BIRD SURVEY OF PRAIRIE AREA 
387 
were of four kinds: (a) swamp and creek; (b) artificial grove 
and orchard; (c) pasture; (d) meadow. The slough has already 
been described sufficiently. The grove was composed of large 
maple trees with a few boxelders; these had been planted to 
serve as a windbreak. The orchard consisted of about fifty small, 
scraggly apple trees. The term “meadow” is used for the areas 
from which cattle were excluded and from which hay is cut. 
The term “pasture” is applied to those grass fields in which horses 
and cattle are allowed to graze. 
The principal crop was corn, there being about two hundred and 
ninety acres of this out of the total of six hundred and forty. 
The next largest acreage was in oats. And it will be noted 
from the table that the percentage of bird life in both these areas 
was very low. 
The crops were all mature or nearly so. Corn was over-head 
high, but still green. The corn fields were so hot and dusty 
that to walk through them at mid-day was very uncomfortable. 
And it is likely that they were just as uninviting to the birds as 
they were to man. The cane field was about four feet high, and 
so dense that in walking through it one constantly stumbled in the 
thick growth. The oats and alfalfa were all harvested, with the 
exception of one field (of probably fifteen acres) of alfalfa. 
Distribution . — The total number of birds found on the section 
was four hundred and eighty. This included thirty-two species 
with the Dickcissel leading numerically. Following the Dickcis- 
sel in order of abundance were the English Sparrow, Western 
Meadowlark, Barn Swallow, and Bank Swallow. With one ex- 
ception the birds were nofi found in flocks, but were more or less 
evenly distributed in pairs and small groups. However, one mixed 
flock of Barn and Bank Swallows was found circling low over 
an alfalfa field which was being mowed at the time. These birds 
probably were attracted by insects arising from the newly cut 
alfalfa. 
One fact of interest is demonstrated by the density map. 
This shows very well that the greatest number of birds was found 
along the roadsides, along the creek, and near farms. The 
creek probably attracted birds by means of the shade and water 
which it provided. The farm yards furnished food and nesting 
sites for the numerous English • Sparrows. But the cause of 
the dense population along the roadsides is not so easy to explain. 
It might be assumed that the birds were attracted to the brush 
and weed thicket along the fences; but this is not a sufficient 
