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FOR  THE   PEOPLE 

FOR  EDVCATION 

FOR  SCIENCE 

LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM 

OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY 

'm^Aj,'-^'^¥-^ 


(ya 


"  Sweet  is  the  breath  of  morn,  her  rising  sweet, 
,      With  charm  of  earliest  birds."  — Milton. 


ff 


A   Monthly  Journal   devoted   to  the  Study  of  Birds  and  their   Eggs. 


Edited  hy  S.  L.  WILLARD. 


VOLUME    IV 


UTICA,  N.  Y. : 

Published  at  No  27  Oneida  street. 


/A  /^  ^ipfL'-hxff^O'c^ 


CONTJSJSfTS  0£'  ^^OL  TIME  IV 


Subject.  Page. 

OOLOGY, 

A  Nondescript  Egg  [Illustratiou],      .      17 

— A  Plain  Egg, 26 

A  Stray  P^gg, 19 

Breeding  Habits  of  the  Hooded  Oriole,  49 
Coues  on  the  Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Water 

Thrush  (Siurus  na'vius),  .  .  57 
Lines  to  the  Meadow  Lark,  ....  1 
"Sef^t  aud  Y^friTS  o{  Empidonaxtrailii,  .  85 
Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  American  Bittern,  73 
Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Blue-gray  Gnatc'r,  86 
Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Chestnut  -  collared 

Bunting, 79 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Clay-col'd  Bunt'g,  50 
Nest  and  Eggs  of  theCurve-bil'd  Thrush,  74 
Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Texas  Thrasher,  75 
Nesting  Habits  of  the  Black -and- White 

Creeper, 1 

Nesting  of  Accipiter  fuscus,  ...  76 
Nesting  oi' Buteo  jiennsylvanicus  in  a  Hem- 
lock Tree, 51 

Nesting  of  Confopus  virens^  ...  34 
Nesting  of  Swainson's  Thrush  [lUus.],  93 
Nesting  of  the  Barred  Owl,  ...  77 
Nesting  of  the  Black-throated  Bunting,  58 
Nesting  of  the  Canada  Jay,  ...  27 
Nesting  of  the  Horned  Lark  in  Central  New 

York  [Illustration],  ....  9 
Nesting  of  the  Large-billed  Water  Thr.,  10 
Nesting  of  the  Sharp-tailed  Finch,  .  6G 
Nesting  of  the  White-rumped  Shrike,  .  2 
Nest  of  the  White-bellied  Nuthatch,  .  65 
Note  on  the  Nesting  Habits  of  the  Sparrow 

Hawk, 58 

Note  on  the  Nesting  of  the  Black  Tern,  at 

St.  Clair  Flats,  Mich.,  June  7,  '78,  26 
Oology  from  California,      ....      10 

Parasitic  Birds, 85 

Practical  Oology, 34 

Seasonable  Suggestions,       ....     06 


That  Nondescript  Egg, 25 

The  Sharp-tail.  Finch,  its  Nest  and  Eggs,  41 

Things  Oological, 33 

Travesty  Extraordinary,      .      •      .      ■  11 

Two  Nests  o{  Icterus  halti7nore,     .      .  42 

Oological  Notes  for  March,  1878,      .  3 

May,    ....  19 

June,   ....  27 

January,  1879,   .  43 

February,       .      .  51 

March,      .      .      .  59 

April,  ....  67 

May,    ....  78 

June,    ....  87 

Summer,  ...  95 

Oological  Items,    3,  11,  50,  65,  76,  86 
Editorials. 

Subjects    OoloyicaUy   Considered: — 

I.   Attachment  Displayed  by  Birds  for 

their  Eggs, 44-52 

II.   Confidence  and  Adaptation,    .     60 

III.  Oological  Memoranda,       •      .      68 

IV.  On  the  Relation  of  Nidification   to 
Certain  other  Habits  of  Birds,   80 

V.   The  Proximity  of  a  Nest  Indicated 

by  the  Demeanor  of  the  Parents,  88 

VI.   Reflections,    ......     96 

Minor  Subjects : — 

— A  General  Cabinet,     •     •      •     .     .      20 

— How  to  send  Bird's  Eggs  by  Mail,  •     36 

— Our  Cover, 4 

— Professor  Joseph  Henry,       .      .      .      12 

Ei>iTOuiAL  Notices,  4,  5,  12,  20,  36,  28, 

53,  68,  80,  88,  96 

American  Ornithology. 

Acadian  Owl,  The,    ......     38 

A  Day's  Spring  Shooting,   •      "      .     .      82 
A  Note  on  the  House  Sparrow,    .     .     15 


CONTENTS 


Another — More  About  Nomenclature  7 

Barred  Owl,  The, 21 

Bird  Arrivals, 6 

Caracara  Eagle,  The, 83 

Compar.  Scarcity  of  the  Scarlet  Tauager,  92 

Cow  Bird  a  Polygamist,  The,  ...  7 

Vlockmg  o^  Quhcalus  ])urpureus^  .      .  15 

Flamingo,  The, 72 

Great-tailed  Grackle,  The,       ...  53 

Hybrids, 6 

Jay  of  the  North  ;  Canada  Jay,  The,  14 

Le  Coute's  Thrasher, 99 

Note  on  the  Olive-sided  Flycatcher    .  98 

Notes  ou  the  Dusky  Grouse,    ...  98 

On  Changes  of  Habit  among  W'dp'kers,  91 

Other  Side,  The, 23 

Reflections  upon  the  Habits  of  the  Purple 

Finch, 13 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  The,       .     .  30 
Studies  on  Certain  Fringillidce, — 

Grass  Finch, 31 

Tree  Spari'ow, 37 

White-throated  Sparrow,      .      .      .   .  71 

Black  Snow  Bird, 90 

'^Tip-up," 22 

Utility  of  the  Crow, 38 

Yellow-winged  Sparrow,  The,       .      .  47 

Exotic  Ornithology. 

Brush  Turkey,  The, 54 

Condor,  The 39 

Gigantic    Kingfisher     of    New    Holland, 

The, 100 

Gilded  Cuckoo  of  Africa,  The,      .      .     70 
Great  Moa,  The,  [Illustration]     .      .     G3 

Harpy  Eagle,  The, 28 

Nandou  ;  South  American  Ostrich,  The,   5 

Souffriere  Bird,  The, 32 

Voyageur  Pigeon,  The,  [Illustration]     46 


General  Items. 

8,    24,    32,    40,    48,    56,    62,    72,    84 

Recent  Publications. 

American  Natixralist, 16 

Birds  of  Florida,        32, 48,  56,  72 

Birds  ol  New  York, 84 

Birds  of  North  America  (B.  B.  &  R.),  ...  56 
Birds  of  North  America  (Jasper's),     ....    64 

Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley, 64 

Bulletin  of  the  National  Museum, 64 

Familiar  Science, 56,  84 

Dlustrations  of  the  Nests  and  Eggs  of  the  Birds 

of  Ohio, 48 

Ineligibility  of  the  European  House  Sparrow  in 

America  (in  Am.  Nat.) 40 

Meteorologist,       84 

Naturalist'and  Fancier, 48 

Naturalists'  Directory  for  1878, 32 

Nests  and  Eggs  of  American  Birds,  .  .  8,  72,  92 
Notes  on  Certain  Species  of  New  England  Birds,  24 
Notes  on  the  Occurrence  of  Mieropalaina  hiinan- 

topus  in  New  England, 8 

Notes  on  the  Ornithology  of  Southern  Texas,      64 

Nuttall  Bulletin, 40 

Photographed  Birds'  Eggs 92 

Science  Observer, 48,  84 

Temperence  Vedette, 32 

Town  and  Country, 72 

Valley  Naturalist, 32,  64 

Wesley's  Book  Circular, 32,  64 


Miscellaneous  Items, 


7,   8,   15,   22,   31, 
69,    70,    71,   90 


Illustrations. 

Coloi'ed  Plate  of  Birds'  Eggs, 


facin<j  73 


A  Nondescript  Egg 

Egg  of  Horned  Lark,      .... 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  Turdus  swainHoni, 
Skeleton  of  the  Great  Moa,      .      . 
Voyageur  Pigeon, .     •     .     •      •      ■ 


17 

9 
93 
63 
47 


Advp:rtisements,    .    supplements  and  last 

leaf  of  cover. 


5logi??ti 


MARCH,  1878. 


h 


No.  I. 


LINES  TO  THE  MEADOW  LAEK. 


L    FIELD  bird  free,  would  I  with  thee 

1,       Thy  liberty  could  share, 

J!   And  '»\ng  and  lly,  mid  earth  and  sky, 

With  naught  for  me  to  care ; 
How  love  I  thy  sweet  strain  to  hear 

From  3'on  j^rass-covered  knoll ; 
It  sounds  as  though  thj^  freedom,  were 

Echoed  from  thy  very  soul. 
Thou'rt  free  to  roam,  for  thy  wild  home 

Is  in  the  meadows  broad  ; 
Thy  grassy  nest  on  yon  knoll's  crest, 

Thou  conceal'st  from  man  abroad. 
But  when  the  j^ear,  approaches  near 

Its  cold  and  wintry  end. 
And  meadows  sear  are  bare  and  drear : 

Then  lield  bird,  thou  must  haste  to 
spend 
Thy  winter  in  a  warmer  clime. 


Nesting  Habits  of  the  Black-and- 
White  Creeper(  Mniotilta  varia). 


^^/#ONTRARY  to  the  rule  among  our 
■  If  j  Warblers,  tliis  species  has  a  breed- 
^  ing  rauge  apparently  co-extensive 
with  its  North  American  habitat,"  which 
embraces  the  whole  country  east  of  Kansas. 
Audubon  relates  that  he  found  it  breeding 
in  Texas  and  Louisiana,  one  nest  being  "in 
the  prong  of  a  broken  limb  not  more  than 
ten  feet  from  the  ground,"  and  others  in 
holes  in  trees.  Nuttall  saw  a  nest  near 
Boston,  "niched  in  the  shelving  of  a  rock, 
on  the  surface  of  the  ground."  Dr.  Brew- 
er states,  that,  so  far  as  he  knows,  it  al- 
ways builds  on  the  ground,  but  mentions  a 
nest  found  in  the  drain  of  a  house  at  Bat- 
ternits,  New  York,  which  was  8i  inches  in 
external  diameter,  2^  inches  in  internal,  and 
with  a  cavity  one  inch  deep  ;  composed  ex- 
ternally of  coarse  hay,  and  compactly  lined 


with  horse-hair.  Mr.  Nuttall's  nest  was 
of  coarse  strips  of  inner  bark,  mixed  with 
old  leaves  and  grass,  and  lined  with  hair. 
Mr.  Burroughs  describes  a  nest  "  upon  the 
ground  at  the  foot  of  a  stump,"  where  the 
color  of  the  young  harmonized  perfectly 
with  the  bits  of  bark,  sticks,  etc.,  lying 
about. 

This  bird,  then,  seems  to  build  upon  the 
ground  a  neat  and  compact  nest  of  vegeta- 
ble substances,  which  is  sometimes  arched 
above  like  that  of  the  Golden-crowned 
Thrush,  but  which  is  usually  protected  by 
an  overhanging  rock  or  log.  They  meas- 
ure about  three  inches  in  external  diameter 
and  are  equally  deep.  In  New  England 
the  eggs  are  laid  by  the  middle  of  May. 
They  "  vary  in  shape  from  a  rounded  10  an 
oblong  oval,  and  in  size  from  .G*J  to  .75  of 
an  inch  in  length,  and  from  .51  to  .53  of 
an  inch  in  breadth.  Their  ground  color  is 
a  creamy-white,  to  which  the  deep  red 
markings  impart  an  apparently  pinkish 
tinge.  They  are  marked  more  or  less  pro- 
fusely with  bright  red  dots,  points  and 
blotches.  These  vary  in  number  and  dis- 
tribution. In  some  they  are  very  fine,  and 
are  chiefly  confined  to  the  larger  end.  In 
others  they  are  lai'ger,  more  diffused  and 
occasi(jnally  there  are  intei-mitigled  marks 
and  blotches  of  slate-color.  The  effect  of 
these  variations  is,  at  times,  to  give  the  ap- 
pearance of  greater  differences  to  these  eggs 
than  really  exists,  the  ground  color  and  the 
shade  of  the  red  markings  really  presenting 
but  little  modification." 

These  Creepers  feed  their  young  with 
zealous  and  affectionate  attention,  carrying 
them  smooth  caterpillars,  ants  and  the  like 
in  the  presence  of  spectators  without  alarm 
so  long  as  the  nestlings  are  untouched.  But 
if  any  interference  is  attempted,  the  parents 


THE  OOLOGIST 


almost  throw  themselves  into  the  despoiler's 
hauds.  This  Warbler's  nest  seemed  a  very 
favorite  repository  for  the  eggs  of  the  Cow- 
bird  {Mohithrus  pecoris),  as  many  as  five 
of  whose  alien  eggs  have  more  than  once 
been  found  in  it.  Ernest  Ingersoll. 


Nesting  of  the  White -rumped 
Shrike   (Collurio  excubitoroides). 


BY  D.  H.  EATON. 


fPHIS  bird  is  one  of  our  most  common 
-^  summer  visitants,  arriving  about  the 
first  of  April  or  middle  of  INIarch,  and  stay- 
ing until  late  in  the  fall,  or  even  in  some 
cases  remaining  in  the  vicinity  during  the 
winter. 

On  April  16th  1877,  I  found  the  first 
nest  of  this  species  ;  it  was  built  in  an  osage 
hedge,  about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
in  plain  sight  from  the  road.  1  kept  watch 
of  it,  visiting  it  every  afternoon.  The  birds 
seemed  not  at  all  disturbed  by  my  doing  so  ; 
on  the  19th  it  contained  one  egg,  on  the 
20th  two,  and  so  on,  one  a  day  till  the  24th, 
when  it  contained  six,  and  on  the  25th  I 
took  it,  shooting  the  female  for  satisfactory 
identification. 

Although  I  visited  the  nest  every  day, 
the  birds  did  not  seem  at  all  disturbed  ;  on 
scaring  the  female  from  the  nest,  she  would 
take  her  position  on  a  twig  near  by  and  ut- 
ter a  harsh  grating  sound  ;  presently  the 
male  would  join  her,  and  they  would  both 
take  their  stand  close  to  the  nest,  giving  ut- 
terance to  their  cry,  but  on  my  withdraw- 
ing my  hand  they  would  quiet  down,  the 
male  would  fly  ofl^,  and  the  female  return 
to  her  nest,  while  I  was  still  standing  with- 
in two  feet  of  her  treasures.  1  have,  at 
times  placed  my  hand  on  the  female  when 
on  her  nest  before  she  would  leave  it. 

