133 



THE OOLOGIST 



present Herring Gull. As we neared 

 the inlet I never saw anything ap- 

 proaching the number of Gulls which 

 had congregated about the rocky har- 

 bor. There were literally a thousand 

 or more in all phases of plumage and 

 the scramble they would make when 

 quantities of food were thrown over 

 board. Contrary to my expectation of 

 the Gulls of Georgian Bay, no Ring- 

 billed Gulls were noted though they 

 may abound in the Perry Sound region. 

 The inhabitants informed me that the 

 Gulls nested on islands not far away. 

 This concludes my notes for the sea- 

 son, and one in which the charm of 

 the lake will not soon be forgotten. 

 Lyle De Vern Miller, 

 East Claridon, Ohio 



TEXAS DUCK MIGRATION NOTES 

 No. 2 



Just as soon as the wind ceases to 

 blow from the south and it gets still, 

 look out for a good flight of Ducks 

 at this season of the year, because 

 they will come in and settle quietly 

 ahead of the norther. Now, Mr. Wise 

 Hunter, of you wait for the norther to 

 arrive you are liable to get but a few 

 Ducks. But if you are a wise bird you 

 will look at the weather reports and 

 see when the next norther is due, and 

 then come out a day ahead and Ducks 

 you will get plenty of birds if 

 you are a good shot. During 

 November our first Ducks were 

 Scaup and Baldpates; few Ruddys 

 and a surprising four or five Red 

 Breasted Mergansers; also the beauti- 

 ful Hooded Merganser showed up 

 with the cold weather. Few Wood 

 Ducks as usual. Two White Geese; 

 several small bunches of the cute 

 little wise Buffleheads which were the 

 first observed on the lake to date. A 

 bright, shiny thing was sighted on the 

 water by a hunter and upon getting 



close he took the silencer of his motor 

 boat and started to turn in another 

 direction. He said, "Oh, it's a milk 

 can." But as he said this the milk 

 can flew like a streak of lightning. 

 It's nothing more than the wise little 

 Bufflehead. He's so pretty and shiny 

 on the water that you would think he 

 was a tin can floating. But that's 

 his good luck. The Mallards came in 

 good flights for a few days, big 

 bunches were observed in the timbered 

 and open waters of the lake. Many 

 big brave and beautiful Drakes were 

 left at the lake on account of not be- 

 ing a fast flier. A bullet goes faster 

 than they think. If old Mr. Mallard 

 don't use what Duck Ology he has, he 

 is blown up, because a hunter will 

 pick a Drake every time. Ain't it the 

 very devil to be a Drake of any kind 

 of Duck. 



1919 



Ramon Graham, 



Texas. 



NOTES FROM KANSAS 



In Iowa, as the writer has often ob- 

 served, the Chimney Swallow never 

 plunges head long into the chimney, 

 when it goes to roost, but always 

 checks its flight for an instant, hovers 

 over the gaping hole and then dropo 

 with fluttering wings into the dark 

 abysmal place. They do not go in 

 singled nor in pairs but as there is 

 room without a confusion of wings, 

 seldom more than a half dozen at 

 once. The reason is obvious. A mul- 

 titude of birds and an unchecked flight 

 would prevent ■ the perching and the 

 precise balance that the bird must se- 

 cure to settle and maintain its precar- 

 ious hold on the smooth chimney 

 walls. W. H. H. Barker. 



