ie iy slianiaaail Polioptila caerulea. Copy of a letter from Annie L. Warner to Bradford Torrey who says she is a person "in whose caution and Knowledge I have great confidence. Miss Warner is a teacher and has been doing g00d work for the birds for some years past", Salem, Mass, 1897, Dear Mr. Torrey:- I think an experience of mine to-day May be worth telling you. In our garden, among the fruit trees I saw a bird which I took for a Ruby-crowned Knight, from its general appearance. I went out to look at it, and was non- plussed at finding it blue instead of olive, with no wing-bars and white outer tail-feathers. I could not imagine what it could be, but a look into Chapman suggested the Blue -grayGnat- catcher. Still, I never allow myself to expect anything re- markable, so reluctantly decided that my eyes had deceived me. I should have said that the bird soon flew away. A little later, I went upstairs and took another look into the garden, and there was my bird again. This time, I had him under my glass for fully fifteen minutes, and saw every feather, ana it Was a Blue-gray Gnateatcher! As all my books indicate that he is rare hereapouts, I thought his presence might interest you. Only two days ago, I saw my first Virginia Rail, in an alder swamp, so this is a memorable week for me. Sincerely yours Salem, May 12, I897. Annie L. Warner, RunrAd fF rnr, Conracdta, art it, dard Buiks, BK OHI, Yor. 1907. A ¥ b, 283. Polioptila cerulea. Brun-aray GnatcatcHEeR.— Three records, a male May 9, 1885, in Mr. Ernest Seton’s collection; a female taken May 5, 1891, by Mr. O. Spanner; ? and a female taken May 10, 1900, by Mr. C. W. Nash. 1 Auk, II, 1885, 334. 2 Transactions of the Canadian Institute, 1891-92, 73. Auk, X uly, 1896, pp-<64-> Second Geeumwence of the Blue eeay Gaieatchert in Maine.— On the morning of April 18, 1896, while driving pasta farm-yard on Cape Eliza- beth, about three miles from Portland, I heard the nasal call-note of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Poliopiela cerulea). In another moment I saw the bird fly from an old oak to an orchard close at hand. Here I watched him at my leisure. He was very active, but not at all shy, coming sey- eral anes within eight or ten feet of me, constantly calling, often singing, and repeatedly, of course, displaying his characteristic fohctis and colors. There was no bird of any kind with him. An hour later, I drove past the farm-yard again, and found him still in the neighborhood, having simply crossed the highway. He was still entirely alone. I drove within a few feet of him, and watched him for several minutes,— until he again flew off into the orchard. The weather throughout New England was almost summer-like for a week preceding April 18, and to this fact, perhaps, was due the bird’s long journey from the usual haunts of his kind. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher has not been seen in Maine perorets in spring and has been positively identified in the State but once before.’ NatHAN CLirrorp Brown, Portland, Me. 1See Bulletin Nutt. Orn. Club, V, pp. 236-37- A New Brirp (Polioptila cerulea) ror Maine. — Two summers ago, while I was sitting on the piazza of my father’s house on Cape Elizabeth, a little bluish bird suddenly showed himself in a thicket of alder, cedar, and wild-cherry bushes, not twenty feet distant. Had I been a few de- grees farther south, I should have let him go, unchallenged, as a Polioptila cerulea. As it was, I could hardly believe my involuntary assumption that he was of this species, and at once had recourse to my gun. I have never quite convinced myself how it was that my usually trusty weapon so utterly annihilated the little stranger. A few pale blue feathers were all that I secured of my specimen, and to this day I have been doubtful whether I might not have killed an example of Parula americana. Ihave now, however, no doubt that my original identification was the correct one. Not twenty minutes ago, (August 29, 1880,) in the very same thicket, I stood within arm’s leneth of an unquestionable Poloptila cerulea, In this case the bird first betrayed himself by his notes, — notes in themselves sufficiently characteristic to indicate their author. That either of these specimens were reared or had bred in this State, I do not consider probable. It is more likely that they are examples of the curious retrograde migration which is pretty well known to occur along the Atlantic coast in autumn. And color is lent to this assumption by the fact that strong southwesterly winds prevailed along that coast for sev- eral days just prior to their occurrence. Previous numbers of the Bulletin have noted the occurrence of some three or four individuals of this species in each of the three Southern New England States ; but Massachusetts has hitherto been the most north- ern locality attributed to it.—Natuan Cuirrorp Brown, Poriland, Maine. Bull, N,O,G, 6,Oct,, 1880, p. 236-237. A Third Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Maine.— Late in the afternoon of August 25, 1912, I heard several times near my house on Vaughan Street, Portland, what I believed to be the call-note of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila cerulea cerulea). It proceeded from the tops of tall elms, bordering the street, where a number of small birds were flitting about, all too far away, however, to be identified by the eye. About six o’clock, the next morning, I again heard the call-note, now coming from an apple tree on my lawn, and I soon got a fair view of its author at close range. After a moment or two he flew to an almost leafless old apple tree on a near-by vacant lot where, as I stood under the tree, I watched him at my leisure, often within six or seven feet. At last, up to this time quite alone, he flew away southward,a hundred yards or so, to a group of elms, cedars and other trees, and was at once lost in a numerous band of bird migrants. If we are to accept the records? literally, only three Gnatcatchers, all told, have made their way to Maine; but to the writer, before whom the three examples have so casually presented themselves,— with a possible fourth not to be overlooked,— it seems likely enough that more than a few others have come and gone unobserved, even in recent years.— NATHAN Currrorp Brown, Portland, Maine. 1 Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, V, pp. 236-237; Auk, XIIT, pp. 264-265. A Z, Ch &, AXA) Oz f, Mfle vu 76, Tue Brun-gray Gwarcatcuur (Polioptila cerulea) IN Massacuu- srTts. — Through the kindness of Mr. Arthur Smith of Brookline I am enabled to add this species to our list of Massachusetts Birds. On the 18th of November, 1877, he noticed a bird flying about in a small orchard at Chatham (Cape Cod), but was unable to identify it, and failed to procure the specimen, A few days later his friend, Mr. Stephen Decatur, shot a female P. cerulea in the same locality, which was undoubted] y the same specimen, as Mr. Smith has preserved it and recognizes it as the species seen by himself. A few specimens have been taken in Rhode Island, though it is but re- cently that the Gnatcatcher has been recorded as a bird of New England. — Roruven Deane, Cambridge, Mass. Bull. N.O,0, 3, Jan.,1878.p, YS. Tur Buun-eray Gnatcatcuer (Polioptila coerulea) In MASSACHUSETTS. — Among a number of mounted birds presented to the New England col- lection of the Boston Society of Natural History by Mr. F. I. C. Swift of Falmouth, Mass., is an adult male specimen of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. This is the second record of its occurrence, the first specimen having been taken at Chatham, November, 1877 (Nutt. Bull., III, p. 45). It appears, by the letter of Mr. Swift, that his specimen was taken in the same part of the State'one month later. In answer to my letter of inquiry, Mr. Swift writes : “TI shot it on the 18th day of December last, in a line of low bushes skirting a fresh-water pond (in Falmouth) which separated the same from an old. field thickly studded with pines of several varieties and about ten years’ growth. The locality was in a southern exposure, and I think there was no ice at that time on the pond.” —T. M. Bruwzr, Bos- ton, Mass: Bull, N.O.O, 8,July, 1878, p, /¥7 Onureions frre the hick fhe Wir Bartel Math, by ee 5 AG. Bout | Seinten, Macs, | Another bird, not included in the list, came to my notice several years ago, viz., the Blue- gray Gnateatcher (Polioptila coerulea). his is an exceedingly rare bird in this State, and probably only an accidental straggler from ‘the South. A farmer residing at Nippenicket Pond brought me an egg, unquestionably of | this species, which he found ina small nest re- | sembling a Flycatcher’s, built in the fork of a small fruit tree. His description of the nest and bird, which I was unable to procure, coincided with this species, and I know of no New England egg with which it could be confused. Of course, this is rather poor authority on | which to establish a record, still I mention it to show that the species might occasionally be found to breed here. Audubon says he ‘‘ saw it on the border line of Upper Canada, along the | shores of Lake Erie.”” On Dr. Brewer's author- lity, it is found in Massachusetts and as far north as the Canada line, and Dr. Coues states its habitat as North to Southern New England. O,& 0. Xi. Augis8s.p. ap /77 Tur Buue-Gray GNATCATCHER IN MAssacuusnrts.— Mr. C. J. 3, Maynard informs me of a fourth specimen for Massachusetts of the Gnat- catcher (Polioptila eerulea), which was taken at Magnolia, Mass., August 27, 1879, by Mr, Outram Bangs, The bird was a young female, and was probably blown north of its usual range by a severe gale, which occurred a few days previous to its capture. —Rutaven Deane, Cambridge, Mass. Bull, N,O.0, 5, Jan,, 1880, p, 77- Cape Cod, G.8,Miller, Jr Polioptila ceerulea.—An adult female was secured on October 9, 1889. The bird was feeding among some small pines not over four feet high, in company with a small flock of Dendroica coronata, Sitta canadensis and Spinus tristis, and is the only one that I haye met with on Cape Cod. Auk, VII. July, 1890, p. 227- The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Massachusetts.—I observed a Gnat- catcher, doubtless the Blue-gray (Polvoptcla cerulea) at West Manchester, Mass., November 16, 1902. My attention was at first attracted by a new bird note —a nasal ¢wee— several times repeated. The bird was flitting about in the top of an apple-tree and gave me a good, though brief opportunity to note his catbird-like form and kinglet-like actions before he flew farther off. He was very active and soon disappeared entirely, but not without having shown me his blue-gray color against the green of a Norway spruce. Messrs. Howe and Allen’s list of the ‘Birds of Massachusetts,’ credits the State with six records for this spe- cies —allin the fall (August 27 - December 18). West Manchester is only a few miles from Magnolia, where Mr. Outram Bangs took an immature female, August 27, 1879. — Francis H. ALLEN, Boston, Mass. Auk, XX, Jan., 1908, p.& i The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Massachusetts A male Blue-gray Gnateatcher (Polioptila cerulea) was shot at Hyde Park, Mass., on Sept. 22, 1906, by Frank HB, Webster of this town. The bird was alone, feeding in a clump of white birches in a yard. It was very lively in its actions, continually flitting about and now and then uttering a little squeaking note. The skin is now in the collection of Mr. John Thayer, Lancaster, Mass. — H. G. Higbee, Hyde aoe Mase, Dp. 224A, The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in the Public Garden, Boston, Mass. —In the early morning of October 22, 1904, which was clear with a light south- westerly wind, following a southeasterly gale of fifty miles an hour along the Middle Atlantic and New England coasts the previous day, I found upon entering our Public Garden in the heart of the city a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Poliopiila cerulea). Immediately upon my entrance his call was heard from a neighboring beech, and being different from any call-note with which I was acquainted,— tiny, nervously given and oft- repeated,— it guided me at once to the presence of the bird. He constantly flitted from one bough to another with even more rapidity than does a king- let and was of about kinglet size. The clear blue-gray of the entire head and back, the white outer tail-feathers, the drooping of the wings and erect- ness of the tail at once made his identity clear. He was also engaged in his flittings in catching and eating insects. His companions were Black- poll Warblers and Juncos. From the beech he took flight into a tall syca- more maple and gradually worked down from the top of the tree into the lower branches, where he was seen at very near range and his catching of insects was observed with much interest. The House Sparrows, how- ever, soon began to make trouble for him and at length drove him toa distance, but not before I had spent twenty minutes with this so rare bird in Massachusetts and made good acquaintance with it. I had not ob- served whether it had a black forehead and black line over the eye, not knowing at the time that these markings differentiate the male from the female, but as the color of the entire upper parts was a conspicuously clear blue-gray, and Coues’s ‘Key’ describes the female as “ duller and more grayish above,” it was not improbably a male. When I made my usual morning visit to the Public Garden the next day, the Gnatcatcher could not be found. In the ‘Birds of Massachusetts,’ compiled by Messrs. R. H. Howe, Jr., and G. M. Allen, and issued in 1901, but six records of Polioptila cerulea are given, namely : Chatham, November 18, 1877; Falmouth, December 18, 1877; Magnolia, August 27, 1879; Oster- ville, September 26, 1879; Brookline, September 8, 1887; Highland Light, October 9, 1889. In the opinion of Mr. Willam Brewster it is not improbable that the bird may have drifted north before the southerly storm of October 21.— Horace W. Wricur, Boston, Mass. eo A40B, Ax-1)], Jan., i905, bp. F aay A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Brookline and Boston, Mass.— On December 3, 1910, when passing through Olmsted Park, lying partly in Boston and partly in Brookline, I came upon an Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata celata) in a planting of shrubbery. It was an unusually brightly plumaged bird, others which I had seen in former seasons having been much more dusky and dull-plumaged. This warbler had just gone from view by taking a short flight out of my range of vision, when another very small bird was seen directly before me, which by coloration, form, and movement I perceived at once to be a Blue-gray Gnateatcher (Polioptila cerulea). The tone of color of the upper parts was a very clear blue-gray, and the nervous switching and erecting of the tail were characteristic movements. I had several good views of the bird both in trees, on shrubs, and on the ground before it passed from sight, when automobile travel intervened. It appeared to be gleaning food of larve or insect’s eggs from the twigs and remaining leaves. The following day five other ob- servers, associate members of the A. O. U., to whom the knowledge had been given, also saw this bird in the same park a little farther southward. The earliest observer found it still in the company of the Orange-crowned Warbler, but the later group, while seeing the Gnatcatcher, was unable to find the warbler. On December 4 the bird was on the Boston side of the park, haying been on the Brookline side when seen by me. In ‘The Auk’ for January, 1905, p. 87, is a note of my earlier observation of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher on October 22, 1904, in the Boston Public Garden.— Horace W. Wricut, Boston, Mass. Ack 25, Jan-I9Lp, 119-1/8 Another Occurrence of ‘the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Essex County, Massachusetts.— I should like to record a full plumaged Blue- gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila cerulea cerulea) seen in the pitch pine trees of the Ipswich Dunes on August 24, 1912. The bird when first seen was flitting about the trees like a Kinglet utter- ing a curious little call note which at once attracted my attention. I coaxed the bird out on to the lower dead limb of a gray birch by squeaking, so that we were able to observe it carefully for ten of fifteen minutes although it was quite restless. The bird was seen by Miss E. D. Boardman, Edmund Bridge and myself. — Livan E. Brinar, West Medford, Mass. a. ig if LA He XXIK, c c L 19/ pe Yb Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Groton, Mass.