Bird lore - Project Puffin

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of it as now very scarce in southern Illi-
nois. This bird of the prairies is still to
be found in southeastern Nebraska, and I
believe it could not be called very scarce
in that locality. On June 27, 1915, in
Pawnee County, Nebraska, I saw a flock
of nine of these birds; on July 11, in Gage
County, I noted one; on July 12, in Gage
County, I noted eight; on July 23, in
Thayer County, I noted one; and on
August I, in Nuckolls County, I saw a
flock of ten.
Mr. Ridgway's description of the song
of the Upland Plover is a fitting one.
Its peculiar, mournful whistle is "one of
the most thrilling of bird songs."
Howard Paret, Kansas City, Mo.
A Gannet Over the Hudson River
—
On October 16, 1915, I was crossing the
Dyckman Street New York Ferry and
observed a Gannet, which passed quite
close to the ferry-boat, winging its way
steadily southward toward New York
Bay. It is so unusual and remarkable to
find this bird away from the coast as to
be worthy of record.— J. T. Nichols,
Englewood, N . J
Petrels on the Hudson
The preceding note from Mr. Nichols
prompts me to add that one afternoon
during the first week in August, 1915 (I
failed to record the exact date), I saw
from the Fort Lee (130th Street) Ferry
at least a score of Petrels coursing low
over the water and flying down the river.
They were on the east side of the river,
from which I had embarked, and as the
boat carried me out of vision. Petrels
were still passing. Doubtless they were
Wilson's Petrels which, in their search for
food, had gone far above their usual limits
in the lower harbor.^pRANK M. Chapman,
Englewood, N. J
Starling in Ohio
On January 8, Walter and Robert
Kirk, farmer boys living near here, cap-
.
Notes from Field and Study los
tured a Starling which has taken refuge
in their barn. I was unable to identify the
bird from their description of it over the
telephone, but when it was brought to me
I readily identified it, as I had been watch-
ing its progress west. Needless to say, I
was somewhat surprised to see it here.
Bird-Lore Christmas census for 1914
reports it for West Chester and White
Marsh Valley, Pa.
So far as I know, this is the first record
of the Starling for Ohio, and it may be the
first west of the Alleghany Mountains.
This seems a long 'jump' westward for any
bird in so short a time, especially con-
sidering the mountains it would have to
cross.
—
I have no doubt as to the identity of
the bird, but have taken photographs in
case of any question. Sheridan F.
Wood, West La Fayette, Ohio.
Evening Grosbeaks and Cardinals
in Southern Wisconsin
About noon on January 22, 1916, as I
was returning from a walk in South Park, a
flutter of wings, accompanied by soft
whistles and twitters, caught my atten-
tion and, to my surprise and joy, I counted
a flock of nineteen Evening Grosbeaks in
the small maple and elm trees bordering
the sidewalk.
The bright sunshine falling on their
plumage gave them an extremely beautiful
and gay-colored appearance. The
birds seemed to be nearly all males. They
were quite tame, and I was able to
approach close under the trees before they
took to their wings, finally disappearing
in a northeasterly direction. Two years
ago, on one of the coldest days of the
winter, a flock of about fifty visited Reeds-
burg and were observed by a number of
our bird-lovers.
I cannot resist giving a brief account of
the pair of beautiful Cardinals that have
been staying in Reedsburg for the past
two weeks. Although I did not have the
good fortune to observe these rare visi-
tors, yet their identity was made certain
by the authoritative testimony of a num.