8 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 94 



BIRDS OF THE GKASS-BUTTONBUSH ZONE 



Botaurus lentiginosus — American Bittern. One flushed from 

 this zone on April 23, 1911. 



Rallus elegans — King Rail. A nest found in this zone on May 

 23, 1915, in the form of a pile of dead grass on the ground about 

 ten inches in diameter and five inches high. It contained twelve 

 eggs. The nest was poorly concealed by grass and a few small 

 buttonbushes. 



Rallus virginianus — Virginia Rail. One flushed from the grass 

 of one of the ponds near Charleston on April 16, 1913. 



Agelaius plioeniceus plioeniceus — Red-winged Blackbird. The 

 buttonbushes that grow in this zone are favorite nesting places 

 for these birds, and when these plants are present in one of these 

 ponds, few nests can be found elsewhere in it. On May 27, 1912, 

 eight nests were found in these bushes, placed from one to three 

 feet up in them, and each contained from one to four eggs or 

 young birds. On May 23, 1915, a number of nests were found in 

 buttonbushes of the grassy area of the pond near Hillsboro; they 

 were from two to four feet up and each had from one to four eggs 

 or young. 



Besides the species above listed, there were a number seen 

 about these ponds that appeared to have been attracted by 

 their features, but according to my observations, they were 

 not intimately associated with any set of conditions in them, 

 and hence could not be referred to any one of these zones or 

 sub-habitats. An annotated list of these species will here be 

 given. 



Pisoiio maculata — Pectoral Sandpiper. A few were seen about 

 a pool in a cultivated field a few feet from one of the ponds near 

 Charleston on April 16, 1913. 



Helodromas soUtarms solitarius — Solitary Sandpiper. One of 

 these also seen about the pool close to the margin of one of the 

 ponds on April 16, 1913. 



Oxyechus vociferus — Killdeer. Seen in field close to the margin 

 of one of the Charleston ponds. 



Colinus virginianus virginianus — Bob-white. Flushed close to 

 the margin of one of these ponds. No doubt they obtain shelter 

 in them at times. 



Accipiter cooperi — Cooper's Hawk. One flew over the pond ap- 

 parently attracted by the many red-wing blackbirds there at the 

 time. 



