248 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



TApbtl 23, 1885. 



int[nl %jjii$targ. 



WINTER AND SPRING BIRDS AT ST. 

 LOUIS, MO. 



THE following notes are selected from the reports on 

 migration at St. Louis, sent by Mr. 0. Widmann: Par- 

 ticular attention is called to the form in which the notes are 

 kept. There can be no doubt of the utility of keeping a 

 regular journal of ornithological and meteorological phe- 

 nomena, but the difficulty is to find readily and easily the 

 note wanted out of the large mass to which such a journal or 

 diary rapidly grows. It will be found that by entering the 

 birds' names and other subjects in the side columns, the 

 desired item can be obtained with but little difficulty. Two 

 forms of the journal are given. The first or descriptive is 

 the better if one has the time to spare necessary to its writ- 

 ing. The second, begiuning with March 2, presents the 

 facts in their most condensed form. Both of these forms 

 and a happy medium between the two have been used by 

 Mr. "Widmann in his reports. The latter form was most suc- 

 cessfully used in a recapitulation of last spring's migration 

 in which the whole subject of bird movement, weather, 

 "contemporary phenomena," etc., from Jan. 1 to May 20, 

 containing nearly a thousand items, was condensed to twelve 

 written pages of foolscap. The record this year reads as 

 follows : 



This winter was unfavorable both for birds and observer. 

 We not only had three ordinary winters consolidated into 

 one, but we have also had moresnow than usual, and in con- 

 sequence more slush and deeper mud during the short warm 

 spell that separated the second winter from the last and the 

 severest of the three. The first, winter was from Dec. 10 to 

 27; the second from Jan. 16 to 30; the third from Feb. 8 to 

 26. Snow covered the ground from Dec. 11 to 28, and from 

 Jan. 16 to Feb. 26. 



The Mississippi never froze over nor even gorged at this 

 place, although it was several times at the point of closing. 

 An open river is an important factor in the well-being of our 

 crows, and is a necessity for the presence of gulls, ducks and 

 bald eagles. The offal of the city, which is dumped into 

 the river, affords, even during the coldest term, easily acces- 

 sible food for all these species. When everything is covered 

 with deep snow or frozen as hard as a rock, the crows de- 

 pend for a large part on the food which the open river 

 affords. Hundreds and thousands are then seen sitting in 

 clusters on the edge of swimming ice fields floating down for 

 miles, returning by wing to begin another trip further up 

 near the dump, it is amusing to watch the crows fishing 

 choice morsels out of the current, and astonishing is the skill 

 they display in seizing food while on wing. One of the 

 crows' companions while subsisting on the refuse of the city, 

 is the bald eagle, which is a winter visitant so long as the 

 river is open. During the coldest days of the winter, the 

 noble bird was seen sitting on the running ice engaged in the 

 same manner as the crows. The other species which is fond 

 of inspecting the Mississippi below the dumping places of 

 the great city is the herring gull. Plying with heavy wing 

 strokes up and down the river, so low that it seems to touch 

 the waters, it suddenly folds its wings and sits down to de- 

 vour its booty while swimming or resting on the wave. As 

 long as the layer is open some of the ducks remain with us, 

 and since they can find hardly anything else, it must be sup- 

 posed that they feed on the same kind of food as gulls and 

 crows. During the two warm spells the ducks began to push 

 northward, and the first birds of the year (beside sparrows 

 and crows), on New Year's day at 7:20 A. M., were seven 

 ducks flying north along the river. On the afternoon of 

 Feb. 7, just before the wind turned to the north, three large 

 flocks of ducks (50 to 70 each) passed coming from north- 

 west. Next day the third winter set in. 



There can be no doubt that less birds (residents and win- 

 ter visitants) than usual wintered with us. By the term 

 "wintering" is meant remaining all winter. Some species 

 remained during the first part of winter and perhaps until 

 the middle of January, but when it grew colder after the 

 snowstorm of Jan. 16, they left, and were not seen until the 

 opening of early spring about the last of February. 

 February 26. 



First warm sunny day, maximum 50°, south- 

 erly winds. This day does away with the snow 

 which has been covering the ground since 

 Jan. 16. 



February 27. 



Second warm day, maximum 58° (in sun 75°), 

 light south wind, clear. At 9 :30 A. M. the first 

 ducks go north, fifty to sixty sprigtails. At Dafila acuta 

 10:15 another large flock was seen at a distance, 

 and several more during the day, and in the 

 evening a flock of blackheads. Fulix 



February 28. 