On  April  17th  I  found  a  nest  of  the  Log- 
gerhead Shrike  (C.  ludovicianus)  contain- 
ing five  eggs  ;  this  was  built  in  an  osage 
hedge,  about  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
in  plain  sight  from  the  road.  On  this  day 
I  also  found  a  newly  made  nest  of  C.  excu- 


bitoroides.  On  May  2d  I  found  a  nest  of 
the  White -rumped  Shrike  containing  six 
eggs,  built  in  a  hedge  by  the  side  of  the 
road  ;  the  eggs  had  been  set  on  for  a  day 
or  two.  The  nest  was  built  about  seven 
feet  from  the  ground,  higher  than  I  have 
ever  noticed  their  building  before  or  since. 
On  May  8th  I  found  a  nest  of  this  species, 
in  the  same  hedge  as  the  one  found  on  the 
2d,  and  not  six  rods  from  the  site  of  the 
first  nest.  As  they  were  the  only  pair  I 
had  seen  in  that  vicinity,  I  concluded  that 
the  nest  was  built  by  them  as  a  second  at- 
tempt at  house-heeping.  I  watched  the 
nest  until  it  contained  four  eggs  ;  leaving 
it  till  the  next  day  in  the  hope  of  getting  a 
larger  set,  when  I  went  for  it  I  found  some 
rascally  boy  had  pulled  the  nest  partly  down 
and  smashed  the  eggs.  That  was  a  lesson 
to  me  to  let  well  enough  alone,  and  brought 
the  truth  of  the  proverb  '''  a  bird  in  the 
hand,"  etc.,  home  to  me  with  practicable 
force.  Nothing  daunted  at  their  second 
failure  to  rear  a  brood,  the  same  birds  built 
a  third  nest,  this  time  in  a  detached  osage 
bush,  standing  close  to  the  fence  in  a  pas- 
ture, and  within  a  stone's  throw  of  their 
former  useless  attempts.  This  nest  I  ob- 
tained with  a  set  of  five  eggs  on  May  24th. 
The  birds  made  a  great  outcry  when  1  took 
the  nest,  lighting  on  the  bush  close  to  me, 
uttering  their  harsh  cry,  and  expressing  in 
the  strongest  bird  language  their  indigna- 
tion at  iny  robbery  of  their  home.  This 
pair  of  birds  had  built  three  nests,  and  the 
female  had  laid  fifteen  eggs  in  twenty-two 
days,  an  example  of  perseverance  under 
difficulties  seldom  met  with.  After  their 
third  failure  I  saw  them  no  more. 

On  May  22nd  1  obtained  a  nest  and  set 
of  seven  eggs.  Nest  in  same  situation  as 
previous  ones.  On  June  12th  I  took  a 
walk  to  Manteno,  and,  obtaining  permis- 
sion, went  over  the  farm  of  Mr.  Lebean. 
I  found  one  nest  of  the  Shrike  containing 
five  eggs,  and  several  other  nests  with  one 
egg  or  only  just  completed. 

These  birds  invariably  build  in  osage 
hedges,  and  in  nearly  every  case  in  hedges 
by  the  roads  ;  I  have  found  but  very  few 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


nests  built  even  ten  rods  from  the  highway. 
Their  nests  are  large  and  easily  seen,  as 
the  osage  does  not  put  forth  its  leaves  till 
late.  The  female  hatches  two  broods  a 
year.  The  nest  is  an  inartistic  structure, 
built  of  various  materials  ;  one  wliich  I 
have  before  me,  is  built  of  grass,  weed- 
stalks,  and  fine  twigs,  with  sheep's  wool 
mixed  in,  and  lined  with  fine  grass  and 
wool.  Another  has  the  outside  of  grass, 
and  quite  large  twigs  of  the  osage,  togeth- 
er with  wool,  paper,  and  feathers,  while  the 
inside  is  lined  with  grass,  cows'  hair,  horse 
hair,  wool,  and  the  long  tail  feathers  of  the 
common  fowl. 

The  eggs  are  from  five  to  seven  in  num- 
ber, and  vary  somewhat  in  size.  The 
ground  color  is  dull  white  ;  the  markings 
are  of  a  light  brownish  color,  overlaying 
some  of  a  pale  lilac.  Some  specimens  are 
very  sparsely  spotted,  while  othei'S  are  al- 
most completely  covered.  In  some  speci- 
mens the  markings  congregate  at  the  larger 
end,  and  form  a  wreath,  but  generally  they 
are  distributed  quite  evenly.  The  eggs  of 
this  species  and  C.  horealis  are  so  exactly 
tilike  as  not  to  be  distinguished  with  cer- 
tainty. 


Oological  Notes  for  March. 


In  one  of  the  copies  of  The  Oolo(;ist 
which  you  sent  me  I  saw  an  article  relating 
to  the  Chipping  Sparrows  building  their 
nests  upon  tiie  ground.  While  out  collect- 
ing two  years  ago,  I  found  a  Chipping  Spar- 
row's nest  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a 
tall  weed.  The  eggs  and  nest  were  like  all 
others  of  this  species  that  I  have  ever  seen, 
also  the  bird,  though  it  was  very  wild  and 
flew  about  when  I  went  near  the  nest. 

D.  J.  Stillman. 

I  DO  not  know  Avhether  it  is  uncommon 
or  not  for  the  Crow  Blackbird  to  use  the 
nest  of  another  bird,  but  I  have  seen  an  in- 
stance of  it.  Several  years  ago  a  pair  of 
Robins  built  their  nest  under  the  eaves  of 
our  house,  and  on  top  of  the  tin  spout  where 
it  runs  for  a  short  distance  almost  horizoa- 


tally  between  two  brackets.  The  Robins 
had  used  this  nest  with  slight  repairs  every 
year  since,  but  in  the  summer  of  1876  a 
pair  of  Crow  Blackbirds  took  possession  of 
the  nest  and  raised  a  brood  there. 

W.  T.  Warrick. 
The  collecting  season  has  already  opened 
in  the  vicinity  of  Rutherford  (N.  J.),  in- 
asmuch as  on  the  22  of  March  I  discovered 
the  nest  of  a  Broad-winged  Hawk  situated 
in  a  small  chestnut  tree  about  fifty  feet  from 
the  ground,  containing  two  eggs,  and  on 
March  26  I  discovered  a  nest  of  the  Red- 
tailed  Hawk  containing  tliree  eggs,  situated 
in  a  bass-wood  tree  about  seventy-five  feet 
from  the  ground.  On  March  30  found  a 
nest  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl  in  a  pine 
tree  about  thirty  feet  from  the  ground,  con- 
taining two  young  four  days  old. 

J.  A.   FULLERTON. 

[The  Broad-winged,  Red-shouldered  and 
Red-tailed    Hawks    seldom   have  complete 
sets  of  eggs  before  the  15  or  25  of  April  in 
New  York  ;  in  our  correspondent's  region  , 
the  birds  have  nested  early. — Ed.] 

Broad -vv^iNGED  Hawks  beginning  to 
nest,  March  20  ;  House  Sparrow,  M'ch  1  ; 
Blue  Birds  looking  about  for  places  to  nest, 
M'ch  23.  D.  D.  Stone. 

Two  Robins  commenced  to  build  their 

nests  here  (Evanston,  111.)  on  March  31st, 

and  abandoned  them  as  soon  as  completed. 

W.  H.  Ballou. 


A  NUMBER  of  interesting  articles  wo  have 
been  obli}j;ed  to  reserve  for  our  April  num- 
j  ber,  among  which  are  two  or  three  papers 
of  great  importance  to  oologists. 


We  expect  to  publish,  in  the  course  of 
the  summer  and  fall,  an  exhaustive  paper 
on  the  nests  and  eggs  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can Ardeidce,  to  be  illustrated  by  an  engrav- 
ing of  the  typical  egg  of  every  known  spe- 
cies. This  feature  of  our  journal  will  make 
it  invaluable  to  every  young  student  of  or- 
nithology. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfte  ©bro^ist 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 

MARCH,   1878. 

E^UKATUM. — 28th  line,  2vA  column,  94th 
page  of  our  February  issue,  for  climing  read 
climhing. 


Our  Cover. — We  are  proud  of  our  cov- 
er. The  design,  we  have  reason  to  believe, 
is  an  excellent  one,  and  contains  at  least 
fewer  inconsistencies  than  our  old  heading  ; 
yet,  we  have  no  donbt  some  critic  will  seek, 
and  that  all  our  readers  anticipate,  an  ex- 
planation of  the  picture  and  the  objects  rep- 
resented therein.  It  was  our  aim  to  incul- 
cate in  the  reader  an  admiration  for  nature, 
and  to  present  a  pleasing  and  acceptable  il- 
lustration of  the  field  into  which  our  study 
leads  us.  In  the  foreground,  across  the 
lower  corner  of  the  cover,  appear  three  eggs 
strung  upon  a  straw  ;  our  sense  of  the  prin- 
ciples taught  in  our  own  journal  obliges  us 
to  relieve  ourselves  at  once,  from  any  possi- 
ble imputation  concernin2;  the  barbarous 
treatment  of  our  specimens,  that  may  have 
already  formed  itself  in  the  mind  of  the 
reader,  by  stating  that  their  interesting  po- 
sition and  arrangement  do  not  pretend,  in 
any  degree,  to  be  an  illustrative  principle 
in  modern  scientific  usage,  but  they  impress 
us  as  a  pleasing  set-oft"  to  the  more  serious 
surroundings.  A  pair  of  Hawks  have  chos- 
en a  delightful  position  for  their  nest  in  the 
tree  near  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  through 
the  forbearance  of  youthful  naturalists  have 
been  permitted  to  rear  their  young  unmo- 


lested ;  the  motherly  Duck  has  nested  ear- 
ly this  season,  and  is  leading  its  little  fam- 
ily of  ducklings  into  the  reeds  ;  the  Egret 
and  Sandpipers  are  the  indispensable  ad- 
juncts to  pleasure  upon  the  water,  and  Ave 
think  the  latter  are  contemplating  the  pros- 
pects of  nest-building  ;  the  Ruflfed  Grouse 
in  the  shadow  of  the  thick  shrubs,  uncon- 
scious of  the  numerous  comments  and  ar- 
guments that  have  been  published  concern- 
ing them,  are  both  drumming,  neither  of 
them  upon  a  log,  but  in  plain  sight  of  each 
other,  and  after  the  nesting  season  ;  the 
Bubo  virginianus  knows  very  little  or  noth- 
ing about  any  Snowy  Owl,  and  never  yet 
in  our  recollection  had  a  quarrel,  though 
he  may  have  if  he  grows  to  be  old  enough  ; 
a  bird  of  prey,  probably  an  Eagle,  appears 
just  above  the  horizon  seeking  its  daily  food  ; 
a  number  of  graceful  Swallows  skim  through 
the  air,  curving  in  every  conceivable  direc- 
tion in  search  of  noxious  insects  ;  two  little 
fellows  sit  together  upon  what  they  perhaps 
suppose  a  telegraph  wire,  discussing  the 
theme  of  house-keeping,  and  reflecting,  no 
doubt,  upon  their  lateness  in  nesting ;  the 
Downy  Woodpecker  has,  notwithstanding 
the  healthy  appearance  of  the  tree,  found 
something  upon  the  bark  that  seems  to  en- 
gage its  attention.  We  have  spent  much 
time  upon  our  picture,  and  sincerely  hope 
that  it  will  lend  its  influence  in  making 
many  lovers  of  the  winged  beautiful. 


A  USEFUL  Preparation  for  Natural- 
ists.— The  value  of  Mr.  Collins'  Preserva- 
tive for  birds  will  be  at  once  recognized  by 
collectors  who  are  obliged  to  delay  the  skin- 
ning of  their  specimens  in  warm  or  even 
cold  weather.  We  have  severely  tested 
the  preservative  qualities  of  the  prepai'atiou, 
and  can  recommend  it  as  an  article  quite 
indispensable  to  every  working  naturalist. 
The  birds  may  be  skinned  at  leisure,  and 
the  preparation  does  not  injure  them  in 
any  way. 


A  large  number  of  patrons  have,  since 
the  publication  of  our  announcements,  sub- 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


scribed  at  our  former  price.  To  these  we 
would  say  that  for  the  amount  sent,  we  will 
place  their  names  upon  our  book  for  equiv- 
alent fractions  of  the  present  volume  of  this 
journal,  and  will  allow  them  the  opportu- 
nity at  any  time,  of  having  the  period  of 
subscription  altered  to  the  full  year,  upon 
receipt  of  the  balance  in  currency. 

Death  of  E.  L.  Hudnut. — We  are 
called  upon  to  record  the  death,  after  a  brief 
illness,  with  pneumonia,  of  a  bright  young 
naturalist,  Mr.  E.  L.  Hudnut,  of  Orange, 
New  Jersey.  He  was  well  known  to  col- 
lectors of  birds'  eggs,  and  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  his  collection,  which  had  attained 
a  size  equalled  by  few  with  his  experience 
in  this  country. 

The  Nandou,  or  South  American 
Ostrich  (Rhea  americana). 


BY  F.  J.  DAVIS. 


HILST  from  time  immemorial  the 
African  Ostrich  has  been  written 
about  and  all  of  its  minutest  habits 
searched  out,  comparatively  little  has  been 
written  about  the  bird  uader  consideration 
in  this  article.  For  much  of  the  following 
I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Darwin,  in  his  writ- 
ings of  journeys  in  South  America.  This 
bird  abounds  on  the  La  Plata  plains,  and 
north  as  far  as  Paraguay,  south  to  about 
43*^.  It  is  a  voracious  eater,  taking  fruits, 
vegetables,  and  devouring  flies,  of  which  it 
is  fond  ;  it  also  catches  small  tish.  Sever- 
al birds  will  occupy  one  nest,  the  number 
of  eggs  found  together  numbering  from  for- 
ty to  fifty  and  sometimes  even  more.  The 
male  undertakes  the  incubation,  attending 
the  young  some  time  after  they  are  hatched. 
At  Bahia  Blanca,  says  the  naturalist,  the 
eggs  were  fomid  in  extraordinary  numbers, 
either  laying  scattered  singly,  in  which  case 
they  are  not  hatched  and  are  called  Jtaiichus 
by  the  Spaniards,  or  collected  together  iu  a 
shallow  excavation  which  forms  the  nest. 
Of  four    nests   observed,    three   contained 


twenty-two  eggs  and  one  twenty-seven.  In 
one  day's  hunting  ou  horseback,  sixty-four 
eggs  were  discovered  ;  of  these,  two  nests 
contained  forty-four,  and  twenty  were  scat- 
tered haucJios. 

