_e________—_ SUBSCRIBERS. Our old friend P. G, Howes, Curator of the Maplewood Museum of Natural Science of Stamford, Connecticut, sends the “wherewith” to pay for two Subscriptions and adds., “ These sub- scriptions I am paying myself, but am sure that they will both renew next year.” If every subscriber to the OOLO- GIST would take as much interest in extending the subscription list and do as well as Brother Howes, we would double the size of the magazine and commence the publication of colored plates. a ’ PASSENGER PIGEONS. A flock of fifty-five of the “real thing” passed over my head at Chili Center, Monroe County New York at 9.30 this morning (August 6, 1909) flying due east at terrific speed, and not over one hundred feet above ground. I’ve been “hearing” about them for four years back, but have only one eyesight record of a pair and young in ten years, until this find. Ernest H. Short. The above note is of special interest to me because on February 5th, 1909, some twelve miles north of Lacon, II- linis, as the editor drove along the road, he observed a flock of six or eight birds which at first he took for Passenger Pigeons, and in regard to which the following entry in our bird journal wags made as of that day. “Saw a flock of six or eight Turtle Doves up at the mouth of Clear Creek valley; a. very unusual occurrence for this time of year. I first took them for Wild Pigeons, and am not yet thor- oughly convinced that they were not. As they passed me going at a very high rate of speed towards the South- east and entered the timber flying among the trees in a compact flock and turning and twisting as I never have seen doves in all my life. They ap- peared large for Turtle Doves.” Let us hope that the Passenger Pig- eon is not entirely a thing of the past. —HEd, Oi LOOK OUT. We would advise all our readers against having any dealings with W. H. Boose of Waupun, Wisconsin. Shi cai Le RUBY THROATED HUMINGBIRDS. (Trochilus colubris) Even the greatest and most careful observers sometimes arrive at wrong conclusions, It is in the February 1907, OUTING that John Burroughs, one of America’s most faithful naturalists, THE OC UO0GIST. 143 takes to task some Briertown, N. J., sketch artist who has penned certain objectionable nature literature for Har- per’s Magazine. It is in regard to the hummingbird that the great writer be- came strenuous in showing the falsity of some supposed observations. While, in truth, he does point out what seem to be glaring inaccuracies, that are actually borne out by observation. The first idea he attacks is that the breeding date of the hummingbird is chronologically wrong since the time is set when the mountain and meadow lilies are in bloom. Quoting the ex- act language he says: ‘“‘Now the hum- mers nest in May and early June while the mountain lily rarely blooms before July. In New Jersey it may bloom in late June but the nesting of the hum- mer will be correspondingly early or near the middle of May.’ While per- haps Mr. Burrough’s observations and reading may have brought him to these conclusions, they do not in real- ity accord with facts as evidenced by other observers. Mr. R. C, Harlow in the October, 1906, OOLOGIST, has the following to say: ‘The recent arti- cle relative to the nesting of the Hum- mingbird calls to my mind a _ nest which I examined in 1904. On Aug- ust 20, it contained two hatching eggs. Built 10 feet up on a horizontal hem- lock limb and very deep. Place, Wash- ington County, Md.’ This instance shows that in Maryland the hummer breeds later than June. If this were the only case in which the ruby-throat breeds later than May or early June Mr, Burroughs might hold that this was an exception to the rule or that the observer was mistaken. However, in Kansas at about the same latitude as Maryland and two weeks further south than Northern New Jersey, the writer has made rather complete notes in regard to the Hummingbird. About ten years ago, personally, he found and collected two sets of eggs together with the nests. This was before he be- gan to preserve notes. The first was about May 20th and the second in June, The dates in the following tend to show that Mr. Murrough’s chronology is not beyond question. Observe the dates. The exact language has been retained, even where there are poorly constructed sentences or mistakes in the use of the English language. In the writers’ note book, June 24th, 1906, he finds the following reference to the Hummingbird: “This afternoon Ralph Gilman and I went out north. I start- ed and met Ralph. After talking a bit he decided to go with me. We went straight over the hills. * * * Above the “Cave,” we heard a Hummingbird making quite a fuss and we both be- gan to watch it. We were sure that there must be a nest. Sure enough! The bird flew to a small hickory limb just above our heads, and we both saw at the same time, the small lichen- covered knot on the upper side of the branch. The limb was hardly larger than my thumb, if ag large. The nest was on a small leaning hickory, sticking out over the bank. Climbing up the bank, we could not see to the bottom of the nest; though it was con- siderably lower than our heads; so I climbed up into a small tree and look- ed down. There were two small bean- like eggs. We did not try to get them.” “July 9, 1906. Saturday morning (July 7) I went to the woods with EI- mer Monahan. He had found a couple of hummingbirds’ nests and wanted me to take a picture of one of them. We drove down over the “Big Hill.” * * * * We next turned in west and came up on old wood road to the side of a deep embankment, to the region of the first hummer’s nest. * * * * He had told me it was in an iron- 144 rHE OOLOGIS1. wood tree, so I began to look among the number of trees of this kind that stood all around. By and by, I saw the object of my search on a small, slender limb, smaller than my little finger. The nest was lichen-coated and the gray of the lichens blended well with the limb and sky. I climb- ed up. There was nothing in it. * * * He handed me his hatchet and I cut off the limb. I could tell that it had been used because of the excrement left in the bottom by the young. * * * Taking the nest back to the buggy, we then followed down the steep-banked ravine to the nest of his other hum- mingbird. It was also in an iron-wood tree, or rather, bush. The tree was about as large as my wrist and the long slender branch, on which the nest was situated, was about twenty feet above the bed of the ravine and about twelve feet from the nearest bank. The old bird was not at home when we went there, so I planted my cam- era with the long focus, so as to take in the whole limb. The clear sky was the back ground. While waiting, El- mer climbed up a small oak tree that over-looked the nest and saw the two eggs. We could occasionally hear the hum of the bird as she flew about to see if the land was clear. Finally she began to fly about the nest and settled down on it without a second’s halt. Her motions were so rapid that it was hard to follow her with the eyes. Af- ter trying two plates, we decided to go up the branch of Coal Creek to the nest Ralph and I had found two weeks before. “After following the stream a ways, we heard a hummingbird, and began, at once to scan the available limbs for the nest. After a search of five or ten minutes, Elmer found it out on the limb of a small tree, and about fif- teen feet from the ground. Elmer climbed to it, and found it empty. “Next we went on up the stream and when within about fifty yards of the place where Ralph and I had found our nest, I heard what I thought to be the buzz of a hummingbird. Looking up into the elm tree, whose branches over-hung the creek bed in which I was walking, I descried the nest. It was so low that I could pull down the branch and see the two small white eges. Hlmer wanted the eggs for the Museum (Baker University) and I wanted the nest; so I had him shoot the female after we had taken the eggs and nest. I expect to take a pic- ture of the nest, eggs and bird, which Elmer is going to mount on one of the limbs by the nest. “After getting the specimens pack- ed away we went to my first humming- bird’s nest, the one Ralph and I had found. The eggs had been hatched and there were two little bits of birds, smaller than the tips of my finger. The down was beginning to show on their backs and one could see two rows of yellowish golden spots run- ning down their backs almost like the stripes of young quails or chickens. “Tn all, we saw five hummingbirds’ nests. Three of them were in use. We secured on the trip, two humming- birds’ nests, two eggs and one bird, besides a tanger’s nest and two Bells’ Greenlets. Had we desired to do so, we could have collected the other set of hummingbird’s eggs. We went, rath- er to get a picture of the nest, with an old bird on the nest. However, the plates were not good.” From these notes it would seem that, if Mr. Burroughs correctly dated the flowers, in Kansas and Maryland, the hummingbird builds late enough for the structural process to take place when the mountain and meadow lilies bloom, Now as to another instance in which Mr. Burrough’s observations have not THE OOLOGIST. been carried as far as his conclusions. Admitting that he may be correct in finding a nest made of wood pulp with- out foundation in nature, it is evident that he goes too far in his conclusion in the following paragraph: “And this nest when completed holds water like a cup. A passing shower fills it and drowns the eggs and the mother is obliged to build a new nest! of a bird’s nest that would fill with water and stay full whenever it rain- ed! How long would a race of birds, that build such watertight nests, sur- vive? A bird’s nest will not hold wat- er as well as a boy’s straw hat—not even the mud-lined nest of the robin.” Now while Mr. Burroughs does not assert in positive terms that the hum- mingbird’s nest will not hold water, it seems that he intended to convey that impression. Mr. Burroughs is hardly the man to retreat behind the mere technicality of words. At first read- ing, a question at once rose as to whether the conclusion had been reached by actual test. Having in a box, ready to send to a friend, a nest of the ruby-throat taken July 7, 1907, the writer proceeded at once to try the experiment. Filling the nest full of water ii was entirely emptied in less than a minute. But this nest was one that was loose on the limb and it was thought that this condition might render it more seive-like. But having in his possesion a very fine nest which was taken June 20, 1907, and contain- ing two eggs, it was with hesitancy that he tried the experiment on this. Wetting would not improve it, to say the least. Anyway on the afternoon of Aug, 14, 1907, at three o’clock, he filled the nest with pure water. The water stood all that afternoon, all the next night and until after eleven o’clock the next day. Between that time and one o'clock the water soaked through the nest and ran down the Think ie 145 limb which was still wet when dis- covered. The nest held water for at least twenty hours.* However, this article is not intended to merely criticise; but it also aims to show as much of the hummingbird life as is warranted by the writer’s ob- servations; so for the sake of added information, the data in connection with this water-tight nest is given. “Collected June 20, 1907, three miles northwest of Baldwin, Kansas. Nest in a burr oak growing on bank of a stream. So low that one could pull down the limb while in the bed of the stream. Nest composed of lichens fas- tened together with spider webs and lined with silky down from some kind of seed, like dandelion or milkweed, (maybe from sycamore balls). Depth, outside, 1 3-4 inches; inside, 3-4 inches. Diameter; outside, 1-3-4 by 1 1-2 inches; inside, 1 by 3-4 inch, Two eggs in the nest. Incubation well advanc- ed. Nest was found June i0th and contained one egg. The female kept flying around as the limb with the nest was being cut off.” His diary further other references. “June 20, 1907. Also found another hummingbird building. She would bring a little piece of lichen and put it on the edge of the nest and then, while holding it in her bill, would give it a shake to tangle it in the spider webbs. Then she would settle down into the nest and turn around, shap- ing it with her breast.” (This is the leaky one, first filled with water.) “June 380, 1907. Visited humming- bird’s nest found on 20th. Nest appar- ently done. Did not look in. Also found another nest of the ruby-throat about ten feet from the ground on a. small limb three feet from the trunk of the small burr oak. It contained young birds half grown.” The following notes shows several taken Aug. 146 THE OOLOGIST. anaes 24, 1902, give a further picture of the feeding habits of this pretty little creature: “At last I come to a beauti- ful place where the jewel weed or wild touch-me-not fill the space not occu- pied by the new growth of sprouts. Both varieties are here, the yellow and the orange; and I simply stand and look. The bees and butterflies keep up their constant flutte:ing. Sud- denly there comes the sound as of a four-horse power bumble-bee. There is a stir among the touci-me-nots. It is a ruby-throated hummingbird. See it poised, probing into the secrets of the blossoms. It starts, rises above the verdure and hangs with tail out- spread, the pulsating wings looking like the spokes cf a_ fast-revolving wheel. The foliage below stirs by the breeze of it’s wings. l1t’s head turns and it’s eyes look straight iato mine. But it sees nothing there that is un- friendly; so, it commences again, but a few feet away to pass from flower to flower. Over to the north another buzzing and there hangs a male bird, the beautiful green bcdy glistening in the sunlight and the ruby-throat shin- ing against it like a gorgeous jewel. It darts away and lights on a dead branch of a sycamore tree in the bed of the stream. A pair of them fly past with a buzz and they light on a tall horse weed over Gn the east side. A big black butterfly, with long streamers behind, floats high across the scene and disappears among the trees to the east. Another female hummer comes up close to me and poises herself in the air as if to see whether I would make a good perch. Deciding in the negative, away she darts and lights on the limb of a hop- hornbeam that overleans the stream. ’ Hummingbirds seem to be everywhere. A sparrow flits from one bush to an- other and looks comparatively like a crow. * * * I would be satisfied if I see a eS could just stay here always and listen to the mingling sounds and watch the matchless spread of blossoms, birds and bees. But I move on trying to follow the hummingbirds as _ they speed out into the timber and dart back for new nectar. So I start, breaking the brush-end from a little sapling that had been cut down, and with the large end I strike the trees along my path. But if there are any nests, the owners are evidently out on a loraging trip.” It has been asserted that the hum- mingbirds are especially fond of red flowers. They are seen most frequent- ly, in this region, around honey suckle, trumpet vine, gladiolus, and wild touch-me-nots, though they visit many small inconspicuous wild flowers. The probabilities are that the humming- bird nas the color sense well deveiop- ed and at once distinguishes the bright colors. The Ruby-throat, of the fifteen re- cognized species in North America, is the only one whose geographical