USA > Indiana > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 49
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American Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula caparoch) -- I stomach examined contained a meadow mouse.
A large number of specimens from Franklin county were sent to Wash- ington. D. C., for examination in the above report. It is to be regretted that Doctor Fisher's report on the hawks and owls of the United States is not found in more homes, especially the farmers'. I was glad to secure my copy at five dollars in a second-hand book store some years ago.
FRANKLIN COUNTY'S FEATHERED TRIBES.
Horned Grebe (Colymbus auritus)-Not common: I saw six on the White Water river near Brookville, May 1, 1904; I have 6 eggs in my collec- tion from northern Indiana.
American Eared Grebe (Colymbus nigricollis californicus)-I observed it a few times south of Brookville.
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)-Common along the White Water river, where I shot a male which I have mounted in my collection.
Loon (Urinator imber)-Rare; I only saw but one specimen on the ice-pond in Brookville, March 7, 1899.
Red-throated Loon ( Urinator lumme)-Rare : Amos W. Butler reports the capture of one from a flock of five near Brookville, February 23, 1885.
American Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)-Common in the White Water valley in early spring.
5II
FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
Bonaparte's Gull (Larus philadelphia)-In the White Water valley I found it more common early in March than in the fall migration.
Forster's Tern ( Sterna forsteri)-I saw but two specimens near Cedar Grove, the fall of 1906. This beautiful tern is quite rare in this county.
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)-Common in spring, rare in the fall. Amos W. Butler reports one on the White Water river, June 3, 1884.
Least Tern (Sterna antillarum)-Amos W. Butler has a specimen in his collection which was taken near Brookville, August 22, 1887.
Black Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis)-I have found this. little tern very common in spring migrating northward. Never observed it at any other time of the year.
Double-crested Cormorant ( Phalacrocroax dilophus)-I have often noted them to be quite common in spring and fall. Ed. R. Quick and Amos W. Butler secured a number in the fall of 1880.
Florida Cormorant (Phalacrocorax dilophus floridanus)-I never saw this cormorant in the county, but Amos W. Butler has a skull in his col- lection, taken near Brookville in 1877.
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)-Dr. Rufus Haymond reported it from Franklin county in 1869. Earl Bossert, of Brookville, secured a specimen some eight or ten years ago, which he had mounted and is now in his collection.
American Merganser (Merganser americanus)-Common in spring and fall. . Joseph W. Quick shot a fine male near Brookville, on the. White Water, some years ago, and kindly presented it to me.
Red-breasted Merganser (Merganser serrator)-Rare; Joseph W. Quick reports the capture of a few near Brookville.
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)-Common in spring and fall, sometimes remaining all winter. Joseph W. Quick captured a male near Brookville, a few years ago, which is now in my collection.
Mallard (Anas boschas)-Rather common in the fall, winter and spring- months : no doubt some remain to breed. In the latter part of April, 1914, while I was visiting the "Zoo" at Manito Park, Spokane, Washington, I observed the female mallard take its departure from the duck pond, and a few weeks later I read an article in the Spokesman-Review that the female mallard had returned with a young in its bill, and, visiting the "Zoo" again, I saw the prettiest little duckling swimming in the pond that I ever saw.
Black Duck ( Anas obscura)-Rare in Franklin county.
Gadwall (Anas strepera)-Rare; Doctor Haymond and Ed. R. Quick both reported it as rare.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
Baldpate ( Anas americana )-Rare in the spring migration, when I saw a flock of eight in 1904.
Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis 1-Common migrant: some re- main all winter. I observed them a number of years near Brookville.
Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors)-Common migrant. No doubt some remain all summer and breed. I often noted it on the Whitewater river.
Shoveller ( Spatula clypeata)-Rare. I saw a male and female in March. 1005. on the White Water river about one mile south of Brookville.
Pintail ( Dafila acuta )-Common in spring. rare in fall : occasionally a few remain all winter. Many years ago Miss Rosa Kuntz showed me a fine male of this species, which she found in a helpless condition near her home. "Oak Forest." She kept it for several days. when it finally died from the gun-shot wound in its wing.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa )-I regret to report that this most beautiful of all ducks is becoming less numerous each year. when formerly it was quite common. I once found a nest in a hollow sycamore tree near the mouth of Blue creek. with three eggs: a week later I found only the broken egg shells: what fate had befallen them I do not know. Ed. R. Quick. of near Brookville, has a mounted male in his collection.
Redhead (Aythya americana ]-Common migrant along the White Water river where I have seen it several times in March.
