126 



THE OOLOGIST 



second, that the game laws (both 

 state and federal) are not enforced as 

 they should be. 



The following list of birds were ob- 

 served: 



Pied-billed Grebe; observed not in- 

 frequently during the last two weeks 

 in March. 



Herring Gull; very common at all 

 times on both Mississippi and Mis- 

 souri rivers. 



Franklin's Gull; rather uncommon, 

 however several birds were usually 

 seen each day. 



Bonaparte's Gull (?) not positive of 

 identity. 



American Mergenser; one of the 

 first migrants in February. 



Mallards; very common on both 

 rivers. 



Black Duck; rather rare. 



Gadwell (?) I never positively 

 identified a Gadwell although doubt- 

 less many were seen. Almost as com- 

 mon as the Mallard. 



Blue-winged Teal; common. 



Shoveler; not uncommon during 

 later part of March. 



Pintail; common. 



Redhead (?) not sure. 



Ring-necked Duck; very common. 



Canada Goose; not uncommon. 

 t 



Great Blue Heron; many birds seen 



on Mississippi River. 



Pectoral Sandpiper; common in 

 March. 



American Coot; very common. 



This list is far from large as it is 

 very hard to identify the birds. No 

 doubt many birds not included in this 

 list were seen but not identified. Then 

 too, the bulk of the migrating birds 

 arrive in April. 



The state of Missouri forbids hunt- 

 ing in motor boats yet this practice is 

 carried on to a great extent on both 

 the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. 

 It is remarkable to meet a hunter (ex- 

 cluding those who hunt on private 



club grounds) who has a license of 

 any description. Most of them buy a 

 license the first year and as they are 

 never called upon to show it they 

 never get another. I have held a col- 

 lection permit for four years but I 

 have never had occasion to show it 

 although I m often in the field. The 

 Federal Migratory Game Law foi»bids 

 all spring duck shooting in this state 

 and yet it goes on. I know a great 

 many men who hunt along the river 

 but they are never bothered. Who is 

 to blame? 



H. S. Ladd, 

 St. Louis, Mo. 



Mr. Hoxie, of Georgia 



The following communication was 

 refused space in the Savannah Morn- 

 ing News for what reason we do not 

 know. It is strange that a newspaper 

 would publish misinformation, doubt- 

 ful information and mistakes and re- 

 fuse those having knowledge and op- 

 portunity to correct it. — Editor. 



Please allow me space in your valu- 

 able paper to correct a statement 

 made by Mr. W. J. Hoxie in his ar- 

 ticle published in the Savannah Morn- 

 ing News of May 26th. Mr. Hoxie 

 states that during a recent visit to 

 P'ree Island he noted several "little 

 bank swallows" nesting in the bluff 

 there. The American Ornitologist 

 Union Check List of North American 

 Birds defines the breeding range of 

 the bank swallows as North America, 

 from the limit of trees in Alaska and 

 northern Ungava south to California, 

 Arizona, Texas, Louisian andVirginia. 

 The birds that Mr. Hoxie noted on 

 Free Island were unquestionably the 

 Rough-winged swallow, a species oc- 

 curring during the breeding season 

 over almost the entire United States. 

 Such erroneous statements as these, 

 come from one who professes to be 

 a Highly trained bird student and ob- 