Third warm day, maximum 68° (in sun 102°), 

 increasing south wind. 



Never has a season opened more gloriously 

 than this year's has to-day. From 7 A. M. till 

 noon, an almost steady stream of ducks passed Anatidm 

 over in flocks of from thirty to sixty, the larger 

 part being sprigtails so far as 1 could see. Dafila 

 There was hardly any time when at least one 

 flock could not be seen in some direction, but 

 oftener half a dozen could be counted at the 

 same time. Many flocks followed the Missis- 

 sippi, but the majority turned off to the west 

 just south of the city in order to reach the Mis- 

 souri River or the large tracts of low land be- 

 tween the mouths of the Missouri and Illinois 

 rivers. Thousands have passed this city to-day 

 and their usual companions were with them. 



In the early morning gulls were seen going L. argen. 

 north in regular migration-wedge, takiug their smiths. 



annual overland route just in the rear of the 

 city, cutting short the great bend which the Mis- 

 sissippi makes north of St. Louis. Many gulls, 

 of the same species, old birds in beautiful plum- 

 age, were seen all day soaring in majestic gjTa- 

 tions at enormous heights above the Mississippi. 



At 10:45 the Baptores appeared on the scene Falconidm 

 of northward migration, the golden eagle taking Aquila 

 the lead. A grand sight it was to see the stately 

 band tail passing by only a few hundred feet 

 above one's head in wide circles, leisurely, but 

 energetically moving north. Immediately be- 

 hind came another interesting migrant, the 

 goshawk, readily known by its great size in con- Astur 



nection with its peculiar accipitrine shape of 

 flight. At 11 :40 another large hawk came near, 

 passing within fifty yards, showing his dark 

 whiskers, but disappearing with rapid wing beats 

 as fast as it came ; it was no less a personage 

 than the duck hawk himself, the powerful pere- 

 grine falcon. At 12 two old white-headed and 

 white-tailed bald eagles came passing by in bold 

 circles, keeping close together and moving up 

 the same way all others went, the way north. 

 Withia the next hour four red-tailed hawks ap- 

 peared in the south and disappeared in the north, 

 sailing dexterously amid the now stronger blow- 

 ing southwest gale. 



During the night and in the early morning the 

 wind was a light south, but in the upper stratum 

 a northwest current made itself felt more and 

 more as the day advanced. Vapory clouds in 

 long streaks appeared in the west and cut their 

 way toward the zenith. The wandering birds 

 took advantage of the lively southern current 

 of the lower atmosphere and all ducks and rap- 

 tores kept at about five hundred feet above the 

 grouud, while the Canada geese, which moved 

 at noontime, were still lower — about three 

 hundred feet above ground. The temperature 

 rose steadily from 44" to 68°, and a thermometer 

 exposed to the direct rays of the sun showed 

 10a°atnoon. The heat at that time was op- 

 pressive, and bees and flies became numerous, 

 although the frost is not yet out of the ground. 



In the afternoon the wind became more and 

 more westerly, with increasing cloudiness and 

 falling temperature. During the afternoon the 

 flocks of ducks appeared at long intervals, but 

 just before night several large flocks passed in 

 quick succession. At 9 P. M. it began to rain 

 and the wind relaxed for a while. 



Besides the wandering of Anatida?- and Fal- 

 conidse, it was especially the arrival of our 

 bluebirds that made the day a gala day for the 

 ornithologist. The bluebirds had arrived in 

 force, and during a seven-mile walk in the south- 

 western part of the city, fifteen males were 

 counted warbling at their old stands ; four of 

 them were accompanied by their females, the 

 others appeared to have arrived singly, at least 

 no female could be detected in their neighbor- 

 hood. A second new arrival was met in the 

 shape of the cedar bird. It was 7:30 A. M. 

 when a flock was seen to alight on a tree at the 

 east border of a grove. Drawing near and 

 watching them for a few minutes, they were 

 seen sitting in utter silence, but busily engaged 

 arranging their feathers. All at once they 

 stopped this occupation, stretched their necks, 

 and began to call as loud as they could. Look- 

 ing up in a southeast direction, a number of 

 small bodies were seen at a great elevation, but 

 rapidly growing larger as they came down in a 

 slightly oblique line, and in another instant a 

 second flock of cedar birds had settled among 

 the first. That they were tired, appeared from 

 the fact that a bluejay which seemed to dislike 

 the new comers and tried to harass them, could 

 not dislodge them even with his ugliest cries. 