Canvas-back (Aythya vallisneria)-Regular, but rare. migrant. It is to be greatly regretted that this handsome game bird is getting scarcer each year. Doctor R. Haymond and Amos W. Butler reported it from Franklin county.
American Scaup Duck (Aythya marila nearctica)-Rare migrant. Dr. Rufus Haymond and Amos W. Butier both reported it in this county. I never saw the American scaup in Franklin county.
Lesser Scaup Duck (Aythya affinis )-Very common in spring. I saw a male in the collection of Ed. R. Quick. of Brookville.
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)-Common in spring. Ed. R. Quick reported a male and female March 31. 1888. I noted it a number of times in different years along the White Water river.
American Goiden-eve (Glancionetta clangula americana)-Common migrant and if the winters are not too severe a few may stay all winter. as I found them near Brookville in January. 1903.
Buffle-head (Charitonetta aibeola)-Rare migrant and a winter resi- dent. January 3. 1002. I found a male of this beautiful duck under the ice at the mouth of Blue creek.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
Old Squaw (Clangula hyemalis)-Rare. I have a mounted male in my collection, taken near Cedar Grove in March. 1903. Amos W. Butler has one in his collection, taken at Metamora in 1882.
Ruddy Duck (Erismatura rubida)-Rare. I never saw this duck in this county, but Amos W. Butler has a specimen taken near Brookville.
Lesser Snow Goose (Chen hyperborea)-Rare. October 18, 18SI, a single Lesser snow goose was seen near Brookville with a flock of tame geese. It was shot and preserved by Ed. R. Quick; this is the only specimen I saw in Franklin county.
Blue Goose (Chen cærulescens)-Rare migrant. Dr. Rufus Haymond reported it from Franklin county in 1869.
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)-Common in the spring and fall migration. when everybody has noted the common wild goose, and heard the melodious "honk-honk" of an old gander which leads the van in the shape of the letter V.
Brant (Branta bernicla)-Accidental visitor. where Dr. Rufus Hay- mond reported it from the White Water valley in 1869.
Whistling Swan (Olor columbianus)-Rare. Amos W. Butler has a specimen in his collection taken in Franklin county, March 7, 1888.
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)-Common and regular migrant. A male was killed in the eastern part of the county in 1902, and mounted for my collection by George Sutter. of Hamilton. Ohio. I also collected a set of four eggs along the White Water river which are now in my cabinet.
Least Bittern (Ardetta exilis)-Common summer resident. I collected a set of four eggs near Brookville, which are now in my cabinet.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)-Common migrant. I often saw this large heron alight on a large sycamore tree on the farm of Ed. R. Quick, near Brookville, where I spent seven summers studying ornithology, and I wish to thank Mr. Quick for the valuable information he has given me.
American Egret (Ardea egretta)-Rare. I only saw three specimens near Brookville, in 1905.
Snowy Heron (Ardea candidissima)-Rare. I saw only one near Brookville. in 1905.
Green Heron (Ardea virescens)-Very common spring, summer and fall resident. I collected a set of five eggs in an apple orchard of Ed. R. Quick. which are now in my collection. This is the common "schytepoke" of the school-boy and the farmers.
(33)
514
FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax nævius)-Rare. I saw a specimen on the White Water river near Metamora in 1905, and one mounted in the collection of George Sutter, of Hamilton, Ohio, which he informed me was taken in the eastern part of Franklin county.
King Rail (Rallus elegans)-Rare. Amos W. Butler reports one from Brookville. I saw two near Mt. Carmel, in 1905.
Virginia Rail (Rallus virginianus) Rare. I have no record of seeing this rail in the county, but Amos W. Butler reports it from Brookville in the spring.
Sora (Porzana carolina)-Common migrant. I noted it a number of times near Brookville.
Yellow Rail (Porzana noveboracensis)-Rare. I never saw this rail in Indiana. Amos W. Butler reports it from Brookville in the fall of 1879.
Purple Gallinule (Ionornis martinica)-Rare visitor in spring. The only record I have of this bird was one taken near Brookville in the spring of 1880, by Amos W. Butler.
Florida Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)-Rare migrant. I have a set of eight eggs taken by me near Oak Forest, and a male taken at Mt. Carmel, which are now in my collection.
American Coot (Fulica americana)-Common spring and fall migrant. A few years ago Ben. F. Winans, of Brookville, brought to me a live coot, intended for my collection, but as a live bird can not be mounted, and I didn't have the nerve to kill it, I turned it loose in the barnyard, where it stayed for a few days with the poultry and finally departed on its southward migration.
