Page:Bird-lore Vol 05.djvu/79

 64 Bird - Lore

Sometimcs both will fly all day to the same place, so that the ground beneath looks as it lightly sprinkled with sawdust. When engaged in this work, they are very hold and will sometimes allow themselves

away.

to be photographed without showing any fear. The Chit dee has also a peculiar hahit

oi beginning nests very early in the spring. which are seldom completed and never oc- 0n Marrh 13. [902. a pair began can-ting Chips out of a knot~hole and dirt

copied.

desultory work there for several days. March is, i90l. a pair commenced an ex— t‘avatioll in a dead limb of an apple tree and tinished hut did not breed in it, perhaps be- cause of the annoyance caused Ivy House Sparrows. Another pair made and lined a nest in an apple tree within twtnlv feet ol a house. but eventually deserted it. it is rulllmon to see a pair tin a few hours‘ wnrh ill a knot-hole. where they soon find the wood too hard for theme l have seen half a dorm nesls begun near mv residence in this village, none of which were ever occupied tor llrectling purpose.

Roscoh }. WEBB. Gat'rtlli’i'illt’. (Mill.

in a single seas-on

Snowflakes in Ttees

While walking along an old highway in March, 1902. I was attracted by the twitter of Snowﬂakes which apparently came from n held near liy. trying to locate them in one of the numerous patches of dried grass where the show had been blown away. hilt with no success.

Thinking I might be mistaken, I looked over to the woods beyond the ﬁeld, and there, perching in the top of a tall red oak. which stood some distance in ll'um the edge. hundred Snowﬂakes (Plerlrnp/Mmlx Ilid‘llliJ ). I could hardly lielieve it at first. as I hatl always heard There could be no mistake. however, as they ﬂew

I stood tor several minutes

were about one

that they never perrhetl on trees.

in a iew minlilts anti alightt'd in an old corn ﬁeld. where I was alile to approach near enough to clearly distinguish their markings and idtntif)‘ them all as Snow- ﬂakes.—LALRENCE J. WERSTER. llnlrler» rim, i\'. ll.

California Nature Books

The coming pilgrimage of ornithologists to the Paciﬁc coast prompts us to include several articles and pictures illustrative of California bird-life in this issue of Bino- LURE.

For the same reason we append a list at hooks with which visiting ornithologists would do well to provide themselves, as follow r. ‘ Handbook of Birds of Western United States,‘ ‘A-Birding on a Broncho,’ FLORENCE Menu-m BAILEY (Houghton. Miﬂlin Sr Company-l ; 2. ‘Check -List of California Birds,’ JOSEPH GRINNELL (Palo Alto. Calim : 3. 'Bird Notes Aﬁeld.‘ CHARLES KEELER (Elder & Shepard. San Francisco); a. "l‘hc Mountains of Californ .' Joliu Ml'll (The Century Com- pany); 5. 'Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada.’ CLAKENCE KING (Charles Scrib— ner's Sons); 6. ‘ Our National Parks,’]0ttt\' .‘lt lu (Houghton. Milllin & Company).

The Michigan Ornithological Club

From a circular issued by Bradshaw Ht stvales, Secretaryxl‘reasurer, i3; Warren Avenue. F. Detroit. Michigan. we learn that the Michigan Ornithological Club was orgalli7ed Fehtuan 13. 1903, and the fol- lawng oliit'ers were elected, President, A. B. Covert. of Ann Arbor; vice—presi- dent. Drl F. El Moody. of Detroit; sec- mun—treasurer, Bradshaw H. Swales. of Detroit; cditor and Alex. w. Blain. it.

It was tlecidctl to publish a quarterly magazine. termed ‘The Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club,’ after the former publication. The annual dues were made 3t. including the club organ. A Commiltec on Bird Protection was appointed.

The object of the Club is the advance— ment of ornithology of the Great Lake region. One of the principal objects will he the compiling of an authentic state list. and. to this end. an observer is needed in every County or at least every section of the stair. Very little is known of the birds of many sections of Michigan. and the sec» retary will be pleased to receive county lists.

husinesa manager,

cluh