20 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



those already mentioned, may be found the American bittern, King rail, 

 Virginia rail. Marsh hawk, Short-eared owl. Swamp sparrow and Short-billed 

 marsh wren ; where the w'et- ground is sparsely covered or about its swampy 

 borders, the Wilson snipe; and invading the marshland from the shore side, 

 numerous examples of the stream margin and damp meadow communities, 

 such as the Spotted sandpiper, Song sparrow and Maryland yellowthroat. 



Communities of the meadowland. These birds are related ecologically 

 to the prairie society, to which they undoubtedly belonged in primeval 

 time. In the damper portions of our meadowlands will be found the 

 Bobolink and Savannah sparrow, and in the wet meadows, sometimes 

 in bogs and weedy marshes, the Henslow sparrow. In the dryer portions 

 of the meadowland may be found the Bart ram sandpiper. Bob white, 

 Meadowlark, Vesper sparrow and Grasshopper sparrow. What might be 

 ■called another general division but more or less related to the meadowland 

 •communities, are those inhabiting plains, waste fields and pastures and 

 plowed fields which have a very sparse vegetation. Here belong more 

 properly than in the grassland the Vesper sparrow, Killdeer, Prairie 

 horned lark and Nighthawk, the latter, however, preferring rocky fields 

 in the wildest districts. 



Community of the pond and stream margins. It has often been 

 noted that many species are practically confined to pond shores and stream 

 courses although they are not called aquatic species, and it might be said 

 that the presence of streams and bodies of water is unquestionably a factor 

 which attracts nearly all species of birds to a greater or less extent, but 

 those confined to the immediate margins of ponds or streams are the 

 American merganser (in hollow trees). Red-breasted merganser (nesting 

 among the grass or low shrubbery). Hooded merganser (in hollow trees), 

 Green heron (nesting among the lower trees). Spotted sandpiper (nesting 

 among the grass and weeds). Belted kingfisher. Bank swallow and Rough- 

 winged swallow (nesting in banks), the Phoebe (on ledges and bridge 

 beams) , Tree swallow • (in hollow trees) , the Alder flycatcher. Rusty black- 

 bird, Lincoln sparrow and Northern yellowthroat (in bordering thickets). 