dis- tribution is general over the eastern United States. It has been noted nest- ing as late as June 24th, in Michigan. This would lead one to think that it raises two broods each year even that far north. If this be true, in New Jer- sey early July would be just about the right time for the second genera- tion. Red birds have reared as many as three sets and some other birds, when the first clutch is destroyed, at once build again; and, sometimes dur- ing a single summer, lay as many as four settings. Now just a word in regard to all ob- servations. One may draw positive conclusions from actual observations; but to say that a thing is impossible or preposterous presupposes a know- ledge universal. Birds of the same species differ in nesting habits. Tur- tle doves nest both on the ground and THE OOLOGIST. on 147 in trees. Robins have been known to buill on the ground and under sheds. There is individuality in birds, as in men. They adapt themselves to condi- tions. One hummingbird composed a nest entirely of cotton, being provid- ed with this comodity by a human friend. English sparrows, when the population crowds them from dwell- ings, build a straw ball, with a hole in the side, in the tops of trees. In California a quail is recorded as hav- ing built a nest in a tree. There are geniuses among birds as among men; and the freaks of nature mean that either conditions, force birds to act in new strange ways or that by voluntary choice they progress and improve their surroundings. “The Ruby-throat, as far as the ob- server's experience goes, builds its nest under a protecting leaf, which acts as a roof in time of rain. He has observed fourteen nests, in each one of which, the protecting leaf seems to have been the determining factor in the choice of nesting sites. Quite a number of these have been observed since writing the above ar- ticle in 1907. ARTHER BRIDWELL, Baldwin, Kansas. From Crawfordville, Indiana. Dec. 27, 1908—Saw Tufted Titmouse, Kingfisher, Slate-colored Junco. Dee. 29, 1908—Cardinal, pair. Jan, 4, 1909—Downey Woodpecker. Jan. 18, 1909—Cardinal, feeding on dried grapes in vines, six inches of snow. January 19, 1909—First season. April 5, 1909—Screech Owl, nest in hole in Beech tree fifteen feet from ground, in College grounds. Five eggs. This I watched until the young had left the nest. The last time I saw them, all five were sitting side by Robin of side on an iron railing around a cel- lar stairway one evening. April 18, 1909—Red-bellied Wood- pecker. May 20, 1909—Hairy Woodpecker, nest in willow stub eight feet from ground; three eggs. Green Heron, two nests; one in elm twenty-five feet from ground; platform of sticks, two eggs; fresh. The other nest was in a thorny locust fifteen feet from ground, large nest of sticks, six eggs, nearly ready to hatch. American Redstart, nest in elm sapling, six feet from ground; one egg. Aug. 17, 1909—Was on the creek, saw a man hauling gravel. He said “See that big buzzard on that dead sycamore; it has been around here all week.” I looked and it proved to be a Bald Hagle. I never saw it after, although went over the same ground for several days afterward. August 27, 1909—While out fishing saw a Great Blue Heron. First I have seen here since 1905, when I saw a pair, On Monday, August 30th, my Broth- er-in-law found a bird of this species with one wing shot and mangled. It was in a hay field. As I could not mount it, we turned it loose in the woods along the creek. W. C. Parks, Crawfordville, Ind. ——s > = HAWKS. Altho,among naturalists,it is general- ally supposed that,looking from a scie tific stand-point, the larger hawks do comparatively little harm to the poul- try-raiser, and which from my own experience, I think, is the proper way to look at it, since these birds destroy so many destructive rodents, that if left to multiply, would be much more harmful than the hawks. Yet from my own knowledge, I knew that the Broad- 148 THE OOLOGIST. wing, as well as the Red-tail and Swainson hawks, do, occasionally prey upon poultry. On July 17, 1909, while out in search of a cuckoo’s nest, I was sud- denly surprised to see a hawk, which I supposed to be a Broad-wing, fly up from a patch of weeds just ahead of me. Thinking that this hawk might make a good specimen and hoping to ascertain the exact kind of raptore it was, I secured my rifle and, for about an hour, sat huddled up in the dense foliage of a nearby cedar-tree. Then looking up I spied the bird care- fully surveying the ground about his prey. After about twenty minutes of circling about, he sailed slowly down on to his prey, a large, fat hen, which he had killed just prior to my com- ing. Waiting the chosen moment, I pulled the trigger, and upon picking him up, I found that I had secured a large male in fine plumage of the spe- cies, Buteo playpterus. Again on Oct. 12, 08, while on one of my journeys thru the woods, just as I was entering an adjoining mea- dcw, I saw a good-sized hawk fly up from the ground a short distance away. Going over to the place, I found that a pullet had strayed too far from the barn-yard and thereby had experience ed the fate of many a rabbit. Noi knowing what kind of hawk it was, 1 decided to set a steel trap beside the part of the body that had been eaten and covering well with leaves, I re- tired to the timber to await the hawk’s return. In about twenty minutes the bird returned and perched on the dead limb of a nearby tree. Then after a few minutes had past, he sailed down, and on alighting placed both feet on the jaws of the trap. Hurrying to the seene, I found that I had caught an immature Swainson, probably a _ fe- male. On another occasion while looking thru a plum-thicket in search of a Bell Vireo’s nest, I noticed a large Red-tail swoop down onto a full grown hen, but being a short distance away, I succeeding in frightening him away before he had killed her. JEROME BURNETT, Nebraska City, Nebr. Nobody has ever disputed but that most of the larger hawks occasional ly take a chicken, and it is generally known that the Broad Winged Hawk is an injurious species, but the Red- tail and its immediate relatives includ- ing the Swainson’s, are far more bene- ficial than injurious, and every per- son who destroys any hawk of this kind is committing an irreparable in- jury to the extent of taking the life of one highly valuable bird.—KHd. FROM THE ISLE OF PINES, Cuban Oriole (Icterus hypomelas.) Length 8-in., wing, 3.4 in., male. Gen- eral color black; shoulders, under wing coverts, lower back, upper tail converts and tibiae, bright yellow; un- der tail coverts, black and yellow; bill, legs and feet bluish, shading to black. Female and immature, very similar to other female orioles. This common bird is tamer and more confiding than our Northern or- ioles. It is usually found in little par- ties of six to eight and may be seen in the woods along the arroyas and rivers and in fact any place but in the pine woods. This Oriole is fond of be- ing in porch vines and does great ser- vice by destroying green worms which generally abount. in such places, and when thus occupied it seems to have but little fear of man and allows one to stay close by and watch it. They also sometimes come under the porch roof to shelter from the storm. y Zenaida Dove (Zenaida zenaida) is” our commonest pigeon. It is found al- THE OOLOGIST. 149 most everywhere, both in the pine woods and in the orange groves. Among the natives it is known as “El bobo’ ( meaning fool) because when one of them is shot, the others fly about and alight near by and several can be shot before the flock takes alarm. They are becoming a little more educated now that Americans are settling here and sometimes they are quite an important factor as food. Their flesh is sweet and tender. This is one large tract here known as “El Bobo” because of the large number of these doves found here. They are pro- tected from February to August and as they raise several broods in a sea- son, they stand a pretty good chance to nold their own. The orange grow- ers are glad to have them around as _they do a great deal of good in the groves by eating injurious weed seeds as well as insects. ee The Simpkin (Aramus gigantus) one of our locally comomn birds is to be found here along most of the arroyas and rivers. In the early morning and late afternoon this peculiar wader may be seen standing at the water’s edge fishing. Upon approach it will try to get out of sight by running in- to the jungle, but if the intruder comes too close, it will rise in heavy flight uttering loud discordant croaks. Even late into the night the Simpkin may be heard and from my observa- tions, there seems to be much individ- uality in their voices. The flesh, al- though a little strong, is not unpal- atable and locally it is known as “Crane,’ among the Americans, and “Gnua,’ among the natives. Ruddy Quail Dove (Geotrygon mon- “ tana.) This is quite an interesting bird. My first impressions were that it was rare, but as I got around more into the jungles I found that it was fairly common. It loves the dark tan- gles and feeds almost entirely on the ground. When flushed it reminds you of a Ruffed Grouse, except that the whirl of wings is absent, its flight be- ing noiseless. It flies but a short dis- tance, generally placing a tree between you and it, and lights either on the ground or a blown down tree trunk. Its flesh is tender and quite gamey. The natives call it ‘‘Perdy.”’ A. C, READ, McKinley, Isle of Pines, Cuba. —e—~<@>e- THE CROW AS A RAPTORE. The reading of Mr, R. P. Sharpless’ notes in the last OOLOGIST about a Crow carrying off a young Black Bird, reminds me of a similar incident that occured last spring. Two young friends of mine were driving along a road that skirts the Brandywine mea- dows. They noticed a Crow flying very low and trying to rise with some- thing in its claws. A large rabbit was following and springing from the ground trying to reach the Crow. Their near approach frightened the Crow and it dropped the young rabbit, which escaped in the grass, apparent- ly uninjured. Two years ago I noticed rather an unusual departure of the Purple Grackle from its usual habits.

= IN POLITICS. Our old friend, Dr, Frank H. Lattin, so well known to the readers of this publication, has recently broken into politics, and was recently elected Cor- oner at Gaines, New York, having been nominated on both the Democrat and Republican tickets; his only opponent being a candidate on the Prohibition ticket. We are in the market for one pair each of the following live birds. Can you get any of them for us ? : Re Vi Barnes) 169 Lesser Snow Goose. 169 Blue Goose. 170 Ross Snow Goose. 171a American White-fronted Goose, 172a White-cheeked Goose. 172e Cackling Goose. 173 Brant Goose, 175 White-bellied Brant. 176 Emperor Goose. 186 THE OOLOGIST Old Nesting Site of A Colony of Robins, (Marula migratoria.) It seems an odd thing to speak of a colony of robins, but when several pairs are found nesting in the same location it could scarcely be called anything else. However it was towards the last of May, 1907, while walking in a field near a bridge of the N, Y., N. H. & H. Rieke near Stamitornd) Conn. that a noticed, between the sections of the siding on the bridge, several dark objects which I thought at the time to be nothing but piles of cinders or dirt, but on crossing the bridge several days later, found them to be nests of the American Robin,eleven in number, all apparently just ready for the re- ception of the eggs, but no eggs were laid in 1907, all the birds deserting shortly after my visit. I never expect- ed to see such an occurance again but was very pleasantly surprised on May 2, 1908, while walking through the same field to see two new nests in the same location as those I had found the previous season. On making a thorough search of the bridge I found four more nests. These other four were built on an iron girder directly under the tracks and the tops of the nests only measured 22 inches from the base of the rails! They were not the usual type of Robin nest, be- ing rather flat with hardly any mud used in their construction. The furth- est distance apart of any two nests was 28 inches, and the nearest two were 16 inches apart. At this date none contained eggs. On returning May 8, 1908, one contain- ed four eggs, one three, two two, and three were still empty. There were five workmen hammer- ing on the bridge while I took the photo, one of which told me that the female bird, (which he swore was the male) had been sitting right under the hammering for the most part of that morning. After taking a picture of the nest, I took the workmen’s and one of them whom his comrades called “Dirty-face,” had an exceedingly hard time trying to get it through his head why he could not see his picture immediately after I took it. The average number of trains which cross this bridge per 24 hours is 400 uot counting any freight at all and how these robins stand this noise and vi- bration not more than 20 inches above their heads day and night is more than JI can understand, Most of the eggs hatched, and suc- cessful broods left all but two of the nests. Paul G. Howes. eee eae eras Ye Editor enjoyed an over Sunday visit from J. F. Ferry of the Field Museum of Natural History recently. He was our campmate on a trip into the Canadian bird paradise last Spring and a better one could not be found. <> ___——_—_———__ THE DEAD. We are sorry to be called upon to remove from our subscription list the name of C. T. Brennon, of Mount Car- roll, TWlinois, a student of birds well known in the State of Illinois. Though of a quiet, retiring nature, seldom pub- lishing anything, he had a large know- ledge of the avian tribe. SAMPLE COPIES. With this issue we are mailing a large number of sample copies, and especially request our subscribers that if they receive more than one copy of THE OOLOGIST to give or send the duplicate to some person interest- ed in birds, nests or eggs. By so do- | ing, they will confer a favor on the present management, and also add to the subscription list, and thereby help build up the magazine. THE OOLOGIST 187 A FEW DESERT SPECIES. In April, 1905, I made a hurried trip through the Colorado desert and added a few rare sets to my collection. April 19, collected set 1-5 Leconte’s Thrasher, nest in ocatia three feet up; composed of dried catclaw and mesquite twigs lined with sage fibres. Bird very shy, as it scuttled off through brush and cactus as I draw near nesting site and at a distance of one hundred feet stopped and peeped at me from behind a sage bush utter- ing a plaintive ‘““whuee, whuee.” April 20, took set of 1-6 Rock Wren; nest in ledge of rock outcropping on hill side, composed of sticks lined with fur and feathers. At entrance to hole in which nest was situated the bird piled a layer of pebbles. Also found a Rock Wren’s nest about a hundred yards east of above, containing four young about one day old. and one in fertile egg. Entrance to nest was also nicely paved with pebbles. April 24, collected set of 1-5 Verdin; nest located in mesquite tree eight feet up, a small ball of mesquite thorns and twigs lined with feathers and fi- bres. Four inches in diameter. April 25, tock set of 2-6 of the Ver- din. Nest in cholla four feet up com- posed of thorns and catclaws lined with fur and feathers. Also found Verdin’s nest with young but did not ascertain how many as I was afraid parent bird might desert them. Same day took set 2-3 Lecontes Thrasher, nest in cholla cactus two feet up composed of dried twigs, lined with bard fibres. Heard bird calling several hundred feet away but could not get a glimpse of her. On a still morning it is possible to hear these birds singing at least a mile distant. April 26, found Lecontes Thrasher’s nest in sage bush three feet up, con- taining three young about one week old. Bird was much more anxious about her young than the two birds above of their eggs as she approached very near me, although always keeping a cactus plant or sage between us, and at intervals uttering a pitiable ‘““whuee- ee-ee.” April 26, found seven nests of the Cactus Wren within a radius of one hundred fifty feet, only one containing eggs—l-5. Nests all in cactus, three or four feet up, composed of dried buffalo grass lined with feathers. Nest containing eggs had a little thicker padding of feathers and was a little longer than the others, all globular in shape with a hole near top. Have no- ticed in several instances, that there are from four to five extra nests very near at hand to one containing eggs; probably birds are very particular as to nest or nesting site, or maybe using them for roosting places or even de- ceptions, April 28, found nest containing four young of the Scott oriole hanging from blossom of the yucca palm about six feet up. At first I was not sure of iden- tity cf bird so hid myself nearby and took close observations. Very rare in this locality. Chas. S. Moore. >> COMPLAINTS. We have received a number of complaints regarding failure on the part of some to balance exchange ac- counts. One or two charge fraud; the others seem mere misunderstandings of a mcre or less serious nature. All are being carefully investigated and our determination in respect to them will be made known in due time. If fraud is established, the culprit will be fully exposed. Better settle all matters of exchange account promptly. Another good rule—Never offer any- thing for exchange unless you have it on hand at the time. This will avoid a lot of trouble. 