American Woodcock (Philohela minor)-Common summer resident. Michael Amrhein, of near Oak Forest, once found a nest with four eggs in his apple orchard, which are now in my private oological collection.
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)-Abundant spring and fall migrant. Amos W. Butler reported it several times from Brookville, where I noted it quite often.
Pectoral Sandpiper (Tringa maculata)-Common migrant, and some- times abundant, upon the authority of Amos W. Butler, who observed it a number of times at Brookville. The only pectoral sandpiper I ever saw was a mounted specimen in a taxidermist shop at Chicago, Illinois, October 10, IQII.
Least Sandpiper (Tringa minutilla)-Spring and fall migrant. My brother, John C. Honecker, of near Brookville, once found a dead specimen
515
FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
in the latter part of August, but sorry to say it was too far gone to be pre- served for my collection.
Greater Yellow-legs (Totanus melanoleucus)-Rare. I saw but one specimen in March, 1905, on the farm of Ed. R. Quick near Brookville.
Yellow-legs (Totanus flavipes)-Common migrant. I noted it a num- ber of times in the White Water valley near Brookville.
Solitary Sandpiper (Totanus solitarius)-Common migrant. I saw it several times near Brookville.
Willet (Symphemia semipalmata)-Rare. Ed. R. Quick has a speci- men in his collection taken in Franklin county.
Western Willet (Symphemia semipalmata inornata)-Rare. Amos W. Butler has a specimen in his collection taken in Franklin county.
Bartramian Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)-Rare migrant. The only Franklin county record I have is from Dr. Rufus Haymond in 1869.
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)-Common summer resident along our rivers and creeks throughout the county. I have a set of four eggs collected by my brother, John C. Honecker, at the mouth of Wolf creek in June, 1905.
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius longirostris)-Very rare. The only Franklin county record I have is from Dr. Rufus Haymond in 1869. I doubt if it has been observed in recent years.
Golden Plover (Charadrius dominicus)-Rare. I saw three in May, 1905, near Brookville.
Killdeer (Aegialitis vocifera)-Very common resident the year round. Known to everybody by its call-note of "Killdeer, Killdeer." I have a set of four eggs taken by me near Brookville.
Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)-Rare. Dr. Rufus Haymond observed it in 1869 in Franklin county. I saw one in Chicago, Illinois, October IO, 19II, labeled "Metamora, Indiana."
Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)-Common resident throughout the year. A mounted male and a set of twelve eggs in my cabinet from near Brookville. The quail is not as numerous as it should be.
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)-Rare resident, formerly abundant. A male mounted for me by Dr. F. F. Barnes, and a set of ten in my collec- tion, taken near Spokane, Washington.
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)-Rare, or nearly extinct. Amos W. Butler tells us that some were killed in Salt Creek township in 1885 and I886.
Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)-Very rare, and nearly
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
extinct. My father, Mr. Louis Honecker, told me that when he was a young man, some sixty years ago, wild pigeons could be seen by countless millions, and sold in the New York market at six cents per dozen. The largest flock I ever saw was twenty-eight specimens near St. Peters, Franklin county, October 21, 1897. The last wild pigeon I saw in the county was on November 12, 1910, about two miles west of Mt. Carmel. This pigeon is a bird of the past. Ed. R. Quick has a few specimens in his collection.
Mourning Dove (Zenaidura macroura)-Very common throughout the county the entire year. The winter of 1908-9, while on a business trip for the Ben. F. Winan's Printery, of Brookville, I saw near Cedar Grove, a flock of several hundred in a lot where a number of hogs were being fed.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)-Common in summer, and sometimes seen in mild winters. A set of two eggs is in my collection taken by my brother, John C. Honecker, near Oak Forest.
Black Vulture (Catharista atrata) -- Not as common as the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), but its habits are similar. A set of two eggs I collected near Brookville, are in my cabinet.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)-Rare. Dr. Rufus Hay- mond reported it in 1869. I saw two at Stavestown, which is a suburb of Brookville, on September 23, 1908, and one in the collection of George Sutter, taxidermist, of Hamilton, Ohio, which was taken near Mt. Carmel many years ago.
Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)-Rare. I have one egg taken by John Lohrey near my former home on Wolf creek in 1903.
Marsh Hawk (Circus hudsonius)-The last few years of my residence in Franklin county this useful hawk was becoming more abundant than in former years. I have a set of five eggs taken near Young's, also a female presented to me by Henry Amrhein of the same locality.