The  scattering  of  the  eggs  by  the  female 
is  a  very  peculiar  habit.  Some  have  said 
that  it  was  done  for  the  purpose  of  furnish- 
ing food  for  the  young,  but  this  can  hardly 
be  so,  for  the  eggs  are  usually  found  whole, 
though  addled.  The  Nandou  is  about  five 
feet  five  inches  or  a  little  more  in  height, 
when  standing.  Its  color  is  grayish-brown 
mingled  with  black,  and  lighter  below  ;  the 
female  is  smaller  and  of  lighter  color.  The 
bird  is  rarely  seen  in  this  country  or  Eu- 
rope, but  the  plumes  are  imported  and  used 
to  make  dusting  brushes  for  delicate  pur- 
poses. The  plumes  are  lonjj  and  slender, 
and  the  quill  feathers  white.  These  birds 
swim  readily  although  slowly,  for  consider- 
able distances,  as  also  will  the  Emeu  of 
Australia,  The  male  utters  a  sort  of  deep 
toned  hiss.  Mr.  Darwin  thought  it  some 
wild  beast  when  he  first  heai'd  it.  One  can 
not  tell  whence  it  comes  or  how  far  away 
it  is.  In  its  habits  it  is  shy  and  wary  ;  it 
is  very  fleet  of  foot  and  usually  prefers  run- 
ning against  the  wind.  When  they  start, 
they  spread  their  wings  as  if  to  sail.  The 
flesh  is  much  esteemed  by  the  Indians  and 
Guachos  ;  I  do  not  know  whether  a  white 
man  ever  passed  judgment  upon  it  or  not. 
Altliough  this  bird  is  extremely  fleet  of  foot 
it  is  caught  frequently  by  the  Guachos. 
These  men,  mounted  on  their  horses  with 
their  bolas  and  hunting  knives  by  their 
sides,  are  the  ti'ue  kings  of  the  Pampas. 
When  only  four  years  old,  they  mount  their 
hoi'ses  and  ride  hither  and  thither  at  a  reck- 
less pace,  caring  for  and  fearing  nothing ; 
the  bird  or  animal  that  would  escape  them 
must  indeed,  be  fleet  and  wary.  The  bo- 
las which  the  Guaclio  uses  in  capturing  the 
Nandou,  as  well  as  his  horses  and  cattle, 
consists  of  long  thongs  of  leather  with  stones 
attached  securely  to  each  end,  and  in  liis 
skillful  hands  is  a  very  effective  weapon. 
Mr.  Darwin  gives  a  very  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  manner  of  hunting  this  bird, 


c 


THE  OOLOGIST 


as  follows  :  One  day  I  went  out  hunting 
at  Bahia  Blanca ;  the  men  rode  iu  a  cres- 
cent, each  being  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  other.  A  fine  male  Ostrich  (Rhea) 
being  turned  by  the  headmost  riders  tried  to 
escape  ou  one  side.  The  Guachos  pursued 
at  a  reckless  pace,  twisting  their  horses  a- 
bout  with  the  most  admirable  command, 
and  each  man  whirling  the  balls  around  his 
head.  At  length  the  foremost  threw  them 
revolvin":  through  the  air  ;  in  an  instant 
the  Ostrich  rolled  over,  its  legs  fairly  lash- 
ed together  with  the  thong. 

There  is  another  species  called  the  Pata- 
gonian  Rhea  {Ehea  Darwini)^  of  which 
little  is  known,  and  is  smaller  than  america- 
na.  The  bill  is  shorter  than  the  head,  and 
the  tarsi  are  plumed  ibr  several  inches  below 
the  knee  ;  the  wings  are  more  fully  feath- 
ered, plumes  broad  and  bordered  by  a  baud 
of  white.  The  eggs  of  this  species  are  bet- 
ter known  than  the  bird.  They  are  slight- 
ly smaller  than  those  of  the  other  species, 
and  have  a  pale  blue  tint.  This  bird  lays 
a  smaller  number  of  eggs  than  the  Nandou, 
fifteen  being  the  average.  It  is  also  more 
shy,  but  its  legs  being  shorter,  it  is  said  by 
the  Indians  to  be  more  easily  caught  with 
the  bolas.  It  takes  readily  to  the  water 
and  swims  easily  ;  it  does  not  expand  its 
wings  like  the  Nandou  when  it  starts  to 
run.  It  is  called  by  the  Guachos  the  Aves- 
triiz  petise,  and  is  rarely  seen  as  far  north 
as  the  Rio  Negro  where  the  other  species 
is  found,  but  is  common  further  south,  pre- 
ferring it  is  said  the  plains  near  the  sea. 
Mr.  Darwin,  to  whom  belongs  the  credit 
of  establishing  it  as  a  species,  says  :  When 
at  Port  de  Desire  Mr.  Martins  shot  an  Os- 
trich, and  I  looked  at  it  for  a  moment  forget- 
ting iu  a  most  unaccountable  manner  thepe- 
h'se,  thought  it  a  two-third  grown  one  of  the 
common  sort,  and  the  bird  was  cooked  and 
eateu  before  my  memory  returned.  For- 
tunately the  head,  neck,  legs,  wings,  many 
of  the  larger  feathers  and  a  large  part  of 
the  skin  were  saved  ;  from  these  pieces  a 
very  good  specimen  was  made,  and  exhib- 
ited in  the  Zoological  Society  museum  of 
Loudou.     He   asked  a  half-breed   Indiau 


whom  he  saw  at  the  Straits  of  Magellan 
if  he  had  heard  of  the  Avcstruz  pctise,  and 
he  replied  that  there  were  none  others  in  the 
southern  countries. 

Dobrizhoffer  says,  in  his  account  of  the 
Abipones  (written  in  1749),  spoke  of  the 
Rheas  as  inhabiting  the  plains  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  as  larger,  and  having  black  and 
white  and  gray  feathers,  while  those  near 
the  Straits  of  Magellan  are  smaller  and 
more  beautiful ;  their  white  feathers  are 
tipped  with  black  at  the  extremities,  and 
the  black  ones  with  white  in  a  like  manner. 
The  specimen  spoken  of  above,  which  was 
taken  to  Europe  by  Mr.  Darwin,  was  the 
first  one  introduced  to  science. 


Bird  Arrivals. 


BY  W.  H.  BALLOU. 


Evanston^  III. — Blue  Birds,  Feb'y  27. 
Robins  and  Crows,  Feb'y  28.  Meadow 
Larks  and  Grass  Finches,  March  1,  are 
the  first  arrivals  of  the  year.  The  above 
statement  is  interesting  from  the  fact  that 
the  arrivals  of  these  migratory  species  are 
twenty  days  earlier  than  those  of  the  same 
birds  quoted  last  year  in  the  Trihune.  It 
is  thought  that  no  earlier  arrivals  are  re- 
corded as  having  occurred  iu  this  section. 
Another  fact  of  importance  is  that  the  days 
of  their  arrival  were  of  the  exact  tempera- 
ture and  condition  of  those  of  the  previous 
year.  They  were  cloudy,  the  wind  from 
the  south,  and  the  air  at  intervals  came  iu 
almost  hot  gusts  and  waves.  Impelled  by 
the  same  migratory  "■  spasm,"  a  few  spe- 
cies of  Ducks,  whose  names  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  mention  came  also.  Chicago  Trihune. 


Hybrids. — The  subject  of  hybrids  is  at 
present  so  interesting,  and  the  particulars 
given  by  different  writers  are  at  such  vari- 
ance with  each  other,  that  we  feel  it  our 
duty  to  publish  whatever  fresh  information 
we  receive  that  bears  connection  with  it. 
The  following  is  from  Mr.  W.  H.  Collins, 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


of  Detroit,  Mich  :  "  My  experience  in  hyb- 
ridism is  limited.  I  liave  had  iny  attention 
called  to  specimens  said  to  be  hybrids  ;  one 
instance  last  fall,  of  a  specimen  said  to  be  a 
cross  between  a  mink  and  a  squirrel,  but 
upon  examination  1  found  it  to  be  a  squir- 
rel of  the  black  variety  with  the  color  of 
the  mink  (dark  brown).  Another  iiistance 
some  time  ago,  of  a  hybrid  between  a  Mal- 
lard Duck  (Alias  hoschas)  and  Dusky  Duck 
(^4.  ohscura).  This  was  a  bona  fide  hyb- 
rid, but  I  traced  it  to  domestication.  A 
hunter  obtained  eggs  of  the  Dusky  Duck 
and  hatched  them  under  a  hen.  The  birds 
staid  with  him,  for  the  reason  that  he  dis- 
abled them  from  flying.  He  procured  Mal- 
lards (domestic)  and  they  mated  with  his 
Dusky  Ducks.  The  young  of  the  two  show- 
ed markings  of  both  species,  and  he  used 
them  for  decoys.  JSome  of  them  got  away 
and  were  killed  in  a  flock  of  Mallards.  1 
think  if  hybrids  were  properly  traced,  they 
would  prove  to  be  brought  about  by  domes- 
tication." 


birds  have  been  noticed  to  inhabit  a  certain 
tract  about  Utica,  and  observations  confirm 
the  fact  that  this  is  an  organized  family, 
and  that  they  confine  themselves  to  this  lo- 
cality. During  the  summer  of  1877,  the 
same  peculiarity  was  carefully  noticed,  and 
formed  the  nucleus  on  which  to  base  later 
observations  concerning  this  habit.  Wheth- 
er this  bird  carries  its  polygamous  habits 
out  on  a  larger  scale  than  that  noticed,  we 
are  unable  to  say.  There  is  much  yet  to 
be  learned  of  this  bird's  eccentricities. 


The  Cow-bird  a  Polygamist.  —  Few 

authors  have  noticed  in  their  writings,  the 
polygamous  character  of  the  Cow-bird,  its 
sporadical  habit  of  alienating  its  eggs  into 
the  nests  of  other  and  usually  smaller  birds, 
being  the  main  and  much  harped  upon,  yet 
at  all  times  interesting,  theme  concerning 
its  life-history.  But  that  it  is  doubtless 
polygamous,  and  to  a  very  appreciable  ex- 
tent, is  certain,  and  though  this  habit,  ap- 
parently co-active  with  that  of  using  other 
birds'nests,  might  be  naturally  conceived  to 
be  consociated  with  it,  yet  seeing  the  Cow- 
bird  usually  in  pairs,  would  tend  to  favor 
this  habit  as  only  an  exception.  The  char- 
acteristic is  noticeably  prominent  during  the 
earlier  part  of  the  nesting  season,  when  the 
truth  of  the  hypothesis  may  be  brought  out 
by  following  these  birds  and  carefully  watch- 
ing the  especial  district  they  occupy  ;  for 
individual  trios  often,  if  not  habitually,  re- 
main witiiin  a  certain  district  of  country, 
for  a  greater  or  less  length  of  time  during 
the  season  of  oviposition.     A  trio  of  Cow- 


Another — More  about  Nomencla- 
ture.— I  beg  to  correct  the  very  erroneous 
statements  made  in  your  issue  of  Feb.  1878, 
pp.  98,  99,  on  Dr.  Brewer's  authority. 
Several  of  the  sentences  in  the  paragraph 
are  substiintially  as  well  as  literally  incor- 
rect, and  the  whole  drift  of  the  article  con- 
veys a  wrong  inqjression.  So  far  from 
Prof.  Lilljeborg's  system  having  "  com- 
pletely revolutionized  modern  ornithology," 
there  is  now  perhaps  no  ornithologist  who 
follows  it  in  detail,  though  many  of  its  fea- 
tures (not  necessarily  the  novel  ones)  are 
acceptable.  It  is  not  true  that  "Dr.  Cones, 
in  1872,  conformed  his  Key  to  this  system, 
and  in  the  following  year  Prof.  Baird  a- 
dopted  it  substantially,  with  Mr.  Kidgway's 
modifications  ;"  for  1  did  not  conform  my 
Key  to  anybody's  system  but  my  own  ;  and 
the  classification  of  birds  in  Prof.  Baird's 
work  was  prepared  by  me  without  the 
slightest  reference  to  Lilljeborg's  system. 
I  also  think  that  Messrs.  Sclater  and  Sal- 
vin  would  be  surprised  at  the  statement 
that  they  follow  Lilljeborg  in  their  publica- 
tions on  American  birds.    ^,  ^ 

P^LLIOTT  COUESi 


Of  the  Blue  Bird,  White-bellied,  Clifif", 
and  Barn  Swallows,  and  a  few  other  com- 
moner species,  the  male  arrives  first  in  the 
spring.  Of  a  flock  of  about  twenty  Cedar 
Birds,  at  least  as  many  as  fifteen  or  more 
were  males. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


General  Items. 


— Robins  have  wintered  with  us  (Oswe- 
go, N.  Y.)  ;  very  unusual*  here.  Fox 
Sparrows  in  abundance — a  rare  occurrence. 

D.  D.  Stone. 

— I  SHOT  an  Oven-bird  on  the  20th  of 
November,  more  than  two  months  later 
than  they  usually  stay.  H.  S.  Mahon. 

— A  Robin  with  white  wings  and  tail 
attracts  considerable  attention  here  (Mex- 
ico, N.  Y.).  Is  it  a  case  of  partial  albi- 
nism? .  .  A  short  time  since,  a  Shrike 
(^CoUurio  borealis)  flew  into  a  conserva- 
tory in  this  village,  and  attacked  a  caged 
Canary-bird.  Tlie  Canary  was  rescued  be- 
fore the  Shrike  had  accomplished  its  pur- 
pose, and  the  tyrant  was  allowed  to  escape. 
J.  A.  Severance. 

— Forest  and  Stream  quotes  an  item  from 
the  Scientific  American  relative  to  the  ina- 
bility of  Quail  to  cross  wide  rivers  in  their 
flights.  We  should  like  to  hear  more  of 
this  interesting  subject. 

— BiKDS  will  sometimes  demean  them- 
selves in  an  odd  manner.  We  had  occa- 
sion in  the  tall  of  1877,  to  shoot  at  a  Spar- 
row that  rose  from  the  grass  in  front  of  us  ; 
our  only  weapon  being  a  small  '■'pocket"- 
rifle,  we  naturally  brought  that  into  ser- 
vice. At  the  report  the  bird  sprang  into 
the  air,  dropped  into  the  grass  again  and 
finally  flew  feebly  to  a  fence  near  by.  It 
perched  as  if  badly  hxu't,  allowed  us  to  ap- 
proach it  without  leaving  its  place,  and  fi- 
nally suftercd  itself  to  be  taken  in  the  hand. 
We  took  it  home  and  examined  it  all  over, 
but  found  no  trace  of  injury,  and  the  bird 
began  to  show  an  unmistakable  desire  to 
escape  ;  when  released  it  flew  away.  We 
have  heard  of  such  instances,  but  have 
never  before  been  brought  into  contact  with 
the  fact.     Doubtless  the  vacuum  caused  by 


*This  is  an  item  tliat  advocates  of  the  theo- 
ry of  spontaneous  migration,  as  eft'ected  by  a 
latent  "spasm,"  may  contemplate.  And  this 
is  only  one  instance  of  the  non-migratory  dis- 
position of  the  Robin;  two  or  three  others 
have  fallen  under  our  notice  recently. — Ed. 


the  passage  of  the  ball  close  to  the  bird's 
lungs  produced  a  feeling  akin  to  that  of 
numbness,  which  momentarily  lost  it  to  its 
surroundings. 

— The  Sparrows,  Robin,  Blue  Bird, 
Blackbirds,  and  others  of  first  appearing 
birds  arrived  a  number  of  days  earlier  this 
season  than  last,  in  Central  New  York. 
The  season  so  far,  has  been  unusually  mild 
throughout  a  greater  portiou  of  the  State. 


The  item  on  page  95  of  our  Febru- 
ary issue,  at  the  head  of  the  second  column, 
should  have  been  the  Barred  instead  of  the 
Great  Horned  Owl. 


ANNOUNCEMENTS    OF    NEVT    PUBLICATIONS. 

Notes  on  the  Occurrence  of  Micropalama 
himantopus  in  New  England^  by  Dr.  T.  M. 
Brewer. — A  pamphlet  establishing  the  oc- 
currence of  the  Stilt  Sandpiper  in  New  Eng- 
land, and  containing  a  paper  relative  to  the 
House  Sparrow  and  its  usefulness,  as  de- 
termined by  observations  in  Boston.  Dr. 
Brewer  is  noted  for  his  interest  in  the  birds 
of  New  England,  and  is  always  ready  to 
protect  his  list,  and  enlarge  upon  such  of 
its  contents  as  he  deems  of  interest  and  val- 
ue to  ornithological  circles.  In  this  pam- 
phlet, we  have  the  complete  known  history 
of  the  Stilt  Sandpiper  in  New  England. 