188 THE OOLOGIST DUSKY WARBLER HAUNTS. On a trip to Catalina Island from the 7th to 11th of April of the present year, I was rather fortunate in finding nests of the Dusky Warbler (A, O, U. 646b.) One was about two and one- half, the other about four feet from the ground and both in small bushes. These nests were similar in construc- tion—of leaves and grasses, lined with very fine grass, rootlets and hair. One nest contained a single fresh egg, the other three well marked slightly incu- bated ones. On the 10th, two more nests con- taining eggs were found. One was a typical specimen in a small sapling eighteen feet from the ground con- structed like the other two. It con- tained four beautifully marked eggs which were slightly incubated. The other was a peculiar nest. It Was composed of twigs, bark, grass and rootlets, and also had a snake-skin incorporated in its make up. This nest was very large and bulky by com- parisen with the others. It contained four eggs which were as peculiar as the nesting materials. One was un- marked and the others were sparingly so, A little later in the day a bird of this species was found on her nest. When on closer approach she flew away and the nest was examined, it was found to be empty. She was pro- bably shaping the nest for it seemed complete. A strange fact is that these five nests were found in one small canyon and though many Duskies were seen elsewhere, there were no signs of nesting. This may have been due to the presence of water in this partic- ular canyon while it was lacking else- where. While on this trip I had the pleas- ure of inspecting several Bald Hagle’s nests. A STRANGE FIND. While walking along the outskirts of a large swamp North of VanCort- land Park, New York, I noticed some- thing of a bluish hue, hanging from a branch of a dead tree in the middle of the swamp. Levelling my field glasses upon the object, I discovered it to be a rather large bird. I determin- ed to investigate matters. Making my way with some difficulty to the spot, I found the object of my search fifteen feet above my head. I attempted to shin up the tree and it was only af- ter three or four attempts that the bird was reached and thrown down. It proved to be a Green Heron (But- orides virescens). Several of which had been noted in the same vicinity the previous Spring. Its neck had been caught in the fork of a branch and was nearly cut in two by its at- tempts to free itself. After obtaining “specimen feathers, it was left in the murky waters of the swamp. K, H. Rockey. of + FRAZAR’S OYSTER CATCHER’S EGGS. I have always been told that Fraz- ar’s Oyster-catcher (Haematopus fraz- ari) laid but one ege. I never really believed it, althcugh the only sets I have cf this species in my collection contain one egg each. These wers col- lected by A. W. Anthony in June, 1897, on Nativadad Island, Lower Califor- nia, It always seemed very queer to me that the other Oyster-catchers (Hae- matopus ostraligus or Haematopus pal- liatus) should lay from three to four eges and that Frazar’s should only lay one. I was delighted to find among the many sets of eggs my collector, Wil- mot W. Brown, Jr., has just sent me from the Cape Region of Lower Cali- THE OOLOGIST fornia, two sets of Frazar’s Oyster- eatcher. One contained three eggs and the other two. As he collected the parent birds, there is no doubt about the identity. The first set was taken March 26th, 1909, near LaPaz, Lower California. The eggs were heavily incubated, The nest was a depression in the gravel on a jagged and surf washed ledge. It was out of reach of the surf, but the spray no doubt dampened it in rough weather.” The second set was ‘a depression in the sand. The eggs were laid on the bare ground, there being no lin- ing to the nest whatever. It was eigh- ty feet from the surf.” This nest was taken near LaPaz, March 24, 1909, and contained two eggs nearly incubated. John HK. Thayer. 20 CURIOSITIES OF BIRD-NESTING. An autherity says: “It is not at all an uncemmon thing to find the first and scmetimes second egg of a young bird abnormally small, but I came across a case some few years ago which was quite unique. In April, 1901, I was hunting fer a few clutches of the carrion crow in some small woods, which were their favorite nesting places in that district. I walked right through the first wood without suc- cess, but on leaving it I saw, perched on a tree some distance away, two crows. Guessing that I had disturbed them and that they were watching me, I walked on for some distance, still keeping my eye on them, Sure enough, as soon as they were satisfied that I was leaving,, one of them made off straight for a large oak tree at the extreme end of the wood I had just left. On returning I discovered the nest and the reason I had missed it. It was built out on the extreme end of the lowest limb of the tree, within 189 ten feet of the ground, and hidden by the undergrowth below—a most un- usual position. I climbed to the nest and was much astonished at the con- tents. In it were four minature crow’s eggs, very little larger than black- bird’s eggs, and in shape almost round. On blowing them I found the shells were abnormally thick and tough for the size of the egg and they contained no yolk. Knowing that crows invari- ably remain in the same locality year after year, the following season I went to look for my friends again and to my great delight found the nest in a similar position in another oak tree within 30 yards of the first nest. It contained five eggs, four exact counter- parts of the first clutch and one of normal size, the only one to contain any yolk. The following season I found them fer the third time again quite close to the previous nests; this -time there were four eggs, only one small ene and three full size.’—Clip- ping. FROM THE ISLE OF PINES. The Isle of Pines Tanager (Spin- dalis pretrei) Deseription: ly, G tin; We 2.9), Waie,, Ss lo, OH; IWlele, head black, a white stripe over eye, also a white maxillary stripe below which is a black line; throat, breast, collar and upper tail coverts orange; back olive-green with a tinge of or- ange; bend of wing chestnut; wings and tail black; the former with con- siderable white on outer edges of egereater wing coverts and the secondar- ies; primaries with more or less white on inner webs; outer pair of tail feathers with large white patches on inner webs; upper. mandible blackish; lower mandible, legs and feet bluish. Female slightly smaller; top of head gray mixed with olive-green; grayish stripe over eye and also an indistinct ee 190 macillary stripe; upper parts olive- green, darker on wings and tail: throat dirty white; breast and sides tinged with dirty yellow, whitening on the belly and under tail coverts. The Isle of Pines Tanager although far from being rare is not often seen because of its staying mostly in the woods and jungles. The male, accord- ing to my observations, is less numer- ous than the female; two or three males in a flock of twelve to fifteen. The males are quite wary, but the fe- males are a great deal more confiding. They are cften found in a native tree which has a round black seed about the size of a B, B. shot and a soft yellow, sweet tasting fleshy end where it is attached, upon which they feed largely. These birds are unusually quiet and if it were not for the bright coloring of the males they would be very easily overlooked, s The Yello-faced Grassquit, (Tiaris olivacea) 1. 3.7 in; w, 2 in. Male, up- per parts olive-green, darker on crown. Throat, lore and stripe over eye, yel- low ordered by black; a black patch on lower throat; under parts sooty. Female, duller and the black is lack- ing. The Yellow-faced Grassquit is our mest abundant member of the Finch family and may be found almost everywhere, but is most common in open country. In the orange groves and pine apple fields it may be seen in flocks from six to twenty in num- ber, feeding on the seeds of the diff- erent grasses, and especially of a species of joint grass which is ex- tremely hard to eradicate. It is some- times known as “Tobacco bird” be- cause it is fond of tobacco seed; but , the harm done is greatly overbalanced by the good it accomplishes in eating the seeds of obnoxious weeds. I have also seen it eat grasshoppers and rickets which happened in its way while feeding, THE OOLOGIST I wish to add the following to my list of Isle of Pines birds: “‘Chillina’’? Warbler, Terestris fer- mandinae Ricord’s Hummer, Riccordia ricordii Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris ~ olivacea Aa Cuban Pigmy Owl, Glaucidium sijiit "_ Isle of Pines Tanager, Spindalis Pretrei ia Blackbird, Holoquiscalus gundlachi ‘ _ Lizard Cuckoo, Sauwrothera merlini V decolor Cuban Tody, Todus multicolor W. I. Tree Duck, Dendrocygna arborea Vv Blackbird, Ptiloxia atroviolacea a Isle of Pines Trogon, Priotchis tim- NUTUS VETCUS Greater Yellow legs, Totanus mela- nolencus These make my list to date contain- ing 85 species. A, C. REED. Ag) oo as THE CAROLINA RAIL. (Porzana carolina.) After looking over all my passed re- cords and notes on the subject, I con- sider the Carolina rail an uncommon but regular summer resident in this locality, Stamford, Conn. It is on ac- count of its seclusive habits and quiet nature that it has been overlooked by most people and considered so much rarer than it really is. Five and one half miles from’ my home, situated between two wooded rises near the little town of Talmadge Hill, Conn., lies a certain small grass covered, Alder dotted swamp in which one or two pairs of these little rails regularly construct their nests and rear their young, so far, I am happy to say, unmolested. As a rule the nest building starts during the first week in May and lasts until the end of June. In some cases however the nest must be started con- siderably earlier as I have one record of a set which reads, May Wa 1897. Eleven eggs, incubation far advanced. May 30 is my latest date for fresh eges. The completement seems to be THE OOLOGIST 191 invariably eleven. All the clutches which I have found have been of this number and four other records of nests which are in my possession each contained eleven eggs, ° The nests are composed of dead tus- sock grass, leaves and rushes. They are very broad and so slightly hol- lowed that one or more of the eggs will occasionally roll out. The site usually chosen is in a thick clump of grass and ferns directly upon the ground but it is by no means uncom- mon to find it in a tussock five or six inches above it. In the latter case it is woven quite tightly into the standing grass, while in the former it is more or less of a loose pile of leaves and rushes, As the summer draws to a close the birds do not confine themselves to the hidden retreats of the breeding season but take to the coastal marshes with their newly reared families. At this time they become quite curious and often confide themselves too much in our so called “Sportsmen” who bang at anything which resembles a bird. This species of rail stays with us until the second or third week in October when suddenly in a night they will all disappear, and we know that they have silently flown to the sunny south, only to return when the warm sun again turns green our Swamps. P. G. Howes. - 2—C>—o i BOOKS RECEIVED. Birds of New Jersey, their Nests and Eggs. We are in receipt of the Annual Re- port of the New Jersey State Museum of 1908, relating to the birds of New Jersey, by Whitmer Stone, containing among other things, articles on the Destruction and Protection of Birds; on the Distribution and Migration of Birds; an Analytical key to the Birds of New Jersey; followed by a sup- posedly complete list of the birds known to occur within the state, giy- ing a technical description of each species and notes on its occurrence in various parts of the state, followed by eighty four first class plates illustrat- ing various species of bird life to be found in the state. The whole being a highly credible production; espec- ially so in view of the fact that such outputs by a public authority are us- ually more or less the opposite. This work is a valuable addition to any bird student’s library. RAINS Sales SMR ee NOTES FROM FLORIDA. on CATHARISTA URUBU, The writer was located the past sea- son where he had ample material and opportunities to make a fairly com- plete study of the habits, etc., of this “fragrant songster.” The first set of eges was found February 10th, which was three weeks sooner than any pre- vious date recorded during the past four years. I attribute this to the fact that this part of Florida had practi- cally had no rain during the past three years, and the Lakes were very low and many of the larger and all of the smaller wood ponds had dried up. This had a very peculiar effect on bird life in genenal, and many species nest- ed under conditions that were far from normal. I noticed that some species nested several weeks earlier, but found the majority were several weeks later, why this should be so I am un- able to determine, but it is a fact. Dur- ing late January and early February when I was looking for Ward’s Heron and the Great Blues, I came across a small “cypress” of about 15 acres in area in a large piney woods, this ‘“‘cy- press” or “slough” as it is sometimes called, was about half mile from a large lake. This swamp was bone dry, first time ever known. Some giant 192 THE OOLOGIST cypress trees were growing here, and to investigate a small colony of