32 THE AUD U-B-ON BU DL hone 
Carbondale 
Miss Mary M. Steagall writes under date of March 13 as 
follows: 
The winter residents were numerous. There were the usual 
number of Bluejays, English Sparrows, Meadowlarks, Bob- 
whites, Slate-colored Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees and 
Field Sparrows. The Cardinal Grosbeaks averaged about one 
pair to each city block, as did also the Downy Woodpecker. The 
female Cardinal has not the reputation for song, yet she was often 
heard giving her ‘“‘Tee-hew, tee-hew, tee-hew,” back and forth 
with her mate. 
Each mocking bird selected as his feeding ground a laden 
persimmon tree, and greedily guarded it against all intruders. 
They, too, were about as numerous as the bearing persimmon 
trees. 
Pairs of Bluebirds seemed busy all winter selecting holes for 
their homes this spring. In these holes they began building 
about the first of February. 
The Robins, who seemed to disappear with the last of the 
year, began their return by the first of February. On the fif- 
teenth of February they averaged about six or eight to the city 
block, and by the last of the month they were building their 
nests. All early nests are placed in the crotches of the trees. 
Later when the leaves begin to appear they will build on the 
branching limbs. 9 
During the winter an occasional Brown Creeper, Hairy 
Woodpecker, or White-breasted Nuthatch was seen in the trees. 
The Tufted Titmouse whistled melodiously from the treetops on 
all pretty days. The American Crossbills twittered daily from 
the evergreen windbreak south of the town. 
The migrations were not followed as carefully as would 
have been most profitable, but a few facts have been observed. 
The Canvas-back, which has scarcely been seen for the last 
five years, has been a very common visitor. On the twenty-sixth 
of December the first flock were seen. They were in company 
with a number of Redheads. By February hundreds of them 
were seen going north. One large flock seen at this time con- 
sisted of Mallards, Canvas-backs, Pintails and American 
Scaup Ducks. Beginning with the Mallards, their abundance 
is indicated by the order in which they are mentioned. Just 
now there are seen every day on the lake nearby hundreds of 
Mallards, Teals, both Blue- and Green-winged, Canvas-backs, 