Another feature of the day was the ubiquity 

 and conspicuousness of the horned larks. After 

 9 A. M. their searching cell was continually in 

 the air, and single birds were seen hovering 

 aimlessly over their former haunts. It was the 

 disbanding day of the flocks, the pairs taking up 

 their old stands which they made resonant with 

 the oft-repeated "ickle, ickle," and the young 

 folks searching mates and suitable ground to 

 settle for an early season of love and parental 

 joy and sorrow. Still another feature of the 

 day, not less characteristic and significant for 

 the approach of early spring, was the excited 

 state of the crows. This bird is very sensitive 

 to the first warmth of the young year, and 

 thinks of match-making as soon as the ground 

 is free from snow and the air not below zero. 

 The crows have a common roost to which they 

 resort all winter, but they have also a certain 

 place for their courting, where those meet which 

 have a matrimonial scheme in view. Any 

 sunny, mild day in winter finds collected there 

 a party of amorous crows in animated conver 

 sation. Certain actions which they perform on 

 these occasions seem to bear some relation to 

 their match-making. With peculiar sounds, dif- 

 ferent from their common cawing, they fly up 

 some fifty feet into the air, against the breeze, 

 and with outspread wings floating in a graceful 

 curve, return to their former station on the 

 trees. The continual darting up and circling 

 back of a number of the birds at the same time 

 produces a strange spectacle. 



To complete the picture of the day let us not 

 forget to mention the singing of numerous red- 

 birds, the weak but welcome attempts of junco, 

 the clamorous calling of the tufted titmouse, 

 the real music of the happy chickadees, the ex- 

 cited and melodious mood of soinetree sparrows, 

 the spring notes of the hairy woodpecker and 

 the flicker, the efforts of the bluejays, and the 

 lot' ty play of the red-shouldered hawk above his 

 favorite wood. 



March 1. 



A strong cool west wind, which arose during 

 the night, continued all day, speeding dark 

 clouds across the sky and keeping the temper- 

 ature at a few degrees above freezing. Flocks 

 of ducks continue their northward flight in 

 spite of the stiff breeze, and also several flocks 

 of Canada geese. The first red-winged black- 

 birds make their appearance in a large flock 

 within the city limits; old acquaintances prob- 

 ably because well acquainted with the topo- 

 graphy of the city, crossing the river at the same 

 point and going low above the very same roofs 

 over which they used to go last year, on their 

 way to and from their roost. With the ex- 

 ception of ducks, geese and blackbirds, hardly 

 any movement seemed to be going on to-day, 

 the wind being too strong for small birds. At 



Falco pereg. 



nmmus 

 Haliceetus 



Buieo 



Atmosphere 



Berniela 

 canadensis 



Temperature 

 Insects 



Rain 



Sialia sialis 



Ampelis 

 cedrorum 



Eremophila 



Corvusfrug. 



Cardinalis 

 J. hyemalis 

 L, bicolor 

 Parus atric. 

 Spiz. monl. 

 Picidce 

 Cyano.crist\ 

 B. Uneatus 



Weather 



Anatida, 

 Agelmus 



8 A. M. a party of eight bluebirds was seen bat- Sialia 

 tling their way northward, but it looked as if 

 they would not proceed far. At 5 P. M. a 

 party of twenty bluebirds, male and female, 

 were found together in a sink hole of about an 

 acre, sheltered by a grove from the cool west 

 wind, here they were busily engaged in feeding 

 on the ground in perfect silence. At 7 A. M. 

 next day they were gone. 

 March. 



2. Night— Clear, cool, light frost; birds move a little. 

 Day— Bright, clear, light W., shifting to S. W. and S. 



F.— Lanius ludovie, Merula, Spiz. pusil., Carpo- 



dacus, Aix, Oxyechus. 

 Increased— Sialia, female. 

 Ducks and Canada geese move slightly, and all 



at great height. 



3. Night— Clear, warm (50°), but strong S., turning W. 



after midnight. 

 Day— Clear, increasing W., with nearly stationary tem- 

 perature. 



F.— Astragalinus, Sturnella. 



Second time — Lanius ludov., Carpodacus, Mer- 

 ula. 



Move — Anas boscas, Nettion, Agelams, Larida?, 

 AmpeMs cedr. All movement ceased sud- 

 denly about the middle of the forenoon, when 

 the force of the increasing W. began to be 

 felt. 



4. Night— Cool, clear, light frost, lively N. W. 

 Day— Cool, clear, turning to N. and N. E. 



F.— None. 