Wardi, I had to go 125 feet up in one of them. The space between these trees was thickly strewn with dead logs, the ma- jority of which were hollow, these were lying in all kinds of positions and made travel through them very difficult, and somewhat dangerous for the reason of several large Mocasins that were sunning themselves on the eunder side of large logs. In this Swamp there were hundreds of Black Vultures. I investigated several logs from which the old vultures had run, but saw no signs of any eggs this ear- ly. But I marked this swamp down as my “Happy Hunting Grounds” because it was the most ideal place for the Black Vulture that I had ever run across. February 10th, I found my first set and eggs could be found in this swamp right along up to July ist, when the long deferred “‘rainy sea- son’ set in in earnest and in two days this swamp was six feet in water. Hundreds of young vultures met their death in this flooded Roost and I have no doubt that many sets of eggs were deserted from the same cause. Many pairs from actual observation reared two broods and were incubating the third set. Of course I cannot say posi- tively it was the third set by the same pair of birds but it was the third set for that particular nest, and previous observations have shown me that Mrs. Catharista is very fond.of her old nest- ing site, and will return to it repeat- edly no matter how much bothered. Twenty-one nests were watched to see how long incubation lasted, etc. In eleven cases the second egg was laid the second day after the first, four cases three days elapsed, the other six, the last ege was laid the day fol- lowing the first. Incubation was start- ed in most cases as soon as the last egg had been laid. I noticed a few however waited from one to two days, never longer. The period of incuba- tion was twenty-eight to twenty-nine days, one case noted went thirty days, this last however was one that was on edge of my farm in a clump of palmet- toes, and the birds were disturbed sev- eral times a day by myself and others passing near them. I enclose a photo- graph of the young in this nest taken when a few days old. One bird was slightly larger than the other and the chief occupation of this larger young- ster was in trying to swallow his smaller brother, the pleasing opera- tion lasting as long as ten minutes at a time. Life was made miserable for these birds by the hundreds of green flies, drawn to the nest by the remnants of offal around. I had aimed to take a_ series of photographs of these youngsters up to the time they could fly, but the nest was situated in a clump of palmettoes ten feet high and a person had to act- ually get down inside the small. clear- ing where the young were and this clearing was not six feet in diameter. The reason [I took but the one picture was evident. Nature has endowed me with a pretty good nose and a strong stomach and they went on a strike every time I got too near the young beauties. However, I noted their daily growth and they either flew away or wandered off at the age of six weeks. After they were two weeks old the amount of material these growing youngsters could assim- ilate was prodigious. In the cities of the South this Vul- ture does real work and is the chief worker of the sanitary department. (In some of the smaller places they are actually the only ones.) They are fully protected in this country and in the cities and towns deserve it, but out in the rural districts I have come to the conclusion that they are harm- ful owing to their great numbers. One day while sitting in an Osprey nest resting, 105 feet up in a little cypress in another swamp, I counted 950 of these birds sitting around in trees and countless numbers were soaring about where ever the eye wan- dered. I believe that 5000 of these scavengers use this swamp as a Roost. Where so many of these birds gather together, the food supply is naturally a serious question for them, and dead food becoming scarce they are forced to become birds of prey in every sense of the word. Hundreds of young pigs, lambs, etc., are annually devoured by them and every stock breeders hand is against them all the time. I have had them to come into my yard and catch young chickens. I will relate THE OOLOGIST 193 the instance that opened my eyes to their preying habits. I was return- ing through a part of this swamp af- ter a visit to a small colony of Egrets that I have seen protecting when I came to a colony of Y. C. Nightherons, ninety six nests by actual count. Twenty-four of these nests had just hatched out as I could see by the egg shells under the nests, and the nests were empty. The old ones were sitting around in the low bushes looking very desolate and the Vultures were sitting up in the tall cypresses all about. While pondering over the empty nests, my attention was attracted by four vul- tures trying to drive an Anhinga from her nest high up in a cypress twenty yards away, but her long neck and needle like beak were too quick to be eluded by the vultures who after a short fight betook themselves off for easier prey. I immediately concluded the vultures wanted her young, be- eause I had found that all the Anhin- gas in this Swamp had just hatched their eggs. Two days later I return- ed and found the other seventy-two nests of the Nightherons empty, these all had eggs in two days before, most of which were hatching. This in an instance of a whole colony of Night- herons being wiped out. I watched this colony for two months and never found them breeding again. Possibly the vultures got into this nasty habit of eating young birds by having so much of this class of food put before them by the murderous’ plumers, who by their ruthless destruction of the plume herons, left millions of starving young to the tender mercy of vultures, etc. I had already noted a decrease in the number of Nightheron in my territory and now attribute this to the preying vultures. The great number of vultures here do net seem to be suffering from want of food, because a few pairs I skinned this season had fat on them like a well fed chicken. I gave some of this fat to my negro laborers who have a superstition that “buzzard grease” rubbed on the hands, makes them slick and: unable to be beaten in a “skin game.” In the two hundred sets or there- about that I examined this year, I found only one really abnormal set, this was one with a runt egg. This set measured as follows, 1.75 x 1.30; and 2.95 x 1.95. The average of about fifty sets was 3.00 x 1.95. This species of vulture usually use a hollow log as. nesting site, failing this the next favor- able site is a thick clump of palmet- toes so thick that a wandering hog cannot penetrate. Seventy-five per cent will use these two kinds of sites, the balance, any old place that offers a safe retreat from hogs and is some- what private. I know of six pairs using a sort of cave under an uprooted tree, all seeming to live in perfect har- mony. I have never found a Turkey Vulture nesting with this species, al- tho I have heard that they sometimes do so. February 10th is the earliest date I have ever seen eggs and August 5th is the latest date. O. BE. Baynard. en nat THE OLIVE-SIDED FLY-CATCHER IN PENNSYLVANIA. Thousands of acres of land in War- ren, Forest, Elk and McKean Counties is wild mountain land and practically uninhabited. A number of tracts of virgin forest of giant hemlock, pine, beech, ete., still stand. The rest is more or less lumbered over. Some of this deforest- ed region is springing up into a sec- ond-growth of mostly hardwood tim- ber. Large areas have been fire- swept until nothing much but huckle- berry brush, sweet fern and rattle- snakes can exist. Again vast areas are an almost impenetrable jungle of berry-brush, second growth of all kinds, laurel, etc. Ag this region lies high (2000 feet and better) and is well watered, it offers a fine home _ for many of the more northern breeders among the warblers, thrushes, ete. Among the very rarest of these more northern birds is the Olive-sided Flycatcher. For its summer home it chooses a place that has not been too closely cut off but where huge stubs are standing about with more or less living timber and with numerous small er hemlocks. The birds, especially the males, 194 THE OOLOGIST spend most of their time on the top- most limbs of the big stubs. Here they sit uttering at intervals, their loud harsh whistle of two, sometimes three notes. This whistle can be heard a long ways on a quiet day. It is very unlike the note of any other of our birds. I have never met with the Olive-sid- ed in the farming districts along the river, but always back in the moun- tains. Because of its rarity, data is lacking as to the dates of its arrival and de- parture. 1 first met with the olive-sided when a kid, I used to camp and fish for trout in June in the mountains about fif- teen miles from here. For three sea- sons we heard the birds in the slash- ing along the edge of the heavy tim- ber near camp and recent experience leads me to think it was the same pair each year. I did not again meet with it for a number of seasons, but during 1900 I was quite fortunate. In June, while trouting in the vicin- ity cf our old camp, I located a pair and wrote to Mr. W. E. C. Todd of the Carnegie Museum Pittsburg. He had been trying to get a pair from this state for several years, so he came up and was fortunate enough to secure both. In July I put in a week trout- ing with an old hunter. We covered a lot of country and I located two pairs of Olive-sides. The old fellow took an old shot gun into camp as dogs were almost daily running deer and he intended to put an end to it. With this gun and a little heavy shot I got an Olive-sided, but badly torn, so did not try another. That fall in September, while col- lecting water birds on the “Peninsula” near Hrie, Pennsylvania, I took a fine female Olive-sided the only record from that region. On the 3rd cf June, 1901, I secured a fine male from a tall pine stub. In 1904, I again located a pair, this time nearby, and by keeping close tab on them I found the nest and secured birds, nest and all for my collection. In May, 1906, while hunting Ravens in Clearfield County, I saw a pair. Since then I have found two pairs of these birds, and have made many trips to their haunts to watch and Son These two pairs are about a mile apart. I found one pair in the spring of 1907. They nested and returned again in 1908 and again this sum- mer, making three seasons they have spent in this one spot that I know of. The other pair I found last Season and they were again on hand this summer making their sec- ond year here at least. By watching the old birds I find it easy to locate the nest. When build- ing the female is quite noisy and very restless. Her call is unlike the male’s being a series of five to eight loud and rapidly uttered chip-like notes, much like the cross-bill’s, only loud- er. While the female is building the male is most of the time perched close by on a big stub from which he makes frequent excursions after insects and at intervals gives his peculiar call. Altogether I have found and examin- ed five nests. All were in second- growth hemlocks. All were on horiz- ontal limbs from three to twelve feet from the trunk and with one exception were well hidden from view from the ground. The lowest nest was twenty and the highest fifty feet from the ground, They required from five to seven days to build. The material us- ed was smal] dead hemlock twigs on many of which small pieces of lichen was sticking. They were lined with a very few pieces of dried grass. The nests were all rather shallow affairs; several I could almost see through. In all cases the eggs were three in number and looked not unlike the wood pewee’s on a large scale. The ground color is much the same, but the eggs are much more heavily spott- ed and wreathed. When climbing to the nest I have found both old birds very courageous and have had them repeatedly dart within a few feet of my head. One nest that I found was robbed by a red squirrel or Blue Jay before the set was complete, but in about ten days more the female began a sec- ond nest in the same tree on a limb fifteen feet lower down. In building this second nest she used fully half the material of the first nest. While sit —a THE OOLOGIST 195 ting around watching the old birds, I have found them very unsuspicious. Don’t seem to pay any attention to a person on the ground. At times I have seen both birds perched on a limb very close togeth- er and twittering to one another. Evidently making love or talking over domestic affairs. Next season, if my two pairs return, I intend to try and get a few photos if possible. R. B. Simpson. Se Eee ae nee WOODPECKERS. The Forestry service of the United States has recently issued a circular relating to the damage to telegraph and telephone poles occasioned by the Woodpeckers. It advises that the birds be not injured or killed, and reports cereosote-treated poles are not attack- ed by the birds. - The woodpecker family is one of the most beneficial of all bird families. Without them there would be no need for a Forestry service for there would be no forests. These birds do more to preserve the forests of the country than all the forest experts on the gov- ernment pay roll; many times over. Protect these birds by all means, and tell the Railway and telegraph people to use a little common sense and erect galvanized iron poles set in concrete in the country, and to put their wires underground where they belong, in towns and cities. Our wocdpeckers are far and away more valuable that the average. cor- poration director imagines. Protect the birds, BIRDS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin, We are in receipt cf this publication issued by the Field Museum of Natural History written by Charles B. Corey, the Curatcr cf the Department of Birds of this Museum. It is a large portly volume of over 750 pages:.and: is divided into three > general sub-diyisions: 1. A Bibliogfaphy covering this re- gion. : i pee fina! 2. One of the best Bird Keys that has ever come under our observation. 3. A list of the birds found in these two states with appropriate remarks, citations and references; the whole emblished with a very large number of cuts and plates, many of thém of, very high merit. a This work will take rank at once as the leading work on the birds of these two states, and will remain in that position for many long years, is our judgment, The preparation of this book shows not only the well-known knowledge of Professor Carey, of birds, but likewise his exceedingly painstaking and care- ful collation of the information obtain- able only as the result of long careful correspondence and acquaintance with bird students in the two states cover- ed. It is a production which will be welcomed by the crnithologists of the West as well as by the ordinary read- er; for while it is of high scientific value, it is by no means the dry pro- lix assemblage of latin names so dis- tasteful to all except the professional ornitholegists. 0