— On Nov. 19, 1915, a female or immature Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila c. cerulea) was found dead on Hollis St., in Groton, Mass., by Master Robert F’. Cressey, seven years of age, a member of the local bird club. The specimen is now being mounted for the collection of the Museum Society #¢ Groton School.— Wixuiam P. Wuarton, Groton, Mass. Dhxxxsit fan 1916+ A+ 7%. Polioptila caerulea, For Rhode Island records see Bull. BH. Oo. €., 8, Jan., 1877, ep.@0-21 & p.14. 2 tn Mevar Conn, 9 lee Mut in , September 1, 1885, Mr. Sanford captured a male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher near Hast Haven, Conn. | 0.é 0. ZII,Sept. 1887 p.156 ~ te do, venoral Notes j Atos form EE Oconee, dadgilert On April 6, at Stratford, the very familiar cries of a Blue-gray Gnat- catcher attracted and held my attention for several minutes, when it passed beyond hearing. Although but a short distance away at first, it was not | seen, barriers interfering with approach. ‘uk X, Jan, 1893. ».89. NOTICE OF A FEW BIRDS OF RARE OR ACCIDENTAL OCCURRENCE IN NEW ENGLAND. BY H. A. PURDIE. Tue following data respecting the occurrence of the following fourteen species so far to the northeastward as New England are of special interest. I am indebted to Messrs. Frederic T. Jencks of Providence, R. I., Erwin I. Shores of Suffield, Conn., F. C. Browne of Framingham, Mass., and J. N. Clark of Saybrook, Conn., for facts relating to eleven of the birds here mentioned. 1. Polioptila czrulea. Buivun-gray GnatcatcHer. — Mr. Jencks writes; “Two were shot at Wauregan (Windham County), Conn., by Mr. C. M. Carpenter, —a male in 1874 and’a female in 1876. Three or four were seen by me at Providence, R. I., May 23, 1875.” A male was also shot, by Mr. Shores, at Silver Spring, near Providence, June 24, 1875, and several others have been seen by him at different times in Providence and vicinity. Bull, N,O,0, 2, Jan.,1877. De 20-27. Distribution of New England Birds. - A Reply to Dr, Brewer. ‘H.A. Purdie, There | 63 a€+0 armtha bret |namely, the Blue-gray Gnat- catcher (Polioptila ceeriilea) cami time Talave Waewlohem (semnesees C Citaaadhoes) expunged by Dr. Brewer, whose record of occurrence in New England is as good as any just cited, which I am prepared to show haf recently been taken in Connecticut and Rhode Island. (See this number of the Bulletin, p. 20.) Bull, N,O,0, 2, Jan., 1877. pe TH, Charege Al CAPTURE OF THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polzoptila cwrulea) IN Connecricur.—A male of this species was killed here May 11, 1883, by a boy with a sling shot, and is now in the cabinet of Mr. Jos. W.-Lord. The only previous record for Connecticut that I find is the one given by Linsley (1843), and since quoted by Allen, Merriam, and other writers. — 719 Jno. H. Sacer, Portland, Conn. Bull, N,O.0, 8,July. 1888, p, / a Blas gig Gratenteles Be SR See May 7, 1886, Mr. Treat killed a female Polzoptila cerulea at East Hart- ford. It was on the top of a high willow. Thisis, I believe, the third re- corded capture of this Gnatcatcher for Connecticut.—JNo. H. Sacre, Port- land, Conn. Auk, 8, Oct., 1886, p. 4F7. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila cerulea) at West Haven, Conn.— On the morning of April 30, 1914, I observed a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at West Haven, Conn. The bird was very tame and allowed me to observe it for some time, part of the time from a distance of not more than fifteen feet. Six records of this species in Connecticut are recorded by Sage and Bishop in the “ Birds of Connecticut ” (page 176). This constitutes the seventh record, and the first since 1892.— Armras A. SaunpmRs, West Haven, Conn. Arete. xxxi Quby, IGA Fe. pod. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. —I shot a young It was skipping about in a row bird, October 11, 1879, at Fort Hamilton. of honey-locusts, and was exceedingly active. Deco. J2er hr, ee a RON 7 2. Polioptila cerulea. Bull, N.O.C, 6,April,1881,p, /2%6. LONG ISLAND, N. Y., BIRD NOTES. BY NEWBOLD T. LAWRENCE. In the following notes, I take pleasure in recording several additional captures to those already mentioned in a list of ‘Rare Birds taken on Long Island, N. Y.’, published in ‘Forest and Stream,’ May 2, 1878. 1. Polioptila czrulea. this species at Far Rockaway, April 18, 1874. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER.—Shot a female of Auk, 2, July, 186 » 2, July, 1886. p, 272, Polioptila cerulea.—I shot a male at Montauk Point, Sept. 2, 1885. It was in one of the dense thickets common to that locality, and not in com- pany with any other birds. This is, I believe, the third record for Long Island, the first specimen having been taken by Mr. N. T. Lawrence (Auk, II, July, 1885, p. 272) and the second by Mr. de L. Berier (Bull: N. O. C., VI, April, 1881, p. 126). Up to the present writing I know of no other captures of this species on Long Island, although the list of records for New England is now a large one.— Jonaruan Dwicut, Jr., New York City. Auk, V, July, 1888. p. I24Y, Dutcher, Rare Long Island Birds. Polioptila cerulea. Briur-Gray Gnatcatcnuer.—There is but one specimen in the collection, labelled “Shot by J. Akhurst, at Canarsie, in 1849.” It is the only specimen that Mr. Akhurst recollects ever having’ | seen from Long Island. Auk &. July, 1893 5 977 The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in New York City.—A Blue-gray Gnat- catcher (Polioptila cerulea) was seen in Central Park, New York City, and positively identified, on May 22, r901.—C. B. IsnHam, New York City. Auk, XIX, Jan., 1902, p.9/ Notes from Western New York. Maurice C.Blake,Hanover,N.H. Polioptila cerulea.— On April 25, 1906, I observed a female Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Canandaigua. It was occupied in catching insects that were about the blossoms of a maple tree on the edge of a swampy woods. After some time in the upper branches it came down to about eye level and worked along the border of the woods. This gave me an excellent opportunity to observe it well. It moved on gradually in a northerly direction as if migrating, but apparently was not with a flock of migrants. There is one other record for Ontario County,—‘‘Canandaigua, June 3 1896.” uk, 4, Apr. ,190'7, 0. 226 ; ; jy Vas hmgior Court, Gay a Park, Ne 7. Weper, Palisades ; ly, & Aug. at Birds observed in June, Jay Brimley. igh,N.C. byt Raleigh, 1881-1885 7*, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, (Polioptila he ene He : : 5 5th. his little t nest of ’85 found on May eae retha known in this neighborhood as ‘‘Mossbird,” from the structure of its nest. QO.&0 ~.Sept.1885.p./49 lina. i f€ Western North Caro oni Willem brewer cer. 98. Polioptila cerulea. Burur-Gray GNarcatcuEr.—Seen only along the road between Webster and Franklin, and on the outskirts of the latter town, where it was common throughout an extensive tract of post-oak ’ scrub. Auk, 8, Avril, 1886, p.178 zz fir ia: Hee “We 2 Birds Observed at Coosada, Alabama N.C. Brown 10. Polioptila czerulea, (L.) Sel, Broz-gray GNATOATCHER, — Ar- rived March 25, and soon became very common. They seemed to affect no particular kind of growth, but were everywhere equally abundant, They are most earnest and persevering songsters : in their frequent practice of singing on the wing, they fairly rival the Bobolink’s ardor, and had their melodious, “ mocking little strain” (as Mr. Brewster has called it) some- what more volume, it would certainly be an unusually fine performance, Bull, N.0.0. 3,0ct., 1878, p,170 Descriptions of First Plumage of Cer- tain North Am, Bbs. Wx. Brewster, 9. Polioptila czrulea. First plumage: male (1). Rectrices as in the adult ; remiges paler, with a much broader and whiter edging on the tertials ; rest of upper parts pale mouse-color with a strong wash of light cinnamon. Entire under parts grayish-white or pale lead-color,. In my collection, from Kanawha Co., West Va., June, 1872. Bull, N,O.0, 3, Jan.,1 Lt na John 4.w.Northrop Bahamas . 7 2a, T,Jan, O1.P, éT. Sa Polioptila cerulea cesiogaster (Ridgw.). BLUE-GRay GwNar- CATCHER.—This species was very common in the low shrubs th at grew in the pine-yard. It was a most confiding little bird, and would sit within a few feet of you, twitching its head from side to side and uttering its low, wheezy little song, apparently always very well pleased with its own efforts. Notes on Some Birds of the Great Nest of the Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher.* ee en Smoky Mountains. phe BY GEO. H. CENTER, } , BY ARTHUR LEMOYNE, M. D, May 18, 1885, I found a nest of this little bird onalimb twelve feet up, on a dead walnut tree, situated on the bank of a small creck. The tree was leafless, the water having washed the earth from its roots so that it almost fell with my weight when I ascended to the nest, which was placed in the fork of the branch so that one limb formed a roof to shelter it. The nest was com- posed of a coarse moss found on the trees near by, and spider webs, this latter material being wound around the whole nest, together with afew pieces of wool. It was lined with the down found on hickory buds, and a few feathers, to- gether with some very fine dry grass. There was one egg in the nest when found, which I let remain until May 22d, when I re- turned and took the nest and five fresh eggs, This time I saw the female on the nest. She was sitting parallel with the limb, as I think she al- ways would, for on the side from the tree there was a low place where she rested her chin which (Continued from page 148.) POLIOPTILA CGZRULBA, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, This species is common in certain districts, but not very evenly dispersed, seeming to prefer the hard wood growth of the lower table-lands about the cultivated farms, I could find none at higher altitudes among the black growth on the moun- tain sides. It was first noted in Monroe County as early as March 80th, but it usually does not ar- rive until the first week in April. The first ar- rivals are quickly followed by the bulk of the mi- grants and they speedily betake themselves to their favorite haunts, to which they limit-their movements, The greatest altitude at which’ they were found was about 1,800 feet, though’ they might havezoccurred at a greater height had their desired environs there flourished, They nested along the small streams in greater 4 Ys Ort i. eb 90 enabled her to sit with more ease, as if would otherwise compel her to keep her head straight up. The next day I was in the woods at an early hour and saw a pair of these little birds flying from tree to tree, gathering material for their nest. I watched them for some time, and at last saw them fly into the top of an elm. It took some length of time before I could discover them, as *From Oilogical Department. they had evident! y just began house building. I at last saw it on a limb about twenty feet Seo the ground. I did not trouble them until the 3d of June, when I returned and took the nest with five fresh eggs. The work and material used | were precisely like the first, except the nest was smaller, as also were the eggs. Nest number one was two and three-quarters inches in height out- side, two inches deep on the upper side, one and one-half inches on the lower ; circumference eight and one-quarter inches, Number two ‘measures two and one-quarter inches in height, one and three-quarter inches in depth on the upper, and one and one-quarter inches deep on the lower side; circumference seven and three-quarters inches. i Oe numbers than elsewhere, the old lichen-covered branches of the oaks, giving them protection by reason of strong similarity in outward appear- ances of both nest, and the foundation upon which it was placed. The musical abilities of this bird have, with a | few exceptions, been ignored by writers. Mr. C. J. Maynard gives the first mention of it that has | fallen to my notice. I have frequently heard the | low yet distinct warble of the males, during the mating season; at other times I have never heard any song. The song of this Gnatcatcher varics in both volume and note, sometimes it is so faint as to require close attention to catch the strain and at other times a different song would be given in louder tones. This latter, as nearly as I | can express it, seems to my ear like twing-twing- twing-twing, vee-ree-ree-ree. The first half in a rising scale and the latter descending. This is followed by the low jumble of indescriable war- bles which defies any representation. . Without any exceptions I have always found | the nest completed and first set of eggs deposited | by the second week in May. The nests are great- ly alike in composition, being large examples of | the Ruby-throat Hummer. The set of eggs I find | to be usually four, Ge Q@.X1. Nev. 1056. 1.163, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Set, four or five. IT don’t know which is the standard, but will} | find out next year. eS fee oa y wy 2g olf O.8, Brimley | Blue-gray Gnateateher. Sets either four or | five. the sets of five being perhaps a litte more ‘numerous early in the season, later on sets of | four are much more numerous. 7 a) &O. Zvi, ean, 169i, Del Wges at Raleigh, N.C. 1890 0.3. Brimley, aa May 1. Blue-gray Gnateatcher; set of five; twelve feet in willow, | U,&O, XVI, Jan, 1891, p.10 mn a Oolisetion of Hees Georgia, H.B- Bailey, 4. Polioptila ceerulea. : saddled ona branch of a tree orn @ fork; April 30. Bull, N. 0.9, Hawes tae facts 7 Buctg using the same material for the new nest. Auk, XII, April, 1895 pe 8s Breeding of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Minnesota. —Until the summer of 1892 this bird was a rare visitor in Minnesota and was not supposed to breed here at all. In the month of April, 1892, several pairs were observed near St. Paul for the first time. In June a nest was found by a local collector and brought to me for identification. ‘The parent being taken with the nest it was easily identified. This find set me to searching for their nests the next season, and I was rewarded with a fine set of five eggs which were taken with the nest and parent in June. That was the only nest observed in 1893. The past summer the birds were much commoner than ever before, and four nests were found, three with eggs. The first nest was taken May 27, and contained four fresh eggs. The second set was taken on June 2, with five slightly incubated eggs. The third, also taken on June 2, contained four fresh eggs. The fourth nest, taken on June 18, contained four young, just hatched, and one addled egg. This is, I believe, the first record of the Gnatcatcher breeding north of 43°N. lat., St. Paul being in lat. 45° N. All the nests, with one exception, were taken in West St. Paul, in Dakota County. They were all placed on horizontal branches of the burr oak and the height varied from twelve to twenty-four feet.— WALTON MITCHELL, S¢. Paul, Minn. = 26, from BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. — Nests either eggs four or five. A set taken | I have also observed that | when the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (Polioptila| cerulea) are building and a storm partly de-_ stroys their nest, they will tear down the old | structure and rebuild it again in another tree, | ) | Aprritles Mecte. Pm 6) uct OO, XIV Jue 18M p. 98 Nesting Under Difficulties. 2% On May I7th, 1886, I discovered a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers building a nest on a horizontal limb of an oak tree, about thir ty feet up. On May 28 I again visited the tree and found the birds had taken their departure, but as the nest appeared to bea very large one I ascended the tree to obtain it, and on examin- ing it I found that a Cowbird had deposited an egg before being occupied by the owners, and that they had put in more lining and covered it entirely over, and had then built up the sides of the nest about three-fourths of an inch higher, but had finally concluded to abandon it, and | were found building another nest a few rods | from there, which goes to show that they do not willingly submit to the intrusion of the Cowbird. SAMUEL SPICER. Goodrich, Mich. QO, '&O. XI1I,Mar 1887.p 3 Nest of the Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher.