General Notes 87 



the Osprey has ever bred here, while on the south side of the res- 

 ervoir a pair of Bald Eagles has its nest most every year. 



Somewhat peculiar conditions exist in this region anyhow. 

 Thus the Chat (Icteria virens) , the Catbird (Dumetella carolin- 

 ensis), and the Yellow Warbler (Dendroica (estiva) are very rare 

 as breeders and not common as migrants in the Grand Reservoir 

 region, while at the Loramie Reservoir, 13 miles from the Grand 

 in a southeasterly direction, the Catbird is fairly common. In the 

 year 1915, in the spring, there was almost no water in the reser- 

 voirs and consequently not a Least Bittern, King Rail or Marsh 

 Wren nested there, the only nest of the King Rail being found al- 

 most at the edge of town near the canal. It contained eleven eggs. 

 In the fall the water was higher than for years and the shorebirds 

 found no mudflats and sandbanks to rest and to feed on, most of 

 the species recorded being found in wet or marshy fields scattered 

 all over the territory. 



Larus delaicarensis (Ring-billed Gull). A solitary individual oi 

 this species was seen at the Grand Reservoir on May 11th, 1915. 

 It is rarely seen in Ohio. 



Creciscus jamaicensis (Black Rail). On June 23, 1915, at the 

 Grand Reservoir, near the outlet of the Chickasaw creek, at the 

 same place where a Mr. McGill of St. Mary's claimed to have seen 

 this species a few years ago, I kicked an individual of this species 

 out of the dense grass. I tried to follow it and caught two more 

 glimpses of it, but it was too quick to place a shot and crept 

 through the grass with the agility of a mouse. I- have followed 

 the various species of Sparrows through the grass and cloverfields 

 many a time, but I believe this rail has them all beaten. While it 

 is true that I was not able to shoot a specimen there is no doubt 

 in my mind that I had the Black Rail before me. As it is, how- 

 ever, I give the record for what it is worth and hope to be able in 

 the future to secure a specimen. 



CoturnicoiJS novedoracensis (Yellow Rail). While at the Grand 

 Reservoir on September 1st, 1915, two farmer boys at my stopping- 

 place asked me: "What kind of a bird looks like a female Bobo- 

 link and has longer legs? While turning over some newly mown 

 clover yesterday we would chase out some of these birds from un- 

 der the clover heaps. They did not care to fly, but would run un- 

 der the next heap." They claimed they had seen at least 6-8 of 

 them. The weather had been raw and chilly for three days. I 

 immediately went down to the field and turned over, with their 

 help, every heap of clover, but not a bird was seen. But I finally 

 was lucky enough to find a few feathers, a piece of the bill and 

 piece of a leg of an unfortunate one who had fallen a victim to 

 some hawk. I took them along home and could identify the re- 