@, ALBION, Ni Yv.,.U S.A al = (oy : , Ss =) ao = g| Museum Builder, Naturalists’ Agent, a om = | lo YW = 5) Publisher of THE OoLocistT. aD 2 S| =e c= i ae ae ; er ce So) xt Can furnish anything obtainable from a Diatom to a oo ESS) Mastodon, quickly and at lowest living rates. New and =) a Oo Second-hand Beoks and Publications cn subjects relat- go oO VY) ing to Natural History always in stock. S We ; ; 9 i- | (over) WRITE YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS. | = + PCA vA ’ ae KS Dudinces — 1854 fe SFOCOw® To WHom It May CONCERN:— Above is reproduced one of my old business cards. I still have about $2000 locked up in this material (odds and ends) and shall inventory and list during the winter of 1909 and 1910. I shall offer at a very low price, much less than real value, and from time to time, if necessary, the prices on remnants will be cut to any figure necessary to move the stock as I shall close out everything left at any price I can obtain for same regardless of cost or value. I also have an Indian Relic collection, cheap at $1,000, which I may catalog and offer for sale in 1910. Also my 800 volume Medical library. If interested, write, and I will send you list as issued. Faithfully, FRANK H. LATTIN, M. D., Apion, N. Y. THE OOLOGIST 199 A PLAIN TALK! TO ADVERTISERS ! Did you know that THE OOLOGIST reaches a thousand bird students every month ? Did you know that it goes into every state and territory in the United States, every province in Canada, and nearly every country in Europe, besides many other foreign countries ? % Did you know that its circulation is to-day greater than that of all other Bird Publications in America combined, excluding “Bird Lore”’ and that this can be proved by the subscription books ? Did you know that sellers of Bird Books, manufacturers of photographic materials and cameras, retailers of taxidermical and Oological Instruments, and dealers in all Natural History specimens mounted birds, skins, eggs, nests, etc. should take notice of these facts ? THE OOLOGIST, Lacon, Ill. THE OOLOGIST - SUBSCRIBERS Anew management is at the helm. New methods are to be employed?in making The Oologist. 1. More and better cuts will appear. 2. A series of coloredgplates different from anything ever published are in contemplation. 3. The exchange columns will be brought up tofstandard if you will only send in your notices. A. The subscription list must begincreased. Cannot each one of you send in at least oneinewgsubscriber ? 5. The premium policy aside from the gfree fexchange notice will be eliminated, the magazine will be worth the piice: THE OOLOGIST Albion, N. Y.,. or Lacon, Illinois es ha as WY A O17” 4 THE OOLOGIST. BIRDS--NESTS--EGGS TAXIDERMY Vom. XXVI. No. 12. ALBION, N. Y., DEC. 15, 1909. WHOLE No. 269 BRIEP SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Wanted, Exchange, For Sale, Etc., words for one issue; each additional word | cent. inserted in this department at 25 cents for each 25 No notice inserted for less than 25 cents. TAKE NOTICE. SUBSCRIPTION, 50 CENTS PER YEAR Examine the number on the wrapper of your Oologist. It denotes the time your Subscription expires. Remember we must be notified if you wish it discontinued and all arrearages must be paid. 269 your sub- scription expires with this issue. 281 your subscription expires with December issue 1910. Other expirations can be computed by intermediate numbers at the rate of one number per month. Entered as second-class matter De- cember 21, 1903, at the post office, at Albion, N. Y., under the Act of Con- gress of March 8, 1879. In answering advertisements in these columns mention ‘‘THE OOLOGIST,’’ and thereby help us, as well as the ad- vertiser and yourself. BIRDS THE CELEBRATED HUNG ARIAN AND ENGLISH PARTRIDGES AND PHEAS- ANTS, capercailzies, black game, wild turkeys, quails, rabbits, deer, etc. for stock purposes. Fancy pheas:nts, peafowl, swans, cranes, storks. ornamental geese and ducks, foxes, squirrels, ferrets, and all kinds of birds and animals. WENZ & MACKENSEN, eet H, Pheasantry & Gume Park, Yardley, a. FOR SALE:—A collection of Mexican bird- skins, containing several hundreds of spe- cies; perfect skins with careful data. This collection includes a variety of Raptores and Gamebirds. Will dispose of same, individ- ually.or as a whole. Noexchange. AUS- TIN PAUL SMITH, Box 141, Brownsville, Texas. WANTED.— Perfect skins of Suowy Heron, Long-billed Curlew, Avocet, B. B. Plover, Bartemian Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Red- tailed Hawk and others. Offer good ex- change. Send list and receive mine. E. R. Ween Taxidermist, Box 196, Canton, ass. WANTED-— First class labeled skirs of N. A. small Jand birds, for Al skins oi! birds from N, E. Illinois and California. I can also use C. & S. Am. birds in excnange.— H. K. COALE, 136 Washington street, Chicago. FOR SALE or Exchange for Bird Skins. Books by ©. B. Cory: Birds of Hayti and San Domingo; Birds of Bahamas; Birds of East- ern N. A., also O. & O. Vol. viii. F. B. Mc- KECHNIE, Ponkapog, Mass. WANTED.—I wish to get A-1 skins of Bob White, California Quail, Sora Rail and others for mounting. J. F. HANSMAN, 4736 St. Lawrence Avye., Chicago, Ill. WANTED.—Skins of all the quails, par- tridges, grouse and pheasants of Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia (all over the world), cash or exchange. Write what you have and auhal: you want. J. F. FRAZIER, Audubon, owa WANTED.— First class skins of M: LITE Gulls, Shearwaters, Rails i i Grouse, Hawks, Ow!s «cabbie teats : and Great Cr aa and certain small land Offer representative Sonthe species, also fine sets of : Heermani s Gu! All reliab I. OSBUR: Thirty Ei and capable « #ood quality a i I d. Perhaps of twenty species; such as Pruropean Papper. Hoopoe, Wryneck, Kingfisher, etc. $10 for the lot. ‘AUSTIN PAUL SMITH, Box 141, Brownsville, Texas. WANTED.—Skins of birds not common in this locality to mount on halves. Write first. ARTHUR HINKLE, Newark, Wayne County. N. Y. WANTED.—Skins of Masked Bob-white, Eskimo Curlew, San Pedro, Partridge, Spotted Owl. Flammulated Screech Owl, Pribilof Sand Piper. Bristle-thighed Curlew, and any other rare skins. J. F. FRAZIER, Audubon, lowa. WANTED.—First class skins, especially of east of Mississippi material. Send lists. B. H. SWALES, Grosse Isle. Michigan. S FOR EXCHANGE-—Bird skins, long list of books. Want bird skins, mounted birds or books on birds. ORIN GREENWOOD, 8&0 East Main St., Manchester. Iowa. COSTA RICA SKINS.— Write me your wants. Bird and Mammel skins collected from this locality for cash. tae | SEENEY RAVEN, Box 73, Limon. Gog canon inet mai 202 BIRDS—Continued W ANTED.—A few good skins of the Aleu- tian Tern (Sterna aleutica) Thayer Museum, Lancaster. Mass. Rare birds’ skins, eggs, and nests from Hurope, Asia, Africa, Central and South America at low prices. Also Ornithological Books and Reptiles’ Eggs. See Bulletin. Specimen number for 2 cent stamp. World Wide Circulation. Ad rates 1 cent a word. THE BULLETIN, 4 Duke St., Adelphi, London, W. C. England. WANTED.—The following first class skins: one pair Tree Sparrow, one pair Western Tree Sparrow, one pair Chipping Sparrow, one female Clay Colored Sparrow, one pair Western Chipping Sparrow, one pair Brewer’s Sparrow, one pair Field Sparrow, and one pair Western Field Sparrow, all xtra A. 1. suitable for mounting. R. M BARNES, Lacon, Ills. FOR EXCHANGE.—Skins 154, 212, 214. 239, 242, 246, 248) 255, 257, 283.1, 272, 274, 331, 357, 367, 394¢, 474b, 495, 498, 509, 515, 534, 540, 542a, 559, 567, 581, 584, 624, 662, 657, 678. 659b, 725, 727, 748. Want skins and eggs in exchange. J. A. MUNRO, 466 Pape Ave., Toronto, Ont., Canada. WANTED.—All mounted spec mene of Woodcock, Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, all Quails and Grouse, forcash. L. MILLER, 1129 H, Market St., Indianapolis, Ind. WANTED.—Male and female of Wood Duck, Great Horned Owl, Screech Owl, Spar- row Hawk. Flicker, Baltimore Oriole, Blue Jay and Scarlet Tanager. The first five with nests in section of hollow tree and the latter three withnests and eggs in section of original branches. For further particulars address J. FRIESSER, 5620 Lake Ave., Chicago, I11. WANTED.— First class skins or mounted specimens of any of the Hawks and Owls. Will give good exchange in book. Write Ss. V. WHARRAM., Geneva. Ohio. A_1 mounted birds of rare eggs in sets to exchange for same head, fur rugs. Address ONES SWEZEY, 61071 Polk St., Newark, skin for mounting of black squirrel, wild cat, gray fox. Will ex- change bird skins, mounted specimens, or cash for same. O.S. BEGGS, San Jose, Ill. FP WANTED.—To exchange bird skins of Northern Illinois with somebody for birds from his locality, including western varieties of our common birds if possible. CHAS. kK CARPENTER, 183 Fox St.. Aurora, Illinois. WANTED.— Fresh EGGS EGGS IN FINE SETS—TI can supply fol- lowing species: 121, 207, 293a, 29', 295, 301, 302, 313, 318, 319, 321, 327, 328, 353, 354, 354a, 359, 360c, 370a, 376, 417, 419, 421, 4206, 459, 475, 487, 490.2, 490,2, d13a, 518, 533, 534.536, 554, 5676, 5817, 586 5930, 607, 641, 637, 654a, 683a, 697, 702, 708, 706, 730, 7350, 736a, 738, 749, 754, 763. Exchange lists in- vited. THOMAS H. JACKSON, West Ches- ter, Pa., 304 N. Franklin St. FOR rare Oological specimens from Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America, see “The Bulletin.’ World wide circulation- Advertisement rates 50 cts. per inch. Wants and Exchange column,] centa word. Sam- ple copy 3 cent stamp only, “THE BULLE. TIN,’ 4 Duke St., Adelphi, London, England THE OOLOGIST FOR EXCHANGH.—In A. I. sets, with data. 190, 194, 263, 333, 337, 337b, 339, 359, (359.1) 362, 364, 375, 390, 493, 633.1, 759b and others. Also butterflies and moths, in dust and insect proof mounts. Very fine minerals in fine cabinet specimens and some Indian relics. Want all of the above, in fine ‘specimens and especially want 328, 318, 349, 332, 301, 309, 281, 224, 208, 27. Send listsene Wane SNYDER, Lacona, New York. WANTED.—A set each of the Broad-winged and Sharp-shinned Hawk. Can offer in exchange fine western sets with nest. D. EH. BROWN, 90 University St., Seattle, Wash. FOR EXCHANGE.—636 n- 5, 477 1-4 1-3, 681d n-4, 595 1-4, 755 2-3, 390 1-7, 65 1-3, 201 1-4, 388 2-4, EDWARD 8S. COOMBS, 243 Franklin St., Boston, Mass. I HAVE a lot of fine sets of Sea Birds Eggs from Iceland and Lapland, to exchange for other kinds. Send your list to WALTER RAINE, Kew Beach, Toronto, Canada. WANTED.—Sets of eggs not in my _ collec- tion, including many ordinary varieties, and especially western and northerly species. Send list to B. W. ARNOLD, Albany, N. Y TO EXCHANGE.—A few first class sets and singles, with full data ae same. Send list and receive mine. W. A. STRONG, 41 Grand Ave., San Jose, Calif. WANTED.—The following eggs in sets: A. O. WU. No. 5; 7, 9; 12)27, 35, 42.4447, 635 Ie 128% 196, 197, 203, 275, 349. 352 ana others. PAUL TAYLOR, 315 N. 6th St., Camden, N WANTED.—Coming season, one set No. 36, 421, 48, 52. 62, 73. 86b, 861, 89, 108, 105, (101), (110), 111, 112, (113i), (114). 188, 206, 228, 334, 340, 344, peu ae FRED TRUESDALE. Shandon, Jali Sets Sharp-shinned, Broad winged Hawks, Barred and Great Horned Owls, Great Blue Heron and others to dispose of. DICKEY,. Waynesburg, Pa. FOR EXCHANGE.—Fine sets of Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Louisiana Heron, Wayne’s Clapper Rail, Florida Burrowing Owl, and others. For parliculars address W. W. WORTHINGTON, Shelter Island Heights, New York. TO EXCHANGE —Sets with data, North American and Foreign. Can ae many com- orn kinds of both. Dr. T. W. RICHARDS Wee GENCE 1911 N. St., N. W., Washington FOR SALE—Fine sets of Sea Birds Eges, Aucks, Loons, Gulls and Plovers from Ice- land, Lapland and Sweden. WALTHER RAINE, Kew Beach, Toronto, Canada. WANTED—A good second-hand egg cabi- net. Send description and price, together with inside measurements of drawers, when answering this ad, C. BERT NICHOLS Granyille, N. Y. WANTED. —Eggsin sets of Green Jay, Say’s Phoebe, Mountain Chickadee, Tufted TR EROS. Lazuli Bunting, Summer Tanager Hooded Oriole. Prairie ‘and Pine Warblers, old bird magazines. C. M. CASE, 7 Holeomb Ses Hartford, Conn. WANTED.—Nests with and without sets of 463, 466, 550. 642, 645, 654, 667, 686, 719, 722, 726, 748, 758.759b. JAS. P. BALL, M.D., Frankford. Pa. THE OOLOGIST 208 EGGS—Continued RARE EGGS FOR EXCHANGE.—I have a few sets of Heerman’s Gull, Blue-footed Boone Red-footed Booby, Black Petrel, Least Petrel, Soccoro Petrel, Cassin’s Auklet, Ridgeway’s Noddy, Black vented Shear- water, Blue-faced Booby, What hare you? Only perfect sets wanted and must be strict- ly s 1. W.LEECHAMBERS, Santa Monica, al. FOR EXCHANGE.—Incomplete sets and Singles, with data, Of White Neck Raven. Many common singles wanted. Jel, Y&o BENEDICT, Austin, Texas. FOR EXCHANGE.—Choice sets of eggs, that I would like to exchange for shot gun. ee P. WARD, 522 5th: Ave., Upper Troy, IMs 5 WANTED.—Eggs in sets with data and ornithological books in exchange for books oreggs. Will pay cash for bird books. H. BISHOP, Sayre, WANTED.—To exchange sets of eggs with any first class collectors. Desire many com- mon ones in series and in Bess: Offer rare species, also local series. H. AURIS 321 54th St., New Port News, Ma Snapping Turtle 1-25, 1-30, 1-40, 4 cents per egg prepaid. Six well marked sets of Red shouldered Hawk 5,3. 1-4. All first class with data. JAS. O. JOHNSON, Southington, Conn FOR EXCHANGE. — My entire coll. of Nests, Eggs, some Skins. 1500 choice sets Parties interested write for list, etc. PHILO Ww. SMITH, Eureka Springs, Ark. FOR EXCHANGE.—A collection of about 155 species—one set each of North American Birds Eggs; also a 12-drawer quarter sawed Oak Cabinet. No fair offer refused. M.F HENCHEY, 60 Arnold St., Westfield, Mass HXCHANGE.—A tine series of ten of the Pallas Murre from Cape Hope, Alaska. I want 188, 332, 343, 348, 362, 364 and many others, D. E. BROWN, 6044 Ist Ave.. No. W, Sta. F. Seattle, Wash. Iam disposing of my collection of nests andeggs. Would exchange for bird skins and stamps... F. T. CORLESS, 804 E.14 N., Portland, Oregon. ICAN OFFER 30a 1-11, 32 1-11, 184 1-4, 187 1-3 1-4. 199 1-5, 378a 1-6, 513 1-3, and many _ingles With data. What have YOU to offer? BUNT H. SHORT, Box 173 Rochester. N. FOR EXCHANGE — First class Eggs in sets. C.S. RUTHERFORD, Revere, Mo. TO EXCHANGE —Sets of 658 and others for same. J. CLAIRE WOOD, 179 17th Street, Detroit, Mich. NESTS with and without sets wanted, also reptile eggs, common variety particularly. J.P. BALL, M. D., Frankford, Phila. I have sets of 364 and 709 to exchange. I want 131 and 1449. ROBERT P. SHARPLES, West Chester, Pa. : FOR EXCHANGE.—Giant Fulme;, 6-1, at $25 per ege. Wandering Albatross 5-1, $20 peregg. Sendlists. JOHNH. FLANAGAN, 10 Weybosset St., Providence, R. I. TO EXCHANGE.—To clear up. 390 2:5, 1 4; 622 A 3-6; 339 3-2, 3-3; 77 1-2; 475 3-6, 1-7. Who wants them? Prices for 1909 Are as Follows: Nos. 1,14, 18, 31, 34-35, 42, 53, 86, 89, 111,130 , 132 137. 139, 140, 153, 158, are 50 cents each; Nos. 9, 66-67, 76, 77, 78, 79, 88, 90, 100 113, 138, 146, are 25 cents each. INOS, WE SS GIA a dk Bi BO, 15, 7, OS, Ie AS. ae), akeldt al4is), Bice 15 cents each. NOS, 19,1 20, P25 B75 BS, BS, BOs 40, 4a, 50, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 70, 74, 80, 93, 114, 115, 126, 133, 185, are 10 cents each. @8S~All other numbers 5c. per copy. For $12 will send prepaid a copy of every issue ever published, No. 1 to 145. This offer includes your subscription through 1908. My prices for back numbers of the YOUNG OOLOGIST and OOLOGIST in volumes, are as follows: WOll I Ukiah INOS LO UWB oasoooe. $ .90 Wel, IO WERE INO: 1S) t@ Ws cansods .50 Wo, 10k SEBO INOS UH UO 27Moscoos .90 WO, JO UBS INOS; “FIL COs ABSABs oso ULOW Wo, Wo USS, INOS Be UO B8oocoao 1.50 YO, Wis S895 INOS, BO. tO BOcocaccas UO) Wool, VAD, WOOL INOS, Bl tO GBoscades | 6H Wok, WONG USsSls IWOSs Ws wO Weo6o000 .75 Wool, 136 ISOS INOS: TH (® 88565 ho0000 90 Wolk, OS ISOS Nos, BETO W8ss coos 1.00 Vol. XI, 1894, Nos. 99 to 110...... .50 Vol. XII, 1895, Nos. 111 to 122.... 