* BY GEO, H. CENTER. May 18, 1885, I found a nest of this little bird onalimb twelve feet up, on a dead walnut tree, situated on the bank of a small creek. The tree was leafless, the water having washed the earth from its roots so that it almost fell with my weight when I ascended to the nest, which was placed in the fork of the branch so that one limb formed a roof to shelter it. The nest was com- posed of a coarse moss found on the trees near by, and spider webs, this latter material being wound around the whole nest, together with afew | pieces of wool. It was lined with the down found on hickory buds, and a few feathers, to- gether with some very fine dry grass. There was one egg in the nest when found, which I Jet remain until May 22d, when I re- turned and took the nest and five fresh eggs. This time I saw the female on the nest. She was | sitting parallel with the limb, as I think she al- | ways would, for on the side from the tree there | was a low place where she rested her chin which enabled her to sit with more ease, as it would | otherwise compel her to keep her head straight up. The next day I was in the woods at an early hour and saw a pair of ‘these little birds flying from tree to tree, gathering material for their nest. I watehed them for some time, and at last saw them fly into the top of an elm. It took some length of time before I could discover them, as they had evidently just began house building, I at last saw it on a limb about twenty fect from the ground. I did not trouble them until the 3d of June, when I returned and took the nest with ' five fresh eggs. The work and material used were precisely like the first, except the nest was smaller, as also were the eggs. Nest number one was two and three-quarters inches in height out- 81 / cop No. 3 diaphragms are a in the lehs next to the shut- | double holders for plates, pounds complete. Has ko ake out in case of indoor front board lets down on ling gets out of order it can |. I\haye wandered often but hope it may have been : reader, ‘and may be the others out te give their ex- new field of “bunting with a noisy gun. W. Otto Emerson. is, Cal., Oct., 1889. > te Nesting of the Blue-gray Gnat-catcher at Raleigh, N. C. The Blue-eray Gnat-catcher (Polioptila ceru- lea) is quite a Common summer visitor about here, frequenting the woodlands and orchards, but most abundant in the willows and other growth along streams, This year, as usual, the first specimens appeared the last week in March, and by the 5th of Aprilythe species was present in summer numbers. They did not let the grass grow under their feet when they got here, but after laying out their summer plans and looking up the fash- jonable localities, they went to work in good earnest. The first nest observed was one just started, on April 12th, and by the 20th the bulk of the species were engaged on their nests. A cold spell lasting five or six days from the 13th to the 18th, set back some of them in their operations, but others kept bravely on with their work in spite of the biting winds. Both sexes helped in the building, the female doing most of the work, however. Green moss, fine grass, fibres, and other fine material, firmly bound together with cobwebs and ornamented with an exterior coat of gray lichen, are the usual materials employed in making the nest. The actions of the bird when binding cobwebs in a suitable fork to form the foundation are most amusing. The bird sticks her head under the fork, and winds and twists the cobwebs about any pro- jections there may be present, until if looks as if-she would twist her head off. The nest is. usually placed. in the fork | of a moderately slender lateral limb of some tree, and there is also a disposition on-the part of the birds to choose afork near the end of a ‘limb, so that whem ai good sized tree is chosen side, two inches deep on the upper side, one and one-half inches on the lower ; circumference eight and one-quarter inches. Number two measures two and one-quarter inches in height, one and three-quarter inches in depth on the upper, and one and one-quarter inches deep on the lower side; circumference seven and three-quarters inches. 0,& O, XI. Feb.1886.p. 2%. By J. W. Jacobs. /bdzd., No. 6, Auk, V11. Jan. = Bay State ( of} The Blue-gray Guatcatcher. 1890. p, *l- une, 1888, pp. 46-47.—Nesting habits. Nesting Under Difficulties. 2¥, On May I7th, 1886, I discovered a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers building a nest on a horizontal limh af on no, +--+ = 132 ORNITH as a nesting site the eggs are no easy matter to get. The nests are placed in sweet gum, birch, | oak, willow, and pine mostly, and range from seven to fifty feet in height, the highest nests | being those in pines and the lowest ones those | in the gums. | The birds take about two weeks to build the nest and lay the four or five eggs which consti- tute a set; but after a pair has been robbed | once, they take much less time over the sec- ond and later nests. When undisturbed I do} not think they raise more than one brood ina season. The labors of incubation are shared by both sexes, though I don’t know whether | the male bird takes his full share of the work, | or whether he only goes on the nest once in a while, to show how good he is. From one pair of birds we took four sets this year, and as a matter of curiosity I give the history thereof: April 12, 1889. Birds started building in fork of sweet-gum, eight feet high. April 18. Birds started on the nest again after doing nothing for nearly a week of cold weather. May 2. Took set of four eggs from nest. Birds found building next day in another sweet-gum, nine feet high this time. May 14. Took set of four from second nest. Birds started again next day in a third sweet- gum, and put the nest a little higher (twelve feet.) May 24. Took set of four from third nest. Birds started building again in a fourth sweet- gum, Nest again twelve feet high. June 1. Nest had three eggs in. Looked later on and it had only two. June 3. Took set of three from third nest. Some days after, the birds started on their fifth nest, choosing a pine limb some forty feet high and putting the nest a long way from the trunk, and so we concluded to let the bird hatch. Cc. S. Brimley. Raleigh, N.C. 0.& 0. RIV. Dec. 1889 P- 181-182. they My Two Pets. at la ae It was a beautiful mnigg in May when | ee L—— and myself stakted oft with the distinct | cy view of making a new aintance. We had aie carefully located our d¥y ination several days sina previous, and judged tAXt it was time for the | Shia harvest. A few minyfes’ Walk brought us to cae the outskirts of the City. At the forks of the one} roads, in a small pine tree particularly ex- nal posed to the view of all who passed, was a wo thret one | side) inch ‘Bay State ee The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. B A : ey. By J. W. Jacobs. z | erate 18h, 1888, pp. 46-47.—Nesting habits. : Jacobs. 1hid., No.6, Axtke, VU, May, 1892.] AND OOLOGIST. 73 Nesting of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. It seems strange that such an essentially southern species as the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila cerulea) should be so abundant as it is in this locality which is so near the limit of its northern range, if not, indeed, actually marking that limit, at least in this state and the neighboring State of Ohio, where, accord- ing to Oliver Davie, it is also quite common. But in Butler and Armstrong Counties, only some forty miles to the eastward of here, it is conspicuous by its absence, a fact in keeping with the boreal affinities of the fauna of which locality, as compared with that of Beaver County. Its arrival occurs the third week in April, or, to speak more precisely, and by the record, on the 17th or 18th of the month, when pleasant weather has become fairly established and the orchard and forest trees are just ‘beginning to burst into new life. Dry and rather open woods, especially if on a hill-side, are its chosen haunts, in which places the birds, although so small of size, may always be found if present by following up their peculiar filing note, chee-e-e-chee-e-e-chee-e-e, which cannot possibly be confounded with any other, although on the whole bearing consider- able resemblance to that of the Blue Golden- winged Warbler. But this is a humble effort compared with the Gnatcatcher’s true song, for it is possessed of exquisite vocal powers, though they are not often exercised, and not generally known even among professed orni_ thologists, its song being heard for only a week or two after the bird’s arrival. Not so full and clear, indeed, as the vivacious song of its cousin, the Ruby-erowned Kinglet, which expressive, and sweeter, well-befitting such a is migrating at the same time, but more exquisitely modulated, more tender, more tiny, fairy-like bird, as, clad in a delicate blue and white, it ceaselessly pursues its minute insect prey in the tree-tops, in every motion graceful. They are invariably paired on their arrival, and lose little time in selecting a nesting-site, which is always in the immediate vicinity of last year’s, and not infrequently on the same tree. The spot having been chosen, work on the nest is immediately begun, and vapidly carried forward except in stormy weather, though the structure always requires for its final completion between two and three weeks of constant labor on the part of the female, the male, so far as I have observed, never assisting, although he always remains near at hand and takes a great interest in the work, aiding no doubt, by his cheery presence and song. The nest is occasionally let down into the crotch of an upright branch, but as a rule is saddled on a horizontal limb, preferably of an oak, at an elevation of from twenty to fifty feet, and is not infrequently so arranged as to be directly uuder another limb, so as to be partially protected from the disintegrating effect of rain. It isa most elegant and elabo- rate structure, a very model of bird architect- ure, and as such very creditable to its tiny owners, whose labor is so patiently expended upon it. Though reminding one strikingly of the nest of the Hummingbird, with which it even vies in elegance of design and beauty of finish, it is much larger, being, in fact, very large in proportion to the size of the bird. A nest now before me, collected May 19, 1890, and which may be regarded as typical, is composed of the delicate stalks of certain small weeds, fine strips of inner bark, bits of dry mullen leaf, down from the thistle, milk weed, and various other plants, pieces of cocoons, etc. There is no special lining other than the regular material used for the body of the nest, but the outside is completely and neatly stuecoed over with bluish-gray lichens fastened on by a lavish use of cobwebs. The sayity is deeper than it is wide; the brim is moreover much constricted. The birds very often place their nest on a lichen-covered branch, the more to escape observation, but in any case it might readily be mistaken for a knot on the limb, so perfect is the mimicry. Itisa soft and perishable structure, loosely attached to its branch, and never outlasting the season for which it is intended. Although it might naturally be supposed that it would be rather difficult to find, this is in reality a very simple and easy matter, as the birds never stray far from home and are always certain to return sooner or later, so that it is only necessary to watch them while building. When the female begins to incubate she every now and then answers the calls of her mate by reassuring notes, thus disclosing the position of her nest. When their domicile is invaded they become very bold and fearless, though so small and in- significant in size, often coming within a yard, scolding and protesting vigorously meanwhile. In a case that came under my notice this last spring, where the female of a pair which had nearly completed their nest was accidentally killed, the male in the course of a few days secured another mate, which built a new nest Hastern Massachusetts. 2 Steaulirs Teas [S07 Conger & Wy. B bg Sf, ay See = va Nev. 25 ® 26% acts ~ 1489, [2 3~ 1E esa tia 4 GEE AS? LIE ABE APE IP 1641. < ae oe EEE eNO Dees YE S*G Se ce a 13 94% 1552. 9@ 4 fia $ ye (gabe ab ‘Isd0 ADEs “gh VED ES as C597 Java g am. 1690 257 SEG Ze ahs 1892. fe $s fi /38. Me 2a! ode Bey Gate ‘3 oak. i (ig Fi tant So 68 F974 [o! /692. E Pinel ge. ae Fa ISG [gee 3 Ishi Tes? 202. 242 M472, Hye ee 24%, POL IED Gi neh, Va mh. Wes eo nar we aes I Bat aut 264 162 298 (991 YE 6 fo® 5! 9" 2/# AS AGE a7? 25 [692 a U7! Pat Gor tenth : ens sak EEGs ye oe j2 Le, Oat) 8 Se ns Pe a ar a a eC a an Sisen 169 324 1g, 15@ 17. 209 2g ae” hige EELS Septibin “23994995. see I9GE Lo" 21 2a 1S DG* DS? 8 1SI6: 10% [$20 28 LFD LGB 299 Cons [595 2Qrt 2H |S NESSES 1574 a Heke ghee Beles, Was Pts 1596 pe ye 154% 4 §@ Jo% 14+ 17% [y@g [q®@ 20® 21 Gureerd 1897, a ia! Ly Eee se vf EG FU Core ik Wethre-, ati (e ESE 1a! [6% 21% Crom [599 (5 ae 25-@ £7@ 308 1599 Cy. et ha fates # ) te VE G4 ze 264// [42 72/G8 1997 z Wo je Trike 9 23 - S095 15 5 Isis Ane: 3h jsqg 3° 82 (2 Fy" Is 77 Jot [F® Dun Ggordann , Corrs ty~ T3816? L6F 25% 1574 ES ri s/72 $21)" 23" 24 18 IE fig) Carman. (546 Lis SBE”) [1@ Ad (numa Ly Oy Co a ei Regulus satrapa. Winechendon, Mass. We entered a dense spruce woods where the trees stood so thickly that they shut out nearly every ray of sunlight. The ground beneath was smooth ana carpeted with brown needles. Hearing a Kinglet sing we went in pursuit and found a pair, the female of which was collecti ng material for her nest. In a very few minutes we traced her to it. It was some 40 ft. up in a large, dense spruce near the extremity of a branch under which it hung not wilike a Vireo's nest. Bailey climbed to it and found it nearly finished. Both birds darted into and out of it as soon as he descended. Regulus satrapa. Peterborough, New Hampshire. 1898, July 5 to AE CLS. Abundant in spruce grown pastures and mixed spruce and hemlock woods (Ben Mere farm, Cunningham Pond and. base of Pack Monadnock), Heard singing July 6, 18 & 20. A brood of eight or nine young in company with Chickadees and Warblers met with July 23rd. So re - Dwiebt, Suramer Birds of Prince B@ward Island, GoOLDEN-CROWNED KinGLeT. —Infrequently ob- Sibi gears It should have served. Young were on the wing the fae of June. proved much more abundant than I found it to be. Auk X, Jan, 1893, p.14- Summer Birds of Bras D'Or Region Cape Breton Id,, N.S. J. Dwight, Jr, 57- Regulus satrapa. Auk, 4, Jan., 1887. p.16 bul Nite Non ~ N. Vickary has sent us a sketch of the nest of the Golden-crowned Kinglet, recently reported by him. It Je Sam represents the nest suspended under the limb of a * spruce with the smaller branches on both sides falling over So as to screen it. The entrance, around hole, is at the top under the limb towards the tree. The bird, to gain access, had to. pass under and parallel with the limb ; he writes thatitis about the size of a Goldfinches’ and made of green rock moss. 0.&0, XIV, Ju1.1889 piit Summer Birds of Sudbury, Ont. 6 A. H.Alberger, | 748. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Tolerably commons | fo & rr Ne =o 0,490, ZV; Jape. 1890, p.sg irds of Magcalen Islands. Bor. L.B-Bishop. 61. Regulus Satrapa. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. — Abundant, ‘breeding onall the islands. A nest taken by Mr. Robbins on Grindstone July 16, was situated ina spruce, about thirty-five feet from the ground. It was firmly attached by the brim to the branch above and at the same time rested on, and was slightly fastened to, the small branches below. The young at this date were able to fly. Auk, Vi. April, 1889, p.149 Ds By © 32. Regulus satrapa. GoLDEN-cROWNED KiNGLeT.— Abundant. I was never in the woods any length of time without meeting a flock. In March I frequently heard the summer nesting song. Auk, XVI, Jul Birds of N.H. coast of Labrador by Henry B. Bigelow. 81. Regulus Satrapa. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.— Fairly common in patches of spruce timber, as far as Aillik. : Auk, XIX, Jan., 1902, p.30. 74 e - 3 ~ Q : . (c, lw ‘s ry by eek: C MAL, Ath, xxIV, Jan./907, / $2, Sommer (ducle rpte. Coto hen 4 Regain 72. Regulus satrapa. GoLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.