New parties of Merula, Ageteus and Astraga- 

 linus. 



5. Night — Cool, foggy, calm, and light N. E. 

 Day— Fair, turning S., but chilly. 



F. — Passerella. 

 Increased — Astragalinus. 

 First song of Melospiza fasc. 



6. 7 and 8 — Strong and cold N. ; temperature at night a 



little below and during the day a little above 

 freezing. A few flocks of ducks, geese and 

 blackbirds excepted, no change is apparent. 

 Birds and observer take a rest. 

 Summary. 

 Feb. 26 — 8. winds, first warm day ; snow disappears. 

 Feb. 27 — S. winds, second warm day; migration begins. 

 Feb. 28— S. winds, third warm day; first "wave" strikes. 

 March 1-3 — Westerly winds prevailing, frosty nights, warm 

 days. Some migration during morning hours. 

 March 4-8 — Northerly winds, chilly air, frosty night. 



Migration=0. W. W. Cooke. 



Moorhead, Minn., April t, 1885. 



HABITS OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Personal observation of the habits of a pair of prairie dogs, 

 which were presented to me some years since, leads me to 

 believe that your correspondents arc mistaken who believe 

 that the animals burrow to find water to drink. For nearly 

 three years I kept this pair in a close cage, in which they 

 throve and grew fat, but could never be induced to touch a 

 drop of water, A dish of water placed in their cage was im- 

 mediately overturned by them, if possible, or if not, filled up 

 by them with grass or hay to get the water out of the way. 

 After some time, seeing the futility of offering them water, 

 I gave them no more, and they lived with me for two years 

 certainly without drinking. The communication of your 

 Salt Lake correspondent confirms my observations of their 

 habits, in captivity at least, and probably in a free state 

 their wants and tastes are the same. W. L. M. 



Hartford, Conn., April 12. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Living in a country where prairie dogs are very numerous, 

 I can state that I have seen them come to water and drink. 

 One day last summer one came to drink at a lake where I 

 was fishing. 1 had my setter dog with me, and he rounded 

 the prairie dog up and drowned it, knocking it down with 

 its paw. I have watched them coming from their holes 

 while hunting antelope, and with a powerful field glass. 

 They have had the appearance of being wet after coming 

 from their holes. They are good swimmers, as several times 

 I have seen them cross water chased by my dogs. Some of 

 their holes are very deep, as I have tried running them full 

 with water. My opinion is that their holes go to water 

 where surface water is not near. Almo. 



Henrietta, Tex., April 13, 1885. 



Maine Birds. — Among the general notes of interest in 

 the last number of The Auk, there is record of a wood 

 thrush (Turdusmusteli/ius) "shot Sept. 6, 1884, atSaco, Me.," 

 by Mr. Joseph L. Goodale, and an account of a humming 

 bird kept in confinement as a pet is contributed by Mr. S. 

 W. Willard. In Forest and Streym of Dec. 28, 1882, 

 there was published the record of a wood thrush shot in 

 Kennebec county, Me., and no doubt this species visits 

 Maine only as a straggler, as there appear to be no other 

 public records of its occurrence here. In the number of 

 this journal for Jan. 25, 1883, a brief allusion was made iu 

 the catalogue of "The Birds of Maine" to the keeping of a 

 humming bird in confinement as a pet by a friend of the 

 writer, and the fact that the bird subsisted for many months 

 upon sugar dissolved in water. Attention was also called 

 to the desirability of humming birds as pets for those who 

 love birds and flowers, and have facilities for gratifying their 

 tastes in this respect. These birds may be caught with but 

 little difficulty where flowers are abundant, by means of an 

 insect net or by opening to their easy access a conservatory 

 of flowering plants, and entrapping them by preventing 

 egress after once allured within. However attractive the 

 skins of these birds may be in the cabinets of collectors or 

 toilets of ladies, the beautiful creatures are far more attract- 

 ive in life, and may be made very enjoyable pets for natural- 

 ists and for ladies.— Everett Smith (Portland, Me.). 



The Washington Prairie Chicken.— The pinnated 

 grouse killed near Washington City, as related in last week's 

 Forest and Stream, may have been the descendant of 

 birds liberated by Dr. Purnell of Snow Hill, Md. ; several 

 years ago. The writer has positive proof that they bred, and 

 severarbroods are known to have been raised. These were 

 seen by the natives of the section where the grouse were put 

 out. I believe a second planting of prairie chickens has 

 been made since in the neighborhood of Snow Hill, Md.— 

 Homo. 