A  North  American  Oology,  by  Ernest 
Ingersoll,  is  the-title,  or  substance  of  the 
title,  of  a  proposed  work  on  the  eggs  of  our 
North  American  birds.  We  cannot,  of 
course,  comment  upon  the  work,  for  its 
publication  has  not  yet  been  commenced. 
The  prospectus  shows  us  that  it  will,  if  pub- 
lished in  accordance  therewith,  be  a  work 
of  great  value.  Circulars  containing  the 
announcement  and  giving  the  particulars 
can  be  obtained  from  the  publisher,  S.  E. 
Cassino,  Salem,  Mass.  We  shall  notice 
this  work  at  greater  length  in  due  time. 


-^      • 


ologi^t^ 


rT      Vol.   IV. 


APRIL,  1878. 


No.  2. 


Nesting  of  the  Horned  Lark  (Ere- 

mopila  cornuta)  in  Central 

New  York. 


BY  FRED.   J.   DAVIS. 


,N  the  15tli  of  April,  wlieii  out  view- 
\w^  the  prospects  for  the  coming  sea- 
son's nesting,  I  made  what  seems  to 
me  quite  j'.n  unusual  find.  In  company 
with  Mr.  J.  P.  Davis,  I  was  crossing  a 
high  field  near  this  city  (Utica),  wliea  our 
setter  dog.  Shot,  came  to  a  very  sudden 
and  magnificent  point.  Knowing  there 
could  be  no  Snipe  in  such  a  place,  we  were 
somewhat  surprised  at  this  proceeding,  and 
on  returning  to  ascertain  the  object  of  the 
dog's  attention  we  found  a  nest  containing 
three  young  birds  and  one  egg.  We  were 
somewhat  at  a  loss  to  know  Avhat  kind  of 
a  bird  could  have  young  so  early,  and  es- 
pecially among  those  who  built  in  such  a 
position.  We  went  away  a  short  distance 
and  sat  down  to  await  further  developments, 
but  had  uot  long  to  wait,  for  the  parent  bird 
soon  came  to  feed  its  young,  when,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  we  were  obliged  to  shoot  it. 
It  proved  to  be  the  female  of  the  Horned 
Lark  {Erernopila  cornuta).  We  soon  shot 
the  mate  and  took  the  egg  and  young.  One 
of  the  young  I  have  before  me  as  I  write, 
and  am  in  hopes  of  bringing  him  up  ;  the 
other  two  were  hurt  and  died. 

The  nest  was  placed  on  a  small,  dry  hill- 
ock, and  was  perfectly  exposed.  It  Avas 
composed  of  soft,  dry  grass,  without  any 
lining,  and  was  so  frail  that  to  preserve  it 
I  was  obliged  to  scoop  up  earth  and  all. 
The  young  had  apparently  been  hatched 
about  two  weeks  and  were  well  feathered. 
The  bird,  in  leaving  the  nest  had  struck  its 


claw  into  the  egg.  It  contained  a  large 
embryo,  and  was  of  a  yellowish-gray  color, 
spotted  all  over  with  almost  invisibly  fine 


dots  of  a  darker  shade.  The  accompany- 
ing cut  gives  a  good  idea  of  its  general  ap- 
pearance. Since  finding  the  above,  I  have 
heard  of  the  occurrence  of  several  pairs  of 
these  birds,  and  have  no  doubt  now  that 
they  have  bred  here  in  some  numbers,  a, 
thing  which  to  my  knowledge  never  happen- 
ed before,  and  I  fear,  unless  we  are  favor- 
ed with  another  such  extraordinary  spring 
as  the  present  one,  may  never  happen  again. 
I  have  seen  fit  to  write  this  account  for  Thk 
OoLOGiST,  because  I  think  this  is  tlie  first 
reliable  record  of  this  bird  breeding  in  this 
State.  De  Kay  gives  a  rather  ambiguous 
and  indefinite  description  of  its  nest  and 
eggs,  which,  like  many  other  of  his  state- 
ments, I  am  not  inclined  to  credit  with  much 
reliability.  And  whatever  credit  is  due  for 
the  finding  of  this  nest,  is  due  to  the  sagac- 
ity of  the  dog  Shot,  who  has  in  numerous 
instances,  shown  liimself  an  elhcient  bird- 
nester,  and  I  am  in  hopes  of  having  him 
display  his  talents  to  good  advantage  this 
season. 


Oology  from  CALiFOUNfA. — Here  birds 
commenced  laying  as  early  as  April  first. 
The  birds  laying  now  (April  1.5)  are  the 
following  :  Brewer's  Blackbird,  Sky  Lark, 
Lark-finch,  Hoiise  Finch,  Humming-birds, 


lU 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Orioles  and  Thrushes.     'J'his  season  will  j 
be  better  for  collectiu<x  than  any  season  for  ' 
the  last  five  years.      Previous  to  this  tliere  i 
has  beeu  a  great  scarcity  of  grass,  so  there 
was  very  little  feed  for  them,  but  this  sea- 
son early  rains  liave  made  feed   abundant. 
When  there  is  a   scarcity   of  feed  they  go 
back  into  the  mountains. 

If  you  or  any  of  your  readers  can  give 
me  any  information  on  the  following,  I  will 
be  very  much  obliged.  Last  season  every 
nest  of  the  Horned  Lark  found  had  three 
eggs  in  them  ;  every  one  found  this  season 
so  far  have  had  four  in  them. 

G.  H.  Grant.  , 


Nesting  of  the  Large-billed  Water 
Thrush  (Siurus  ludovicianus). 


BV  ADOLPIIE  B.  COVKRT. 


LTHOL  Gil  this  species  is  quite  com- 
mon in  the  middle  sections  of  the  U- 
0i-\  nited  States,  and  more  common  than 
is  generally  supposed  in  tlie  northern  parts, 
but  very  little  reliable  information  has  ever 
been  written  concerning  its  breeding  habits. 
Although  Audubon  describes  the  nest  and 
eggs  of  this  bird  in  his  great  work  (if  my 
memory  serves  me  right),  it  must  be  taken 
as  Dr.  Bi'ewer  justly  remarks  :  all  that  the 
earlier  authors  liave  left  us  respecting  the 
habits  of  this  bii'd  must  be  taken  cum  gravo 
for  it  was  a  good  while  before  the  Louisi- 
ana Water  Thrush  was  fairly  recognized, 
and  much  that  Wilson,  Nuttail  and  Audu- 
bon have  to  say  of  the  Water  Thrush,  re- 
fers either  to  the  other  species  or  to  both 
species  indiscriminately.  Aububon,  indeed 
capped  the  confusion  by  reuniting  the  two 
species  which  he  had  formerly  described 
with  sufficient  precision.  But  I  am  wan- 
dering from  my  subject.  The  25th  day  of 
May,  1877,  found  me  in  the  field  collecting. 
I  had  driven  out  into  the  country  about 
twelve  miles  from  home,  stabled  my  liorse 
and  struck  into  a  deep,  dark  swamp  of  black 
ash  and  elm.  The  day  was  intolerably  hot 
while  every  step  forward  in  the  luxuriant 


ferns  brought  forth  blood-thirsty  swarms  of 
mosquitoes,  who,  alighting  on  every  exposed 
part,  would  quickly  be  at  work  getting  their 
morning  meal.  1  liad  kept  my  dog  at  heel 
imtil  it  seemed  as  if  they  would  drive  him 
mad,  and  1  bid  him  hie  on,  thinking  per- 
haps he  might  rid  himself  of  them.  He  had 
bui  fairly  started,  when  a  small  bird  sprang 
from  the  ground  into  some  tall  weeds.  It 
had  but  lit  when  a  half  ounce  of  dust  shot 
dropped  it,  and  on  going  forward  I  was 
much  grieved  to  find  a  female  Blue  Golden- 
winged  Warblei'  a  few  inches  from  a  half 
finished  nest.  I  picked  it  up,  thinking  of 
the  sad  tragedy  whereby  one  of  God's 
brightest  golden  messengers  of  love  to  this 
world,  had  lost  its  life,  all  for  the  gratifi- 
cation of  a  heartless  creature  called  by  cour- 
tesy "  Man,"  for,  after  picking  up  warm, 
bloody  little  birds  for  nine  years,  1  cannot 
call  it  anything  but  murder.  After  reload- 
ing mv  gun  I  started  on  and  obtained  a  fine 
male  Blackburnian  Warbler.  I  had  now 
reached  the  border  of  rather  a  large  pool  of 
water  and  seated  myself  on  a  decayed  log  : 
my  dog  was  rolling  and  playing  in  the  wa- 
ter. The  sharp  alarm  note  of  a  bird  start- 
ed my  wandei-ing  thoughts.  I  looked  up 
and  saw  the  author  of  the  notes  nimbly  hop- 
ping fi'om  limb  to  limb  on  a  large  asii  tree 
the  other  side  of  the  pond.  I  called  in  my 
dog,  and  was  about  started  around  the  pond 
when  the  bird  crossed  over  to  my  side.  I 
immediately  recognized  it  as  a  Water 
Thrush,  with  some  bits  of  grass  in  its  beak. 
I  retired  a  few  rods,  dropped  behind  a  tree, 
and  watched  the  bird.  She  still  seemed 
very  uneasy,  but  after  reconoitering  a  few 
minutes,  she  alit  at  the  roots  of  a  large  tree, 
within  a  few  feet  of  where  I  had  been  sit- 
ting. After  remaining  tor  a  short  time,  she 
then  left,  I  hastened  forward,  and  at  the 
base  of  the  tree  and  against  a  large  root 
which  partly  arched  over  it,  I  found  a  par- 
tially finished  nest.  After  marking  the  spot 
thoroughly  in  my  memory,  I  \\ithdrew  and 
in  a  short  time  had  filled  my  collecting  bas- 
ket, and  started  for  home.  On  the  7th  of 
June  I  returned  to  the  sp<:»t,  found  the  nest 
to  contain  five  eggs,  and  shot  the  parent 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


11 


bird,  which  proved  to  be  the  Large-billed  I 
species.  I  will  describe  the  uest  and  eggs 
as  follows  :  The  nest  was  built  on  the  ground  ! 
at  the  base  of  a  large  black  ash,  partially 
under  and  against  a  large  root,  which  form- 
ed an  arch  over  half  of  the  nest.  It  was 
composed  of  a  layer  of  dead  leaves,  moss, 
fine  roots  and  dried  grasses,  compactly  and 
rather  smoothly  finished,  and  lined  with  fine 
grass  and  some  i-ows'  hair.  The  eggs  were 
five  iu  number,  white  (of  a  roseate  tinge 
before  blown),  thickly  spotted  with  small 
reddish -brown  spots  ;  they  measure  about 
.78  by  .59  inch.  The  nest  and  eggs  are 
still  iu  my  collection,  and  the  bird  iu  that 
of  Prof.  J.  B.  Steere,  of  Michigan  Uni- 
versity. 

Travesty  Extraordinary. 


A  writer  in  the  January  number  of  your 
-^  excellent  journal  states  that  '■'•Dr.  Brew- 
er savs  that  any  bird  laying  plain  eggs  is 
liable  to  deposit  lymph  upon  them.  IIow 
about  the  Woodpeckers'  eggs,  which  are 
never  by  any  chance  other  than  plain  ?"  and 
afterward  speaks  of  "•  the  lymph  tliecny  of 
Dr.  Brewer."  Dr.  B.  iu  a  very  hastily 
written  note  to  his  friend  Mr.  Merriam, 
commenting  on  an  unprecedented  case  of 
maculate  eggs  (T.  muatelinus)  threw  out 
a  hasty  suggestion  as  a  possible  explana- 
tion. This  was  given  in  a  private  letter 
with  no  thought  of  its  ever  being  printed, 
still  less  that  his  crude  conjecture  coidd  ev- 
er, by  any  chiuice,  rise  to  the  dignity  of  a 
'■'■theonf  I  What  Dr.  Brewer  did  write 
was:  "The  spots  I  never  saw  before,  but 
any  egg,  always  except i:n<j  a  Woodpecker^ s, 
is  liable  to  be  marked  (stained)  by  minute 
effusions  of  colored  lymph  of  the  parent  in 
its  exclusion."  The  four  words  italicized 
are  auppressed  by  your  correspondent,  and 
Woodpeckers'  eggs  are  referred  to  as  if  the 
knowledge  of  this  exception  originated  with 
and  was  first  given  by  the  writer  !  Comment 
is  not  necessary. 

Dr.  B.  has  no  fault  to  find  w  ith  Mr.  Mer- 
riam for  printing  this  crude  and  careless 


paragraph  in  his  admirable  Review  of  the 
Birds  of  Connecticut,  but,  had  he  been  a- 
ware  it  was  to  be  made  public,  he  would 
have  endeavored  to  expressed  his  views  with 
more  exactness  and  a  little  differently,  as 
he  ought  to  have  done  under  any  circum- 
stances. To  what  extent  this  liability  of 
eggs,  usually  immaculate,  to  be  stained  by 
the  over-excited  ovi-ducts  of  the  parent  may 
exist  is  purely  conjectural.  Audubon  claim- 
ed to  have  taken  spotted  eggs  of  the  Three- 
toed  Woodpecker.  The  opinion  of  your 
correspondent  that  '•''  one  laying  mai'ked 
eggs  alicaijs  lays  them,"  it  by  this  is  meant, 
always  lays  marked  eggs,  can  hardly  be  cor- 
rect. I  have  a  set  of  Crow's  eggs,  unspot- 
ted and  of  a  uniform  bright  greenish-blue, 
the  second  laying  of  a  female  that,  a  month 
before,  had  been  I'obbed  of  a  set  deeply 
marked  and  entirely  normal  in  character. 
I  have  an  egg  of  a  Song  Sparrow,  and  of 
one  uniform  pure  buff,  one  of  a  set  of  five, 
all  alike,  and  the  third  laying  by  a  pair 
whose  two  previous  sets  had  been  deeply 
spotted,  all  identified  by  myself.  It  is  not 
uncommon  to  fiiid  spotted  and  unspotted 
eggs  laid  by  the  name  female  in  one  set,  in 
nests  of  Agelaius pha;niceus,  Quiscalus pur- 
pnreus,  Scolecophagus  ferragincus,  Sayor- 
nis  fuscus,  nigricans  and  Say  us,  Empido- 
nax  traillii,  pusillus,  flaviventrts  and  ditfi- 
cilis  and  others.  How  can  these  well  known 
facts  be  reconciled  with  the  uniform  theory 
;  of  your  correspondent?  In  the  apposite 
lines  attributed  to  Clarence  King  : 

"The  gentle  sclieme  of  uniform  law 
Can  never  quite  satisfy  me.'' 

T.  M.   BUEWEK. 


AriJiL  18. — Found  a  uest  of  the  White- 
rumped  Shrike  containing  six  eggs.  The 
nest  was  built  in  a  solitary  osage  bush  in 
a  pastui'e  close  to  the  road. 

Apx{IL  29, — Found  a  Robin's  nest  with 
young  just  hatched.  D.  II.  Eaton. 


