eh beeen DU DOIN BULLE DUN 5 
much of the dimension timber used in building many of the older houses 
in Waukegan. 
After the destruction of the pines, the Douglas Brothers, nursery 
men of Waukegan, used the flats as a place for storage for their surplus 
stock of evergreens, until such time as they could deliver the trees. 
Not all of the trees were sold, and a goodly number of young pines 
became acclimated and grew to maturity, among them being white, 
gray or jack, Scotch, Norway and Table Mountain pines. 
Now, after sixty years, these mature trees are perpetuating themselves 
through their seedling offspring. 
The pine groves and the adjoining marshes are favorite resorts of a 
numerous bird host throughout the year, both resident and migrant. 
Almost every fall and winter flocks of evening grosbeaks, pinefinches, 
waxwings, siskins, and crossbills visit the pinery. 
On the day that the frontispiece picture was taken, a small flock of 
red crossbills was noted, all busily engaged in deftly snipping the pine 
cone scales and extracting the pine seeds. Occasionally a seed would 
be dropped and it would spiral down on the wind, landing point down 
at some distance from the tree, showing very clearly nature’s wonder- 
ful method of distributing pine seed. 
Many water birds nest in the marshy portions of the flats, and a 
great many shore birds stop during spring and fall migrations. Red- 
winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, and many sparrows find conditions to 
their liking for both nesting and food. 
Owing to the isolation of the flats much illegal shooting takes place, 
but there is a possibility that in the near future this interesting old in- 
let bed will come under the protection of the Forest Preserve act, by a 
vote of Lake County. 
Then arose a joyous clamour 
From the wild-fowl on the mere, 
And a voice within cried: “Listen! 
Christmas carols even here!”’ 
—Charles Kingsley. 
