Fietp Nores. 59 
CowsirD.—Mr. Harry B. McConnell’s mention of the appearance 
of a Cowbird at Cadiz, Ohio, February 23, 1906, in the Bulletin in 
Vol. XXII, No. 2, pp. 125, recalls a similar incident. On January 
$, 1909, a farmer telephoned me that he had shot a black Bnglish 
Sparrow from a flock that was feeding about his hog pen; of 
course I was anxious to see it, and he sent it to me. It proved 
to be a male Cowbird in excellent condition. Inquiry elicited the 
fact that it was the only one in the flock. The date only, is un- 
usual, as I have very frequently seen mixed flocks of Hnglish 
Sparrows and Cowbirds feeding together in the fall. The only 
places I have seen them thus feeding together, however, has been 
in the feeding lots where hogs are fed the cobs of sweet corn, that 
are hauled from the canning factories. 
ALBINISTIC ROBIN.—This specimen was brought to me on Octo- 
ber 3, 1910, by a man who had shot it from a flock of robins. It 
is evidently a “bird of the year.” The bird is not a complete al- 
bino. but is colored as follows: Throat, white with dusky streaks; 
head and back, pale yellowish; primaries and tail feathers, white 
with a faint yellowish tinge; upper tail coverts, paler than the 
back; lower tail coverts, white; breast and sides, pale rufus 
(much paler than normal); bill and feet, flesh color. 
Circleville, Ohio. B. R. Bares, M.D. 
A PRIVATE BIRD PRESERVE. 
That one of the largest breeding colonies of herons to be found 
in this country is located on lands belonging to the MelIlhenny 
family at Avery Island, Iberia Parish, Louisina, may be news of 
much interest to most of our readers, 
In a letter to the writer, dated November 3, 1916, and accom- 
panied by many interesting photographs taken in the rookery, 
illustrating the nesting habits of the birds, Mr. Edwd. A. Mell- 
henny estimates that more than 15000 pairs of Gulf Coast birds 
nest annually on the “Island,” embracing several species of her- 
ons, among them 2000 pairs of the Little White or Snowy Egret 
(Loretta candidissima) which, as many of us are aware, suffered 
most dsastrously (verging on extermination) at the hands of 
plume-hunters. 
In the opinion of Mr. MecIlhenny the Avery Island Preserve is 
the most extensive one of its kind in the United States. 
Such effective bird-protection work is most commendable and 
encouraging. 
Let us hope earnestly that it may be patterned after and intro- 
duced successfully in other parts of our country as well. 
We need many such places, and, if the national and state goy- 