— Fairly com- mon. Observed feeding young, July 28. fonds og Of y, Canad a, Garey Wt PP cy: or th Part fdrurha, Ck xx (VY Jom. 19 07. 1.96, 981. Regulus satrapa. GoLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.— Abundant migrant, April 2 to May 12, and October 6 to 27; irregular winter resident (January 16, 1899, February 3, and April 21, 1894). 1896. Penobscot Bay, Maine. Deer Monks. Tewoe 20% A/% 14% AF% 26% 27% 29%.295 Tuly Ueth Gh Wh 7h 1Re 1BLIR ITs Waburrine Aptenta Semele 22, Duty ron Arr by WK. fy, 4). Birds of Dead River Region, Me. F. BH. 8. Regulus satrapa, (Golden-crowned Kinglet). | Saw this dainty little creature at all seasons of the year. Without doubt it commonly breeds, as I observed females carrying material for nests, also the males with food in their bills, yet they eluded my careful search. These birds are very tame and fearless, often entering our cabin at Tim Pond between the logs and flying about the interi- or, evincing no fear of the occupants. A nest con- taining an incomplete set of five eggs taken at Caribou, Me., may be described as follows: The nest resembled to a certain extent that of the Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, but differed in having small pieces of hemlock twigs and grouse feathers woven on the outside. The inside was lined en- tirely with feathers of the Grouse and Canada Jay. It was placed partly pendant from a hori- zontal branch of a small hemlock at the edge of a forest. The eggs measure as follows: .51x.42, 00x.41, .51x.40, .51x.40, 49x.40. They resemble in color those of the Least Flycatcher, but have a few buff and drab markings in form of spots at larger end. This nest was found by my com- panion. Dr. W. DeF. Northrup, who generously presented it to me. The birds, both male and female, were secured, thus establishing identity beyond doubt. O.&0. XI. Aug. 1886, p, 114. -//5~ Ley Summer Birds Tim Pond Me, by F. H.C, i} — @Qolden-crowned Kinglet, (Regulus sutrapa). They seemed to move in small companies. Com- mon one day and not seen the next. 0,&0O, XI, Feb.1886.p. 25. Coas Mes eo i - J Jt. | 748. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Saw four at | Boothbay. On an island near Seal Harbor, | Mt. Desert, [came across a colony of about | fifty of these birds. O,andO, 16. Nov,1890. p,162 ( - Mhendaudt Profile House, N.H, Aug.1865. i Aersgsdos fa a ast _ Profile House, N.H. Aug. 1-1 a LBye Beach, Nn, H.i871. i Rages bekiafg, _ eee Fontes tots Icohr of, au Jas, 30 Rye Beach, N.H.18'72. { + Lar. , Winter Birds of Webster, N.H. by Faleo. iw Golden-crowned Kinglet, (Regulus satrapa). Com- mon Winter resident 0.&0. X.Jan.1885. pry Summer Birds of Presidential Range, White Mts. A.P,Chadbourne 43. Regulus “satrapa. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.—Common from base to tree limit. None seen above the timber line, and everywhere equally plenty. Auk, 4, April 1887. p.107 Bas, Obs. in Franconia, N.H 1- ’86, and June4- Aug. 1'’87, 7 gasoe 81. Regulus Satrapa. Ss GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.—Common _ in coniferous forest, Auk, V. April, 1888. p.153 Birds Obs. at Moultonboro, N.H. July 2i- Aug. il, 1883, F.H.Allen Regulus satrapa.—A few seen on Ossipee Mt. Auk, Vi. Jat,, 1B89.p.'79 Bird Notes, CentralN.H. Winter’91-92 ¢ H. Johnson Golden-crowned Kinglet, plenty. O.& U. Vou.u(, may luvs p, 72 Nores From Tarrsyinuy, Vr.—April 16th found me in the woods for one half hour. Seated upon astump to watch the Blue-Snowbirds,—(Jwnco..hyematis;-which-were very numerous, I heard what at first I mistook for the song of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, (Regulus calendula), but soon the little songster came within ten feet of me, when with much pleasure I saw it was the Golden-crowned King- let, (Regulus satrapa,) this being the first time I have posi- fively Menno ees which, though lacking the power, resembles the beautiful song of the Ruby-crowned. CO Py. If arte, VE. Ga @. Ree: IGEY. Jo. Ol. 2/ aut liace Southercelee Tp MEF a Thave not obsAved a single specimen of the Golden and — Ruby-crowned Ringlet t is wee last Winter xr I found several of each. C2, Et Ga, pectietetes wie i getewet Be; O.&0. X. Apr.1885.p.63 79. Regulus satrapa. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. —Their song was heard on several occasions in the heavy timber at the base and once at about 2500 feet altitude. It is a prolonged bubbling warble, rather lacking in musical quality. : ee eh Rao Bd. | ee Wee. (oa. a/é 16846. Mar. H. Mass. 1885. , : ee we Oct-82 Nev, 264. 304 if. lh cK v ere EB. Mass. 1886, Propt i. ae Mass. ; = - an J. pte frre Ved wrt prickly | t le Re as ee Ce, mae y Ie Wiickendon, Mass. a 1888. Mass. (near Cambridge). 1887 Upar 6*_ 7* fgets Jaliafin Mass. (near Cambridge). 1887 at. 4* 54 Nou dg 1K 9 Feb foe Ur, g2lermand] | |) Nov, 22. MA. 174 huzgihus db nfrn Regulus satrapa. Concord, Mass. 1878, Oct.15. Heard the first. A Correction.—- In the article by Thurston and Boyle on Long Island birds in ‘The Auk,’ XXX, line three, page 545, ‘Ruby-crowned Kinglet’ should read Golden-crowned Kinglet— Henry Tuurston, American Museum of Natural History, New York City. fame ©: Ibe, Mass. (near Concord ). 1887 MVN7 Goat 11 Mag eelont Wahrih, ws ANT ewe 26 a eae ROIS OLE I W. Middlesex Co. Mass. June 25-30, i889. é : j fom : / . bie Woot Ne i rhe ReawA aE Av "Ae FY Bh ak, 1g 4 “te ap i : r, f f f OA botar arte ® & Prannted ns Oi harnnon fe tee peat Age uel 4 ft ie tts gl we pf Ata, ‘ fF dh if eF 4G Neca “irds Known to Pass Breeding Season mY, Winchendon, Mags, Wm. Srewster 78. Regulus satrapa. Auk, V, Oct,, 1888, p.389 Notes on Birds of Win Willi ‘ chendo am Brewster, n, Mass, igration, Bristel County, Mass, 1885. Charles H. Andros, Regulus Satrapa—My, experience with this species given fully in another article in this number of ‘The Au at Winchendon ig , i stormy. Golden-crowned Kine + let Auk, V, Oct,, 1888. p.393 ol. 8] lets, Maver Aetee | Kinglets ace 0.0, XI.May.1886.p.77 AH. Cus: OO: XV//, Joly IS 7K. p47. A yee, ness. May 30. To woods all day. Yesterday /saw pair of Golden-crowned _Kinglets ; hunted for nest all day and came home at seven in the evening, tired out with chasing the birds about and climbing a few million trees. Went at it again at half past eight this morning and at twenty minutes past one Lhad the nest. I was about done up, as it was hard work and took a lot of patience, (something that I do not possess to any very great extent). | Nest is up about forty feet and away out on ‘the end of black spruce limb. I did not | examine it as bird was carrying stuff to it, | and I take it that she has not completed the | building. This makes three Golden-crowned Kinglets I have found; one on June 2, 1889, with nine eggs and one on June 14th, that contained young. I find this species is) | very hard to place, as they make very little _noise and keep way up high on the trees. I saw a pair of “Ruby’’ but could not locate | nest and will try it again. The ¢ Ruby is very misleading as he covers the ground for fully a mile square and the @ is not to be seen. I found nest of Olive-backed Thrush just about built. This was on a little spruce tree about seven feet up from the ground. | found May 80th and it was full of young, so I was wrong in thinking it was material that the 9 was carrying on the 30th ult. I found a Hummingbird’s nest with two eggs. Looked at Olive-backed Thrush found the 80th ult. and it held two eggs which were greenish-blue with red spots. General Notes, Summer Birds o Covntry, Mase, Vad (11th tt ad tren f Central Berkshire Proreis times, O.&0O, XI, Jan.1886, p, 2 2 Birds of Bristol County, Mass. F.W. Andros. Regulus satrapa Licht., Golden-crowned Kinglet. Winter visitant, common. 0.&0. XII. Sept. 1887 p.14i Bds. Obs. near, Graxlock Mt. Berkshire Co. Masa. June 28- July 16, W.Faxon Wee Regulus satrapa. GoLpDEN-cRowNEeD KinGLer.—During my first ascent of Graylock on June 28, I discovered the Golden-crowned Kinglet in full summer song in the thick second growth of black spruce through which the carriage road passes before emerging into the "Mountain Pas- ture.’ Approximate altitude, 2200 feet. T afterward found the Kinglet to be a not uncommon bird at this place and higher up on the mountain in the primitive spruces. It has been recorded from the summits of the Catskills by Mr. T. M. Trippe* although Mr. Bicknell} failed to identify it in the same region at a later date. # Amer. Nat., VI, 47, 1872. + Trans. Linn. Soc. N. Y., I, 144, 1882. +Since this was written Mr. William Brewster has published an account of the breeding of the Golden-crowned Kinglet in Winchendon, Worcester Co., Mass. (Auk, V, 337, Oct.; 1888). In (Hitcheock’s ‘Report on the Geology, Mineralogy, Botany, and Zodlogy of Massachu- setts’, 1833) this bird is marked as breeding in the State. As professor in Williams College, almost within the shadow of Graylock, Dr. Emmons had ample opportunity to know of the bird's presence on the mountain in the breeding season, although his yr, Emmons’s catalogue of Massachusetts birds authority in this case seems to have been universally discredited. In thesecond edition’ of this catalogue, 1835, Dewdroica maculosa and Sitta canadensis, both common in the Graylock region in summer, are also marked as breeding in Massachusetts, although not admitted in this rode to recent lists until Mr. Allen’s revised catalogue of 1886, on Mr. Brewster’s authority. In the light of the recent testimony to the accuracy of Emmons's catalogue it is worthy of note that Dendrovca castanea is also marked by him as “breeding, rare.” Is it not possible that in Dr. Emmons’s day, before the destruc- tion of the great coniferous forest of Graylock had gone very far, this bird found a congenial breeding ground there, as it still does in the White Mountains of New Hampshire? Auk, V1. April, 1889, p.105 . Ralph Hoffa 27. Regulus satrapa. GoLpEN-cROWNED KinGLET.— Found in spruce woods in Becket, Washington, and northward.—Francrs II. ALLEN, West Roxbury, Mass. Auk XII. Jan, 1896 p, a9 | fan Lx 53 ee Poe ee a AD) Par Se EE p> 24 Qa Mae | SW Psy, Wy eee ao / aot ae young about two or three days old. The nest*was in a “ quaking asp,” aboutsten feet from the ground. The entrarice to the nest was very small, and the ¢ayity inside not large. July 4; took three. In nestlings nearly fully fledged the sexual difference was‘as plainly marked as in the-adults. There were two.males and two females in this nest. On July 11 I found a second nest in axpine-trée about twelve feet from the ground. This contained four youngfemales fully fledged. These birds do not seem shy, but are restless: 48. Colaptes mexicanus.-“ Rep-sHAFTED “FLICKER. — Common. Breeds about June 1. Took young fully fledged on July 2 and July 4, Seven in each nest. ‘These nests, like those of most Woodpeckers I found in this region, were“not more than ten feet from the ground. “The birds are all typical; and show the distinguishing marks of sex in the first plumage. 49-Bubo virginianus. Great-Hornep Owx.— Not common. Spe- cimens are much grayer than those taken in the East. NEST AND EGGS OF THE GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLET (REGULUS SATRAPA). BY T. M. BREWER. I wave been recently permitted to examine an example of one of ten eggs from an unknown nest, but which, by the pretty sure evidence of exclusion, cannot’ well belong to any other species of bird than the Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa). The nest was found in the neighborhood of Bangor, Me., was about six feet from the ground, and is now in the possession of Mr. Harry Merrill of that city. Through his courtesy I have been permitted to examine one of its eggs, and to compare it with sets of the eggs of Regulus cristatus and R. ignicapillus of Europe. My reasons for supposing the nest and eggs to belong to this species are, that this bird ig a not uncommon summer resident in that neighbor- BREWER on the Colden-Crowned Kinglet. 97 hood ; that from their size and markings they cannot well belong to any other species ; and because, while the egg so closely resem- bles those of 2. cristatus (to which bird &. satrapa is also very closely allied) as to be hardly distinguishable from them, it is also essen- tially different from the egg of 2. calendula,* which more nearly resembles the eggs of R. zgnicaprllus. The following account of the nest and eggs I copy, by permission, from Mr. Merrill’s letter: ‘‘In 1876 a friend presented me with the nest which I shall describe, but the bird was not obtained, and consequently its identification is a matter of conjecture. The nest consisted of a large ball of soft moss, the whole forming a mass about 44 inches in diameter. The opening was at the top, and was about 1? inches across and 2 inches deep. It was lined with hair and feathers, principally the latter. The nest was in one of those bunches of thick-growth so common on many of our fir-trees, and contained ten eggs of the following dimensions : — No. Length. Width. ‘ No. Length. Width. 52 41 6 AT .39 50 40 7 52 Al 50 Al 8 Ol Al 50 41 9 50 Al AT 39 10 50 41 The eggs are of a creamy-white color, and are covered with very obscure spots, so very obscure, in fact, that they merely give a dingy or dirty tint to the egg, and some to whom I have shown them are doubtful if they are spots, but I regard them as extremely obscure and confluent spots, not on, but in, the shell. From the number of the eggs, their extreme smallness, and the situation of the nest, I have been inclined to believe it to be a Kinglet’s.” Examining my example witha powerful magnifier, I find the ground- color to be white with shell-marks of purplish-slate, and a few ob- * See the interesting notes of Mr. W. E. D. Scott in the present number of the Bulletin, p. 91. J have also compared the egg in question with that of the calendula obtained by Mr. J. H. Batty on Buffalo Creek in Colorado, July 21, 1873. This, though in a somewhat fragmentary condition, exhibits its size and markings. It measures .59. x 45. The ground-color is a creamy white, and over this are profusely scattered minute dots of brown with a reddish tinge. It closely resembles in its general character the supposed egg of satrapa, is larger, more oval in shape, and the spots are more distinct and of a different shade. Mr. Batty’s nest contained one egg and six young. The parent, though not pro- cured, was seen, and there appears to be good reason to accept the identification. VOL. Ivy. g 98 BREWER on the Golden-Crowned Kinglet. Scure superficial markings of a deep buff, giving to the ground the effect of cream-color. This egg so closely resembles my set of the eggs of FR. cristatus that, placed in the same tray, it is not readily distinguishable from them. It differs in size, shape, and markings from the eges of R. calendula, which are more oval, are marked with brown, and resemble, in description, the eggs of R. agnicapillus, Tt will be seen that the greatest length of an egg of R. calendula* is 98, that of the supposed satrapa only .523 the least length of ca- lendula .54, that of satrapa .47. The variation in breadth is also as 45 to .41. The average measurement of ealendula is .56 x 45, that of satrapa .49 « .40. In “ North American Birds” Tf ventured the remark, in reference to this nest, — then unknown except, as given by Mr. Lord, as pensile and suspended from the extreme end of pine branches, — that the presumption is that it builds a pensile nest not unlike its Huropean congener, and lays small eggs finely sprinkled with buff-colored dots on a white ground, in size nearly-corresponding with those of our common Humming-Bird.” Mr. Merrill’s nest, if not pensile, is at least in a pensile position, and is in all respects such a nest as was to be anticipated from the uniform habits, so far as they are known, of the members of this genus, Both of the European species of this genus, R. cristatus and R. ignicapillus, and their Asiatic relative, 2. himalayensis, are known to build pensile nests, though, like very nearly all pensile builders, they occasionally make use of other positions. It was, therefore, not only natural, but even unavoidable, to anticipate that our own Reguli, so closely allied to these in all respects, would be found to nest in a similar manner, and accordingly in “ North American Birds” I ventured to say that we might “ reasonably infer that its nest (that of £. calendula) is pensile like that of its European kindred.” Mr. Scott’s timely discovery shows that my