Birds  are  nesting  this  season  somewhat 
earlier  than  for  two  years  previously. 


12 


THE  OOLOGIST 


with  the  March  number.  With  this  num- 
ber we  have  issued  the  index  to  VoUime  III, 
which  will  be  sent  to  all  of  our  subscribers 
to  that  volume. 


Tfie  ©«rogist 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


APRIL,  1878. 


Sending  Silver  in  Letters. — A  great 
many  subscribers  and  patrons  state  that  they 
are  obliged  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of 
paper  currency  to  send  postage  stamps. 
We  desire  ,to  say  that  silver  in  small  a- 
mouuts  may  be  safely  sent  in  letters,  and 
we  will  take  the  responsibility  of  amounts 
less  than  $1.00  so  sent.  Larger  amounts 
should  be  sent  by  post-office  orders  or  in 
registered  letters. 


The  many  encouraging  notices  given  us 
by  the  press,  are,  we  can  assure  our  friends, 
a  most  pleasing  testimonial  to  us  of  the 
cordiality  with  which  our  journal  is  receiv- 
ed. May  we  hope  that  our  efforts  will  con- 
tribute much  toward  the  elevation  of  the 
science  we  advocate. 


Wk  consider  it  rather  imprecedented  in 
the  history  of  ornithological  journalism  to 
have  85  per  cent,  of  the  subscriptions  re- 
newed. However,  we  have  attained  that 
score,  and  have  no  doubt  ere  this  is  read 
that  all  but  a  very  few  of  the  remaining  15 
per  cent,  will  have  been  renewed. 


Our  colored  plates  having  been  entirely 
exhausted,  we  would  state  to  those  of  our 
readers  who  have  subscribed  for  the  plate 
subsequent  to  the  issue  of  the  March  num- 
ber, that  another  edition  of  that  issue  with 
plates  will  be  published  and  sent  them  with 
the  June  number. 


We  found  it  impossible,  owing  to  the 
time  occupied  in  perfecting  the  improve- 
ments upon  our  journal,  to  issue  an  index 


Professor  Joseph  Henry . — It  is  prop- 
er that  we  should  record  the  death  of  one 
of  our  greatest  scientific  men,  that  of  Pro- 
fessor Joseph  Henry,  the  late  Secretary  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington. 
And  in  this  connection,  a  brief  review  of 
his  life  while  serving  the  Institution  will, 
we  trust,  serve  as  an  item  in  memoriam. 
He  became  Secretary  of  the  Institution  in 
1846,  having  been  chosen  by  a  Board  of 
Regents  appointed  by  Congress,  after  a  se- 
vere competition.  His  plan,  upon  which  is 
based  the  present  great  working  principle 
of  the  Institution, — that  of  diffusing  knowl- 
edge and  promoting  scientific  research  in 
accordance  with  the  instructions  lucidly  giv- 
en by  the  testator,  James  Smithson, — an- 
swered the  provisions  of  the  bequest  most 
clearly,  and  to-day  the  great  benefit  derived 
from  the  Institution  by  the  scientific  world, 
is  more  than  an  illustration  of  the  wisdom 
and  practicality  of  its  Secretary.  His  en- 
ergy and  unremitting  toil  for  thirty  years 
in  the  cause  of  science,  entitle  him  to  a 
place  in  the  ranks  of  our  greatest  scientific 
men,  for  as  Secretary,  he  performed  a  vast 
amount  of  work,  and  in  conjunction  with 
eminent  specialists  dispensed  advice  and 
gave  authority  which  have  been  recognized 
by  individual  recipients  and  by  the  world, 
as  logic  and  truth.  Every  scientist  and  stu- 
dent of  natural  history  is  well  acquainted 
with  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  Its  im- 
mense and  valuable  collections  of  birds, 
birds'  eggs,  mammals,  and  almost  every 
description  of  object  in  the  fauna  of  North 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


13 


America,  besides  a  large  mass  of  material 
connected  with  all  the  sciences,  arc  excelled, 
probably,  by  no  similar  institution  in  the 
world.  It  employs  a  large  corps  of  scien- 
tists, and  has  an  enormous  correspoiidonce 
throughout  the  world. 

'J'he  Institution  may  be  said  to  have  been 
built  by  Proiessor  Henry,  and  stands  to-day 
a  moTuiment  to  his  untiring  and  unseltisli 
labor  in  behalf  of  science. 


Reflections  upon  the  Habits  of  the 
Purple  Finch. 


'3/|f  tl E  life  of  Curpudacun  piirpureiis  is 
jll  ,   not,  perhaps,  more  interesting,   nor 

^^  does  it  possess  a  larger  field  for  stud- 
y,  tiian  that  of  any  other  of  our  commoner 
birds  ;  yet,  as  is  often  the  case  witii  other 
species,  one  may  always  fuid  something 
novel  to  him  by  continued  observation  of 
any  one  species,  however  common,  and  lime 
spent  in  watching  the  habits,  even  of  a  Pur- 
ple Finch,  cannot  be  termed  time  lost. 
Withal,  this  bird  in  its  everyday  life  exhib- 
its traits  of  peculiarity  and  e<-centricity. 
He  is  neither  the  bold  Robin  or  the  meek 
Chipping  Sparrow,  nor  yet  the  modest  Bhie 
Bii-d,  but  is  an  odd,  fussy,  somewhat  irri- 
table fellow,  sometimes  very  sensitive  to 
surrounding  events  and  objects  ;  at  others 
utterly  careless  of  his  whereabouts  and  ig- 
norant of  his  neighbors.  He  oiten  travels 
about  alont!,  making  the  neighborhood  re- 
sound with  his  unrestrained  song,  uttered 
usually  from  a  prominent  tree-top  ;  at  oth- 
ers, he  is  one  among  a  flo(tk  of  his  compan- 
ions, hopping  about  here  and  there,  per- 
haps in  a  staiil  manner,  perhaps  excitedly, 
singing,  gleaning  for  seeds  or  buds,  or  work- 
ing about  as  if  perfectly  independent  of  tlie 
avocations  of  his  companions.  All  at  once, 
as  if  impelled  by  some  wild  idea,  it  utters 
a  short  note  and  darts  off  all  aloue,  soon  to 
i-eturn  if  his  companions  do  not  seem  in- 
clined to  follow.  Occasionally  he  will  work 
for  days  almost  unceasingly,  at  the  cones 
of  a  fir  or  the  seed-balls  of  the  button-wood, 

not  even   condescending  to   utter  a  chirp. 


and  only  desisting  when  compelled  to  by 
the  proximity  of  man  or  a  tyrannical  fel- 
low-species. 

Petty  quarrels  are  of  frequent  occurrence, 
though  confined  to  the  species  ;  other  birds 
are  seldom  or  never  disturbed.  It  really 
is  a  picture  to  see  two  knights  of  the  pur- 
ple, with  crests  erect  and  attitude  fierce, 
facing  each  otiier,  and  presenting  an  ap- 
pearance very  similar  to  that  of  a  pair  of 
game  cocks  ;  but  their  disputes  are  of  short 
duration,  and  generally  end  in  both  contes- 
tants taking  an  unceremonious  departure 
in  different  directions.  Jealousy  appears 
to  be  a  prominent  characteristic  of  his  ;  in- 
nocent and  peaceable  though  one  bird  may 
seem,  he  is  liable  at  any  moment  to  be  the 
object  of  a  furious  and  probably  wanton  at- 
tack from  one  or  more  of  his  fellow-species. 
Especially  during  the  mating  season,  they 
appear  to  be  more  restive  than  any  other 
species,  though  this  may  be  an  exaggera- 
tion due  to  their  utter  disregard  for  the  pub- 
licity of  the  ])lace  in  which  they  quarrel  ;  for 
they  have,  many  times,  been  known  to  flut- 
ter uncomfortably  near  passers-by,  and  to 
continue  their  disputes  upon  the  verandas 
and  steps  of  houses. 

It  has  been  stated  by  Mr.  Gentry,  that, 
in  his  experience,  the  Purple  F'iuch  has  been 
found  to  be  "  comparativel}'  songless,"  and 
that  singing  is  to  it  an  exception,  rather 
than  a  common  occurrence.  What  should 
excite  such  a  supposition  cannot  be  conceiv- 
ed, for,  among  our  song  bii'ds  it  ranks  very 
favorably,  and  is  often  caught  and  reared 
by  bird  fanciers  ;  moreover,  from  the  mo- 
ment of  its  appearance  in  spring  to  the  time 
the  young  leave  the  nest,  its  life  seems  to 
be  greatly  employed  in  singing.  It  is  often 
amusing  to  watch  and  listen  to  the  struggle 
for  superiority  of  vocal  accomplishment  be- 
tween two  promising  singers.  They  occu- 
py the  highest  positions  attainable, — the 
higher  the  tree-top  the  better — and  without 
any  preliminaries,  they  both  start  off  as 
nearly  together  as  the  circumstances  will 
permit,  using  all  the  strength  possible  in 
the  effort,  and  exerting  themselves  as  if 
their  very  lives  depended  upon  the  issue. 


14 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Then,  as  if  by  commoa  consent,  both  stop 
as  suddenly  as  they  had  commenced, 
and  after  sliiftiiig  about  and  moving  a  step 
or  two  upon  the  limb,  they  both  commence 
their  rival  songs  anew.  A  person  passing 
near,  even  though  naturally  disinterested, 
cannot  fail  to  notice  this  extraordinary  pro- 
ceeding. The  rival  songsters  do  not  long 
remain  in  one  place,  but  shift  hurriedly  to 
some  other  locality  to  continue  their  vocal 
competition. 

The  Purple  Finch  breeds  in  suitable  lo- 
calities throughout  most  of  northei-n  United 
States.  It  nests  in  the  tops  and  thicker 
portions  of  small  fir,  hemlock  and  spruce 
trees, — seldom  in  other  situations — and  a- 
bout  the  first  of  June  lays  four  or  five  briglit 
greenish  eggs,  spotted  on  the  larger  end 
with  deep  umber  and  black.  The  eggs 
greatly  resemble  those  of  the  Chipping 
Sparrow,  but  are  larger  and  in  general 
more  eulongate.  It  seems  as  if  many  of 
these  birds  did  not  pair  during  some  sea- 
sons nor  nest  all,  for  they  have  frequently 
been  observed  to  continue  flocked  late  into 
June  and  even  July,  and,  like  the  Crossbill, 
to  keep  within  the  bounds  of  a  certain  dis- 
trict for  a  considerable  length  of  time.  And 
in  reality,  there  is  usually  little  interest 
manifested  by  the  parents  for  the  welfare 
of  the  eggs  or  young,  and  the  nest  is  con- 
structed much  of  the  time  upon  the  pro 
tempore  principle. 


The  Jay  of  the  North;  Canada 
Jay. 


TVrHAT  tourist  to  the  North  Woods  of 
'^  New  York  or  the  forests  of  Maine  is 
there,  who  has  not  seen  the.  Canada  Jay, 
and  remarked  its  habits  ?  The  Blue  Jay  is 
noted,  one  might  say  almost  the  world  over, 
for  its  sociable  habits  and  thievish  propen- 
sities, and  what  is  a])plicable  to  this  biid, 
is  applicable  to  the  Canada  Jay,  a  plain, 
unpretending  bird,  the  last  which  one  would 
suppose  to  be  possessed  of  such  habits. 
Perhaps  they  may,  in  some  instances,  be 
likened  to  the  prairie  wolf  or  cayote,  though 


a  strict  comparison  would  be  very  unjust 
to  the  Jay.  They  wander  about  and  hunt 
in  troops  of  from  four  to  twenty  or  moi-e, 
preferring  the  deep  woods  to  the  open,  tho' 
conducting  themselves  toward  man  as  if 
taught  by  instinct  that  they  are  free  from 
molestation.  They  are  seldom  known  to 
be  shy,  and  witiiout  hesitation  apply  at  the 
camp  of  the  sportsman,  usually  early  in  the 
morning,  in  quest  of  the  appetising  bits  ly- 
ing about,  a  sufficiency  of  which  it  rarely 
fails  to  obtain.  Its  nest  and  eggs  are  es- 
pecial desiderata,  but  they  are  likewise  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  to  find  ;  it  is  thought 
that  they  breed  far  north,  in  Canada  and 
Labrador,  and  it  is  also  probable  that  they 
may  be  found  bi'ceding  in  numbers  in  se- 
cluded portions  of  the  Adirondacks  and 
mountains  of  Maine,  where  the  footsteps 
of  man  are  seldom  or  never  found.  Still, 
sportsmen  and  naturalists  have  seen  them 
in  the  month  of  July,  in  accessible  portions 
of  northern  New  York,  which  points  to  the 
probability  of  their  breeding  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  civilization.  It  may,  as  it  has 
been  remarked  by  some  observers,  nest 
very  early,  at  the  same  time  with  the  Cross- 
bill, numbers  of  which  are  seen  in  June  in 
portions  of  northern  New  York.  It  is 
spoken  (jf  as  probably  breeding  on  the  high 
mountains  of  the  north-west,  in  the  vicini- 
ty of  the  timber  line. 

Their  presence  is  indicated  usually  by  an 
unmusical  note,  more  resembling  a  croak 
than  any  other  sound  that  can  be  described. 
But  few  moments  have  elapsed  before  al- 
most every  object  about  the  camp  has  been 
scrutinized,  and  every  available  crack  pried 
into.  As  one  man  would  hail  another  in 
the  wilderness  after  a  long  absence  from 
home,  the  Canada  Jay  greets  the  new  ten- 
ants of  a  camp,  as  if  they  were  wek'ome 
companions  long  since  departed,  and  which 
it  were  a  pleasure  to  see  again,  l-^^earless- 
ly  they  take  liberties  with  camp  fixtures  ; 
and  the  provisions  or  game  that  have  been 
left  within  reasonable  reach  are  at  the  first 
opportunity  pounced  upon  with  avidity. 
Those  who,  for  the  first  time,  intrench 
themselves  for  a  summer's  stay  in  the  Ad- 


TEE  OOLOGIST. 


15 


irondacks,  are  frequently  at  a  loss  to  ac- 
count for  the  disappearance  of  some  of  their 
stock  of  provisions,  which  had  been  inad- 
vertently left  unprotected  for  a  short  time, 
and  conclude,  if  the  real  miscreants — gen- 
erally tlie  Jays — are  not  discovered,  that 
the  mischief  was  done  by  animals.  Occa- 
sionally in  winter,  from  scarcity  of  food, 
they  will  appear  about  settled  districts,  and 
Mr.  Trippe  says  they  are  often  fouud  in 
the  mountains  of  Colorado  in  an  almost 
starved  condition. 

In  appearance,  the  Canada  -Jay  is  very 
different  from  Cyanura  cristata.  Its  gen- 
eral color  is  a  dull  brownish-drab,  lighter 
qn  the  under  parts,  and  nowhere  contrasted 
with  briglit  markings.  It  works  about 
among  the  trees,  much  in  the  manner  of 
the  Blue  Jay.  Its  flight  is  generally  short, 
somewhat  undulating,  a  little  unsteady, 
and  performed  as  much  as  possible  in  the 
forests  and  luulerbrush.  This  bird  is  not 
an  exception  among  the  Jays  in  the  prac- 
tice of  devouring  the  eggs  of  small  bii'ds, 
for  he  is  a  most  cruel  and  greedy  robber 
when  opportunity  places  him  in  possession 
of  a  nest. 


