Field Notes 
239 
Mockingbirds, 328; Meadowlarks, 328; Lark Sparrows, 268; Bluebirds, 
216; Scissors-tailed Flycatchers, 179; and Kingbirds, 151. 
Two thousand and fifty-five English Sparrows were seen on these 
censuses, an average of nearly two a mile; this is 26 per cent of all the 
birds seen and twice as many as the most abundant native bird — the Dick- 
cissel. 
Margaret M. Nice and L, B. Nice. 
Norman, Oklahoma. 
THE FISH CROW IN ARKANSAS 
So far as the writer has been able to learn the Fish Crow (Corviis 
ossifragus) has never been reported from Arkansas. It would seem, 
from rather patient inquiries and persistent observation, that it is never- 
theless a common resident. My attention was first called to this fact in 
the summer 1921. A country lad who has shown remarkaable aptitude 
in the study of our local bird life kept reporting to me the presence of a 
bird of somewhat smalled size than the crow and wanted to take me to 
sections of the Arkansas River flowing between Faulkner and Perry 
Counties where it was said to be common. During the same season a 
nest of this species was located in a thick woodland far from the river, 
and contained five eggs. In collecting them they were broken, and I did 
not have the opportunity of correcting my supposition that they were the 
the eggs of the common crow. 
Fishermen who live along the river had often spoken of the “jack- 
daws” and “magpies,” but still I thought they were only confused in mat- 
ter of names, and were but referring to the self-same common crow. Dur- 
ing the present season (1922) every doubt as to the validity of this spe- 
cies has been set at rest. On May 13th I visited the haunts of the Fish 
Crow, and located a nest which had just been completed but which at 
this time contained no eggs. It was a rather compact structure made 
of sticks and twigs of the cottonwood tree, lined with leaves and rootlets 
of the kind preferred by our Mockingbird. This nest was well toward 
the top of a huge sycamore 110 feet from the ground, and the tree was 
growing on the bank of the Arkansas River. The prospect for my climber 
was none too good, but he proved his ability on this occasion, as he had 
done on so many others, and we were further rewarded by seeing a large 
number of Fish Crows searching the river sections for food. 
It was the first week in June before I could revisit this nest. On 
June 5th both male and female were present. The female was on the 
nest and did not leave it until the hand of the collector was almost on 
her. It contained three birds, just hatched, one egg hatching, and an- 
other egg with fully developed embryo. This egg, when measured, was 
found to be 1.41 by 1.06 inches, and typically marked. 
The nest now contained no rootlets, but was lined with a mass of 
sycamore balls and horse hair! It was 18 inches wide, the inside diam- 
eter being about eight inches, and was deeply cupped, a little more than 
four inches deep. Both birds were constantly at the tree while these in- 
vestigations were going on. 
Since this time the birds have been under constant observation. The 