anticipations have been realized. But even without this verification I should have felt fully justified in still maintaining the reasonable probability that both of our Reguli, when their history shall be more fully known, will be found to be pensile in their architecture. Yet the author of “ Birds of the Colorado Valley ” says: “Since Dr. Brewer thought he might reasonably infer that the nest was pensile the discovery has been made that it is not so [the italics are mine], showing that care must be exercised in natural history inferences.” Even without the light * See Mr. Scott’s valuable paper, anted, p. 91. BREWSTER on the Black-Capped Vireo. oy of Mr. Scott’s valuable discoveries I would still venture to maintain that all due and proper “care” had been exercised by me oe I drew my inference, and that the writer quoted was too hasty in his own conclusions. There has been nothing to show that oe Batty’s nest was not of a semi-pensile character, and certainly the time has gone by for any one to assume, on the score sof a single example, the unvarying character of the nest of any bird. I say single example, for, except that of Mr. Batty, there was mo other. Mr. Henshaw’s was wholly unidentified, and it is quite likely be- longed to some other bird. Of course Mr. Scott’s pains now settles beyond dispute the pensile character of its nest, but 2 does not necessarily show either that Mr. Batty was mistaken in his identification, or that Mr. Henshaw’s supposed nest may not have been rightly surmised. We know too little as yet of these nests to lay down any arbitrary rules of generalization. Since the above was written, Dr. J. C. Merrill has called my at- tention to the illustration of an egg of &. satrapa by Dr. Baldamus in Cabanis’s ‘‘Journal” for 1856 (p. 23, Pl. I, No. 8). Although somewhat rudely represented, the identification is probably correct. In this egg there is more of the buff-colored inarkiage, and much less of the obscure purplish-slate than in my specimen. tine ground-color is less concealed, and is represented as a buffy-white. Norr. —Since this paper was prepared, Mr. Allen has called my attention ie the description of the nest of &. satrapa, which I had overlooked, in Minot s “Tand and Game Birds of New England” (p. 56). This nest, the writer states, was found in the White Mountains, and “hung four. feet above ge ground, from a spreading hemlock bough, to the twigs of which it was firmly Jastened ; it was globular, with an entrance in the upper part, and was com- posed of moss, ornamented with bits of dead leaves, and lined chiefly wank feathers.” The italies are my own, to emphasize the pensile character of this nest, the account corresponding so closely to descriptions of the nests of. 2. cristatus of Kurope. Bull N.O.0, 4, April, 1879, p.6 - g g. THE AUK. NESTS OF REGULUS SATRAPA. Upper figures nest found June 16, from photograph taken after leaves had dropped off. Lower figure: nest found June 13, from photograph taken while the leaves yet remained on the branch. THE AUK: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL ORNITHOLOGY. OcToBER, 1888. No. 4. BREEDING OF THE GOLDEN-CRESTED KINGLET (REGULUS SATRAPA) IN WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS, WITH A DE- SCRIPTION OF ITS NEST AND EGGS. BY WILLIAM BREWSTER. Durine a visit to Winchendon, Worcester County, Massa- chusetts, in the latter part of June, 1887, I found, among other interesting things, a pair of Golden-crested Kinglets with young, the latter only a few days from the nest. They were in dense woods of mixed white pine (P. strodus) and spruce (A. migra) on low, rather swampy ground. A careful search through sev- eral similar woods in the neighborhood failed to reveal any more birds of this species. Perhaps there were no others in 1887, for Mr. C. E. Bailey, who was my companion on that occasion, met with none either before or after my visit, although he spent most of the season collecting about Winchen- don. Over the very same ground, however, in June, 1838, I found no less than six pairs of these Kinglets and, with the assis- tance of Messrs. C. E. Bailey, S..W. Denton, and H. M. Spel- man, secured three of their nests, two with sets of nine eggs each. As the published descriptions of the nesting: of this species are somewhat meagre and more or less conflicting, it seems worth while to treat the present specimens at some length. The first nest was found June 13, 1888, when the birds were 338 BREWSTER on the Golden-crested Kinglet. [October at work on the lining, the exterior being apparently completed, and was taken June 29, with a set of nine eggs, four perfectly fresh, the others slightly incubated. It was placed in a tall, slender spruce (A. zégra), on the south side, within about two feet of the top of the tree, and at least sixty feet above the ground, suspended among fine pendant twigs about two inches directly below a short horizontal branch, some twelve inches out from the main stem, and an equal distance from the end of the branch. The tree stood near the upper edge of a narrow strip of dry, rather open woods bordered on one side by a road, on the other by an extensive sphagnum swamp, the growth both in the swamp and along its edges being almost exclusively spruces (A. migra) and balsams (A. dalsamiferc) . The nest measures externally: greatest depth, 3.60; least depth, 2.70; greatest diameter, 4.20; least diameter, 3.00 inches. Two measurements are required for each dimension because of the irregularity of the external outline. This although generally rounded is broken in places by deep depressions and prominent knobs or excrescences. The top of the nest is open, but the rim is slightly contracted or arched on every side over the deep hol- low which contained the eggs. The extent of this contraction is best shown by the following measurements of the interior cav- ity: diameter at top, 1.15 X 1.95 inches; diameter midway be- tween top and bottom, 1.40 X 2.10. The cavity is oblong, not round. The walls vary in thickness from 1.35 to .4o. Out- wardly they are composed chiefly of green mosses* prettily diver- sified with grayish lichens and Uszea, the general tone of the col- oring, however, matching closely that of the surrounding spruce foliage. The interior at the bottom is lined with exceedingly deli- cate strips of soft inner bark and fine black rootlets similar to, if not identical with, those which almost invariably form the lining of the nest of the Black-and-yellow Warbler. Near the top are rather numerous feathers of the Ruffed Grouse, Hermit Thrush, and Oven-bird, arranged with the points of the quills down, the tips rising to, or slightly above, the rim and arching inward over the cavity, forming a screen that partially concealed the eggs. ® These have been identified by a botanist as representing five species of Hypnum and one of Frullania. 1888.] BREWSTER on the Golden-crested Kinglet. 339 The second nest was found June 16, when it was nearly com- pleted, and taken June 29 with nine eggs, five of which were fresh, the remaining four being slightly incubated. The locality was a lonely glen on high land between two ridges. The ridges were covered with young white pines. The prevailing growth in the glen was spruce and hemlock, the trees of large size and standing so thickly together as to shut out nearly all sunlight from the ground beneath. The nest was on the west side of a sturdy, heavily limbed spruce (A. nigra) about fifty feet above the ground, twenty feet below the top of the tree, six feet out from the trunk, and two and a half feet from the end of the branch, in a dense cluster of stiff, radiating (not pendant) twigs, the top of the nest being only an inch below, but the whole struc- ture slightly on one side of the branch from which its supports sprang. Above and on every side it was so perfectly concealed by the dense flake-like masses of spruce foliage that it was im- possible to see it from any direction except by parting the sur- rounding twigs with the hand. From directly below, however, a small portion of the bottom was visible, even from the ground. The foliage immediately over the top was particularly dense, forming a canopy which must have been quite impervious to the sun’s rays, anda fairly good protection from rain also. Beneath this canopy there was barely sufficient room for the birds to enter. In general shape and construction this nest closely resembles the one above described. It is, however, smaller, shallower, more compact, rounder, and less irregular in outline, measuring as follows: externally, greatest depth, 2.55; least depth, 2.45; greatest diameter, 4; least diameter, 2.90 inches ; interior, diam- eter atrim, 1.70; diameter midway, 1.75; depth, 1-40; greatest thickness of walls, 1.60; least, .75. The materials composing the exterior are, similarly, green mosses and gray lichens, but the lichens are much more sparingly used. The lining, as far as can be seen without subjecting the nest to undue violence of handling, is wholly of the downy under feathers of the Ruffed Grouse. These are used so lavishly that, radiating inward from every side, they nearly fill the interior and almost perfectly conceal its contents. The third nest was also in a spruce which stood near the top of a steep, picturesque hillside covered with noble old hemlocks interspersed with a few rather stunted spruces, the ground be- 340 BREWSTER on the Golden-crested Kinglet. [October neath rough and broken by ledges whose rugged outlines were more ot less softened by a luxuriant covering of moss and rock ferns. The nest was on the south side of the tree about thirty feet above the ground, twelve feet out from the main stem, and five feet from the end of the branch. It was found June 17, when the bird was at work carrying into it what appeared to be the lining. We could not examine it closely without cutting off the branch, so it was left until June 29, when it proved to be empty, evidently deserted, and so dilapidated that at first we were inclined to believe it an old nest. This cannot have been the case, however, for the materials of which it is composed are quite new and fresh. These are essentially the same as in the other two nests, but there is no lining, although the outer edges of the rim as well as much of the upper portions of the exterior are covered with a profusion of feathers (chiefly those of the Rufled Grouse with a few of the Red Crossbill) while others are merely entangled among the surrounding twigs. The probable explanation of this state of affairs is that the nest was first deserted, and shortly afterwards partially dismantled, either by the owners or by some mischievous squirrel or mouse. Origi- nally, however, it must have had feathers over most of the ex- terior, for many of those now there are firmly attached to, or even woven into, the moss of which it is composed. This nest is larger than either of the others, measuring as follows: greatest external diameter, 4.00; least, 2.10; greatest depth, 3.90; least, 2.90 inches. The interior is too badly damaged to admit of ac- curate measurements. To recapitulate. In position—but not of course in construction the first nest resembles that of the Baltimore Oriole, being sim- ilarly hung near the ends of long, drooping twigs. The second is built more like a Vireo’s, but with this difference, that instead of being suspended by its upper edges only, and between the forks of a single stem, it is supported on every side, and from the top nearly to the bottom, by numerous slender, but stiff, radiating twigs. It is, nevertheless, a distinctly pensile structure. The position of the third nest is different from that of either of the others. Placed nearly midway between two stout branches which in reality are forks of the same branch, one above the other, and at the point in question about six inches apart, it is attached by the sides and upper edges to the twigs which depend 1888. ] Brewster on the Golden-crested Kinglet. 341 from the branch above, while its bottom rests firmly on a brist- ling platform of stems which rise from the branch below. Thus it is at once pensile and non-pensile. The eighteen eggs making up the two sets above-mentioned vary considerably in shape. The majority are more or less regu- larly ovate, but several are elliptical-ovate, while two are very nearly perfectly elliptical-oval. The ground color varies from creamy white to exceedingly deep, often somewhat muddy, cream color. Over this light ground are sprinkled numerous markings of pale wood-brown, while at least three specimens have a few spots and blotches of faint lavender. The brown markings vary in size from the finest possible dots to rather large blotches. In most of the specimens they are distributed pretty thickly over the entire shell, but in nearly all they are most numerous about the larger ends where they form a more or less distinct wreath pattern, while in four or five (and these have the lightest ground color) they are nearly confined to the larger ends. the remainder of the egg being very sparsely marked. Separating these eigh- teen eggs into the two sets to which they respectively belong, I find that these sets resemble each other very closely in every way, each having specimens representing all the variations above described excepting that all three of the eggs with lavender mark- ings belong to the same set. In both sets the whitest, most sparsely spotted eggs were the freshest, showing that they were the last ones laid. Lest the detail of the above description mislead the reader as to the general appearance of these eggs it may be well to add that while there can be no doubt that the markings are genuine pigment spots and not mere superficial stains (this has been doubted by some writers), they are, as a rule, so fine and so little darker than the ground color, that many of the eggs when viewed at a distance or in a poor light appear brownisn cream color and immaculate. The eggs just described measure respec- tively: (Set A—9) .56 X .44, -57 X-445 -55 X +425 -57 X +43, 57 X 445 -57 X -44,-50 X -45, +57 X -44, 57 X -44 inches. (Set B—9) -56 X .44, 56 X +45, +52 X +425 -59 X +45 -57 X -45> 53 X43, -57 X 45. -56 X -44, -54 X .44 inches. In both nests the eggs, too numerous to find sufficient space for their accommodation on the bottom of the nest, were piled in two layers, one above the other. In the first nest the relative 342 BREWSTER on the Golden-crested Kinglet. [October number of eggs in the two layers was not noted. In the second there were five eggs in the lower and four in the upper layer. All these nests were found by watching the birds while build- ing, a task of no slight difficulty in dense spruce woods where the light was dim, even at noonday, and mosquitoes were so nu- merous as to make it torture to remain still for any considerable length of time. Moreover, the movements of the little architect were erratic and puzzling to the last degree. One moment flut- tering at the end of a branch, her bill filled with a mass of build- ing material, or tugging at the loose end of a shred of bark or moss, the next hidden from sight among the dense spruce foliage, now flitting rapidly from tree to tree, again dashing back and forth between two adjoining trees, the female would often appear and disappear a dozen times and at as many different places in the course of a minute or two. The chief difficulty, of course, was to make out just when and where she deposited her burden, which often vanished in the most unaccountable way. We finally found that her almost invariable custom was to approach the nest by short flights and devious courses, and upon reaching it dash in. deposit and arrange her load in from fwo to four sec- onds, and at once dart off in search of more. When it is consid- ered that the nest, even at a distance of only a few yards, was indistinguishable from hundreds of dark clusters in its own and neighboring trees, and that the bird during her flights to and from it often entered and remained quite as long within several of these clusters as in the nest itself, the difficulties of the case will be better understood. As a matter of fact we did not ina single instance settle the exact position of the prize until we had watched the birds for several hours and spent much fruitless time in climbing to the deceptive clusters already mentioned. In her flights after building material the female sometimes went a distance of a hundred yards or more, but oftener she con- fined her quest to the trees within a radius of fifty yards or less of the one which concealed the nest. She was invariably fol- lowed closely by the male who, however, did not assist her in any way other than by singing almost incessantly, in an under- tone. In the case of the three nests which we took, and a fourth which we must have been very near to but did not find, the males in every instance first attracted us to the spot where their mates were at work by this peculiar, subdued song. It was often 1888. | BREWSTER on the Golden-crested Kinglet. 