46 



Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



Often on a cloudy night during the 

 migration, when the birds are flying Ioav, 

 great flocks will fly around and around the 

 lights, seemingly fascinated by its rays. 



W. E. MULLIKEN. 



Grand Kapids, Mich. 



An Albino Red-headed Woodpecker. 



Mr. Arthur W. Van Pelt, of Lake 

 Harbor, Michigan, writes to us of a case 

 of albinism in the Red-headed Woodpecker. 



The bird was shot by him on September 

 16, 1897, near a corn field. It was in 

 company with other woodpeckers of the 

 same species, which were feeding upon 

 the corn from the ears. 



He gives the following description of 

 the specimen: "Breast, under parts of 

 wings and back, from a point directly 

 between the wings down to the base of the 

 tail, pure, snowy white; head and under 

 parts pure white; crown, mixed white and 

 gray; upper parts of wings and back, light 

 gray; tail, two outside feathers, black, the 

 rest white; bill white, shading to dark on 

 the point; feet orange; eyes hazel. The 

 only red mark on its plumage was a very 

 small spot of rosy red under each eye. It 

 was a male. " T. L. H. 



[A partial albino of this species is in the 

 collection of the Kent Scientific Institute 

 at Grand Rapids, Mich. It is not a rare 

 albino.] 



Mallard and Red-tailed Hawk. 



While rowing up Flat River this fall, I 

 came upon six Mallards which, at sight of 

 me, took flight, and following the river, 

 went farther up stream. After I had fol- 

 lowed the river about two miles, I again 

 came upon the same flock. There were 

 four ducks and two fine drakes. I hid my 

 boat in the rice and 'watched them. All 

 at once a large Red-tailed Hawk dashed 

 into the flock. All but one of the ducks 

 dove, and this one took wing and had a 

 lively race to keep away from his swift 

 pursuer. 



The hawk did not seem to gain on his 

 prize at all, and the poor duck was scream- 

 ing with terror. 



I did not see the result because a bend 

 in the river hid the birds from view. The 

 duck did not try to seek safety in the 

 water, probably on account of its fright. 



Claud Barlow. 



Greenville, Mich. 



Notes from Hastings, Michigan. 



The Cedar Waxwing Avas more abundant 

 in this locality last spring ('97), than I 

 have ever seen it before. Within two 

 blocks of my house, I counted nine nests. 



There were also a good many Blue Birds 

 about. I found two nests, one with four 

 eggs, and the other with three young birds. 



Gottlieb Bessmek. 



A New Bird for Michigan. 



Among a number of bird skins recently 

 donated to the collection at the Michigan 

 Agricultural College, by Oscar B. Warren 

 of Hibbing, Minnesota, there was found a 

 specimen of Harris' Sparrow (Zonoirichia 

 querula). The bird was positively identified 

 by Prof. W. B. Barrows. 



Mr. Warren, in writing of this specimen 

 says, that it was taken at Palmer, Marquette 

 Co., on September 30, 1894. 



This is certainly a most interesting 

 record, which is, in all probability, the 

 only known instance of this species occur- 



T. L. H. 



ring in our state. 



Nesting of the Water Thrush 



(Seiurus noveboracensis) in 



Wayne Co., Michigan. 



In the spring of 1895 this pair of birds 

 first came to my notice, and were so wary 

 that it was impossible to approach them 

 near enough to be positive in their identity. 

 In the following spring ('96) I met them 

 again in the same, woods, and from their 

 actions concluded they had a nest, but 

 careful watching and beating failed to 

 locate the site, and I was unsuccessful in 

 establishing their identity. 



This spring I had more time, and con- 

 cluded to watch the birds more closely. 

 On May 9th I noted them for the first 

 time, and they were then paired. I kept 

 as good track of them as my spare time 

 allowed, which resulted in my locating 

 the nest on the 19th of May. On that day 

 I beat about some time before hearing 

 their note. At last I found them in a 

 thicket across the ditch from where I 

 stood. I sat down and waited for them to 

 put in appearance; the female did so, fly- 

 ing down to the water's edge in a ditch 

 opposite me. She worked up the stream 

 until lost to view, and then returned on 

 the side I was on. Crossing just above 

 the nest, she would beat up the sides of 



