The topography is much more interesting, and is quite different from that farther south and that immediately opposite on the west side of the river. A level plateau, 100 feet above the levee, begins about a quarter of a mile from the river and extends back into the State of Mississippi. This plateau is deeply cut by numerous creeks and ravines, the banks of which are generally densely wooded, with water oak, sweet-gum, cedar, prickly ash, magnolias, etc. All of the level ground on top is in a state of cultivation; cotton being the principal crop. A few miles farther up the high ground does not extend so near the river, the intervening space being occupied by several small lakes and swamps—a great resort for water birds of all kinds. On account of the high water I did not have an opportunity of visiting this interesting field.
My observations extended only over a period of five days from April 15th to 19th, 1882, inclusive, but a great deal of ground was canvassed in that time; nearly the whole of each day being spent in the field. A good many birds were shot, but few were preserved, as taxidermy was necessarily subordinated to field-work. Dr. Langdon in his interesting paper particularly remarks the absence of the Catbird, Black-and-White Creeper, White-browed Yellow-throat, Kentucky Warbler, Large-billed Water Thrush, and the Redstart, but I found all of these at “Wyoming,” together with many others not noted by either him or Mr. Hay, the Catbird and Kentucky Warbler being particularly abundant.
The writer was greatly assisted in his work by Mr. Robert Wederstraudt of “Wyoming,” a young man whose unusually close and accurate observations of birds and bird life rendered his help peculiarly valuable. Many of the following notes are credited to him entirely. I have followed the nomenclature of the Smithsonian list of 1881.
1. Hylocichla mustelina (Gm.) Bd. Wood Thrush.—Common in woodland, and several seen in the yard near the house.
2. Merula migratoria (L.) Sw. and Rich. American Robin.—Not observed. They appear here in large numbers early in February to feed on the fruit of the “wild peach,” and hundreds are shot for the table. They leave early in March.
3. Mimus polyglottus (L.) Boie. Mockingbird.—Very abundant, both in the town about gardens and yards, and in the country. Frequenting open ground exclusively. Four sets of eggs were taken; two perfectly fresh, and two about half incubated. Mr. Wederstraudt called my attention to a curious foraging habit of this bird. We noticed one hopping along the ground in an open grassy place, pausing at every three or four hops to extend and close its wings. It repeated this several times until a grasshopper was flushed, when the bird immediately “reached” for it, and having captured it, made off to a neighboring bush to eat it. Mr. Wederstraudt says that he has observed this interesting performance many times.
4. Galeoscoptes carolinensis (L.) Cab. Catbird.—Abundant in the shrubbery in the creek bottoms. None were seen near the dwellings.
5. Harporhynchus rufus (L.) Cab. Brown Thrasher.—Abundant in same places as the last. Three clutches of three eggs each were taken, in one of which incubation was very far advanced, and on the 19th a nest was found containing two young nearly able to fly.
6. Sialia sialis (L.) Haldem. Bluebird.—Observed several pairs in town and in the country. Not as common as in Kentucky.
7. Polioptila cærulea (L.) Scl. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.—A common, and, on account of its active and noisy habits, conspicuous bird.