THK Al'DUBON Bl'LLKTlN 49 



To the geologist it tells a story of an ancient deposit of river silt under 

 conditions that he understands, and it can he used as a chapter in his 

 outdoor instruction book. To the bird lover the bank is of interest on 

 account of the bank swallows, and the marvelous knowledge that they 

 seem to possess as to its value to them as a nesting site. 



The Sag ravine, not far trom the junction of the Calumet drainage 

 canal with the main drainage canal, within its short confines ot stratified 

 Niagara limestone, contains a bewildering company of plants, some of 

 which are found nowhere else in Cook County, and are only found 

 growing on rock surfaces. An approach to the ravine from the adjoin- 

 ing fields always disturbs robins and other birds that feed on wild fruits, 

 for the ravine contains many plants bearing seeds or berries. 



At Maple Hill station, on the Chicago-Joliet interurban, is the outlet 

 of one of the finest ravines near Chicago. Here is a colony of wonder- 

 ful, old, hard-maple trees that call to mind the "sugar bush" back east. 

 Near the entrance on the west bank is a fine, lone specimen of the rare 

 Blue Ash. In the wide fan-shaped mouth of the ravine stands one of the 

 finest examples ot the stratified hawthorn known in the region. Farther 

 up the ravine there is a constantly increasing number of interesting 

 plants. On the right bank is an ancient limestone boulder on whose 

 accommodatingly pitted surface grow columbines, tiny ferns, and other 

 rock-loving plants. On the steep sides grow maidenhair, lady and fragile 

 bladder ferns, bloodroot, hepaticas, white baneberry, and many violets. 



With all these attractions it is not strange that this ravine is a well- 

 inhabited bird sanctuary. Here one can find the catbird, thrasher, scar- 

 let tanager, great crested flycatcher, wood pewee, vireos, many sparrows, 

 towhees, and the indigo bunting. In springtime the warblers stay until 

 the very last minute of their schedule on account of the abundant supply 

 of insects. In the narrow strip of lowland across the car line into which 

 the ravine debouches, the character of the vegetation changes, and one 

 may find jack-in-the-pulpit, green dragon, black and red haws, main- 

 members of the sun flower and wild lettuce families. 



Spice bush, pawpaws, chestnut and shingle oaks, prickly ash, mul- 

 berry, soft and hard maples, cat briar and wild grapevines, many vari- 

 eties of herbaceous plants, all contribute food and insects for the bird 

 epicures. According to old settlers passenger pigeons formerly came 

 to this region in great flocks, and every year flights of Bonaparte gulls 

 may be seen following the course of the Desplaines River, drainage 

 canal, and the old Illinois and Michigan canal, which here parallel each 

 other only a short distance apart. 



Over 7,000 acres of forest preserves are joined in the Mount Forest- 

 Palos tracts. If sufficient control may be enforced against illegal shoot- 

 ing, this beautiful region with its many ravines may again harbor thou- 

 sands of resident and migrant birds, as it no doubt did fifty or more 

 years ago. — Orpheus Moyer Schantz. 



