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F KANKLIN county, situated in central northern 
Iowa, was originally for the most part prairie, with 
some marsh land. Timberland is found principally along 
the water-courses, none of which attain any great size. 
There are no lakes. Agriculture has considerably 
changed the topography of the county; timberland is 
rapidly being cleared away, the prairies cultivated, and 
even that portion which was originally marshland almost 
entirely drained and planted to croj)s; all of which has 
an effect upon bird life. Hampton, the center of these 
observations, is near the middle of the county, and is 
situated on latitude 42° 44'. 
I do not claim for this list of Franklin county birds 
that it even approaches completeness; the period of ob- 
servation has been a little more than five years, but other 
matters have so occupied my time that no opportunity 
has been given for systematic study in this branch. 
Especially is the list deficient as regards the migrating 
species; to secure a comparatively complete list of these 
would require continual and careful attention through- 
out the migrating seasons, and that I have been unable 
to give. This list is the result of observations made at 
odd times; a method not at all conducive to the best 
results. 
No species enumerated, however, is of presumed or 
probable occurrence; all observations have been person- 
ally made, with a very few’ exceptions, in w^hich cases the 
