AUGUST BIRD-LIFE OF THE HACKENSACK MEADOWS 



THE thousands of acres of marshland bordering the Hackensack 

 River and Newark Bay, so familiar to travelers over the rail- 

 ways which pass through them, are commonly esteemed worth- 

 less ground, but to the naturalist they abound in interest. 



In their lower portion, colonies of Florida Gallinules and Pied-billed 

 Grebes have been found nesting; but it is in August that birds are most 

 abundant in the marshes, and they then possess the strongest attrac- 

 tion for the ornithologist. At this season the wild rice begins to ripen, 

 bringing to the marsh a large, though ever decreasing, number of Bobo- 

 links and Sora Rails that delight to feed upon it. 



The Bobolink is now in its streaked, sparrow-like plumage, and 

 under the name "Reedbird" is ranked in New Jersey as a game bird (!) 

 and is killed in thousands by men who would not raise a finger against 

 the black-and-buff songster of our June meadows. 



The Sora, in spite of its small size and sluggish flight, may, with 

 greater reason, be ranked as a game bird, but at the present rate of 

 decrease it will pay the penalty of this distinction by practical extermina- 

 tion in this region. Red-winged Blackbirds also come to feed on the 

 rice. 



During the latter half of July, August and September, Swallows (by 

 far the most abundant birds of the meadows) use the marshes as dor- 

 mitories, coming to them in incalculable numbers in the evening to 

 sleep, and leaving them early the following morning to radiate to 

 every point of the compass. During the day, and as the birds gather 

 for their evening flight, they may be seen perching in long lines on road- 

 side telegraph lines. 



In August the marshes are as remarkable for their flowers as for 

 their birds. The great rose mallow is doubtless the most beautiful, 

 as it is also one of the most abundant species, acres sometimes being- 

 pink with the bell-shaped flowers. There are also brilliant cardinal 

 flowers, sagittaria, pickerel weed, jewel flowers, all of which are shown 

 in the group, and many other species. 



The studies for this group were made about one mile south of Little 

 Ferry, N. J. The view shown is toward the west. 



With the so-called "march of civilization," all this wealth of bird 

 and plant life is bound to disappear, to be replaced by railways, factories 

 and docks. 



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