A  Note  on  tiir  House- Sparrow. — 1 
have  just  observed  a  new  and  not  very  de- 
lightful trait  in  the  character  of  the  House 
Sparrow,  which  ought  to  condemn  him  for 
"  murder  in  the  first  degree."  A  pair  of 
Blue  Birds  had  built  a  nest  iu  one  of  my 
bird-boxes,  and  had  hatched  out  a  brood  of 
five  young  ones,  which  were  about  half 
fledged.  A  pair  of  Sparrows  came  and 
ousted  out  the  entire  lot  upon  the  side-walk 
below,  and  they  were  immediately  killed  by 
the  fall.  The  Sparrows  have  now  appro- 
priated the  box  for  their  own  use.  Other 
persons  witnessed  the  operation,  and  "see- 
ing is  believing."  I  am  no  longer  a  lover 
of  the  little  Sparrow,  but  put  him  down  as 
a  murderer  and  a  thief,  besides  being  a 
general   nuisance. 

J.  A.  Severance. 

[Though  perhaps  the  scene  our  corres- 
pondent describes  may  justify  the  use  of  a 


severe  invective  against  the  House  Spar- 
row, we  have  omitted  one  or  two  phrases 
that  were  deemed  a  little  unsuitable. — Ed.] 


Flocking  of  Quiscalus  purpureus. — 
It  seems  to  be  a  natural  propensity  of  the 
Crow  Blackbird  to  seek  the  companionship 
of  a  number  of  his  species,  and  this  is  true 
to  a  greater  extent,  than  one's  ordinary  ob- 
servations on  their  flocking  in  the  spring 
and  fall  would  lead  him  to  believe.  It  may 
be  truly  remarked,  that,  outside  of  the  lim- 
its of  tlie  time  occui)ied  in  building  the  nest, 
laying  the  eggs,  and  rearing  the  young,  they 
remain  flocked  the  entire  season  ;  indeed, 
when  the  locality  permits,  sociability  is 
carried  to  even  a  greater  extent,  for  they 
will  always  breed  in  communities  wheu 
possible,  foraging  together  and  protecting 
one  another  in  common,  or  collectively  de- 
fending the  nest  or  young  of  one  pair  of  in- 
dividuals. As  early  as  the  first  of  June, 
they  commence  to  collect  together  for  the 
remainder  of  the  season,  first  appearing  in 
scattered  groups  of  four  or  half  a  dozen, 
and  conducting  their  expeditions  more  quiet- 
ly than  later  on,  when  having  increased  iu 
numbers  to  perhaps  forty  or  fifty,  they  jour- 
ney about  with  restless  flights,  alighting  of- 
ten and  making  their  presence  known  by 
their  repeated  cries  ;  about  the  first  of  Au- 
gust the  flocks  appear  greatly  increased, 
numbering  from  one  to  five  hundred  or 
more.  At  this  time,  they  appear  very  shy, 
and  are  difficult  to  approach,  the  informa- 
tion of  one  alarming  the  entire  troop,  when 
off  they  fly  witli  loud  cries,  perhaps  to  some 
other  locality,  but  oftener  to  alight  a  few 
hundred  yards  away. 


A  correspondent  of  the  Forest  and 
Stream  writes  of  the  taking  of  two  albino 
Robins,  and  observing  three  others  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.  The  same  journal  published 
an  item  recently  concerning  abnormal  por- 
tions of  a  Hawk  and  one  or  two  other 
species. 


16 


THE  OOLOOIST 


§Uccut  gwbli cations. 

The  American   Naturalist  contains,  be- 
sides a  variety  of  interesting  papers  on  sci- 
entific subjects,  one  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Ballon, 
entitled   "•Methods  of  Labeling  in  Oolog- 
ical  Collections."     In  this  paper  the  author 
employs  the  opportunity  to  make  a  rather 
depreciatory  review  of  oology  as  a  science, 
and  to  express  his  opinion  of  its  popularity 
and  growth  in  terms  not  conducive  to  the 
approbation  of  devotees  of  the  study.      We 
are  willing  to  acknowledge  that,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  the  study  of  birds'  eggs  has 
fewer  representatives  than,   and  is  not  as 
prominent  as  many  of  the  other  natural  sci- 
ences ;  yet  we  do  not  desire  to  be  brought 
too  painfully  into  contact  with  the  fact  that 
'^  the  study  of  the  eggs  of  birds  is  at  pres- 
ent in  a  condition  deplorable  indeed,"  and 
this  in  consequence  of  deficiency  in  labeling. 
Oology  is  yet  a  young  study,  and  although 
the  number  of  persons  who  follow  it,  per- 
haps large  in  this  country,  is  made  up  for 
a  great  part  of  collectors  who  do  not  regard 
it  in  any  other  light  than  as  an  amusement 
or  diversion,  in  which  a  promiscuous  col- 
lection of  eggs  figures  conspicuously,  yet, 
notwithstanding  these  apparent  drawbacks, 
we  are  happy  to  remark  the  increasing  in- 
terest manifested  in  oology  by  scientific  men, 
and  we  dislike  to  see  our  favorite  branch  of 
study  pronounced  against  too  severely,  es- 
pecially by  one  who  is  an  ardent  admirer 
of  it  himself.      la  regard  to  practical  label- 
ing, Mr.  Ballou's  article  is  a  very  sensible 
one.      He  says  :    "  *  It  has  been  a  subject 
of  much  study  on  the  part  of  myself  and  un- 
doubtedly others  as  to  what  remedies  may 
be  successfully  applied  to  so  great  an  evil 
as  the  present  labeling  system.     The  prob- 
lem is  not  without  its  difficulties  of  solution. 
Many   and   varied   were    the    experiments 
tried,  which  sometimes  met  with  success  in 
part,  but  on  the  whole  are  causes  of  grave 
errors.     In  each  experiment  some  one  was 
sure  to  so  disarrange  the  eggs  as  to  make 
it  impossible  to  identify  them.      A  leading 
difiiculty  was  also  found  when  the  collector 
possessed  one  or  more  sets  of  the  same  kind, 


or  large  quantities  of  eggs  of  the  same  spe- 
cies, as  in  the  case  of  water-birds.  It  is 
still  worse,  when  each  egg  or  set  of  eggs  of 
the  same  kind  was  obtained  on  the  same 
day  under  different  circumstances  and  in 
diiferent  localities.  Here  there  should  have 
been  a  separate  label  in  each  case  ;  but  what 
collector  is  there  that  has  been  able  or  dis- 
posed to  furnish  one,  or  if  he  has  done  so, 
who  at  his  death  will  be  able  to  decipher 
them  ?  A  catalogue  of  continued  difficulties 
rises  before  the  collector  ;  labels  pasted,  or 
markings  written  on  the  &'^^^  deface  por- 
tions of  its  natural  colorings.  Slender 
shells  often  crumble  in  the  hand  while  at- 
tempting to  inscribe  a  written  narrative 
thereon.  Eggs  are  exchanged,  passed  into 
a  new  collector's  hand,  who  rubs  away  at 
the  original  marking,  and  deprives  it  of  its 
natural  luster  and  finish  to  make  way  for  a 
new  and  more  extended  announcement. 
*    *    * 

"  Slips  of  paper  are  to  be  prepared  in  tri- 
angular form,  or  at  least  to  have  one  por- 
tion tapering  to  a  point.  The  slips  can  be 
cut  in  sizes  varying  with  the  dimensions  of 
the  eggs,  or  the  amount  of  writing  intended 
to  be  placed  upon  them.  Having  made  the 
necessary  record,  the  very  tip  of  the  label 
may  be  moistened  with  coaguline  and  fas- 
tened to  the  egg.  It  should  be  placed  on  the 
border  of  the  drilled  hole  on  the  side,  so  that 
both  may  occupy  as  little  space  as  possible. 
Almost  the  entire  surface  of  the  egg  is  now 
in  a  condition  for  examination.  The  ad- 
vantages of  such  a  label  are  seen  at  once. 
Both  sides  may  be  written  upon.  They  may 
be  used  as  handles  by  which  to  hold  the  egg 
for  examination,  thus  saving  many  eggs 
from  being  crushed.  They  may  be  made 
sufficiently  large  to  contain  all  necessary 
writing,  or  small  enough  to  suit  the  taste. 
They  may  l)e  taken  otFat  any  time  by  simp- 
ly dipping  the  cemented  portion  into  warm 
water  ;  and  it  is  often  desirable  to  do  this, 
especially  in  exchanges.     * 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  Chicago  Acad- 
emy of  Sciences  is  before  us.  It  shows  that 
science  is  making  great  progress  in  the  west. 


MAY,  1878. 


A  Nondescript  Egg. 


CCASIONALLY  odd  freaks  of  na- 
ture will  come  to  the  notice  of  col- 
lectors, or  a  circumstance  entirely 
unexpected,  will  be  revealed  suddenly  in 
the  face  of  positive  assertions  and  generally 
received  supposition  to  the  contrary.  How- 
ever, abnormities  of  real  worth  and  signif- 
icance are  rare,  and  we  must  content  ourr 
selves  with  learning  as  much  as  we  can 
from  existing  irregularities  in  nature,  of 
whatever  degree  of  importance. 

Attention  was  called  some  time  since  bv 
Mr.  W.  T.  Warrick,  of  Washington,  Fa.\ 
to  an  egg  supposed  to  be  the  joint  ovipro- 
duction  of  a  Robin  and  Crow  Blackbird, 
from  facts  deemed  of  sutlicient  strength  to 
favor  the  supposition  at  once.  The  fact, 
aside  from  having  no  precedent  as  far  as 
kiiown,  when  considered  in  relation  with 
the  surrounding  circumstances,  and  the  sup- 
port offered  in  its  behalf  by  the  nondescript 
egg,  which  excited  interest  and  stimulated 
thorough  inquiry,  may,  possibly,  offer  ev- 
idence in  defense  of  the  argument  that  ab- 
normal eggs,  so  called,  are  not  always  the 
property  of  a  normal  pair  of  birds  ;  and 
if  the  circumstances  shown  fail  to  substan- 
tiate the  true  position  of  the  case,  there  is 
room  for  extensive  reflection. 

Briefly,  the  facts  are  as  follows  :  While 
collecting,  Mr.  Warrick's  brother  found, 
in  a  dilapidated  sheep-shed,  on  a  beam 
near  the  roof,  a  supposed  Robin's  nest,  up- 
on which  the  bird  was  sitting.  When  she 
had  flown  oflf",  the  nest  was  perceived  to  con- 
tain three  eggs,  two  of  which  our  corres- 
pondent had  no  hesitation  whatever  in  pro- 
nouncing respectively  that  of  a  Robin  and 
a  Crow  Blackbird,  the  former  being  of  a 


clear  green,  the  latter  bluish-green,  with 
the  usual  markings  characteristic  of  the 
eggs  of  Q.  purpureus.  The  tliird  egg  is 
unmistakably  of  the  size  and  shape  of  a 
Robin's  e'^]Xi  and  is  covered  over  its  whole 
surface  with  an  indefinable  brown  color, 
completely  dissembling  the  ground  color,  if 
indeed  there  is  any  ;*  this  coloring  is  irreg- 
ular, and  has  a  mottled  appearance,  resem- 
bling somewhat,  the  coloring  of  a  Rusty 
Blackbird's  egg,  though  not  so  distinct. 
The  entire  surface  is  equally  covered.  We 
have  endeavored  to  show  the  disposition 
and  intensity  of  color,  together  with  the 
exact  size  and  shape  of  the  egg,  in  the 
engraviuir. 


,  At  our  suggestion,  Mr.  Warrick  revisit- 
ed the  nest  and  gleaned  from  the  surround- 
ing circumstances  much  that  bears  directly 
upon  the  belief  advanced.  The  shed  which 
contained  the  nest  alluded  to,  was  occupied 
by  two  nests  of  the  Crow  Blackbird,  and  a 
flock  of  the  same  species  were  foimd  about 
the  place.  The  following  is,  in  substance, 
an  account  of  the  circumstances  transmitted 
by  our  correspondent.  In  relation  to  the 
finding  of  the  nest  by  his  brother,  he  says  : 

*In  looking  through  the  eg^g  by  holding  it 
I  to  the  light,  tile  substance  of  the  sliell  seems 
!  to  be  green,  but  this  is  true  of  the  Hawks,' 
i  Eagles',  some  of  the  Terns',  Gulls',  and  other 
'  species  of  eggs,  whose  outer  surface  is  white 
or  liglit  colored. 


18 


THE  OOLOGIST 


"  He  had  also  oinitted  telling  me  that  there 
Avas  another  Robin's  nest  a  little  below  and 
about  eight  feet  distant  from  this  one,  con- 
taining four  Robin's  eggs  when  he  was  there 
and  three  young  and  one  egg  when  I  visit- 
ed it.  The  Crow  Blackbirds'  nests  were 
ueither  of  them  nearer  than  fifteen  feet  to 
the  one  in  which  we  are  interested.  One 
of  them  was  directly  opposite  this  one  on 
the  other  side  of  the  shed.  The  other  was 
at  one  end  of  the  shed,  fastened  in  a  niciie 
iu  the  rafter  next  the  roof.  The  Robin's 
nest  which  I  found  with  young  was  an  or- 
dinary nest,  but  the  one  from  which  the 
nondesci'ipt  egg  was  taken  is  as  much  of  a 
puzzle  to  me  as  the  egg  itself.  It  is  evi- 
dently a  Blackbird's  nest,  being  composed 
externally  of  weed-stalks  and  coarse  grass- 
es. The  shed,  which  is  a  small  log  struct- 
ure, roughly  boarded  on  the  outside,  stands 
iu  the  middle  of  a  pasture,  with  a  single 
good-sized  locust  tree  close  by,  on  which 
there  were  con.stantly  at  least  six  or  eight 
Crow  Blackbirds  and  a  Red-wing  while  I 
was  there  ;  I  saw  no  Robin  near  but  tlie 
pair  that  owned  the  nest  with  the  young- 
birds.  The  non-named  nest  was  firmly  im- 
bedded in  a  crevice  between  the  second  log 
from  the  top  and  the  boards  beforemention- 
ed.  The  liobin's  nest  was  merely  placed 
on  the  top  of  a  log.  This  pair  of  Robins 
seemed  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  Black- 
birds." 

Data  of  Nest  and  E(j<js : 


BIRD  I  EGGS  I 

Eobin.  1     1 

Crow  Blackbh-d      1 

1     1 


LOCALITY 


Washington,  Penna. 


COLLECTORS 

Wiley  Warrick  and 
W.  T.  Warrick. 


DATE 
May  4th,  1878 


Xest  composed  of,  outside :  coarse  grasses 
end  weed-stalks,  witli  wool  and  nuid ;  inside: 
rather  tine  timothy  grasses,  with  some  of  the 
heads,  but  no  mud  plastering  on  the  inside. 

Situation. — In  a  crevice  between  a  log  and 
tlie  boai'ds  whicli  formed  the  sides  of  a  small 
sheep-shed. 

Idextificatiox. — IJobin  found  upon  nest. 


Size  of  Xest. — Diameter,  outside,  7  inclies ; 
inside,  3.75  inches.  Depth,  outside,  4.r)0  indi- 
es; inside,  2. ;")()  inclies. 