1.00 Volo Xi) W896; Nos. 123) to 27... 50 Vol XIV, 1897, Nos. 128 to 139.... 1.50 Vol. XV, 1898, Nos. 140 to 149.... .60 Vol. XVI, 1899, Nos. 150 to 161.. ot) Vol. XVII, 1900, Nos. 162 to 171.. .50 Vol. XVIII, 1901, Nos. 172 to 183.. .50 Vol. XIX, 1902, Nos. 184 to 195.... .50 Vol. XX, 1903, Nos. 196 to 197..... 10 Vol. XXI, 1904, No. 198 to 209.... .50 Vol. XXIT, 1905, Nos. 210 to 221.... .59 Vol. XXIII, 1906, 222 to 233....... Sheek senceaeia 50 Vol. XXIV. 1907, 234. to 245................ OD Vol. XXV, 1908, 246 to 257 ...-..... 50 For $5.25 I will send ppacp aid a copy of every issue published, Nos. inclusive, except the twenty-nine, (29), 25¢e., 50c.and 75¢c.copies. For $2.50 I will send prepaid’ every copy published, Nos. 1 to 209, inclusive, except the sixty copies priced above at 10c or over — BOUND VOLUMES — Can be furnished, strongly bound in cloth and boards, as follows: Vol. I and I! YOUNG OOLOGIST bound in $1.00 of valuable and instructive Ovlogical and Ornithological matter with many full page illustrations, . . .. . . $1.00 Or, if you order the two volumes at one time, we will send them by return mall for only $1.75. Every student of birds, their nests and eggs, should have these two volumes in their Mbrary. The valuable information they contain, fg worth many times the price. Address plainly, R. M. BARNES, Lacon, II]. | WANT THE FOLLOWING. Please look this list over careful- ly and if you have any of them write me. North American Fauna, No. 23. The Wilson Billitin, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 64, The Curlew, Published by O. P, Hau ger of Orleans, Ind., Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Oy. The Ornithologist and Oologist Semi- Annual, Published in 1889-90-91 by Wm. H, Foote of Pittsfield, Mass., and by C. C, Maxfield of Danbury, Conn., in 1891. All numbers pub- lished except Nos. Vol. 1, No. 2, and Vol. 2, No. 2. The Wilson TiuilbyA soe Quarterly, No. 2, Vol. 4, The Wilson Journal, Vol 1, Jany., 1893 and Vel. 2, June, 1893. Notes on Rhode Island Ornithology, Published by Reginald Heber Howe, Jr., 1890. The Oologist, of Utica, N. Y., Vols. 1-5 inclusive, for 1875 to 1881, any numbers. Journal of the Maine Ornithological Club. A complete file or any num- bers. The Maine Ornithologist. A complete file, any numbers, The Audubon Magazine. file, any numbers, A complete Birds of California, In relation to the fruit industry—Beal, Part II. The Oologist—This magazine—Vol. III, No. 4; Vol. IV, Nos. 1, 3, 4; Vol. V, No. 6; Vol. VII, Nos. 3 and 10. Catalogue of Canadian Birds, by Prof. McCoun, Part I, I will pay the very highest market price for all or any part of the above in case R. M. Barnes, Lacon, Ills. THE OOLOGIST. Vou. XXVI. No. 12. Apion, N. Y. DECEMBER 15, 1909. WHOLE No. 269 Published Monthly, by R. M. Barnes, Lacon, Illinois. I91IO THE OOLOGIST for 1910 will be issued regularly on the 15th day of each month, and will be better than it has ever been yet, since it first saw the light of day in 1884. A higher class of illustrations will be used and the best ob- tainable manuscript will be published. It will be full of live, original articles written by the best bird students in North America and embellished with hither- to unpublished pictures of bird life taken from nature. It will wage a relentless war upon all persons engaged in fr or ermEology and will show up those who use its advertising columns for the purpose of arranging exchanges and then fail to settle the accounts of such exchanges. - We expect during the year of 1910 to double the present subscription list of THE OOLOGIST, and if so, the size of the magazine will then be increased. During the coming year it will contain each month at least two high class illustrations and eight pages of live bird matter, making in all one hundred twenty pages of the best bird literature of the day; and all for FIFTY CENTS. whist 208 THE OOLOGIST : PLATE 21. King Rail on Nest at Philo, III. —Photo by Isaac E. Hess, June 10, 1909. THE OOLOGIST 209 KING RAIL IN ILLINOIS. The seeker after nesting data of this swamp-loving member of the “Rallus” family, would scarcely choose the eastern part of Illinois as a basis for field operations. A trip through this (Champaign) county would discourage the most op- timistic Oologist were he bent on ac- cumulating information concerning Swamp birds or desirous of adding their sets to his collection. We are unfortunately situated (from a bird student’s point of view) in regard to swamps, being on a sort of divide, with our water courses run- ning away in each direction, North, South, East and West. No swamp could exist under our present drain- age system and we must be content with a few small ponds as the only representatives of the glorious swampy past when our parents could wade into the ooze places and come forth with aprons and baskets leaden with Duck eggs. Ye Gods! When I hear mother tel] of hatching a pair of Sandhill Crane eggs under a Tur- key—such treasures picked up in the fields like so many pctatoes and right where our fields of corn now wave in the winds, I feel that I appeared on this terrestrial ball about a third of a century late. But the King Rail loves us yet and, although we have digged our ditches with no thought or care as to his fu- ture existence, he apparently forgives our selfishness and contentedly ac- cepts the huts we grudgingly leave him in lieu of the spacious mansions he might so easily find elsewhere. This reads along quite prettily of course, but how does it sound when I con- fess that two months ago I was not aware of the facts stated above—that the King Rail still nested with us. It is really laughable and yet it is a matter of chagrin with me, when I review my numerous trips to. sur- rounding counties, including a long journey to the Illinois river bottoms in search of ‘Rallus elegans” in his home, to find five nests here in June, under my very nose and the one of my photo illustrations, in less than a mile of my store, where, during many sea- sons, I have dashed forth at the “call of the wild’—filling my stolen hours with Ornithological experiences. Although always recorded in my note book—“‘King Rail—summer mi- erant—formerly a breeder,’ I have a suspicion that ‘“Kingus Railus’” has been a summer resident these many years, and I, only ignorant of his hab- its. And is it any wonder? I found no photos of either bird or nest in my li- brary. My Bird books contain so lit- tle information about this bird that one might easily consider him rare desiderata. Job’s Water Birds illus- Reed’s splendid of Water-birds. eg book was perused in vain tor paotOS of this common wal irae) Eh all the periodicals years 1 hunted for the simplest data collcerhins his nosting and found the few notes far from satisfactory. Mr. Abbott of Chi- cago published in the Sept. 1908 Oolo- gist the only valuable notes concern- ing this bird that I was able to un- earth. The old stereotyped assertion that the King Rail is “very shy” is incor- rect, says Mr. Abbott. I am ready to agree with Mr, Abbott. My exper- ience of June 10, 1909, when I was forced to lift the female from the first nest I had ever found, would seem to contradict the “shy” claim. The only shy actions exhibited were on my part after the angry little fe- male had drawn blood from my hand by a vicious stab from her sharp beak. I must needs get this vision of her 210 THE gentle nature from experience because nothing in print that I could find, gave her away. _ I notice that in the current issue of the Oologist, ye Editor was also forced afield to learn of this bird. Well, at last King Rail or perhaps I should say “Mrs. King Rail’—is going to get exposed. Another surprise was the location of this, my first nest of the King Rail. In a small 2 by 4 ‘“‘pondette’’—actually 15 feet by 40, by the side of the Wa- bash Railroad tracks, our interesting pair of Rails reared their 1909 struc- ture. Building within 35 feet of the path of the night Buffalo Express with its blinding electric head-light and the almost hourly heavy freights with their diabolical deafening roars, quite convince me that his Satanic Majesty himself would fail in the at- tempt at frightening this pair of timid Rails. On May 17th, I noticed a Rail walk out from a tile drain which crosses the road-way. As this drain connected with a small pond a short distance away and as the date seemed a little late for an intending mover, followed the plan of the “Thinking Machine” of the Sunday Magazine fame. I put 2-and 2 tegether and it made 4. June Ist I investigated and, al- though I saw no birds, a thorough ex- amination of all the clumps of swamp- grass finally revealed what appeared to be a complete but unoccupied nest. It was well hidden in a thick bunch of tall grass growing on a hummock in three inches of water. : Nine days later, on June 10th, I was astonished to find the female cov- ering 11 eggs. She must have done some tall laying to deposit 11 eggs in 9 days. Undoubtedly 2 eggs must have appeared in one day on more than one occasion. I found upon blow- ing the set, that all but two eggs were pretty well advanced in incubation, OOLOGIST proving to my satisfaction that the setting must have begun upon laying the first egg. Probably this is necessary for pro- tection in such situations, exposed as they are to Muskrats, Snakes and oth- er enemies, The utter fearlessness exhibited by the female turned my thoughts at once to photographs and immediately I hot-footed it to town for my trusty 5 by 7. Upon my re-appearance, the female slid eff the nest and ran out of sight in the tall grasses. Recalling the fact that this bird was “very shy” my spirits fell and visions of pictures faded away. However I could photo the nest and eggs and after obtaining a good focus, I attached a string, pulled the slide and backed off up the rail-road bed which was elevated above the pond probably 15 feet. From where I was seated, the white eggs could be seen gleaming through the grass. After a half hour of patient waiting, the white gleam disappeared and I knew the Rail had returned to the nest. I pulled the string—heard the click of the shutter and felt re- paid for my efforts. Slipping cautiously down the string, I approached the camera. Mrs. Rail did not move this time and I was al- lowed to turn the plateholder and snap her again before she emerged with swelling feathers and _ scolding notes for all the world like an angry domestic Hen. As I reloaded the camera she would approach behind me, sometimes with- in two feet and turning quickly I would find her in an attitude which seemed at the point of attack. I found it necessary to retrace my steps 15 or 20 feet before she could be induced to return to her eggs. Repeat- ing the performance time and again I succeeded in getting six views. The male joined in the scolding but would THE OOLOGIST SAY ook ENS os sine PLATE 20. Nest and Eggs of King Rail near Philo, III. —Phcoto by Isaac E. Hess, June 10, 1969. 212 THE OOLOGIST approach no nearer than 30 feet, where I could catch only occasional glimpses as he skulked through the grasses. He was undoubtedly “shy.” On June 13th, I wheeled to a larg- er pond four miles south of town and found King Rails where I had in sea- sons past, looked in vain. I located four more nests—one of which con- tained 9 eggs, one 10, and two nests had complements of 12 eggs. Of the ten birds represented by the 5 nests found, not a single one flushed or rose from the ground. Indeed I never would have seen a Rail had I not carefully looked over each bunch of grass and parted each one for a close investigation. Because of the difficulty in flushing the King Rail, explains why my many miles of weary tramping availed me nothing. And all the time I had but to look to find the golden treasurers at my feet. ISAAC EH. HESS. » of * mantopus Mexicanus in 0s Anceles Co., California. Whi collecting at Nigger Slough, June 12th of this year, with two friends, we observed several Black- necked Stilts flving about. One of my companions had been up to the other end of the slough a few days before and had found a_ great number of these waders there. So we started for the upper end with the intention of collecting a few sets of Stilt’s eggs if possible. The birds were there in great numbers, and apparently breed- ing, but the results of a two hours’ search were a few eggshells, two eggs found at different places on the bare mud, and a few young. We gave up in disgust, and started for home, but while crossing a shallow arm cf the slough, dotted with clumps cf marsh grass, I turned and saw four Stilt’s ges on their flat, disc-shaped nest of sticks, placed on a clump of marsh- grass. They were far-advanced in in- cubation, so I guess we were too late for eggs of this species. This was the only set of Black- necked Stilts that we found, but we got sets of the Tule Wren, Kiilldeer, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Western Yellow-throat, and found a nest and five eggs of the Californian Clapper Rail. This is unusual, as this species rarely breeds in fresh-water marshes. D. I. SHEPARDSON. 