Stoddard, on Birds of Southern Wisconsin 
71 
deep and solidly built of good sized sticks, well lined witli soft 
inner bark strips, and Avere coinpletely “limed” before tlie eggs 
were laid. The heron nests in this colony AA^ere of very nnnsnal 
size, due perhaps to the ease Avith Avliich brittle dead sticks could 
be obtained nearby. 
Branta 0. canadensis (Canada floose). — I was informed that 
these geese Avintered in mnch larger numbers than is usual on 
Sank IT'airie, due perhaps to the open winter and lack of deep 
snows. Many thousands AA^ere seen by Ochsner, Albert Gastrow, 
and me on a row-boat trip April 10, through the flooded Avoods 
of Lake Wisconsin. At times flock after flock would rise from 
different parts of the timber and mill around until the air 
seemed full of geese. Many hundreds still present on April 20. 
Three or four small flocks frequented Sank Prairie until the 
first Aveek in May. They were extremely regular in their habits 
in fair Aveather. Flying to the rye fields from the river bars 
where they had spent the day, a few minutes before sundown, 
they would remain until dark. Appearing again in the morniiig 
just before sunrise, they would remain and feed until the farmers 
started to Avork in the fields. In rainy Aveather when no teams 
were out, they remained in the rye most of the day. 
Wishing to collect a fcAv fine specimens for a group, Mr. 
Ochsner and I concealed ourselves in rebuilt corn shocks in a 
field that they frequented regularly. Soon after daylight a 
flock of about twenty alighted a feAV rods in front of my loca- 
tion, followed in a few minntes by about forty that came in 
with much argument and flapping directly behind. My part 
of the field, which included a considerable rise in the ground, 
seemed to be favored by the birds this morning, and I could 
hear them talking in hoarse undertones as they fed my Avay. 
Soon they commenced trooping by in twos and threes, pulling 
corn off the shocks or standing erect looking for danger. Oc- 
casionally they Avonld quarrel a little and none dared to ap- 
proach one cranky old gander Avitli a lame leg. I scarcely 
breathed as they commenced to pull at the rear of the shock 
that concealed me, one finally coming around and peering in, 
then shying off like a spirited horse from a paper in the road. 
Though two fine specimens were collected, it was the presence of 
these wary creatures all about, almost Avithin arms reach, that 
will linger in the memory. So shy are they that they never 
returned to this field before leaving for the north, though no 
other corn was out on the entire prairie. 
Ardea herodias (Great Bine Heron). — A flourishing, well- 
