding species had migrated from that 

 region six weeks before. This probably is due to the fact 

 that the Reelfoot region is typically Austroriparian, while 

 middle Tennessee is of the Carolinian fauna. 



The unlooked-for species were of no more interest than 

 those we expected to find, but did not. Of the latter class the 

 most notable absences were the Hairy Woodpecker, Towhee, 

 and Bewick's Wren, and to a lesser degree, the Screech Owl 

 and White-crowned Sparrow. Other species which were 

 probably present, but were not found on account of their 

 scarcity or inaccessibility, were King and Sora Rails, Wood- 

 cock, Wilson's Snipe, Wild Turkey, Marsh Hawk and Long- 

 eared Owl. The hill country adjoining the lake would prob- 

 ably have shown some of these ; also the Bob-white and Kil- 

 deer b ;ut we did not include these hills in our tramps. The 

 scarcity of the following species was a matter of comment: 

 all Ducks, Geese, Dove, Black Vulture, all Hawks, King- 

 fisher and Song Sparrow. 



Below follows the annotated list of species observed, those 

 marked with an asterisk being represented by specimens in 

 the collection made. 



ANNOTATED LIST. 



(1) Pied-billed Grebe* (Podilymbus podiceps). Common, feed- 

 ing from the edge of saw-grass out into deep water among the 

 snags. If closely pursued it dives and on returning to the sur- 

 face shows only its head above the water. 



(2) Double-crested Cormorant* (Phalacrocorax auritus auritus)- 