9 —< Nesting of Florida Wren. During the season of 1909 the writ- er made a svecial study of the habits of this sociable wren, Thryothorus lud- ovicianus miamensis. Sixty nests in all were observed during the vear and some very inter- esting facts were brought to light. This wren is a resident with us here in Florida and is on hand every morn- ing rolling out his rich full song be- fore most mortals are ready to get up. There was a peach tree within three feet of my bedroom window and this was the favorite place for the morning concert of one very sociable little fellow. It hardly seems possible that so much sound can come from such a small bird and when they are breeding they seem to be singing con- tinually all day, but the pair are very seldom tcgether when singing, one will be eff a few hundred feet and they will sing to each other, the male with the strongest song and the fe- male will answer as soon as he is through and makes one think of an echo. About March 15 I noticed that this particular pair were looking for a nesting site, they were in the house the greater part of the time, peering in clesets, and back of jars on the shelves, and all the time they would keep up the most cheerful twittering to themselves. They seem to be as ntuch at ease when standing with their heads down as any other way and re- minds one of the Chicadee in this re- spect. I was very busy at this time and did not succeed in finding the nest of this pair until they had laid three eggs, so waited until they fin- ished the set of five which I colected on the 27th of March. This nest was built under the kitchen on top of one of the piers and was a typical nest so will describe it. The outside was made of coarse grass and weed stems and some finer twigs, next came a lay- er of finer grass and some string, fine pieces of cloth and some cotton batting, this was followed by a lin- ing of horsehair and dry snaix skin, in this respect, like the Crested Fly- catcher. Ninety per cent. of the wrens nest examined by me this year had this dry snaix skin in the lining. The nest was built in the corner next the sill and the opening was at an angle of about 45 degrees. In fact, practically all nests of this species are built at this angle. On the 30th after collecting this set I noticed that this pair were spending a great deal of their my h house and upon inves =- no suitable corner fa n up an empty peach can and in looking in there on the seco y following found that they had completed their nest in this can. I watched this daily now and found that the first egg was laid on April 6 and laid about 10 a. m. and an egg was deposited daily from this on until the set of 5 were laid. The female began setting im- mediately after finishing the laying and set exactly fourteen days before hatehing. During the time of incuba- tion the male was very attentive, sing: ing for hours within a few yards of the nest, he would sometime relieve his mate at the setting job, more espe- cially after the 10th day. On one oc- easion I noticed him feed his mate while she was on the nest. The fe male became very tame and often al- Wal SUR Fe Re Se ee eee 214 THE OOLOGIST iowed me to put my finger en her while sitting on the nest, but the male never allowed such liberties. When the young were eight days old and were becoming feathered out nicely, a rat found the happy home and destroyed them. This happened on May 3 and on May 5th I noticed the male was beginning to build again in another can that I had put up in the porch on top the plate. In this nest the male did nearly all the build- ing and was five days doing the job. Singing all the time, he did not seem to worry about the loss of his family, the female was different, however, and sang very little. Ten days after this nest was finished I found the first egg laid and when three were laid, another rat cr mouse destroyed them. This pair then immediately started a nest in a length cf old stove pipe that I had nailed in a horizontal position in a tree in front of the house and about ten yards away. They completed this nest in twe days and laid one egg, the next day I noticed that this nest had ycen torn out and the egg destroyed, prebably the work of a pair of festive jays. After all these set backs this pair wert further out in the woods and succeeded in raising a brood after all. I found their nest when they had fcur eggs in and that was the number she raised. The female did not come up to the house much after she moved to the woods, but the male was on his jcb every morning early at the peach tre> and many times during the dav wetld ecme in the house look- ing for spiders. On my farm there were about six dierent pairs cf these little songsters, but each »air seemed to keep to its own range and there was very little quarreling among them. One _ pair built in my packing house and built the nest in a dav. Rv the watch this pair made 14 trips with building ma- terial in 10 minutes. They had a snort fly though, as the floor was strewn with wisps of hay. This nest was built in a box nailed to the wall and was used for keeping stencils in and was a large affair and this nest was the largest of all I noted during the year, but also it was the most Icosely con- structed and was made almost entire- ly ef hay with the exception cf the lining. Upon completing this nest the pair disappeared for over a week, when one day I noticed a new nest be- ing made in the engine room in a box con the wall and have no doubt that this was the same pair. A rat de stroyed this set after it had been set on for seven days. About two weeks later I happened to go to the nest in the packing house and found an egg that was identical with the set in the engine room, so, no doubt, it was the same nair. This set was also destrcy- ed by rats, after five eggs had been laid. In thirty-two sets that were allowed to hatch, the incubation lasted for fourteen days and the young, in every case, left the nest in feurteen days. The male always helped in the matter of feeding and after the young left the nest, the female generally let him do most of the work of feeding and instructing the young to fly. A friend in town had a pair to build in a hanging basket of flowers just outside the front door, and they would help the old birds in the matter of feeding by getting the mud houses of the mud daubers, and break them open and lay them on the ground. The old wren weuld take out the young grubs and feed them to the young an@ would herself eat the spiders that were confined in these mud houses. When the young were nearly full fledged, however, they would feed them some of the spiders. The last nest I noticed was in my house and on August 10th, held a set of five that had been set on for a THE OOLOGIST 215 week. I moved to Jacksonville the 11th, and cannot say how this pair made out with raising the brood, This wren is a versatile nest build- er and can be found in almost every lecation from: cans to cavities in a bank along side a road. In holes in posts, old hats hanging up in an out house, in dwellings in corners on shelves, ete. ete. Almost every desert- ed old house in the country has its wren nest and were it not for the rats, there would be no telling how many wrens we would have, as it is, how- ever, the increase is not noticeable. To me the Florida Wren is the fin- est singer we have and while the much famed Mockingbird is a good one, be is only an amateur compared to some wrens I have known here. The wrens song has the fire and vigor to it that thrills one as the song of no cther bird does. While partial to the vicinity of man, this wren also seeks the densest swamps and I have found them breeding in swamps five miles frem any habitation. But his vigorous song is just the same there as when near man. This bird is an op- timist and I have never seen the male fail to sing, no matter what his trou- bles are, and a man is fortunate, in- deed when he can live here where he can have a bair as daily companions for the year round. O. E. BAYNARD. +—<>_2— $$$ The following clipping is now drift- ing through the rural press in Illinois: “One of the finest private collec- tions cf birds’ eggs belongs to A. E. Price at Grant Park. This collection consists of about 10,000 eggs which are arranged in a cabinet, each named and labeled. He has two eggs wor and labeled, He has two eggs worth $25. Eggs of all Illinois birds are in- eluded in this collection.”’ This shows the value by which the average perscn measures birds’ eggs. It is safe to say that our friend Price does net meastre the value of his collection in dollars at all. He is to high class a scientist for that. It de- bases and demcralizes oology to com- mercialize it. The value of a specimen depends upon three things; first, the absolute accuracy of identification; second, the character, standing and rank of the name attached to the data accom- panying the specimen; and third, the method of preparation, The man who simply measures the value of specimens in dollars and cents is a pocr oologist indeed. If they represent nothing better than that, he snould at once donate them to some scientific institution and go out of the business. A collection of eggs should represent years of accu- mulated knowledge and personal re- miniscences connected with the tak- ing of the specimel should be measured y ‘he aioe knowledge acquired, and by the pleas- ure of the reminiscences, not by del lars and cents. AS a Matter of fact no bird’s egg has any intriiisic valu whatever. of From Tasmania. “The Tasmanian Naturalist” publish- ed in the Island of Tasmania, in the South Seas. have on their records, a pair cf ““Welcome Swallows” that rais- ed one perfect albino bird in each cf three successive -Ercods. Now if al- bincism is a disease, then this pair had a bad dose, eh? o<—>—e Which Shrike Is It? Althcugh I never considered the Shrike a nice bird, yet I have always had quite an interest in it on account of its peculiar makeup and habits; and it is surely of value to the farm- er’s crops as it must destroy great 216 THE OOLOGIST numbers of destructive beetles, grass- hoppers, field mice and other pests. I know of several pairs of these birds that nest about Auburn, N. Y., each year. Early in May, 1908, I found a nest in a bunch of wild apple trees which was the nicest I have ever seen, be- ing heavily lined with the cotton of dried cat-tails of a rich buff color. It contained three eggs. I visited the nest again in a week, and found the female sitting on six very pretty eggs. I quickly withdrew and watched for a half-hour through my glasses. The fe- male returned to the nest imemdiate- ly. In a short time the male came with food which his mate accepted with vibrating wings, and making a loud, rasping, squeaking sound. This occurred twice while I was watching. At no time during my visit was the male more than a hundred yards away frem the nest. Now the question in mind, is which Shrike is this. I had always supposed that this central New York State bird was the White-rumped, but during a short conversation with Mr. L. A. Fuertes last Spring, he told me that this is the Migrant Shrike, the White- rumped being the more Western spe- cies. Are not his statements authen- tic? Would like to hear from some of the Oologist readers. L. D,. LEACH. —— <3 — It is the Migrant Shrike—Hditor. A Letter. The following letter was received ~ from an old time subscriber to THE OOLOGIST, and is too good and too true to be hidden in a dust-covered file. Mr. Ingalls’ name years ago was well-known in the bird world. “RM. Barnes:— I was very much surprised to re- ceive a copy of ‘THE OOLOGIST’. It had been a long time since I received a copy. I had supposed it had passed and gone. It is the same old familiar paper and still it is not the same. What has become of the old boys whose names used to appear from time to time. Search as I may, I can only find two or three left. I know they have not ceased to love and study the birds, but have passed on to the sterner realities of life. I trust they are better and nobler men on account of the time and enjoyment spent in the fields and woods among the birds. “It takes me back to the happy hours I spent with my chum Dan, searching throug: ..... old Hyde Park District, south of Chicago; a veritable paradise for birds in days gone by. Where is Dan now? I cannot say, working away on books in some office I presume; also where are the birds that used to occupy the old haunts. Only these that knew the old district can realize the great change which the great city has made. I wish THE OOLOGIST great success, for it has a mission of its own, and I believe every boy or man who studies the birds is made better for it. JOHN W. INGALLS” 2< 0 Wyoming Juncos. Dear Oologist:— I send you herewith, two photos with notes, that may be of some inter- est to your readers. The set n-4, is that of the Montana Junco and the set n-5, the Oregon Junco—both pho- tos taken in situ by Dr. Moody. The most unusual thing connected with these photographs, is that of the Oregon Junco set, which contains, as may be plainly seen, 5 eggs, You will also notice that the surrounding shrubbery is that of a pine. The fact of an Orange Junco laying 5 eggs is something very uncommon; but to, ee Bote | THE OOLOGIST Bi 217 PLATE 22. Oregon Junco’s Nest and Eggs. —Photo by C. S. Moody, Mullan, Idaho. 218 THE OOLOGIST find a nest placed in a shrub, several feet from the ground, is truly rare. My triend Moody and I were nest hunting one sunny Spring afternoon and on our way homeward, for con- venience sake, walked along the top of a large mining flume. Our days in- vestigations were far from satisfac- tory to us and we were filing along Indian fashion, in no ovyer-pleasant frame of mind. In close proximity to the flume, so close that one could touch it, grew a stunted pine about 6 feet high. The top had been broken off by scme destructive pedestrian, which caused a “bunchy’ growth to ferm where the top should be. It seemed to me an ideal place for a nest of some kind—in fact, I had a “presentment I would find something there—anil I gave the clump a rap with my improved walking stick. It was as I had expected. Mrs. Oregon Tunea flushed in a rather hasty man- 1 and a shert search revealed .the well made. begun. next: day. Dr. My only solution to the problem of this unusual nesting site, is, that on account of the numerous gophers and chipmunks which infested that vicin- ity, nesting cn the ground was an un- certain undertaking. I have found many nests destroyed by these little pests and it is seldom one finds a greund bird nesting near their colo- nies. The other set (Montana Junco), was found in the damp, swampy lowlands of a small river bettom, placed upon the ground amongst the sprouts and grass, at the base of an Alder. This. to my certain knowledge, was the 3d set of this Junco, as a friend of mine cbtained the frst; the second was dis- covered by me and, leaving it for a call the next day, I returned to the spot only to find evidence of a ‘“meas- Mocdy photo- Incuba- ly” Gopher’s visit. Result—no eggs. The third set of this bird was placed within 50 yards of the other two. This species, the whole family in- cluded, are quarrelsome in the highest degree and it is no uncommon thing to see a “scrap” near the nesting site, occasioned by the accidental intrusion of a neighbor. Both the Montana and Oregon nest very early here and also very late, as may be seen by the fact that my dates show a set taken on the 29th of March and one on the 3rd of August. The first set mentioned was placed on an open hillside cn a bare spot about 8 feet square, the rest of the hill be- ing covered with snow. The set found August 3rd was fresh. .I also have a data cf oné set July 18th, but these were badly incubated—too much so to save. While this record of the unusual length of the nesting period of these Juneos dees not definitely determine it, still it sets one to thinking that there may be more than one brood a season. I think further investigations along this line will verify the suspi- cion, In the Clearwater section of Idaho, I have seen a Spurred Towhee raise two broods in one season, building the new nest for the second brood within a yard of the first. The site within 10 feet of a public road practically in town. This bird was evidently of a sociable disposi- tion, but she did not owe the success- ful rearing of her broods to the un- usual quality of the boys in the neigh- borhood or the dislike for Towhee meat by the cats in the vicinity. She had placed the nest in a large pile of thorn brush, impenetrable by either man or beast. The nesting song .of the male drew me to the spot and I easily flushed the mother bird. A long search—unnecessary tosayacare- was and THE OOLOGIST 219 PLATE 23. Montana Junco’s Nest and Eggs—a near view. —Photo by C. S. Mocdy, Mullan, Idaho. 