The  general  description  of  the  nest  and 
its  position  relative  to  that  of  the  Robin's 
nest,  points  to  its  identity  with  the  nests  of 
the  Bhickbirds,  though  perhaps  its  depth  is 
exceptional.  Yet,  in  the  face  of  these  and 
one  or  two  other  minor  circumstances,  the 
discovery  of  the  Robin  upon  the  nest,  which 
moreover,  (contained  three  entirely  difter- 
entl^^  proportioned,  dimensioued  and  color- 
ed eggs,  would  naturally  educe  one  or  two 
conclusions  :  That  a  Robin  had  mated  with 
a  Crow  Bhickbird  ;  or  that  a  Robin  had 
taken  the  nest  of  the  latter  species  and  had 
laid  one  egg  tlierein,  after  it  had  been  de- 
serted by  the  Blackbirds  and  the  two  eggs 
were  deposited  by  them  ;  or,  possibly,  that 
all  the  eggs  belonged  to  a  pair  of  Black- 
birds, whose  nest  the  Robin,  for  some  un- 
accountable reason  had  taken  possession  of. 
The  first  supposition  seems  to  us  more  in 
accordance  with  the  circumstances,  though 
certainly  the  fact  of  the  joint  harmony  of 
such  dissimihir  species,  notwitlistanding  its 
entire  possibility,  and  even  probability,  is 
open  to  oi)iniou  and  argument ;  the  two 
latter  are  worthy  of  reflection  in  accordance 
with  the  stress  of  the  evidence  of  what  ap- 
pears to  us  the  mi'ior  circumstances. 

'J'he  egg  is  ovoidal,  measuring  1.08  inch- 
es in  length  and  .70  inch  in  breadth.  It 
is,  in  every  respect,  as  is  also  the  supposed 
Robiu's  egg,  entirely  abnormal  from  eggs 
of  Q.  'purpureas  in  size  and  coloring.  It 
would  seem  difficult  to  accustom  us  to  the 
belief  that  all  three  specimens  belonged  to 
the  Blackbirds,  and  yet  it  could  not  be  said 
with  any  certainty,  that  the  production  of 
such  a  union  as  we  have  supposed,  could 
be  anticipated  in  eggs  marked  and  dimen- 
sioned like  those  jbimd.  We  ofit!r  the  a- 
bove  remarkable  case,  if  so  it  be,  to  our 
readers,  for  such  theory  as  is  deemed  ex- 
planatory or  dissatisfactory,  remembering 
that,  though  the  laws  of  nature  are  so  sel- 
dom transgressed  in  this  direction,  the  oc- 
currence of  an  extraordinary  abnormity 
should  not  be  regarded  as  impossible  or  un- 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


19 


reasonable.  We  only  regret  that  our  cor- 
respondc'Ut  had  not  discovered  this  nest  be- 
fore, and  kept  a  strict  surveillance  over  it 
and  its  owners,  until  the  possessorship  of 
nest  and  eggs  was  fully  deterniined. 


A  Stray  Egg. 


AN  the  23rd  of  May,  while  passing  thro' 
^  a  pasture  lot,  1  discovered  a  pair  of  Field 
Sparrows  {Spizella  pusilla)  building  in  a 
low  thorn  bush,  the  bottom  of  tlie  nest  be-  I 
ing  but  two  or  three  inches  from  the  ground,  j 
Tlie  nest  was  almost  completed,   the  birds  j 
justputtiug  the  finishing  touch  to  the  lining. 
On   a  subsequent  visit  five  days  later,   1  j 
found  the  nest  to  contain  five  eggs,  tour  of 
which  undoubtedly  belonged  to  the  Spar- 
rows, but  the  fifth  was  twice  the  size  of  the 
others  and  differently  marked. 

A  lad  who  collected  for  me  declai'ed  it  to 
be  a  Meadow  Lark's  egis;,  and  stated  that 
he  occasionally  found  them  in  this  bird's 
nest ;  but  on  comparing  the  specimen  with 
those  in  the  N.  Y.  State  Museum,  1  found 
it  to  belong  to  the  Cow  Bird.  I  saw  in 
the  pasture  a  single  pair  of  Cow  Birds,  male 
and  female  ;  but  I  failed  to  see  others.  I 
would  like  to  hear  from  the  readers  of  The 
OuLOGiST  whether  the  Meadow  Lark  is  ev- 
er known  to  deposit  its  eggs  in  the  nests  of 
other  birds?  Also,  if  it  is  common  for  the 
Cow  Bird  to  make  use  of  the  nest  of  this 
particular  Sparrow?  I  have  frequently 
heard  of  their  encroaching  on  the  nests  of 
the  Chipping  Sparrow  and  Yellow  Bird. 
On  the  same  expedition  1  discovered  the 
nest  of  a  Golden-winged  Woodpecker.  It 
was  in  an  old  stump  about  ten  feet  from 
the  ground,  and  in  it  were  nine  eggs.  Is 
not  this  an  unusual  number  for  a  single  pair  ? 
Is  tliis  bird  ever  known  to  be  a  polygamist? 
Thos.  p.  Bailey. 

The  Meadow  Lark  never  deposits  its  eggs 
in  the  nests  of  other  birds,  nor  does  any 
bird  that  is  as  universally  careful  in  con- 
cealing its  own  nest  and  protecting  the 
young.      The  egg,  as  probably  also  those 


referred  to  as  having  been  seen  in  Sparrows' 
nests  by  the  lad,  were  deposited  by  Cow 
Birds  ;  the  nests  of  nearly  all  the  Sparrows 
as  well  as  those  of  other  small  birds,  arc 
made  the  receptacles  of  these  alien  eggs, 
and  as  a  rule,  one  nest  is  as  good  as  anoth- 
er for  the  purpose.  The  Golden-winged 
Woodpecker  has  been  known  to  lay  thir- 
teen eggs,  though  not  all  in  one  clutch.  It 
is  not  polygamous,  at  least  observations 
have  failed  to  jn'onounce  it  so.  The  Oolo- 
GiST  has  published  several  items  concerning 
both  the  habit  of  the  Cow  Bird*  and  also 
large  sets  of  Flickers'  eggsf.  We  hope  our 
correspondent  will  not  depend  upon  farmer 
boys  for  information  concerning  birds  or 
birds'  eggs,  unless  they  are  known  to  be 
thoroughly  reliable,  for  they  often  entertain 
ridiculous  and  entii-ely  imfounded  notions, 
especially  of  bii'ds'  eggs,  brought  about, 
probably,  by  the  exaggeration  of  some  sup- 
posed occurrence  that  has  been  handed 
down,  like  a  tradition,  from  generation  to 
generation. 


Oologtcal  Notes  for  May, 


May  9. — Found  nest  of  Shore  Lark  con- 
taining one  e^ig  of  tliat  species  and  one  of 
the  Cow  Bunting.  Nest  was  built  on  the 
ground  in  a  pasture.  I  have  never  heard 
of  a  Cow  Bunting's  egg  found  in  the  nest 
of  this  species  before.  May  15. — Found 
nest  of  an  Upland  Plover  containing  four 
eggs  ;  nest  was  built  in  a  pasture  ;  eggs 
fresh. — Barn  Swallows  have  completed 
nests.  One  pair  I  have  l)een  watching 
started  five  nests  before  finally  deciding  to  ^ 
continue  and  finish  the  fifth.  1).  H.  Eaton. 

Oological  Memoranda  for  April. — Mr. 
D.  D.  Stone  sends  us  the  following  memo- 
randa of  eggs  taken  in  April  : 

[CONTINUEU  ON  I'ACiE  24.] 


*Vide  page  43  of  volume  I ;  pages  35,  8.5 
of  vohime  II;  page  45  of  volume  111 ;  page  7 
of  volume  IV.. 

tVide  page  43  of  volume  I ;  page  2  of  vol- 
inne  II. 


20 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


Tfte  ©oro^isi 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 

MAY,  1878. 

Nesting  of  Noktii  AjiEiacAN  Akde- 
ID-E. — Id  order  that  the  t'oithcomiii^r  paper 
oil  the  eggs  and  nests  of  the  Herons  of 
North  America  may  be  as  complete  and  ex- 
liaustive  as  possible,  the  author,  Mr.  Bal- 
lon, of  Evanston,  Ills.,  is  desirous  of  com- 
municating with  collectors  who  have  taken 
eggs  or  made  observations  on  the  nesting 
of  any  species,  with  the  view  to  establish 
the  breeding  range,  and  also  that  every  par- 
ticular connected  with  the  breeding  habits 
may  be  treated  minutely.  This  article,  to 
be  profusely  illustrated,  if  as  complete  as 
it  is  desired  it  shall  be,  will  form  an  inval- 
uable treatise  for  reference. 


Attention  is  called  to  the  Novelty  Blow 
Pipe  advertised  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Collins.  The 
old  time  blower,  which  requires  so  much 
labor  and  is  often  objectionable  to  the  op- 
erator, is  bound  to  be  superseded  by  a  la- 
bor-saving instrument. 


A  General  Cabinet. — Collectors  who 
take  an  interest  in  gathering  the  skins,  eggs 
and  nests  of  birds,  frequently  ask  if  a  cab- 
inet sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  spec- 
imens of  all  these  would  be  desirable.  A 
compactly  arranged  ornithological  collec- 
tion, tastefully  disposed  in  one  cabinet,  is 
more  easily  accessible  than   two   or  three 


separate  collections,  embodied  in  as  many 
cabinets,  the  cost  of  which  latter,  moreover, 
would  be  much  the  greater.  By  arranging 
the  eggs  at  the  top,  the  nests  below  these, 
and  the  skins  at  the  bottom  of  a  cabinet 
with  a  single  tier  of  drawers,  a  collection 
of  moderate  size  is  rendered  compact,  ac- 
cessible and  handsome  ;  or,  when  the  col- 
lections are  large,  a  cabinet  with  two  tiers 
of  drawers  is  the  most  suitable  and  conven- 
ient, the  eggs  and  nests  occupying  one  tier, 
the  skins  the  other.  The  ingenuity  of  the 
naturalist  in  arranging  and  labeling  his 
collection,  is  the  best  guide.  Ornitholog- 
ical, botanical,  entomological  and  geolog- 
ical collections  can  be  accommodated  in  one 
cabinet,  if  spacious,  but  the  mingling  of  so 
many,  or  even  two  or  three  collections  of 
these  dissimilar  objects,  may  be  objection- 
able, and  where  means  permit,  one  case 
for  the  specimens  of  each  study  would,  per- 
haps, be  more  in  accordance  with  a  natu- 
ral arrangement.  Drawers  provided  with 
tight-fitting  glass  slides  are  rendered  insect 
proof,  at  least  in  a  measure,  and  permit 
the  display  of  the  collection  without  its  be- 
iu":  disturbed. 


Cardboard  boxes  of  various  sizes  are 
now  extensively  used  by  oologists,  as  a  con- 
venient receptacle  for  diiferent  species  of 
eggs.  They  are  adaptable  to  the  size  of 
the  specimens  or  the  number  of  eggs  in  a 
set,  and  if  made  of  a  certain  uniform  length 
and  breadth,  they  will  exactly  fill  out  a 
cabinet  drawer.  Thus,  a  small  collection, 
with  a  judicious  assortment  of  diflf'erent  siz- 
ed boxes,  can  be  made  to  look  very  com- 
plete, all  superfluous  boxes  being  reserved 
for  future  use  ;  Avhereas,  a  drawer  parti- 
tioned in  the  manaer  of  a  printer's  case, 
may  or  may  not  be  filled  out,  and  whatever 
empty  apartments  there  are,  contribute  so 
much  to  the  incomplete  appearance  of  a 
collection. 


Our  series  of  papers  on  exotic  birds  will 
be  continued  in  the  June  number.  They 
promise  to  be  very  interesting. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


21 


The  Barred  Owl.  (Syrnium  neb- 
ulosum.) 


tins  is  one  of  our  most  common  Owls, 
aud  more  frequently  than  any  other 
"^  is  seen  late  in  the  tall  or  in  winter,  | 
especially  near  the  borders  of  creeks  or  riv- 
ers, or  near  swamps  bordered  by  woods. 
In  summer  it  is  generally  found  in  dense 
forests,  tiying  about  from  place  to  place 
during  the  entire  day,  seeming  not  to  be  a 
nocturnal  bird,  but  to  see  better  in  the  day- 
time than  any  other  Owl.  It  is  by  no 
means  a  shy  bird,  but  will  often,  at  night, 
come  close  to  a  lonely  camp-fire,  exposing 
itself  to  the  glare  of  the  fire,  without  show- 
ing the  slightest  token  of  alarm.  It  will 
turn  its  unusually  thick  head  toward  you, 
and  scrutinize  you  with  its  large  black  eyes. 
In  Louisiana  these  Owls  seem  to  be  the 
most  abundant,  and  in  passing  through  the 
dense  woods,  the  traveler  may  often  count 
six  or  eight  in  the  distance  of  a  few  miles, 
and  at  the  approach  of  night,  their  ciies 
can  be  heard  from  evei-y  patch  of  woods 
near  the  plantations.  In  dark  and  cknidy 
days,  indicating  an  approaching  rain-storm, 
their  cries  are  multiplied  during  the  day, 
and  are  louder  than  usual.  On  the  coming 
of  a  storm,  they  respond  to  each  other  in 
such  unearthly  and  strange  tones,  that  one 
can  not  help  thinking  that  something  extra- 
ordinary is  taking  place  among  them.  Their 
motions  and  gestic\dations  are,  on  sucli  oc- 
casions, stranger  and  more  lively  than  us- 
ual. On  approaching  the  bird,  it  at  once 
changes  its  perpendicular  position  to  a  hor- 
izontal one,  throwing  the  lateral  feathers 
of  the  head  forward,  so  as  to  make  it  ap- 
pear as  if  surrounded  by  a  broad  rufT,  mov- 
ing it  round,  backward  and  forward  so 
quickly  as  to  cause  it  to  look  as  if  it  were 
dislocated  from  the  body.  All  motions  of 
the  intruder  are  looked  at  with  eyes  that 
seem  as  if  they  were  half-blind,  and  with  a 
suspicion  of  treacherous  intentions.  The 
bird  flies  off' to  a  short  distance,  alighting 
with  its  back  toward  the  intruder,  but  im- 
mediately turns  to  begin  its  scrutiny  anew. 


If  you  do  not  shoot  at  it,  you  may  follow 
it  in  this  way  for  a  long  distance  ;  but  if 
shot  at  and  not  wounded,  it  will  fly  off  to 
sui;h  a  distance  that  you  will  lose  sight  of 
it,  though  you  may  hear  its  pompously  ut- 
tered "  wha,  wha,  wha,"  from  time  to 
time. 

