192 BULLETIN OF WISCONSIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VOL. 1. NO. 3. 
not appear to do any material damage to the trees, yet one may 
see the punctures which they make in such a systematic way, in 
almost every tree. I observed one fellow in North Greenfield 
who had pierced the bark, I think of an elm, in three places one 
above the other; and I watched him for almost an hour, consec- 
utively visiting these three wounds. When descending to the 
lower one he invariably went tail first. I repeatedly saw him 
excrete and before doing so he would reach up and catch hold 
of the bark with his bill and then let go his tail brace for the mo- 
ment. They sojourn here in large numbers for a week or two, 
and during that time furnish rare sport for the mischievous boys 
with stones, slingshots and air rifles. The birds seem to be very 
stupid, and if a stone strikes close to one on a limb he generally 
remains still, thinking, perhaps, that a boy cannot hit the same 
place twice, and as a consequence they are frequently knocked off. 
The Fox Sparrow. ( Passer ella iliaca.) I have never seen 
a fox sparrow in the city, but during the two weeks they gener- 
ally remain in the suburbs on their northward trip, they furnish 
abundant opportunity for interesting study. They have a very 
pleasing song, more so I think than any of the other sparrows 
except the vesper. When disturbed they do not seem to flit from 
one bush or limb to another, but generally make a good job of 
it and fly entirely away, not being so averse to crossing large 
spaces as most other small birds commonly are. 
In scattered flocks of from ten to one hundred individuals, 
these busy fellows may often be found, and indeed heard, indus- 
triously scratching away among the dead leaves under the dense 
underbrush in the woods. He is a strong, hardy bird and 
scratches with both feet at the same time. They are generally 
so intent upon their hunting among the leaves that an observer 
can, when cautious, succeed in getting right amongst them with- 
out their taking the slightest notice of him, although they are 
usually shy birds and easily alarmed. 
The American Redstart^ (Setophaga ruticilla) acts much 
in the same way as does the magnolia warbler only if possible it 
is more restless. Half flying, half jumping from one twig to 
another only to spring into the air a few feet away and viciously 
snap its beak on some passing insect which the observer is quite 
sure not to have seen; flitting, struting and jumping with quiver- 
ing wings and tail spread, showing to advantage the beautiful 
band across it of salmon red, as well as the brilliant salmon red 
and black and white waist coat. This species is a common vic- 
tim of the cow bird ; their nests almost invariably containing one 
or more eggs of this parasite. In one instance I found a redstart 
