THE YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 197 
“ Republican Fork, near Fort Riley, May 22, 1864. — Large 
numbers of Semipalmated and Bonaparte’s Sandpipers (Hreunetes 
pusillus and Actodromas Bonaparte’) along the river, mixed to- 
gether in close flocks. Not fat at this season. Plenty of Balti- 
more and Orchard Orioles, in the high trees; Yellow-breasted 
Chats in the bushes; Yellow-winged Sparrows and Black-throated 
Buntings everywhere ; Meadow Larks in the open, and Partridges 
in the woods. Shot a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, breed- 
' ing. Saw for first time the Clay-colored Bunting. May 23. — 
Found two very interesting birds I never saw alive before— Bell’s 
Vireo, and Nuttall’s Whippoorwill (Vireo Belli and Antrostomus 
Nuttalli). The former seems quite common; shot several speci- 
mens; it inhabits thickets and clumps of bushes, like V. Novebo- 
racensis, but has a different song, the peculiarity of which first 
attracted my. attention. The Whippoorwill was flushed in thick 
cover, and looked very much like a woodcock as it got up; its 
night cry is like that of the Eastern species with the first syllable 
omitted. Familiar Eastern birds about here, not noticed yester- 
day are: — Indigo bird, Redstart, Kentucky Warbler, Golden- 
crowned Thrush, White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireos, Great-crested 
= catcher, Pewee (S. fuscus), Wood Pewee, Kingbird and Downy 
pecker. Shot and skinned twenty-three specimens. May 
hg a Slender-billed Nuthatch, the first one seen. . Large 
flights of Night-hawks at dusk. A Pectoral. Sand-piper in the 
grass near the stream. . Shot an Olive-backed Thrush (T. Swain- 
sonii), and several Lark Finches; these last were first observed 
about St. Louis, Mo., as I was riding in company with Dr. Engel- 
mann of that city. May 25.—There are a great many Bartramian 
Tatlers now on the prairie. Had no trouble in shooting a good 
bag, their tameness being in remarkable contrast to their usual 
shyness in places where they are much hunted. May 27.— More 
Eastern birds occur; the Warbling Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 
and Scarlet Tanager. Shipped a box of specimens, and shall 
leave to-morrow, troops having arrived to escort the stage, in view 
of possible Indian hostilities. May 29.—Salinas, K. T. —Saw 
first antelope yesterday, and to-day abundance of Yellow-headed 
Blackbirds.” 
The Journal goes on to state, that the next day we had pesi- 
rie zodlogy in earnest ; the Lark Bunting, Burrowing Owls, Prairie 
Dogs, and Buffalo. The Blackbirds were seen almost every day 
