38 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



From the Publication Committee 



The publication committee of the Illinois Audubon Society has care- 

 fully considered the problem of putting into convenient form for ready 

 reference the valuable check list of Illinois birds printed in the Winter 

 1917-18 Bulletin. A few years ago a check list printed for wall dis- 

 play and with blank spaces for entering dates and names of localities 

 was issued by the Society and this proved to be very useful in schools 

 and homes. The revised check list, however, is by reason of its very 

 completeness and careful discrimination among species somewhat tech- 

 nical for use by school children. So, a wall list including 200 of the 

 more common birds of the state has been printed on heavy paper with 

 convenient blank spaces for notes as before. The complete check list 

 which Mr. Benjamin T. Gault is editing will appear in the form of a 

 handbook which will slip readily into a side pocket. A colored map of 

 the state showing regional distribution of birds is being prepared for 

 this handbook and Mr. Robert Ridgway will furnish the introduction. 

 The wall list referred to above is ready for distribution but the prepara- 

 tion of the complete check list has met with delays which it is hoped 

 soon to overcome. It will be necessary to charge a small price for each 

 of these to cover printing expenses and postage. 



The Society now has a good supply of the special warning notices 

 in postcard form and these can be furnished in either English or Italian 

 language. The Society has received but one request as yet for these 

 cards. It is hoped that these cards may prove of great help where 

 campaigns for bird protection are carried on in strategic areas. 



Commenting Upon the Winter 1917-1918 Bulletin 



Commenting upon the Winter 1917-1918 Bulletin, Mr. George 

 Roberts, Jr., of Lake Forest writes : 



I am particularly interested in the "dates o>f last seen" of the breed- 

 ing birds of Rock Island County, especially the dates for the humming- 

 bird, which are put at September 19, 23, 24 and 28. These agree with 

 Dr. Chapman's date for Glen Ellyn of September 22. But in 1916 I 

 saw one in my yard every day up to and including October 7th, and in 

 1917 I saw one at some salvia in a yard in Waukegan on October 1st. 



Both Rock Island County and Glen Ellyn are a trifle south of, and 

 much inland from, these two towns on the Lake, and it seems curious 

 to me that the hummingbird should be found with us so much later 

 than with the other two places. Furthermore my journal notes that in 

 1916 the nights were becoming quite cold as early as the last of Sep- 

 tember. A closer observer than myself might have found the bird here 

 even beyond the dates I have given ; my observation consisting almost 

 entirely of what comes immediately under my eye, as I have little time 

 for going out to see what I can see. < 



I may just add this, too : Rock Island reports October 22nd for the 

 last date that the Bronzed Grackle was seen ; I saw them as late as 

 November 12th that year, 1916. 



