ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



39 



of Winter Wrens and Wilson's Snipes (Jacksnipes) . Just yes- 

 terday the first flock of Cedar Waxwings made their appear- 

 ance, and we have had little else that was of interest. 



My father-in-law, who lives near Beardstown on the Illinois 

 River, has complained that his farms have been pestered with 

 tremendous numbers of Wild Mallards all winter. A clipping 

 from one of the Rushville papers recently told of one farmer 

 who left a large number of ears of corn which he had shucked 

 in the field over night. The next morning as he approached 

 thousands of Ducks arose from the field and he found most of 

 his corn very badly eaten. I think this speaks well for the Fed- 

 eral Migratory Bird Law. Such conditions as this have not 

 been reported for a great many years. 



The following paragraph from the Rushville, (Illinois) 

 Citizen under date of March 9 has just reached me and fits in 

 well with the above : 



Ducks are to be seen in almost every field located north and 

 northwest of Rushville, the number in some of the fields being 

 estimated at many thousands. In the Crane Creek and Coal 

 Creek Drainage District, the ducks are said to be more numer- 

 ous than ever before and countless thousands can be seen in the 

 fields adjacent to the public road between Frederick and the 

 river. Fields seeded to wheat are now their favorite feeding 

 grounds and if this continues, there is a probability that the 

 growing crops may be considerably damaged. 



Most of the hunters have observed the spring shooting law 

 very well, although there are about three cliques of professional 

 market hunters who are doing a big business, both in the fall 

 and during the spring, and they are marketing their kill 

 through several saloons. Naturally it does not make the honest 

 hunters of this vicinity very happy to know that these men are 

 breaking the law and getting by with it. 



I might also report that the 

 Quincy Whig Journal is carry- 

 ing on a bird house contest to be 

 finished March 18. The houses 

 are limited to Bluebird boxes, 

 Wren boxes and Martin boxes 

 and a prize is given for the first 

 and second best houses in each 

 class. 



Sunday, March 9, I took a 

 hike and recorded the following 

 birds : Hairy Woodpecker, Downy 

 Woodpecker, Bluejay, Red-head- 

 ed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Bronzed Grackle, 

 Meadowlark, Purple Finch, Goldfinch, English Sparrow, Tree 

 Sparrow, Junco, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Cardinal, 

 Cedar Waxwing, Winter Wren, Little Brown Creeper, Crow, 



Photo by T. E. Musselman 



