178 
FOURTEENTH REPORT. 
THE BREEDING BIRDS OF THE 
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON 
CHARITY ISLANDS, WITH 
THE MIGRANTS. 1 
BY N. A. WOOD. 
The ornis of the Charity Islands, Lake Huron, was investigated in 
1910 by the Mershon Expedition from the University of Michigan Mu- 
seum. The papers that have been published on the results of this in- 
vestigation are listed below, 2 and it is sufficient to say here that the 
expedition was made possible by the generosity of Honorable W. B. 
Mershon, Saginaw, Michigan, the work was under the general direction 
of Dr. A. G. Ruthven, the Head Curator of the Museum, and the verte- 
brate collections were made by the writer. 
As the result of the work in 1910, 102 species of birds were recorded 
from the islands, 35 of which were supposed to have bred there that 
year. But as the work was not begun until the nesting season had 
passed most of the data secured was on the fall birds. In order to make 
our knowledge of the birds of the island more complete, the Michigan 
Geological and Biological Survey decided to supplement the results of 
the Mershon Expedition by work on the birds during the breeding season 
in 1911. This work was also given to the writer, who spent four weeks 
on the islands, from July 4 to July 31. The present paper is the result 
of this work. It will be noted that to the 162 species listed in 1910. 
eight (white-winged scoter, whistling swan, green heron, red-backed 
sandpiper, chipping sparrow, tree swallow, bank swallow, Carolina 
wren) have been added, and breeding records for 37 species have been 
secured. Additional notes on the early fall migrants are also included. 
The writer has again to acknowledge the assistance of the Charity 
Island Light-House Keeper, Captain Charles McDonald, and the Assist- 
ant Keeper, Mr. Joseph Singleton. Since the work of 1910, these men 
have made observations and collected material for the Museum, and 
during the work in 1911 they assisted in every way in the obtaining of 
results. Some of the photographs were made by Dr. Ruthven and some 
by Miss Crystal Thompson and Miss Helen Thompson, Assistants in 
the Museum. The map was prepared by Miss Helen Thompson. 
A general description of the islands is given in the papers listed above. 
The group comprises two small islands and a rocky islet, and is situated 
near the mouth of Saginaw Bay (Fig. 1). Charity Island, containing 
640 acres, is more or less thickly covered with the original forest, which 
consists of red oak, maple, and scattering Norway and white pine on 
the higher parts and of a line stand of white bircli on the low ground. 
Published by permission of Alexander G. Ruthven, Chief Naturalist of the Michigan Geological 
and Biological Survey. 
2 The Mershon Expedition to the Charity Islands, Lake Huron, by Alexander G. Ruthven, Science, 
N. S., NXXIII, pp. 208-209. 
Results of the Mershon Expedition to the Charity Islands, Lake Huron: 
Birds, by N. A. Wood. Wilson Bulletin, July, 1911, pp. 78-112. 
Plants, by C. K. Dodge. 13t.h Ann. Rent. Mich. Acad. Sci., 1911, pp. 173-190. 
Mammals, by N. A. Wood. 13th Ann. Rept. Mich. Acad. Sci., 1911, pp. 131-134. 
Preliminary Report on the Coleoptera, by A. W. Andrews. 13th Ann. Rept. Mich. Acad. 
Sci., 1911, pp. 168-170. 
