462 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 93 



In order to take some pictures of these nests I again went 

 out to Butler's Lake on the eighth of July. I spent three 

 hours in taking pictures and in finding new nests. Only a 

 few of the pictures were good, because of the high wind that 

 was blowing and shaking the nests. On this day two more 

 Black Tern nests, with two eggs and two young, were found 

 in the same part of the lake that those on July 2 were found. 

 One of the young swam out of sight before I could focus my 

 camera. Another Florida Gallinule nest was found with 

 four pipped eggs and some shell chips, from which I sup- 

 pose others had hatched and had already taken to water. Of 

 the Least Bittern, four were located. One had five eggs, two 

 held four eggs each, and a fourth had four broken eggs. 

 Two Yellow-headed Blackbird nests with three eggs each, 

 one with one egg, and another with four well grown young 

 were seen ; also one Red-winged Blackbird's with four young. 

 In a very open situation between two beds of reeds my first 

 Coot nest was discovered containing three eggs. 



I consider Butler's Lake to be an oasis of water birds in 

 Lake County. The whole county is thoroughly hunted fall 

 and spring, therefore the wealth of bird life is due wholly 

 to protection and not especially to food supply, for there are 

 over a hundred lakes in Lake County similar in situation and 

 adaptability for water birds to Butler's Lake. 



Ravinia, Illinois. 



CARDINALS IN NORTHEASTERN IOWA. 



BY MARY E. HATCH, m'gREGOR, IOWA. 



The first cardinal seen in this part of the country, so far 

 as I know — at least the first to be recorded, was on Decem- 

 ber 11, 1906. It appeared in the yard adjoining the one 

 where we lived, in the north end of this little bluff bordered 

 town. 



The ground was well covered with snow ; so it is not hard 

 to imagine my surprise and delight, upon looking out of my 

 kitchen window, in seeing this beautiful dash of red against 

 the white background. And what was he doing? Feeding 