Sharp-skinned Hawk ( Accipiter velox)-Rare, and a blessing to the farmers of Franklin county that it is, for were it more common, woe to their young poultry. My brother, John C. Honecker, once brought me a fine male, which I have now mounted in my collection, and I have a set of five eggs taken by me near Oak Forest.
Cooper's Hawk (Accipite cooperii)-Common resident, and I regret to say so, for what I have said of the last bird applies to this and the next species ; it is the most destructive hawk in Franklin county. A set of four eggs is in my collection, from Ed. R. Quick, taken near Brookville.
American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus)-Rare winter visitor. Ed.
.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
R. Quick reports it from Brookville in January, 1881. This is the only record I have from the county.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis) *- Common resident throughout the year and all over the county. A mounted male and a set of two eggs which I took April 3, 1894, near Brookville, are now in my collection.
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)-Not as common as the Red- tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis), but its habits are the same. I took a set of four eggs near Metamora, April 18, 1894.
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo latissimus)-Resident, most common in spring and fall. A mounted male and two eggs are in my collection from Oak Forest, May 2, 1906.
American Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis)- Rare. I have a mounted male taken by me near Brookville, January 5, 1887. Amos W. Butler has a few specimens in his collection, obtained the same winter. I have a set of two eggs collected at Hudson bay.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysætos)-Rare winter visitor. In the win- ter of 1906-7 I noted one for several days along Wolf creek, and a few days later I saw two near Metamora. A number have been taken in the county, but I have no record of the dates. I have a set of eggs taken near Merced, California, in 1889.
Bald Eagle (Haliætus leucocephalus)-Rare visitor. Amos W. But- ler tells us of a nest about five miles west of Brookville along the White Water river which was used by them for many years. I was unable to find this nest, although on several occasions I saw bald eagles in that locality. I have a set of two eggs in my cabinet from Jacksonville, Florida, taken December 26, 1907.
Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus anatum)-Rare resident. An egg in the state museum with the following label "A. O. U. No. 356. Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus anatum). This egg was collected, May 2, 1906, near Laurel, Indiana. No. of eggs in set, 2 ; incubation, begun; identity, female shot ; nest, on a large rock, lined with bones and feathers. Collected and presented by Jos. F. Honecker, Oak Forest, Franklin Co., Ind." The other egg is still in the writer's cabinet. So far as I am able to learn, this is the only set of eggs ever taken in the county.
Pigeon Hawk (Falco columbarius)-Rare migrant. My note book records that I saw but five of these hawks in the county. Dr. Rufus Hay- mond reported it in 1869. I recently obtained a set of four beautiful eggs from Walter Raine, of Toronto, Canada.
* The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis), a fifteen-page bulletin, published by the author, Jos. F. Honecker, Spokane, Washington.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
American Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius)-Common resident throughout the year and all over the county. I have a pair mounted and a set of six eggs taken by me near Oak Forest, May 2, 1902.
American Osprey (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis)-Common spring and fall migrant. Ed. R. Quick reports them a number of times along the White Water river in the winter of 1880-81. I have a set of two eggs in my cabinet which I obtained at Lafayette, Indiana, in the spring of 1893.
American Barn Owl (Strix pratincola)-Rare visitor. I have a male mounted in my collection taken near Cedar Grove in 1905. Amos W. But- ler reports one near Brookville, October 25, 1883.
American Long-eared Owl (Asio wilsonianus)-Rare summer resi- dent ; more numerous in winter. I noted it several times along Wolf creek, and Henry Amrhein once brought me an adult male which he obtained near Oak Forest, which is now in my collection.
Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitrinus)-Rare resident. Dr. Rufus Hay- mond was the first to report it from the county, one taken November 8, 1878. My note book tells me of only four specimens, one of which I have now mounted in my collection, also a set of four eggs.
Barred Owl (Syrnium nebulosum)-Rare resident in the Whitewater Valley. I only saw but one when I was about ten years old. I shot it in a large woods, about three-quarters of a mile from home, and was anxious to keep it as a pet, but after a desperate fight I was obliged to kill it after ob- taining several severe wounds from its talons. A set of two eggs in my cabinet came from Mt. Carmel, Illinois, March 10, 1904.
Great Gray Owl (Scotiaptex cinerea)-Accidental winter visitor. I never saw the great gray owl in Franklin county, but Ed. R. Quick reports the capture of one many years ago. I find this owl quite numerous near Spokane, Washington.
Saw-whet Owl (Nyctala acadica)-Rare. The only specimen I saw is one in the collection of Ed. R. Quick, but I don't know if it was taken in Franklin county or not. Dr. Rufus Haymond reports one April 29, 1883.
