fetta Ue Gl B OyNeB CLE ei TN 31 
a starling. The man reported a flock of fifteen staying around the 
buildings and during the cold weather they roosted in the barn with the 
English sparrows. They were the first that had been seen in this locality. 
This was the first authentic record of the starlings for this (Mason) 
county. During the past summer I saw several and in the fall I saw 
occasionally flocks of from eight to twelve. After winter had set in a man 
brought me a starling he had shot in his orchard, this being one of a flock 
of twenty-five that were feeding on frozen apples. During the severe 
weather of the past month small groups have been feeding on refuse in 
back yards about the town and Mr. D. C. Gibson trapped some at a 
feeding place and banded them. When it was below zero eleven starlings 
stayed around my house. They would feed on hackberries on a tree near 
the house and on food thrown out to attract them. To my surprise a 
robin appeared among the starlings sharing in their meal of hackberries 
and it occasionally resorted to a neighbor’s where it fed on frozen per- 
simmons. This was the first robin I ever saw here 1n weather below zero. 
“We do not need to worry about the starlings. They are here to stay. 
They are wanderers and go hither and thither as the weather and food 
supply permit. Their food like that of the English sparrow is about 
everything they can get hold of, and when it is cold they resort to barns 
and other buildings for shelter and food.” 
VANDALIA 
Fayette County, of which Vandalia is the county seat, seems to be 
the scene of disastrous attempts of starlings to establish themselves 
there. Mr. E. F. Steinhauer writing from Vandalia reports that during 
the severe cold weather at the close of November while commenting with 
a friend upon the expected invasion of Illinois by the starling, some one 
brought in a female starling found frozen in a barn. The next day 
another frozen specimen, a male bird, was brought in and the same day 
a male bird flew against a telephone wire and was killed. In the next 
week other specimens were brought in, the fatalities evidently due to 
exhaustion and hunger. While the severe weather continued small flocks 
were flying about and sometimes sitting huddled together. At such 
times it was comparatively easy to catch specimens. These when 
warmed seemed to revive completely and flew away. 
WAUKEGAN 
Mr. W. I. Lyon reports for the last days in December. 
For almost two weeks we have had no sunshine at Waukegan, 
Illinois. On December 21st it cleared and the sun was most welcome. 
A trip by auto to all convenient points of observation along the shores 
of Lake Michigan resulted in observing a total of about 450 Herring 
Gulls, 2 Ring-billed Gulls and 1 Bonaparte Gull. One small flock of 
about 20 American Mergansers, about 150 Red-breasted Mergansers and 