343 repeated almost incessantly dozens of times in succession. Should it prove to be, as seems probable, an invariable and char- acteristic accompaniment to the operation of nest-building its value as a clue to the neighborhood of the nest and the presence of the female is worth bearing in mind. Besides the song* both birds uttered frequently a low Zz, ¢z, ¢¢ which seemed to serve as a call to indicate one another’s presence or position. In each instance the sitting female left her eggs as soon as the movements of the climber began to shake the tree, but when he neared the nest she with her mate showed the utmost anxiety and boldness, approaching within a few feet of his head and uttering the ¢zee-tzee-tzee note incessantly. To conclude, the nests. above described are, I believe, the first that have ever been taken in Massachusetts, although my finding the brood of young birds at Winchendon in 1887 was, of course, prior and equally conclusive proof that the species breeds within our limits. That it breeds regularly at Winchendon is highly probable, but, as already stated, there are reasons for doubting that it is always as common there as it was in 1888. About July 1 of this latter year, it was discovered by Mr. Faxon in considerable numbers, and unquestionably breeding, on the northern side of Mt. Graylock in Berkshire County where I searched for it vainly in 1885 although, to be sure, I did not visit the particular part of that mountain where it has since been found. Hence my failure to meet with it affords no proof of its absence or even rarity there in 1885, Nevertheless I cannot help thinking that the number of birds which nested the past season in both Berkshire and Worcester Counties may have been exceptional. Another point worth considering is the approximate date at which this Kinglet may be assumed to nest. The fact that the nest found by Mr. Minott among the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 1876 contained young as late as July 16, taken in connection with my observations in 1888, would seem to indi- cate that the bird is a late breeder and that somewhere between * This begins with a succession of five or six fine, shrill, high-pitched, somewhat faltering notes and ends with a short, rapid, rather explosive warble. The opening notes are given in a rising key but the song falls rapidly at the end. The whole may be expressed as follows: ‘see, tzee, tzee, tzee, 72, ti, ter-ti-ti-ti-ti. + Land and Game Birds of New England, p. s6. 344 EverMaANN, Birds of Carroll County, Indiana. [October June 10 and 17 would be the best time to find the female build- ing (it would be next to useless to search for the nests after they are completed), while June 25 to July 1 should be early enough to expect full sets of eggs. But opposed to this conclu- sion are the early date (June 26) at which I found young on wing near Winchendon in 1887 and the record * by Mr. Charles H. Andros of a set of ten eggs taken by Mr. Cheney at Grand Manan, New Brunswick, ‘‘on or about June 1.” It is possible that the species rears two broods in a season but, on the whole, I am inclined to believe that its time of nesting is irregular, varying at different places or at the same place in different years. Auk, V, Oct,, 1888, p. 337- 44H. BIRDS OF CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA. BY BARTON W. EVERMANN. ROLL County lies in the northern central part of Indiana, hundred miles south of Lake Michigan. The chief river of th&County is the Wabash, which flows southwest across the northweS part of the County. The greater part of th County lies to tir east and southeast of the river, and is drai into it by Rock, Deer, and Wild Cat Creeks. Th canoe River flows for a‘ of the County, its directions All that portion of the Co of the Wabash (embracing ten originally very heavily timbered ‘afd there yet remain many uncleared acres. The chief fo cedare beech, red and white oak, elm, ash, poplar (tulp), sycamore, Tnaple (hard and soft), walnut (black and white), hickory, —in short the usual decidu- ous trees of the ordinary forest of central Indiana. There are practically po pines or other evergreens in the Cot ty, except a along the Tippecanoe. The three townshipslying on Sht bank of the Wabash differ materially from those‘gn the Adams, the most eastern of the three, is inclinetto * Ornithologist and Odlogist, Vol. 12, p. 203. 322. Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa}|. Its Nest and Eggs ~ ort , ae By . ry ee Ibid., VI, p. 58.—On the identification of a nest and eggs described“by the late Dr. Brewer in this Bulletin for April, 187 (Vol. IV, p. 96). 0.5 Oo. i eon g60. Perhaps Nest and Eggs of Regulus Satrapa. By W.T. Emmet. Ibid., Jan. 1, 1885, p- 445. — Found near Lennoxville, Can., in spring of Gt 2 eS ae BS Hk | 1879, and doubtless correctly assigned. SOF. 68 9G I 1408. The Relative Weight of the Brain of Regulus satrapa aud Spr- zella domestica compared to that of Man. By Joseph L. Hancock. Jdzd., No. 4, April, 1887, p. 389. AMET Watoralist, R&I 2228 Golden-crowned Kinglet [Regulus satrapa]. Its Nest and Eggs. ill, Jé¢d., VI, p- 58.—On the identification of a nest and the late Dr. Brewer in this Bulletin for April, 1879 (Vol. IV, p- 96). TAMENESS OF THE GOLDEN-CRESTED KINGLET, (Reguluse, satrapw). During the last days of September, while pass- ny ing through the straits of Mackinaw, on a steamboat on my annual collecting trip to the upper peninsula of Michi- gan, I was struck with the utter disregard manifested by the Golden-crested Kinglet for the presence of man. One morning we found our boat invaded by eight or ten of these birds. It was not long before they found their way into the cabin, attracted there by the large number of flies, and at dinner time they caused no little amusement and some an- noyance by perching on the heads of the passengers and on the various dishes which covered the table. I caught flies, which they would readily take from my hand with a quick flutter. I caught several, and even when in my hand, they manifested no fear, but lay quiet and passive. By next morning they had taken their departure.—A. H. Wood, Painted Post, N. Y.Q. & O. LX, May.1884. p.62) Hastern Massachusetts, Cpe talents 64; (Bau) « ie. a dis ae ee [891 te 7. Rs hs % SO % Corcerrd MN Tey [692 oe Grhiry _ Taz. eae ties eat tae Bie Qe te Me Toot fom 7 Feicty.)- es a/@ Ad 2g EE pte es woe * 25 EEE, ze S295 30! banored, /f93. Chae Ade Ujmu) SEE M594. 4 Antaigim Foto se ie gas. (S95 Tis JAB ISP [7 1519-23 BUG ate. OS Cove | a A = Rrceas fe. : . | ¥ 5 Ratt y LAKIN RATE) Comer, 1897. Jon [545 £3 pre ISAS Ub 254 2F- Slt 999 fete. See ae £872 G4 9% fo4 *% Lb, Sx Ki Cams ISIS 4 18 Cre on "185 \Porery (84 G Correurvsh LT 1G 2 LOL IEG J0L [YA RS- Crrerk’ 1992, he 255 Crmenrt [YP Ge ae Mea Corce ~ AL | is 15 ees oh Bot G@® es] 70" Corned [59S IS « oe Gree F, [ ¢ Me 5 tons er ae ae ers. Con trity Flare ny genet. Mary orsm—y toes) eet | Al aha eet , Bet, ty for ee ay ere OF eae ee And plornr, te ma te ct batts woes , emblems Ys eelahony bom fr = ee 2 Oe g aoa ee 1 eatrbe bst HF tenrade b eextawt = al rae i cae - a Ahr Kevcord, Masse ‘April, 2/ 1893. /\A hf AfpA AL i A . whitk fred as fi diaih hese tl J frond phe ea Chaska det ACE Y y Aa F Pi 4 e hand a wht 4 zm / a ae oni ell £4, Jot tet hag LAA plea vd an tc £. ra £h 4 : i Mes, iy Pelt a AT rely Aron hat Kul, Phy usd 4 & Cuticle. m einedd Rgbt fs sa et hee th Aap fea Ke. a, tue Mork 7 ri BAN. 4 Or Mar a Ly ben the Tl ful f 4 Pw A. ob A CE wl 7 Tt Regulus calenduila. Concord, Mass. Chatters like a Solitary Vireo, 1898, Just after breakfast a Solitary Vireo was in full song May 1. near the crest of Ball's Hill and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was chattering and singing among the dense pines just behind this hill. I was struck by the close resemblance between the chatter and that which the Solitary Vireo utters when its nest is approached. On the 23rd W.Faxon and Ralph Hoffmann met with a Ruby- December, crowned Kinglet at Fresh Pond. It was in the arbor vitae hedge that borders the driveway to the hemlock grove, but it afterwards flew to an apple orchard near by. tic chatter was heard several times but the bird's sex was not definitely ascertained, This is the only December record known to me Ye / ‘¢ 6 i i bserved Last Dates Migratory Birds observed by ED. Wintle, Fall1885, Montreal, Can. OAK Ruby-crowned Kinglet,_ O0.&0O, XI. Mar.1886.p.44 Ten Wiles of Poin Brrcle Onente, Canad a, bg Vieanaeed N.Ghormesy, Port 1 fornrA G2 urAs, ONY Jan, 1907 A, $6. 282. Regulus calendula. Rusy-crownep Kineter.— Abundant | migrant, April 20 to May 11, and October 5 to 20; earliest spring record April 4, 1890, latest May 22, 1894; latest fall record November 3, 1907. Comeau & Merrian 5. Regulus calendula. RusBy-cRowNepD KincGLeT.—A male was shot June 4, 1882. 4 QO Ct, 1882, De 23 Ay ~F. Allen, Summer Birds pra 44 Dax ra Regulus calendula.—Common. Wedfounobouck Arlit. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus oe dula). A few were seen near the Govern- ames yg) House, April 16th. Mw Yorba O. 8, 144 = &O, Vill, June,1833 DP. ¥3 Birds of Dead River Region, Me. fH. Ce 7. Regulus calendula, (Ruby-crowned Kinglet). This species was not common. During the winter I did not observe it at all. Saw it only in the || evergreen woods about Eustis. 0.&0. XI. Aug. 1886. p. li4 Birds Obs. at Moultenboro,N.H. July 2:-Aug. il, 1883, F.H.Allen ~ Regulus calendula.—A few seen. Auk, VI. Jan., 188@.D.'79 n fess Ae. =— far. Lerten. (Ih y whrandds, | j f v v Lited wa Colne ake h. / m3 ay Colts bAw Tak a. £ ald h. > e etc G &., f CA gah, é ner iF (P apesiic A A, “at lophh Aas, dey BAAR CLL khong ie toad Angas Arhlsby LID Dra Men ED Off L. occ. Geen F yy, ene ES f- ae Vie Oe ie eee LELO a sf V4 WEES if Gir. Ae Cah hk., Cor 54. Mass. 1885. Mass. (near Gees, 1887 % 2 Arges iN 20-4 Quy C aLoudula (Fok, Cen Tax al, AVver ye, 1 Wn, (6 Our fear Wr. far A Mad. OO 2%, Mass. (near Cambridge). 1887 | det. $2 | bye Ain. 6 _ AHF 1g2 yt Gelman hea) WX. 224. £34 (Ley bas Cobudula : Pas -eastern Mass, Birds of Bristol County, Mass, a doit Bide oN bite i F.. W. Andros. : ; Paes Ruby Crowned Kinglet. Rare in winter. Regulus calendula Ruby-crowned Ki | inglet. Paid, meconidodiia: attiilawarl. Ipa Fall and winter visitor, rare. | ae aS at Highland Light, on | da ary le : O.& 0. Vol.17, Jane,1892 p,65 0&0, XII. Sept. 1887 p.i4i Naval Hospital G.H, Coues 21, Regulus calendula. Rusy-crrsrep Wren.— Commonin spring and autumn. Bull. N,0.0, 4,Jan. a 1879, p,.32 > Re Birds of the Adirong tegion. ©.H, Merriam, 10. Regulus calendula (Linn.) Licht. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. — Occurs during the migrations. Bull, N,O,0, 6,Oct, 1881, p, 226 ¥ Bir’s of Port Elamath, Ores 7 : P egzon, J,C Merrill, Remarks by Wm, Brewster | Regulus calendula. — Very common during the mig) March 21 and numerous three days later. They peniasey dance for about a month, when there was a diminution YLOGIST Many pairs breed around the Fort, apparently placing thy firs. On July 9, at Beaver Meadows, a female was noticed fe fledged young that were sitting close together on a dea tree, in which the nest was probably placed although, I In July and August this species was found in abundance north of the valley up to a height of about five thousand of either species were seen in the next five hundred feet, olivaceus occurred. These heights were determined on § by barometric observations, and the distinct range of th It is very sociable in its habits while here, being generally found in large numbers in the pine woods in company with the Gold-crowns, Brown Creepers, Pine Warblers and Brown- headed Nuthatches, all of which birds associate together during the winter months in this lo- cality, feeding on pine seeds and whatever in- | sects they may find. It is also found sparingly jin other situations, but rarely in any numbers, Auk, V. Ootober, 1888, p,36 very noticeable. one or two being often found in the alders along the banks of streams or in the oak and mixed woods, but rarely more in any one spot. Though quite tame and fearless in disposition when undisturbed, I have often noticed, both with this species and the Gold-crown, that when one or more are killed, the remainder of the flock get very wild, keeping to the tops of the trees and flying rapidly forward when ap- proached, uttering all the while their faint chips, which with the exception of a sort of chatter, something like that of the Carolina Wren, is the only note we hear here till they burst into song about the end of March. After being alarmed as above by some of their num- ber being killed, they will generally if unmo- lested become nearly as tame as ever in from half an hour to an hour or more’s time, but in this case easily take alarm again. During the early part of its sojourn with us, most specimens seem to be in full plumage, very few lacking the crownpatch. Later on the number of dull birds seem to increase some- what, though my observations make me believe that more than one-half of those that stay here are in adult plumage. In this connection it seems worthy of remark that on January 15th of this year, my brother shot a male with the crownpatch orange, and two more, also with orange crownpatches, on the 18th. Several were also shot a little later having the crown- patch not so bright as usual, inclining some- what to orange, which lead me to think that possibly the orange patch might occasionally be orange at first, turning to red afterwards; and I was also inclined towards this idea by the The Two Species of Kinglet as ob- served at Raleigh, N. C. BY C. 8. BRIMLEY. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, (Regulus calendula.). This active little bird is quite common here during the winter months; arriving in the fall about October 19th, and becoming plentiful a few days later. It remains common till the first week in April, the last specimens being usually seen about April 13th, a week or ten days after the bulk have left us for the north. fact that these specimens which had the ecrown- patch orange had the orange feathers brownish, like the rest of the upper side at their tips. Gold-crown Kinglet, (Regulus satrapa). Rath- er more abundant if anything than the Ruby Crown, and very similar in habits. ‘This hand- some little bird arrives here about the same time as its relative, but leaves a week or ten days earlier; all departing at once and none seeming to straggle behind as in the case of its congener. This species is more strictly grega- rious than the Ruby Crown, solitary individu- Rousy-crownep Kinever. Noticing Mr. Jencks’ query in the June number of the O. and O., I write to say that the female Ruby-crowned Kinglet does occasionally have a well-marked crown-patch. I know of three such specimens, at least two of which were dissected by a competent per- son. In all three, however, the color of the bright feathers is orange, not scarlet as with the male. During my own collect- ing I have never taken a female which had the crown otherwise than perfectly plain, and it is certain that this condition is the normal one, even among fully adult birds. Hence Mr. Jencks’ note may be taken in the main as a timely correction of a long established error.c Wm. Brewster, Can- bridge, Mass. O.8&O, Vill, July.1883.p. So. Rusy-crownep Kinerer.—A few years ago the query arose whether the female Regulus _calendula had a red crest. The matter was apparently set at rest by Dr. Coues who stated that both sexes were thus adorned after the first year. I have asked several ornithologists regarding this matter and am unable to find any one who has seen a female thus decorated, though all seem inclined to consider the matter settled. I have taken quite a large num- ber myself and fail to find any but males with crests. Will my fellow collectors use their opportunities this spring? Proof of this characteristic in a common species should rest with more than one witness.