THE NIDOLOGIST 
Violet-green Swallow—Abundant, nest- 
ing in every suitable knot-hole and Wood- 
pecker’s excavation. 
Warbling Vireo. 
Audubon’s Warbler—Abundant. 
Macgillivray’s Warbler—Fairly abund- 
ant, but not easily obtained on account of 
its retiring habits. 
Pileolated Warbler—Rare. 
American Pipit—Abundant above tim- 
ber-line. } 
American Dipper—Rare. 
Sage Thrasher—Rare. 
Roek Wren. 
Western House Wren—Abundant. A 
nest containing young was found July 14, 
and watched for eighteen minutes. During 
this time the parent made thirteen visits 
with food. Both birds aided in the feeding, 
sometimes one, sometimes both being at 
the nest. The young Wrens kept up a 
continuous racket, which was increased 
whenever either parent came near. The 
food consisted mostly of grasshoppers and 
large flies. These occasionally escaped, 
but were soon recaptured and treated to a 
sharp rap on a limb. 
Slender-billed Nuthatch—Are abundant. 
Nest containing young found July 18. 
Pigmy Nuthatch—A bundant. 
Long-tailed Chickadee—This and the 
following species in large flocks. P. gambeli 
constituting about two-thirds of the flocks. 
Mountain Chickadee. 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet-—Rare. 
Townsend’s Solitaire. Both young and 
adults taken. 
Audubon’s Hermit Thrush. 
Western Robin. 
Mountain Bluebird. 
On the authority of Professor Vernon L. 
Keliogg* I add the following species not 
observed by me: 
Gadwall—Not uncommon. 
Bob white (introduced). 
Golden Eagle—A few seen. 
Bald Eagle—Rare. One seen. 
Prairie Falcon—One shot above timber- 
line. 
Western Horned Owl—One seen. 
Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker—Five 
seen. 
Poor-will—Not common. 
Cassin’s Kingbird—Common. 
Desert Horned Lark—Common. 
Rocky Mountain Jay—Common. 
*Trans. Kans. Acad Sci. XII—1889-99, p. 86. 
Mexican Crossbill—Small flock seen, ¢ 
and ¢ shot. 
Brown-capped Leucosticte—A few seen. 
Intermediate Sparrow —Common just 
above timber-line. 
Clay-colored Sparrow—One shot. 
Slate-colored Junco—Mostly above tim- 
ber-line. Identity not positive. 
Parkmann’s Wren—Common. 
Brown Creeper—Rare. 
White-breasted Nuthatch—Not common. 
Ee ee as 
Short-Eared Owl and [Marsh Hawk. 
BY EUGENE S. ROLFE. 
DO wor KNOW whether these two 
interesting species adopt similar breeding 
spots generally, but in the Devil’s Lake 
region it would seem that what constitutes 
a likely nesting spot for the one is often 
regarded with equal favor by the other. 
Nor can I makeup my mind satisfactorily 
trom actual observation as to the prefer- 
ence each manifests for a location in or 
near some marshy spot, for the food of 
both seems to consist largely of the com- 
mon field mouse and for this they must 
range the dry prairies. 
However, I suppose, in fact, both feed 
to some extent on frogs, small snakes and 
lizards, (though I have never canght them 
in the act) andif so their predilection for 
the marsh is accounted for. Many times I 
have watched the Marsh Hawk sailing 
low and keenly scanning the ground on 
the open prairie, and suddenly pouncing 
down and quickly ascending again with 
an empty mouse nest in its talons, and on 
one occasion I followed behind for fully two 
miles and in that distance it picked up and 
dropped seven of these empty nests. On 
examination they proved to be simply wads 
of fine dried grasses, and it was easy to 
see that if these had all chanced to be 
occupied by families of young mice, the 
foray of that particular Hawk would have 
been most fruitful in the destruction of 
these small pests. 
The search of acczpitrinus is very similar, 
though the sweep of its wings is longer 
and itis not so much given to sailing as 
the Marsh Hawk. Inthe case of both the 
length of wing and tail and the heavy 
growth of feathers gives the impression of 
a rather large species, but in fact the body 
is comparatively insignificant and the eggs 
seem disappointing in size. 
39 