Screech Owl (Megascops asio)-Abundant resident throughout the county. O could I once more listen to the moaning cry of the little screech owl all night, among the hills of dear old Franklin county, what a pleasure would that be to me. A set of four eggs in my cabinet were taken by me from an old apple tree on the farm of Ed. R. Quick near Brookville, April 13, 1905.
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)-Common resident all over the county throughout the year. Henry Amrhein presented me with a fine male
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
which I now have mounted; it was taken near Oak Forest, where I found a set of two eggs. This is the other owl whose song I love to hear.
Snowy Owl (Nyctea nyctea)-Rare, irregular winter visitor. Ed. R. Quick, of Brookville, and Joseph Munchel, of Cedar Grove, each have one mounted in their collections. I saw six of these beautiful owls near Oak Forest, December 15, 1905, and eighteen near Metamora, December 18, 1907. One egg from Alaska in my cabinet.
American Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula caparoch)-Accidental winter visitor. Ed. R. Quick reports it from Franklin county, January, 1878.
Carolina Paroquet (Conurus carolinensis)-I fear this beautiful little parrot became extinct in Franklin county years ago, as the last one reported from Brookville was in 1835.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)-Common summer resi- dent. The rain crow, as this bird is usually called, is a most beneficial bird to agriculture. A set of two eggs in my cabinet from Oak Forest.
Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus) -I once shot a black- bill, mistaking it for a squirrel. It is equal as beneficial as its relative, the yellow-billed.
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)-Winter and summer resident, found along the rivers and creeks all over the county. I once dug out a nest in a sand-bank on the farm of Ed. R. Quick near Brookville along the White Water river, from which I secured seven eggs which are now in my collec- tion. This nest was eight feet from the bank, and four feet under the ground.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)-This king of woodpecker's, like the Carolina Paroquet (Conurus carolinensis), is a bird of the past in Franklin county. The only record I have is that of Dr. Rufus Haymond, who speaks of it as a former resident of Bath and Springfield townships, in 1869. My brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. George M. Seipel, told me that when near Chewelah, Washington, the summer of 1912, they observed this woodpecker in small flocks, but as I have not seen any of the specimens I am of the opinion that it was the Pileated Woodpecker (Ceophlœus pileatus), which is very numerous in the north- west, and somewhat similar to the ivory-bill.
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus)-Common resident.
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)-Common resident. A set of five eggs from an apple tree on the farm of Ed. R. Quick, near Brook- ville, are in my cabinet.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)-Rare migrant and winter resident.
Pileated Woodpecker (Ceophlœus pileatus)-Rare if it occurs at all in Franklin county. This noble woodpecker is another bird on the list of extermination. Amos W. Butler, in 1897, says that it is about thirty years ago that the last one was reported in the county. I have a set of five eggs taken about three-quarters of a mile from Spoke, Washington, May 2, 1913, on the banks of the Spokane river.
Red-headed Woodpecker .(Melanerpes erythrocephalus)-Common re- sident, remaining all winter if the food supply is abundant, no matter how mild or severe the weather may be. Every one is familiar with the common "Red-head" as they are generally called, so I need not introduce them. I have a set of seven eggs in my cabinet from near Oak Forest.
Red-bellied Woodpecker ( Melanerpes carolinus)-Common resident. I found many nests of these woodpeckers, but was unable to secure the eggs.
Flicker (Colaptes auratus)-Very common resident, and the best known and the most abundant of all our woodpeckers ; the school-boys call them the "Yellow-hammer." A set of seven eggs in my collection which I took from an apple tree on the farm of Ed. R. Quick, of Brookville.
Chuck-Will's Widow (Antrostomus carolinensis)-The only specimen of this bird I ever found in Franklin county was on April 3, 1906, when I was plowing on the farm of Ed. R. Quick near Brookville, it was sitting beside an egg, which is now in my cabinet; the horses nearly stepped on it before it took wing.
Whip-poor-will ( Antrostomus vociferus)-Common summer resident. This is another bird whose night-song I dearly love to hear. A beautiful set of two eggs in my collection presented to me by Adam Kuntz, taken along Snail creek a few years ago.
Night Hawk (Chordeiles virginianus)-Common fall migrant. I am not aware that it breeds in Franklin county, but I know it to breed on the gravel roofs on some of the tall buildings in Spokane, Washington, where it is common. This is the bird we see especially in the fall flying in ziz-zaz lines generally at sun-set. Two eggs from the roof of the Y. M. C. A. building, Spokane, Washington, are in my cabinet.
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