— Fred. T. Jencks, POE a eres #1, tane.i@a2 pe wy Beckham on the plumage of Regulus calendula.{—Respecting the presence or absence of the brightly colored crown-patch in different indi- viduals of this species, Mr. Beckham, after an examination of much material, reaches the following conclusions: ‘“‘(r) that the female does not have this brightly-colored crown, and (2) that some young autumnal males (very likely alarge majority ofthem) do possess this ornament.”—J. A. A. Auk, 3, April, 1886, p. 266. = Remarks on the Plumage of Regulus calendula. Proc. U. 8. Nat, Mus., Vol. VIII, No. 40, pp. 625-628, Dee. 7, 1885. By Charles Wickliffe Beckham, A Yellow-crowned Regulus calendula.—April 27, 1890, I shot near : Laurel, Md., an adult male ‘Ruby-crowned’ Kinglet which has the crown-patch pure orange-yellow instead of vermillion, the plumage being otherwise quite normal. The crown-patch is very well developed, being more extensive than in the average of specimens. — RoBERT RipGway, Weshingion, D.C. aye WHY, July, 1890, p, 2 72. CH at Auk, XII, April, 1895, Des 3/ An Albino Ruby-crowned Kinglet.— On February 4 I shot, near this place, a nearly perfect albino Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus Bales The bird was a female and the only one I have seen here for some time. The body is pure creamy white, with a wash of Fees yellow on the rump; head grayish brown, with numerous flecks of shat: ee edges of the tail and wing feathers are edged with yellowish white, giving a ane appearance to the closed wing and tail and hiding largely the otherwise dusky feathers. — A. W. ANTHONY, San Diego, Cal. ie ty fetus allay eee Regulus calendula. A young male with the crown patch unusually small and orange-buff instead of scarlet-vermillion was collected in New Haven on Oct. 28, 1904. The entire plumage of this bird is unusually gray and the broken eye-ring, lores and forehead are distinctly white; but as it has the nasal tuft, slender, longer bill, and the measurements of calendula I do not think it is a hybrid with satrapa. CLR, XK, JG 190. pe B45 “A bird’s song is the most beautiful music jin the world.” These are the words of my friend, Stewart White, and he echoes the sen- timent at least of all refined lovers of Nature. It is not necessary that a person should be an ornithologist in order that one may appreciate the melody from Nature’s conservatory. On the contrary, it happens lamentably often that individuals who aspire to a position of scienti- fic fame as writers on the subject of birds, are sadly deficient in the comprehension of many points of interest alike pleasurable to the zs- thete and utilitarian. Comprehensively, then, the songs of birds are to be studied by orni- thologists and lovers of harmony in the wood- lands and fields, and to those having cultivated the ear much pleasure is derived from observa- tion and comparison of the various notes, even where the several performers are not identified. There is no study more pleasing to the iller in our groves than to become ac- quainted with the voices of our feathered friends, not only in song, but in all moods and passions, represented by call notes indicative of love, excitement and fear. These call notes, as well as the songs, should be considered not only from the standpoint of musical superiority, but as well from the sentimentality emanating, as must result from associations with these delicate yet vivacious dwellers of our forests jand fields, I can readily conceive that associ- ations of a tender, refining nature, may be ab- sent in some persons, but to the observer, the one who enjoys the many pleasures of out-door |life, the songs of birds are ever a fruitful source of pleasing retrospection of agreeable days in the woodland. One of the earliest songsters of merit which greet us in the latitude of New York City and well west on the parallel is the ruby-crowned kinglet. Coming as it does about April 20, often earlier, the medley of joyous notes are doubly welcome, and when heard on a cold, disagreeable day, the song seems to inspire one with hope in waiting for warmer days and fairer skies. The song of this dainty, sprightly-winged gem, is a sweet warble of great penetration, THE SONG OF THE RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. By Dr. Morris Gres. but it is still in no way coarse or stridulous in any of its notes, and so ecstatic is the clear, rippling melody, that one has to pause and with visible anxiety listen to its repetition, ifhe be a lover of music and vivacious, changeable warblings. Never a break or flaw in the song of this bird, and the first note of morning is as clear and full as the last at sunset. These true musicians of Nature have no need of practice to fit their voices for a woodland concert, and, even when all sing in chorus, there is not a false note uttered, though there may be twenty species in this choir of varied singers. The ear of the true musician is from neces- sity attracted by the quavering, varied netes, as often as repeated by this sweet singer, and to my mind it takes a high rank for excellence among our many fine singing birds. The notes, as with most birds, are difficult to de- scribe, but can be expressed with the pen, so that one familiar with the refined song can recognize it at a glance, even from this poor imitation. It begins with a few low, half-artic- ulate notes, soft and melodious, rises to quite a pitch, and ends with a trembling, exquisitely- modulated warbling. It is unlike the song ot any other bird of my acquaintance, and no comparison that the writer can draw could pro- perly furnish a description of this elegant song- ster’s ditty. In our inefficient way we may de- scribe the notes on paper, trusting for leniency on the part of readers, and assuring those who are better educated in bird melodies than I that the interpretation is my best effort. The re- frain runs in this wise: Choz choi choi—qui gut gui—cheedledee chreedledeé chreedledee. The notes begin and end abruptly, and often, when half finished, the song stops, and the active fellow gives voice to a few energetic staccato call notes. The ruby-crown does not stop with us, being merely a transient in my State, and passing far to the north to nest. Ofits nesting habits but very little is known, although the birds are tions. Neotlww4s ees (Middlesex Cad fro eS ee Mele ee eee Oe fr eine 208 eae ake bene 2 feller chal ~ fal. J td ot he He Bid An wee ea aud PEN Oates ak, ee A, arth said tala pts ty fecel Saami Bb Aisy Actes ’ ET EI Pe Mea aph ES ee Beate 7 nes La Cat, Aer hen whey Urn wig Gaon . The Singing of Birds. H.P. Bicknell. Regulus calendula. Rusy-crownep KINGLET. This little bird sings regularly while it is with us in the spring and fall. In spring its song dates from its first arrival (earliest record, April 7), and is frequent until the majority of the birds have passed northward. Shortly after it has last been heard (latest record, May 1), the species has disappeared; but sometimes the last song gives the last record of its presence. After their re-appearance in September these birds usually remain silent for a week or more—in a few instances I have heard the song on the day of arrival —after which their song may be heard at any time before the final days of their stay. Autum- nal data of their singing are comprised between September 20 and October 21. If, however, the species be uncommon the song may not be heard at all in the latter month. Though the smallest of our song-birds, and—excepting the Hummer and its own near relative, the Golden-crowned King- let—the least of all the birds that visit us, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet possesses marked vocal power. Its clearly whistled and cheerfully modulated warble would not be a discreditable perfor- mance from a much larger bird. Its ordinary notes are short and sharp, and though not loud may, under the influence of excitement, be prolonged into a harsh Wren-like chatter. Auk, I, April, 1884, p. 73 af, Nest and Eggs of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet (/?egulus calendula).— My friend, Mr. Frank W. Ritchie, of Ottawa, who is at present attending 3ishop’s College, at Lennoxyille, Quebec, has kindly furnished me with the following description of these rarities for publication in ‘The Auk.’ “A nest of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet was found by two friends of mine, near Lennoxville, on May 15, 1882. The nest was pensile, and was at- tached to a branch of a small tree, a few feet from the ground. It was composed of fine moss, eyenly and firmly felted, and was lined with bright feathers of the Wild Pigeon. The inside was almost entirely hidden from view by the upper feathers of the lining being caught at the edge of the nest: curving gracefully toward the centre. their points almost meeting, they left but a small opening. The nest measured ten inches in cir- 5 cumference outside, and was three inches in depth inside. It contained nine eggs, one of them a Cow Bunting’s. One of the Kinglet’s eggs which [ examined, and which is still preserved in the Museum of Bishop’s Col- lege, measures .53 X .40. It is of a dirty creamy-white ground-color, clouded with small, faint spots ofa darker tint, which are irregularly dis- tributed over the entire surface, excepting near the larger end, where there is a band of dull yellowish-brown. The centre of this band is darkest, the color gradually lessening in intensity toward the edges. “The identification of the parents was nearly perfect. My friends were very familiar with the species, and examined these birds several times, as they sat on the nest or perched on the adjoining boughs.” Iam informed by Mr. Ritchie that the nest has been destroyed and only the one egg remains of the clutch. Through Mr. Ritchie’s kind office the President of the College has courteously permitted this egg to be sent to me for examination so that Iam enabled to verify the description given. .Mr. Ritchie states that another of the eggs of this clutch which he had compared with the one described was of exactly the same size, color, and markings.—MONTAGUE CHAMBERLAIN, SZ. Fohkn, NV. B. Auk, I, Jan,, 1884. p. YO-7/. Melipeupy Gontepnoltnr Muy, 50. [S59 a _ (After watching the Ruby-crowned Kinglet for over a week build- ing the nest, and just when they had it com- | pleted the: female disappeared, and I feel badly, the nest is now finished, but the birds gone. | 1 cannot account for it; it is the first I ever discovered. The $ kept about for a few days | after the 9 left, and I shot him, and have him set up. I can get the nest but no eggs, 0,80. XIV. Gum «1889 p. fj). Hany teetao | Nest and Eggs of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. : 9754 2 }, | On June 9th, Harry Austen secured a nest | and eleven eggs of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet | at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. His notes of last year will be remembered by our readers. His | record stands first. Oz f-" 2 @) Q aA June, i820, Daw 8 June 23.—He found a nest of the Ruby- crowned Kinglet, (Legulus calendula,) ina dense fir thicket placed on the limb of a tree close to the trunk, and about twelve | feet from the ground. In it were four young with wings almost fit for flight. HA ohms, ND. MN. Chanberlar. OL, 1962. VT “Cfo, pp. 12. Weed A et as ' tl a Nest and Eggs of the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. Ls On the second of June last year, I wrote | concerning the taking of the nest of Golden- crested Kinglet with nine eggs, also having discovered nest of Ruby-crowned Kinglet but as explained at that time, the latter, after | having completed the nest, deserted it. I re- /marked in the end of letter that I expected to | take one yet, and I now have pleasure in ad- | vising that the fact has been accomplished, and the nest and eggs are before me while writing. On the ninth of June I started out to hunt for a Hummingbird’s nest that had been seen close to my house, and I soon located the bird and watched her movements from about 9 A.M. until 12 m., but I did not succeed in discov- ering the nest. wing, and the eye could not follow her flight. However, while watching her a pair of Ruby- crowned Kinglets came along and my attention was given to them. After hopping around overhead for a little while they flew to some black spruces. I immediately started after them and in a short time had them in view again, then I sat down again, lighted a cigar, and took things easy, for I knew the nest could not be far away. | In a little while the @ disappeared in a | thick clump of tall, young, black spruces; I | followed up and looked and climbed every tree in the vicinity, but it wasno use. Meantime, the ¢ was flitting from the top of one tree to another, uttering that queer sort of a whistle that I do not know how to describe, except that it is unlike any other bird’s note that I know of, and easily distinguished from all others when once heard and known. In a little while the 9 appeared again, and then I made up my mind that that nest must be found, so to work I went, and at-2.40 p.m, T found the nest, but it was only accomplished by climbing the tree, as the nest could not be seen from the ground, it being built near the top of a thick, black spruce tree, and this | time it was built on the limb, and not under- neath as described by me last year. It was not on the branches of the limb but placed on the bare limb about one foot out from body of the tree, and about fifteen feet from the ground when I saw contents of nest, eleven eggs. I got down the tree and watched the old birds. After I had seen the 9 go on the nest twice I shot her, and then shot the ¢, then taking the nest left for home, On the way back I found the nest of a Wood Pewee with four eggs, which I took to-day, and shot, ® bird. This nest is made entirely of hen feathers, and is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. I might say that before shooting the King- lets and after having discovered the nest I watched the birds for over an hour, as I wished _ their identity to be beyond dispute. The nest is built on the outside with moss and She was too quick on the) lined with feathers. It measures 3 across the top on outside, and 1% inches inside, and 1% inches deep inside. I have blown the eggs which were badly incubated, but have, inches made a fair job of it, and am satisfied that they are good enough for any collector. On the 14th inst., I found the nest of another Golden-crowned Kinglet, but unfortunately it }was full of young. This time the nest was way up in the tiptop of a tall, straight black spruce, and built underneath the limb and | clinging to the twigs, just like the two nests ! T discovered last year. This makes in all four ‘nests of the Kinglets 1 have taken, and in “every instance they have been built on black spruces, three of them placed underneath the limb, one on the limb. HH, Austen. Halifax, N.S. 3,80, 16-July|890, p, /05-/06 Further Notes on the Nesting of the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, 2, | | Yesterday I was to the woods all day hunt- ing upabove species. In knocking about I heard a @ getting off that peculiar note of his, and soon located the little chap; that done, I sat down, lit a cigar, and waited for something to turn up. In alittle whilethe 9 came along and by her actions I knew the nest was near, and full of young. when I considered- I had the spot pretty well fixed IT began to climb the trees and in one hour and ten minutes I had the nest. It was as I expected, full of young, and as near as I could make out the number was nine. The nest was the prettiest one I have yet found, being lined with Partridge feathers, and placed on the straight limb, about twenty-five feet from the ground, and about twenty inches out on the limb. This nest T intend to take, with the young, also the other one I have located, named in my last, and mount the whole business with the old birds, H, Austen. July,1890, n, iil .s Arpt UU ; June 18, Out this afternoon and examined & x =F ‘|| for first time the inside of Ruby Kinglet’s nest [ Vv - ||found building on 5th, and that the ? was | 1 92 COTS Ce AEN eS / lining with feathers on the 9th. This held one ee him about from nine o’clock until Ay / ee to-day. This bird appears to me slow 1alf past twelve, then gave it up. I walked by aa 1: Vand late,< haut for the’ Rub ou re devlas) incubated. ,I had another hunt for the Ruby \ about three hundred yards from where I had - last left the $, when I heard hi attra fh # / Kinglet that I looked for all day on 7th and ee 4 : * pecs eae he \Sth and found it. Strange to say, it was 99. ee me aie Loin Geet nen nae att hel aa oa ae eed 2 Bt ; ae looked over time and again. Nest was out on The nest was eee SC an eS er ee. pended Miwacthe tie tdge ands te fits Lat | in the thickest part and was fastened by the RabistACtION: contained ten eggs. I got the gers #8 ee ss ee as) is 2 one re business safe to the ground and as it Aer a ae bebe % She kay. ne was then quarter of one, I left for home ; im i i - ‘4 i Te et omer a cv eer ; over completely with feathers and lined with Hig Ne BEN ore my lite Se work, feathers “ail the way down on inside and ROM Motes ree Sittin een eer) Bec June 4. To the A this afternoon. eee eee va abe + WOR ets! Located another & Ruby and put in the whole rene Sank ae Sea a hi ce = tag oe to find nest, but did not ree CAN eg ete Ate ok ro succeed; but while trampine t¢ . Sree ave through the Bato. 7 eS areata Ra oo ue Bei cae! ey ad eo with one of my number twelve boots and peep ree es ae ares i looking about soon had the nest. This held nk ot naga ieee ae Ha Erie: o it as Bpottes with red. HAN: *-*0.