THE OOLOGIST 



123 



mean to say that the Kingfisher came 

 from the water with a fish in his 

 claws? Page 54, column 2, March, 

 1919, what kind of a bird is a Ruby 

 Crowned Knight? 



Mr. Elmer Langevin, Crookstown, 

 Minn., page 156-7 Oologist for Decem- 

 ber, 1918, isn't it quite . possible that 

 Mr. Farmer was mistaken in the kind 

 of hawk that was stealing his 

 chickens? Some farmers think it was 

 the "Blue Hawk" and one day when 

 a Marsh Hawk flew near the house 

 they were sure it was the kind that 

 took their chickens ; whereas the hawk 

 to blame was a Coopers Hawk. 



And isn't it possible that a Cooper 

 Hawk might build a nest on the 

 ground, and that you yourself are 

 mistaken in the birds? They have 

 come mighty near nesting on the 

 ground here. I cannot agree with you 

 that his reputation is "bad, very bad." 

 In Fisher's Hawks and Owls, several 

 authorities are given on the food of 

 the Marsh Hawk ,and only Fishers 

 mentioned that it ever tasted poultry, 

 and that only occasionally and in the 

 table given are only three cases 

 it out of 124. 



On a Welsh farm, found 12 cats, 

 some, however, kittens but at least 4 

 or 5 old ones and one kitten at least 

 being raised. 



One Robin in a nest but though it 

 was their eight weeks, I saw no 

 young. One pair of Blue Jays built 

 and some Barn Swallows were there 

 one day or two before I left. A few 

 wild Sparrows, a pair of Spotted Sand- 

 pipers and a pair of Killdeer, Marsh 

 Black Birds, Rails and Bittern in a 

 near by camp and "Crows" bigger and 

 more plentiful than last year. A pair 

 of Red-tails and one of Marsh Hawks 

 was the extent of the birds except an 

 abundance of English Sparrows. It is 

 useless to tell a woman who is raising 

 chickens that crows are useful. It is 



surprising the number of wild birds 

 and eggs that are destroyed and never 

 come to anything, especially in fields 

 being cultivated and in marshes and 

 pastures. 



Geo. W. H. Vos Burgh, 



Columbus, Wis. 



Iowa Notes. 



Last July while driving from my 

 home to town I noticed a Night Hawk 

 sitting near one side of the road on 

 the pavement. I drove quite close to 

 it before it flew away. 



The next day as I drove to town 

 there was the Night Hawk sitting in 

 about the same place and off and on 

 for about two weeks that Night 

 Hawk could be found in about the 

 same place quietly sitting and seem- 

 ingly unafraid. 



One day I thought I would see how 

 close I could drive to it and if I had 

 not turned the car quickly I could 

 have driven over it as it refused to 

 fly. As this is the Maine Stret pav- 

 ing that is close, and there is a heavy 

 traffic, I have an idea it was finally 

 killed by some car as it suddenly dis- 

 appeared. I was always watching for 

 the Hight Hawk and there he sat 

 comical and serene as could be. 



One day I stopped and put my hand 

 on the pavement as it was a very hot 

 day and I found it almost as hot as a 

 stove. I wondered how he could stand 

 it but it did. not seem to trouble him 

 in the least. This pavement is made 

 of asphalt and crushed rock and in 

 fact was so near the color of the Night 

 Hawk that one had to look closely 

 to see the bird. I don't imagine any 

 one else gave it a thought, but we 

 bird men are quick to notice any 

 queer action of our feathered bird 

 friends. 



House Wrens. 



I have three Wren houses this year 

 and secured two pairs of Wrens. 