220 THE OOLOGIST ful one for several reasons—revealed the nest, placed on the ground under the densest part. From a convenient peephole in the top of the pile, I care- fully observed the proceedings of the happy family during the rest of the season. I have no designs on the member- ship of our ex-President’s Annanias Club nor to be at the head of the Na- ture Fakir Procession, so it is ‘“‘bet- ter’ I stop. As Mr. Roosevelt prob- ably has not noticed the above Orni- thological items in the form of a per- sonal experience, I would immediately be consigned to the aforementioned Clubs were this to come to his notice. It is “better to be right, than Presi- dent.” Perhaps (who knows?) that was the real reason of a third term refusal. But this is carrying Ornithology in- to Politics, which I must not do for the sake of Ornithology. L. B. HOWSLEY. <2 —___— Curians. I was much interested in examin- ing a Chipping Sparrow (Spizella so- cialis) female, evidently a mature bird, but as it was September 24th when brought to me, I could not de- termine whether it had bred this sea- son or not. This was at Solon, Cort- land County, New York, and a neigh- bor’s cat caught the bird as it was trying to walk. On each claw, ex- cepting the left hind one, which was in a normal state, there were large puffed up growths, rather soft to the touch, but so deforming the claws that the bird was unable apparently to perch, or only with difficulty, and as noted above was quite unable to hop about the ground as this species so likes to do. The skin though quite mutilated in the conflict with the “Mouser,” I now have, and the largest abnormal growth measures about one-fourth inch in length by three-sixteenths in diameter, and like the other four, com- pletely encircles the claw. But three of the nails at the end of the claws are visible. What is this disease called, and how long we wonder, could the bird have cared for itself. I have frequently seen birds less a claw, and in one in- stance, a Red-tailed Hawk that had one foot destroyed by shot, remained an entire summer in the same local- ity, where it received the injury. I have frequently observed other wounded birds, but never before a specimen afflicted as was this one; not even in domestic fowls, where malformations, which this possibly may have been, are not uncommon. When I refer this specimen to the Linnaen Society at its next meeting, Dr. Dwight, cr others may explain the cause of the growth or of the dis- ease if it were that. A double oriole’s nest taken years ago when a youth, also interests me; one section of it containing the eggs, being larger and deeper than the apartment jcined to it, perhaps for the accommodation of the male bird; certainly built at about the same time, judging from the condition of the materials; both sections being well woven, chiefly of wrapping twine and other string, and the egg recepta- cle lined with finer materials, as is usual with this species. With well wishes for the Oologist and to its editor and readers, F, W. HYDE. 2 —o Notes on the Birds of California. I was thinking that possibly a few of my notes on some of our Califor- nia Birds might interest the readers of THE OOLOGIST. March 8, 1908, I found a nest of the Western Horned Owl (Bubo_ virgin- ians pallescens), placed in a tall syc- amore tree thirty-five feet from the ground. The nest extended through a hole in the tree four feet with the entrance a foot and a half in diameter. The nest part of it consisted of bones, straw, leaves, bits of hair scattered here and there, and a few feathers. This great bird has nested here for two consecutive seasons. On mount- ing to the nest I found it to contain three eggs of a whitish color. April 8, 1908, I found a Burrowing Owl’s (Cunicularia Hypogaea) nest, placed snugly away down a squirrel’s hole about three feet down, running under the outer coat of the earth. It contained five eggs of a whitish color. The eggs measured (average): 1.24x 1.03. The Burrowing Owls are as cute as any one of the owl family. They will sit in pairs at the entrance of their hole and talk in low, murmuring tones. While flying over the meadows and hills they are pleasing to the sight of any Bird Naturalist. May 11, 1908, I collected a set of four eggs of the Cooper Hawk (ac- cipiter Cooperi). They were of a light blue color, and but faintly spot- ted with brown. The nest being plac- ed in a live oak thirty feet from the ground. I think it was an old crow’s nest. Three eggs averaged 2.06x1.62. This little falcon is the most common of our small hawks except the De- sert Sparrow Hawk, that we have nesting in our country. He stirs up an awful racket in nesting season. February 20, 1908. I discovered the nest of the Golden Hagle (Aquila chrysaetos), in the San Gabriel Moun- tains of California. This nest was placed in a large Yellow Pine tree of the mountains, fifty-eight feet about from the ground. It was made up of large sticks, lined with straw, leaves, hair and feathers. Four fect aeep = five feet in diameter. On climbing t the nest I found it to conten ©w of a whitish color, light with red. Harly in the m ing. th take their morning bath in tne prook, and are a beautiful bird to look up- on, but rather a fierce one. May 20, 1908. I flushed up a Val- ley partridge from her nest which con- tained sixteen eggs. The quail, which we call it, is a very common bird of the West. May 18, 1908 I secured a set of four Scott Orioles (Icterus Parisorum). They were of a light blue, marked with brown and gray. They measur- ed 0.96x0.68 in size. A pouch-shaped nest woven of grasses, string and Yucea fibre hung under Yucca plant. Thisis one of California’s favorites. Beautiful of color and grand in song. The eggs are rather rare now at pres- ent, for the bird is becoming scarce. June 1, 1908. I secured a set of 222 THE OOLOGIST two eggs of the Anna Humming Bird from an oak tree twenty feet from the ground, June 8, 1908. I found a nest of the Sonoran Red-winged Black bird (Agel- aius pholniceus Sonoransis). The nest being placed in tules of a lake six feet from the water’s edge. Row- ing out to the tules I discovered a set of four, light bluish green, generally marbled, spotted and streaked with brown, black and purple. They meas- ured 1.00x0.68, A very common bird of the rivers and swamps of California. This is the latest I’ve colected this season, ALFRED COOKMAN. 2<¢o FROM NEW ZEALAND. —— The “Moa.” Is an extinct New Zealand Bird; only the Skeletons are now found, and gen- erally in Limestone caves. Only one knc wn skeleton has been found with feathers. When the skeletons are set up, the head reaches the height of from nine to twelve feet. A few of the eggs have been found, ‘which are not so large considering the size of the bird. The Maories, or na- tives of New Zealand have a tradition that these birds used to pick up the babies and run away with them; and they chased them into the caves. (This is doubted). The “Kiwi” is a wingless bird of New Zealand. Burrows underground; only-comes out at night. The eggs are large for the size of the bird. i The “Kea” or Ground Parrot is most destructive to sheep. Will get on their backs and pick out, the kidney fat. They live in burrows or tree stumps. An lowa Winter Tragedy. January 29, 1909, there came one of the worst storms ever known in this section. Not the coldest, nor the deepest snow. It was more of a sleety snow, with a gale blowing from the North. Many herses and eattle perished, all over Iowa. The sleet froze all over them, their eyes were frozen shut, and their nostrils filled and frozen up un- til they suffocated. One herd of thir- ty-nine young, fat cattle a few miles north of here all died. But what I started to tell, was that very few wild winter birds escaped. The number of Crows has greatly diminished. Many English Sparrows were found dead by the telephone “trouble men,’ the next day; though plenty of them were in well sheltered places, and _ lived through, though in greatly diminished numbers. But our saucy, audacious Bluejay has not been seen; not one so far as my observation goes, while the little field birds, and the Nuthatches are nearly wiped out. I have not seen many Woodpeckers, where before they were plentiful. Quails also are all gone. I miss the scolding, mische- vious Bluejay most of all. By the way, why do they so persist- ently steal and fly away with hickory and walnuts? They will work from early morning to dark, stealing nuts from a shed where the boys have put them to dry; surely they cannot use them in anyway. Is it pure mischief, or is it one of nature’s ways to propa- gate and scatter our forest trees? Do they steal them from the trees and carry them off a long distance and then drop them to become seed for a new forest? I have never seen just how or where they dispose of them, but they will come back every few minutes all day for a nut, even in their zeal forget- THE OOLOGIST 993 ting to scream and scold. Now tell us all about it, ye wise ones. Kindest wishes to the Oologist and the Hditor. F. S, SMITH. 2 Quail. One of our subscribers reports a flock of Partridges (Quail) flying into the town of Petersburg, Va., and alighting in trees where a portion of them were killed by a young lady with a rifle; and adds, “The laws prohib- iting the sale of partridges have evi- dently increased their fhumbers. I am told they are more numerous than for- merly.”’ The common quail is increasing all over the West and would increase much more rapidly were it not for the incessant warfare waged against these very beneficial birds by hunters and allaged sportsmen. Every Quail is worth $5.00 per annum to the gen- eral public because of its energy in the destruction of insects. They should be taken from the game list en- tirely and protected for good. 2 Sy The Lizard Cuckoo. Pea ctiets merlini dicolor; 1, 21 in, t. 12 in. Above brown with a tinge of olive; throat and breast grayish; un- der parts pale chestnut; primaries ru- fous tipped with olive; cuter tail feathers tipped with white “with a subterminal bar of black’; bare skin around eye, and iris bright red, This Cuckoo, with the exception of the Ani, is the commonest representa- tive of the family Cuculidae which we have here. Aithough quite common, it has a way of getting about without being so often seen as it is heard. Unlike cur Cuckoos of the North, it prefers the undergrowth and low trees, to treetops. Its favorite resorts are along the rivers, although it is found everywhere that there is suffi- cient undergrowth. When climbing, it runs up the tree spirally around the trunk by means of the small branches. From its quick movements, color, and long tail, one’s first impression is that he is in the North, and there is fine fox squirrel. It feeds on the Stripped Lizards and Chameleons. Its notes are much more varied than those of the other Cuckoos; some of them are the familiar ones and oth- ers (the most often heard) are like a bird in distress, such as being slow- ly strangled to death by a snake. A. C. READ. <> © eG a Isle of Pines Troaon. Priotelus timnrus visecus, 1. 9 in., 4.6 in. t. 6 in. Crown, black with pur- ple reflections gradually shading to bright green on the back; tail green shading to purple on tip; three outer tail feathers tipped and barred with white: more or less white on primar- ies; under parts grayish; lower el- ly, under tail coverts and iris vermil ion; upper mandible wit : notches; stiff hair-like feathers at base of bill; toes, four; two in front and two behind. The Trogon, one of our most bril- liant birds, is a lover of the thick jun- eles and may often be seen sitting on a branch where a ray of sunlight falls upon its iridescent back. I have of- ten seen it feeding flycatcher fashion and return to the same perch after some successful flight after an insect. It seems more plentiful during the rainy season than during the winter, although a tramp through the jungle at almost any time rarely fails to pro- duce at least one er two individuals. From the natives I learn that it nests in hollow branches, trees, etc., but I have been unable to find any nests yet. Ae Ce EEA} 224 THE OOLOGIST, Additions, I wish to add the following to my list of Isle of Pine Birds: West Indian Killdeer. Yellow Palm Warbler (1 individual seen after a heavy storm.) Marsh Hawk (Seen on several oc- casions.) Black-throated Green Warbler Wilson’s Snipe. 3 Pigeon, Columba inornata. va Myrtle Warbler. Tennessee Warbler. Cuban Crested Flycatcher. pe A. C. RHAD. (2). * ’ 2 <0 Strange Nesting Sites. We Sunday, May 9, 1909, about ten o’clock a. m., a friend and I were walk- ing along a road nine miles north of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. We came to a school house yard, and while we stopped to rest a few minutes, I went into a small outhouse to look for Wren’s nests, and seeing some dry grass protruding from the hollow in the cave, I pulled myself up to look down into it, and to my surprise there sat an American Sparrow Hawk. I put my hand down and lifted her up. After securely fastening her in a cov- ered basket, which I carried, I return- ed to examined the eggs. There were five of them, far advanced in incu- bation. This must be of rare occur- rence. In June, 1909, a man told me that he had found a “Redbird’s” nest in an old shed about a half mile from town. As I passed this shed some time later, I happened to think of what the man had told me, and went in the shed to look for the nest, and sure enough I found it. It was built in a Space, be- tween a large roll of fence wire, which hung from a nail on the wall, and the wall of hrough boards, The young had left the nest only a short time pre- vious. Has any reader of THE OOLOGIST ever heard of the Cardinal nesting in a building? S. S. DICKEY. 2—< 2 “Additions to Our Cabinets for 1909. We have recently added to our cab- inet, a little over three fifths of the entire collection of birds eggs of F. T. Corless ,of Portland, Oregon. In January, 1909, we came into pos- session of the entire collection of birds eggs, formerly belonging to W. Lee Chambers of Santa Monica. Mr. Chambers is one of Southern Califor- nia’s best known bird men; and is at present Secretary of the Cooper Club and business manager of The Condor. His collection contained an unusual percentage of rare and choice speci- mens. Philo W. Smith, whose name THE OOLOGIST %(1a), \Ao4 225 is well known to all leading oologists in North America first started collect- ing birds eggs many years ago at Smithsburo, Illinois. Later he remoy- ed to Greenville, where he continued his explorations. Then he removed to St. Louis and while there added very largely to his collection, both by pur- chase, exchange and personal collect- ing trips extending into Northen Min- nesota, Southern Texas and Arizona. Of late years Mr. Smith has done lit- tle in oology and is now located at Hureka Springs, Arkansas, where he is engaged in the jewelry business. His entire collection has lately be- come the property of the proprietor of this magazine. Mr. Smith prided him- self while gathering this colection to- gether on the careful preparation of the specimens, o Bird Accidents. Mr, Rockey’s note in the last Oolo- gist regarding the accidental “hang- ing’ of a Green Heron, prompts me to record the scmewhat similar fate of a Robin, which I found a few days ago hanging head downward from the braneh of a shade tree in Ithaca. Its feet were entangled in a quantity of cotton twine with which it had evidently begun the construction of a nest on the branch from which it hung. The condition of the bird indicated that it probably perished in the spring or summer. Another similar case, in which a young House Wren figured, came to my attention last summer. The House Wrens had reared a brood of nestlings in a bird box and the young had been out of the nest two or three days; yet one of the parent birds occasionally returned to the box with food. This led me to investigate and a young Wren was found a prisoner bound to the nest by one foot which was hope- lessly caught in the materials of the nest. The bird seemed strong and vigorous, but its struggles to free it- self were in vain. Examination show- ed that the toes of this foot were gone, possibly had been amputated by the bird as a last, though fruitless means of escape. It was carefully extract- ed from the nest and before night had joined its brothers on the wing. A. D. DuBOIS.