& O Vol.17, july 1802 p, 97-99 p high overhead and being new to me, I left for home, got the gun, started her off nest again and then gathered her in and am sending the skin to you for identification.* The stomach of bird was full of flies and a few spiders by way of variety. I |did not see the $. The nest was in the ‘swamp, raised up from the wet ground and builtin underneath a little hillock and right by where I found the Yellow Palm Warbler’s nest last year. I also found another Olive- backed Thrush nest just built up in top of little spruce. |» June 5. To woods all day after the Ruby again, and this time I succeeded in placing the nest or rather the place where the bird intends to build it, as there are now only a few little bits of moss that cannot be noticed except by aid of the glasses. The ? is hard at work and * Nashville Warbler. the é, as usual, puts in the time singing. be )Th’s nest is fully two hundred yards oie > “ Qu June 1. To woods this morning ; located | 2» @.Vee wr the ¢ Ruby that I was after yesterday and f 47 from where the ¢ led me to believe it was. June 6. Ran out this evening to see how | the Ruby was getting on with her nest found \ on morning of the 5th and was surprised to. | see it completed on the outside, which shows how hard the bird must work and with what | rapidity they build their nests. Also found) \ nest of Summer Yellow Bird just about built. June 9. To woods this afternoon ; too nest of Song Sparrow with four eggs. Looked at Thrush nest found the 4th ; it held two eggs to-day. Watched the 2 Ruby found building on 5th. She is now carryimg feathers and lining the inside of her nest. ‘Took six eggs of Golden-winged Woodpecker. | June 12. To woods all day. ‘Fook Thrush | See ad AL werk hale t: OE || Had a look at Ruby found puilahie’ on “ehe?® 5th and nest is now complete and she is on it. i On my way home I took nest of Junco, : _- SS. =, 2 ee. | with four eggs. Sle) | Fo 24 returning, I went up over the ground | June 24. Ran out before breakfast this Dasma where I found and took the Ruby King- morning to look at Ruby Kinglet’s nest px let’s nest on roth with six eggs, and hear- that I found building on 5th and that held~W-GuweZ-— | ing the ¢ about, I went to work and in one egg on the 18th (when it was exam- Os Tosa three hours and seven minutes I had lo- ined by me for the first time), and to my OA MH. cated the spot on which the 2 had com- surprise it still held one egg, which WAS (bck. (842) menced to build her secozd nest. I saw |cold, and the inside of nest damp, and I her working at it, and she has been at it |could see, for some reason or other, that for but a short time, as I can just make | the birds had deserted it, and I was sadly { _____ out the bare outline of the nest. disappointed. However, still hearing the & singing close by, I was satisfied the 2 was not far off and had built another nest, so I went to work, and in one hour and ten minutes I had it, and this time it was up 20 feet, near the top of a tall, slim black spruce, and contained six eggs. I did not take it, as I wished to see if set was complete. On my way home, I found 'a Hudsonian’s nest with four young, all ‘ ‘feathered and ready to fly. | eggs, I find the boys have destroyed. The July 2 Ruby Kinglet nest found building on 29th looks to be finished now, but the one found building on 247th I see the 2 is still = working away at. Tut, $ very badly incubated. 1 examinea TIStUe ey of Ruby Kinglet’s nest found building os 29th, and it now held three eggs. | July 9s Went out this evening and took the Ruby Kinglet nest found building 29th and that held three eggs on the 5th. To- night it, held seven eggs, so I took it, as I thought set complete. The 2 was on the ye oe es also found another nest of the Ruby f Singlet, which was full of young, and I was pleased that the old birds had man- aged to hide it so well, as I had been after it a good many times before, and the com- ical part of it is that it was on a black nest; nest was up about 12 feet, out on limb-of black spruce, underneath the limb, and suspended. This is the second nest for this 2 this season and was distant about | 45 yards from where I took the first one }on June 19, with six eggs. This completes my notes and collecting for the season. Next year, if I am spared, you will hear from me again. Hf. Austen. spruce that I had gone up ¢wzce before, but had failed to see it. I also found a Myrtle Warbler’s nest, with four young, and took a nest of the Black-throated Green, with four eggs, but regret to say they were so badly incubated that I could not save them, and the same sad fate attended another set of the same Species ; so from this out I shall be very careful what I take, as it is bad enough to take the nests, but sad in the extreme when the eggs and young are destroyed. June 26. Looked at Ruby Kinglet’s nest to-day that I found on 24th. It still held the six eggs, so I concluded the set complete and gathered it in. The eggs were slightly incubated, but came out all 0.K. This is the second nest built by the same bird this season. I then went and took the first nest that this bird had built and which held one egg, but unfortunately, trod upon it while on the ground and _ broke the egg. I felt very sick then and Pear fay way home I heard the d Ruby Kinglet singing, belonging to the ¢ whose | nest I found building on the sth and which held one egg, which she deserted and built another that I found on the 24th, | with six eggs, and took on 26th with same |number, and I was very much surprised | |to find the ¢ busily engaged in carrying | { materials for her THIRD nest for this sea-) ‘son. This time the nest is way up in a 2 a black spruce, and out on the Pritt (underneath) of one of the long limbs, and will be hard to secure. } 0.& O Vol.17, Oct.1892 p.146-48 OUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE NIDIFICATION OF THE AMERICAN KINGLETS. BY ERNEST INGERSOLL. Ty the hope of eliciting from some of the many readers of The Bulletin further information concerning the breeding habits of the American Kinglets, or at least of putting them upon the alert for further information, I have deemed it well to bring together what is at present known respecting the nidification of these birds. Of the breeding of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula, Licht.) not much is known, although the bird is found, at different seasons, in all parts of North America, In the Rocky Mountains it breeds among the most elevated forests. Mr. J. A. Allen found young in July near Mount Lincoln, Col.; Mr. Ridgway gives it as breeding among the peaks of Northern Utah; and Mr. Henshaw in Arizona. It is also supposed to breed in Northern New Jersey, in Western New York, in Maine, and in the islands of the Bay of Fundy. In Western New York a nest which contained young was reported to have been built in the fork of a tree. Males and females have both been observed in summer about Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Mr. Gentry thinks it nests on the wooded heights along the Wissahickon. Dr. Coues, in his “ Birds of the North- west,” considers that he has sufficient evidence to show a breeding- range throughout the mountains of the West, from nine thousand feet upward, thence trending eastward along the northern boundary of the United States to Maine and Labrador, and probably sending a spur southward along the Alleghany Mountains. Northwestward it reaches Alaska. The most satisfactory information is furnished by Mr. J. H. Batty, who found a nest near the Buffalo Mountains in Colorado, on June 21, 1873, which contained five young and one egg. The nest was on the branch of a spruce-tree, about fifteen feet from the ground, and was so large “that it could scarcely be got into a good-sized coffee-cup.” It is described as “a loosely woven mass of hair and feathers, mixed with moss and some short bits of straw.’ The egg, Mr. Batty tells me, was very much like that of the common House Wren, but a little lighter in color. Both parents were assiduously bringing larvee of insects to the young, whose appetites were un- appeasable. Mr. Henry W. Henshaw also reports finding a neatly finished nest on a mountain near Fort Garland, Col. It was built on a low branch of a pine, and the male was singing directly over- head ; but although he waited some time, Mr. Henshaw did not see the female. ‘The nest was a somewhat bulky structure, very large for the size of the bird, externally composed of strips of bark, and lined thickly with feathers of the Grouse.” Of the eggs of this Kinglet nothing further is known. x * n ~ A ” Bull, N,O.C, I, Nov, 1876.p, 77-78. Birds at Twin Lakes, Col. W.D 1. Scott 6. Regulus calendula. Rusy-crownep Kinevet. — Abundant. One of the most common song-birds, and heard everywhere. On the 20th of June I saw a female fly to a pine-tree with material in her bill for build- ing a nest. On looking I found a nest nearly finished. On the 25th of June I took this nest with five fresh eggs, and the female showed signs of having incubated. I think no more eggs would have been laid. The nest is before me as I write, and presents the following peculjarities: It is semi- pensile, being suspended to the leaves of the pine, and to one small branch, much like the Red-eyed Vireo’s nest. It is very large in proportion to the builder, and is made of the bark of sage-brush and of green moss very firmly twisted together, and forming a soft outer wall, of from half to a full inch in thickness. This is lined with feathers and hair. The whole nest is very soft, and has the following dimensions: Four inches deep outside ; three inches deep inside ; three inches in diameter outside, and two inches at the top inside, but narrowing to an inch and a half at the bottom. On the outside it is as wide at the bottom as at the top, being in this respect like a Baltimore Oriole’s. It was placed at the very outermost twigs and leaves of the tree, about twelve feet from the ground. The eggs are five in number, of a dirty white color, faintly spotted all over with light brown, which becomes quite definite at the larger end. They are large in propor- tion to the size of the bird, and one end is very little sharper than \the other. The following are the dimensions: .55 x .45, .55 x 44, .54 x .42,.57 x 45, 58X43. Bull. N,O.0. 4, April, 1879, } » Dev’ Birds of San Juan Oo, Colorado. Trank M, Drew 7, Regulus calendula, Zicht. Rusy-cRowNeD KINGLET. — Very abundant from April to October; breeds from 7,500 feet to 10,500 feet. A nest, which I took July 5, was placed in the uppermost branches of a spruce — about 30 feet from the ground—in one of those dark masses where the cones grow thickest, and where it would be impossible to see your hat, were it there. The nest was very loosely placed among the outer twigs, being partially pensile, and was composed of bits of fine bark ex- ternally, and within of silk-weed shreds, moss, spider’s silk, and feathers ; all matted together in a compact manner, and lined with wool. It con- tained four young and an addled egg, the latter measuring .o14 X .o12 mm.; white. Following is a description of the nestling plumage. Top of head dark, almost blackish. Back and rump a light tint of olive-green. Beneath a dirty rusty white, darkest on fore-breast. Lores lighter than rest of head. Primaries and secondaries black. edged on inner margin with white; this white is only on basal half of second primary, but gradually extends until it reaches the tip on the last secondary. Outer edge of second prima- ry white. On the basal third of third primary, the yellow edging of the outer margins of the wing feathers begins and, slightly widening, rapidly extends so as to conspicuously color the secondaries and tertials. The outer webs of the latter have quite a wide whitish band which is edged with greenish-yellow. Greater wing-coverts with a terminal band of dirty white. Tail feathers black; outer pair completely so, rest with greenish- yellow margin. Tarsi marbled light and dark. Toes, above flesh color, below yellow. Bill dark above, below flesh colored, pink at base. Meas- urements of one example :— Length, .o88; extent, .162; wing, .052; tar- sus, .02; tail, .027 mm. Bull, N,O.0, @,April, 1881, p, 87 Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. Found one set of eight slightly incuba- ted eges, immaculate, 58x40, 57x43, 54 x48, 5448, 54x43, 53x42, 55x43, 53 x49. Nest on a low pine, in a clearing that had grown up to underbrush, three or four feet from the ground. It was pen- dant (contrary to Dr. Coues’ Bds. of Colo. Val.) from the under side of somes mall branches that inclined downward and about four inches from the stem. It is much the shape of a “ R. R. lunch station” coffee cup, but longer and flattened at the bottom, mainly of green moss interwoven | with the fibrous outer covering of plants. || This fibre also holding it to the twigs. A | very few fine straws are woven into the lower end. The cavity is quite deep for its \| width, lined with soft shreds of burlaps | and re-lined with soft feathers. Altogether |it is a very soft concern. Outer height 6 inches, diameter 4 inches, inner depth 24 inches, diameter 1$ inches. Am sure of its identity, as I stood some time with my face close to the parent on the nest. While I was packing the nest and eggs the pa- rents were hopping about, uttering their loud cherp, cherp, cherp, cherup, that seemed to be of too much force and vol- ume for so tiny a creature. Right here let me make a correction to my mass of mis- takes in the February O. and O. I am not positive of ever seeing but one pair of Yellow-crowned Kinglets anywhere near here. Last year a pair of them alighted near me while at Murphy, and I took it for eranted that they were all Yellow-crowns. This season I have paid considerable atten- tion to the Kinglets, but have failed to see anything but Ruby-crowns, which are quite numerous in this locality. August 1, watched a pair of Kinglets carrying food to their young, and soon dis- covered their nest in the top of a slender pine about forty feet up. Climbed up, but the top was so small it would not bear my weight. So I waited till the young had | Some Birds of La Platta Co. Col, With Annotations. C.F. Morrison, 11. Regulus calendula (Linn.), Licht. Ruby- crowned Kinglet. Common during the migra- eae) ad breeds sparingly from 7000 - to ,000 feet. I hayer ak i Drew has in A, atace mie ws , é yy, and as I haye Seen it from the last of May to August, it no doubt breeds. The nest spoken of above was placed in the uppermost branches Of a éprude, about thirty feet from the ground, in one of these dark masses where the corn grows thick- est, and where it. would be imposible to see your hat, were it there. The nest was loosely placed among the outer twigs, being partially pens- ile, and was composed of bits of fine bark ex- ternally, and within of silk-weed shreds, moss spiders silk and feathers, all matted toBethner Hs a compact manner and lined with wool. It con- tained four young and an addled egg, the latter measuring .014x.012 mm., white. : tion of the nestling future publication. A descrip- plumage I will keep for 0.0,