34 



THE OOLOGIST 



planation." This is not a "modifica- 

 tion," however. 



As early as 1854, we have, from Mr. 

 P. R. Hoy, (3) a record of the knowl- 

 edge of the occurrence of the Long- 

 tailed Chickadee in Western Missouri. 

 Again, in 1874, Mr. W. B. D. Scott (4) 

 stated that a series of Chickadees 

 taken in Johnson Co., many closely ap- 

 proached P. a. septentrionalis. Mr. B. 

 F. Bush, an observer at Courtney, 

 Jackson County, said, "The Long- 

 tailed Ch. occurs here much of the 

 time and undoubtedly breeds." Pearse 

 City also reports the form, and to 

 cap the climax, Mr. Widmann himself 

 states that: "In Atchison Co. (Lang- 

 don, Rockport, etc.) this was the only 

 form found by the writer in June, 

 1906." 



The above data may be found in 

 Mr. Widmann's book. Mr. Harris re-, 

 peats Mr. Bush's record and says: "A 

 few counties to the north, as well as 

 twenty or thirty miles to the west, this 

 form is the common Chickadee." He 

 adds: "The local records are chiefly 

 from the Missouri bottoms. 



My personal knowledge with refer- 

 ence to the occurrence £it Lexington 

 is not so extensive as that of Mr. J. 

 Clark Salyer of Lexington. When he 

 noticed the reference in The Oologist 

 for January, he wrote me, stating 

 that he was positive that four out of 

 eight or nine Chickadees in his col- 

 lection (taken at Lexington) are "true 

 septentrionalis." 



My defense is not given in a spirit 

 of contentiousness. I recognize Mr. 

 Peabody's standing as an ornitholog- 

 ist of experience. However, I do pre- 

 sent these facts merely to clear up 

 his little error in the January Oolog- 

 ist, and I hope I will be judged ac- 

 cordingly, 



1. A Preliminary Catalogue of the 

 Birds of Missouri. By Otto Widmann. 

 (1907). 



2. Birds of the Kansas City Region. 

 By Harry Harris (1919). 



3. Annual Report of Smithsonian 

 Institution for 186'4. 



4. Nuttall Bulletin, Vol 4, page 140. 



E. Gordon Alexander, 



Fayette, Mo. 



Texas Migration Notes. 



Unusual flight of Goldflnches were 

 observed on Marine Creek near North 

 Ft. Worth, Texas, Feb. 20, 1920. I es- 

 timated that two hundred or more 

 were in the elm trees along the creek. 



While motoring over Lake Worth 

 near the Spillway, I observed many 

 ducks of different kinds. They were 

 tame, as no shooting has gone on 

 since Mr. Maxon has kept a sharp 

 lookout for anyone breaking the duck 

 law. I ran the motor boat up close 

 and took some pictures, then making 

 them fly, I got some photos while 

 they were in flight. Not many were 

 identified, as there were so many dif- 

 ferent kinds, but I recognized Red 

 Heads, Spoonbills, Pintails, Mallard, 

 Am. Scaup, and Teal. 



I guess on account of not a very 

 severe winter is the cause of the scar- 

 city of Cedar Waxwings. I have only 

 observed a few, and other census 

 takers have only reported a small 

 flight. 



Robins were not as plentiful as 

 usual, but several good flights were 

 observed. 



A few scattered Gulls are on the 

 lake at present. 



Crows have been seen in large 

 flights. 



Feb. 15th, half grown Horned Owls 

 observed. 



Feb. 20, fresh Hawk's nest complet- 

 ed. 



Not but mighty few summer breed- 

 ers have arrived here yet. 



Ramon Graham, 



Texas Notes, 1920, 