The"  flight  of  this  Owl  is  light,  smooth, 
and  perfectly  noiseless,  so  much  so  that 
not  the  slightest  rustling  of  the  wings  can 
be  heard,  even  if  it  flies  only  a  couple  of 
yards  above  your  head.  If  the  occasion 
requires  it,  their  flight  can  be  greatly  pro- 
tracted, as  they  have  been  noticed  to  fly  on 
one  stretch  a  distance  of  over  two  miles. 
The  writer  has  noticed  the  Barred  Owl  sev- 
eral times  in  the  day-time  sailing  about  in 
the  air  in  small  circles,  in  a  manner  simi- 
lar to  the  Hawk,  rising  to  a  great  height 
and  then  flying  off  to  a  distance,  in  an  ir- 
regular zigzag  line,  while  briskly  flapping 
its  wings.  He  also  several  times  found  the 
nest  of  that  Owl  containing  eggs,  the  num- 
ber of  which,  when  the  bird  was  sitting, 
was  invariably  three.  These  were  of  the 
size  of  a  hen's  egg,  but  more  globular,  and 
had  a  coarse  rough  shell  of  a  pure  white 
color. 

All  the  nests  found  were  snugly  built  in 
the  fork  of  some  large  tree,  and  among  its 
thi(;k  foliage.  The  nest  was,  however, 
rudely  constructed,  being  composed  out- 
wardly of  sticks,  interspersed  with  dry 
grass  and  dry  leaves,  and  lined  with  small 
twigs,  fibrous  roots,  and  a  few  feathers. 
The  food  of  these  bii'ds  consists  chiefly  of 
mice,  moles,  frogs,  lizards,  snakes,  and 
sometimes  fish.  The  young  birds  have 
been  often  taken  frcnn  the  nest  and  placed 
I  in  a  room  with  the  window  open,  and,  in 
all  such  instances,  the  young  ones  have  been 
found  by  their  parents  the  very  first  night, 
I  although  the  distance  of  the  room  was,  in 
;  one  case,  over  two  miles  from  the  nest. 
The  parent  birds  bi-ought  plenty  of  food  to 
their  young,  so  that  almost  every  morning, 
a  great  many  frogs,  mice,  etc.,  had  to  be 
thrown  out.  Only  once,  in  all  these  exper- 
iments, did  the  old  birds  bring  a  partridge  ; 
but  this,  on  close  inspection,  was  found  to 


22 


THE  00 LOG  1ST 


be  ia  a  far-advanced  state  of  decay.  The 
previous  night  had  been  very  dark  and 
stormy,  perhaps  the  old  birds  had  not  been 
able  to  catch  any  live  prey,  and  had  brought 
the  dead  Partridge  to  serve  as  food  for  their 
young  in  case  of  extreme  need.  j 

The  young  are,  for  some  time  after  birth, 
covered  with  a  fine  white  down,  which  gives  \ 
them  a  peculiar,  but  not  an  uninteresting 
appearance.     Their  call  or  cry  is  a  singu-  j 
lar  hissing  sound,  which  can  be  heard  at  a 
srreat  distance.    These  birds,  like  most  oth-  j 
er  Owls,  are  clothed  with  feathers  of  very  j 
different   shape    and  texture.      Those  sur- 
rounding the  bill  are  similar  to  bristles  ; 
those  around  the  region  of  the  eyes  are  un- 
webbed  and  extremely  open,  and  are  bound-  | 
ed  by  a  set  proceeding  from  the  external 
edge  of  the  ear,  small  and  velvety,  consist- 
ing of  exquisitely  fine  fibers,  almtjst  invis-  j 
ible  to  the  naked  eye.      The  outward  pin-  | 
mage  of  these  birds  has  one  general  char- 
acter at  the  surface,  calculated  to  repel  rain 
and  moisture  ;  but  toward  the  roots  of  the 
feathers,    it  is   composed   of  a  very  soft, 
loose,    and   downy  substance,   so  that  we  j 
may  touch  without  feeling  it.      The  webs  j 
of  the  wing-quills  are  also  of  a  delicate  soft-  i 
uess,  covered  with  exceeding  fine  hair,  and  i 
edged  with  a  fine,  loose,  silky  down.      All ! 
this  enables  the  owl  to  pass  through  tjie  : 
air  without  disturbing,  in  the  slightest  de-  ( 
gree,    the   most   profound    stillness.      The  j 
long  bristly  feathers  around  the  bill  and  the 
eyes  serve  to  guard  the  latter  from  injury,  ' 
when    the  Owl  sweeps  rapidly  through  a 
thicket,    as   on    the  slightest  touch  at  the  , 
point  of  any  of  these  bristles,   the  nictita- 
ting membrane  is  instantly  drawn  over  the 
eye. 

There  is  often  a  remarkable  difference  in 
size  between  the  male  and  female,  and  be- 
tween the  birds  generally  of  this  species. 
The  usual  length  of  the  female  is  about 
twenty-two  inches,  though  I  have  shot  one 
that  measured  twenty-eight  inches.  The 
usual  average  of  the  male  is  seventeen  inch- 
es, by  thirty-eight  inches  in  circumferance. 
Theodore  Jasper.* 

*  Part  6,  Birds  of  North  America. 


A  BRIEF  note  published  in  this  journal 
a  short  time  since,  in  regard  to  a  flycatch- 
ing  habit  of  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker, 
calls  to  mind  an  occurrence  of  the  same 
thing  concerning  the  Robin,  which  habit 
may  or  may  not  have  been  observed  by  our 
readers.  A  Least  Flycatcher  (^Empidonax 
minimus)  had  built  a  nest  in  one  of  the 
shade  trees,  and  the  snap  of  its  little  bill 
was  constantly  heard  among  the  leaves. 
Several  times  it  would  dart  in  close  prox- 
imity to  passers-by,  and  our  attention  was 
drawn  into  watching  it  in  our  leisure  mo- 
ments. But  one  afternoon  a  larger  bird 
flew  swiftly  out  from  a  neighboring  tree, 
closed  its  bill  with  au  audible  snap,  and  a- 
lit  upon  the  fence,  where  it  devoured  a  large 
insect  of  some  kind,  likely  a  moth.  Quite 
surprised  at  finding  it  to  be  a  Robin,  we  re- 
garded its  movements,  and  saw  it  perform 
the  same  thing  twice  more,  after  which  it 
disappeared.  Subsequently  this  Robin  was 
seen  a  number  of  times  (•atching  insects  in 
the  air,  in  which  it  seemed  very  proficient. 


There  has  been  an  unusual  abundance 
of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Redstart, 
and  Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  in  the  high, 
bush-covered  portions  of  Herkimer  and  O- 
neida  Counties,  New  York,  the  present  sea- 
son. The  unusually  good  facilities  for 
nesting  and  the  plenitude  of  food  have  al- 
w^ays  offered  an  attraction  to  the  smaller 
birds  iidiabiting  the  hilly  districts  of  these 
Counties. 


"Tip-up." 


TTNFORTUNATE  is  the  ornithologist 
who  does  not  know  what  constitutes  a 
''Tip-up."  And  little  does  he  know  of 
birds,  who  has  not  observed  these  diminu- 
tive waders  engaged  in  their  oscillatory 
movements,  without  reflecting  upon  the 
probable  causes  of  so  peculiar  a  habit. 
Some  think  it  is  merely  a  habit,  others  that 
it  is  a  si";u  of  some  mental  condition — af- 


THE  00  LOG  I  ST. 


23 


fection,  fright,  or  jealousy  ;  still  others  be- 
lieve It  to  be  the  necessary  ajj;eiit  in  obtain- 
ing and  maintaining  their  eqnilibrium  which 
seems,  upon  consideration,  to  be  the  real 
cause.  Dr.  Cones,  in  connection  with  his 
paper  on  the  Solitary  Sandpiper,  indulges 
in  an  elaborate  rumination  upon  this  odd 
characteristic,  which  is  worth  reading  by 
all  young  ornithologists  : 

"  These  Tattlers  indulge  on  all  occasions 
a  propensity  tor  nodding,  like  Lord  Bnr- 
leigh  or  the  Chinese  maiidai'ins  in  front  of 
tea  shops  ;  and  when  they  see  sometliing 
they  cannot  quite  make  out,  seem  to  reason 
with  themselves,  and  finally  come  to  a  con- 
clusion in  tiiis  way  ;  impressing  themselves 
l)eavily  with  a  sense  of  their  own  logic. 
They  go  through  the  bowing  exercise  with 
a  gravity  that  may  quite  upset  that  of  a  dis- 
interested spectator,  and  yet  all  through  the 
performance,  so  ludicrous  in  itself,  contrive 
to  preserve  sometliing  of  the  passive  sedate- 
ness  that  marks  all  their  movements.  This 
bobbing  of  the  head  and  foreparts  is  the 
correspondent  and  countei-part  of  the  still 
morecurioiis  actions  of  the  Spotted  Tattlers 
or  '  Tip-ups,'  as  they  are  a})tly  called,  iVom 
this  circumstance  ;  a  queei'  lialancing  of  the 
body  upon  the  legs,  constituting  an  amuse- 
ment of  which  these  last-liamed  birds  are 
extremely  tbiul.  As  oiten  as  the  Tip-up, 
or  '  Teeter-tail,'  as  it  is  also  called,  stops  in 
its  pursuit  of  insects,  the  lore  part  of  the 
body  is  lowered  a  little,  the  head  drawn  in, 
the  legs  silently  bent,  whilst  the  hinder  parts 
and  tail  are  alternately  hoisted  with  a  pe- 
culiar jerk,  and  drawn  down  again,  with 
the  regiUai'ity  of  clock-work.  The  move- 
ment is  more  conspicuous  in  the  upward 
than  in  the  downward  part  of  the  perform- 
ance ;  as  if  the  tail  were  spring-hinged,  in 
constant  danger  of  flying  up,  and  needing 
constant  presence  of  mind  to  keep  it  down. 
It  is  aumsing  to  see  an  old  male  in  the 
I)reeding  season  busy  with  this  operation. 
Upon  some  rock  jutting  out  of  the  water  he 
stands,  swelling  with  amorous  pride  and 
self-sufficiency,  puffing  out  his  plumage  till' 
he  looks  twice  as  big  as  natui'al,  facing  a- 
bout  on  his  narrow  pedestal,   and  bowing 


with  his  hinder  parts  to  all  points  of  the 
compass.  A  sensitive  and  fastidious  per- 
son might  see  something  derisive,  if  not  ac- 
tually insulting,  in  this,  and  feel  as  Crusoe 
may  be  presumed  to  have  felt  when  the  sav- 
ages who  attacked  his  ship  in  canoes  show- 
ed the  signs  of  contumaceous  scorn  that  De- 
Foe  records.  But  it  would  not  be  worth 
while  to  feel  offended,  since  this  is  only  the 
entirely  oi-iginal  and  peculiar  way  the  Tip- 
up  has  ol"  conducting  his  courtships.  Or- 
nithologists are  not  agi-eed  upon  the  usefnl 
purpose  subserved  in  this  way,  and  have  as 
yet  failed  to  account  for  the  extraordinary 
performance." 


The  Other  Side. 


TVTILL  TiiK  (/oLOGisT  allow  me  to  offset 
Mr.  Severance's  example  of  total  de- 
pravity among  birds  by  another  to  which  I 
was  eye-witness?  On  the  loth  of  April, 
1875,  a  pair  of  House  Sparrows  had  built 
a  nest  in  a  bird  box  on  tlie  edge  of  our  Pub- 
lic (harden  exactly  opposite  85  Boylstou 
Street,  Boston,  and  had  hatched  out  a 
brood  oi'  young  ones,  which  were  then 
nearly  Ih'dged.  Austin  Sunmer,  Esq.,  who 
lives  at  No.  Hi^^  called  my  attention  to  the 
untbi-tunate  fate  of  this  family.  A  pair  of 
Blue-birds  came  and  ousted  the  entire  lot 
upon  the  ground  below,  and  they  were  im- 
mediately killed  by  the  fall.  Th.e  Blue-birds 
at  once  appi-opriated  the  box  to  their  own 
use,  and  are  occupying  it  the  present  year. 
]Mr.  Snnmer's  whole  family  witn'essed  the 
performance,  and  I  was  called  to  see  the 
dead  birds  on  the  ground  within  an  hour  of 
their  untimely  end.  Now  as  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  either  Blue-birds  or  Sparrows 
have  any  moral  responsibility  or  any  sense 
of  right  or  wrong,  I  cannot,  consistently 
with  my  faith,  call  these  Blue-birds  nmr- 
derers  and  thieves.  Both,  acting  on  the 
prom{)tings  which  their  creator  has  planted 
in  their  little  breasts,  did  as  their  nature  in- 
cited them.  In  this  Wrens,  Blue-birds, 
White-bellied  Swallows  and  Sparrows  are 
all  alike.  Thomas  M.  Brewek. 


24 


THE  OOLOGIST 


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On  the  27tli  of  May  iiiv  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  Huinuiiiig  Bird  fluttering  a- 
round  a  regalia  busli.  1  watched  lier,  but 
she  did  not  stay  long  at  the  flower  bush,  but 
skimmed  oflf' thi'ough  the  air  and  alit  upon 
an  oak  tree  ch)se  by.  I  succeeded  in  fol- 
lowing her  across  the  road  into  a  small  piece 
of  woods,  where  I  saw  her  fly  close  by  the 
nest.  It  was  situated  on  a  small  oak  about 
thirty  feet  from  the  ground  and  contained 
two  eirgs.  F.  M.  Spikgle. 


— ^YE  should  tliink  a  Sparrow  Hawk 
could  be  employed  to  advantage  by  ornith- 
ologists while  out  collecting  small  birds. 
An  experiment  in  this  direction  furnished 
evidence  toward  its  feasibility  :  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  after  the  Hawk  was  discover- 
ed by  a  Robin,  there  were  within  easy  gun- 
shot at  least  ten  different  species  and  thrice 
as  many  individuals.  Perhaps  a  young 
bird  is  more  effective  than  an  adult,  but  in 
either  case,  the  Robins  are  powerful  assail- 
ants and  their  attacks  calculated  to  be  se- 
vere, and  unless  the  Hawk  has  partial  free- 
dom, it  is  exposed  to  considerable  danger. 

— GoLDEN-CKESTED  and  Ruby-crowued 
Kinglets  and  Horned  Larks  have  been  nu- 
merous the  past  winter  and  spring  in  most 
of  the  Middle  portions  of  the  United  States. 
White- throated  and  -crowned  Sparrows 
have  nested  for  the  first  time  witliin  dis- 
tricts south  of  their  usual  breeding  ground, 
and  Crossbills  have  been  observed  about  the 
towns  and  villages  since  the  middle  of  Feb- 
ruary. 


General  Items. 


— The  Tufted  Titmouse  is  a  resident  spe- 
cies here  (Washington,  Pa. )  and  quite  com- 
mon, but  I  have  never  yet  I'ound  one  of  their 
nests.  About  the  12th  of  April,  a  pair 
were  seen  carrying  bits  of  straw  and  other 
materials  into  a  small  box  that  I  had  nailed 
up  among  the  branches  of  a  cherry  tree  in 
the  garden.  The  next  day  they  were  driv- 
en away,  after  a  slight  skirmish,  by  a  pair 
of  Bluebirds  who  had  been  inspecting  the 
box  a  few  days  before,  but,  dog-in-the-mau- 
ger^ike,  they  did  not  nest  there  themselves. 

'%  W.  T.  Warwick. 


Jlcccnt  ^xtMi cations. 

Notes  ON  Certain  Species  of  New  England 
Birds,  with  additions  to  his  catalogue  of  the 
Birds  of  New  England  :  by  T.  M.  Brewer. 
— Since  the  publication  of  his  list  of  the 
Birds  of  New  P^ngland,  in  1875  ,Dr.  Brew- 
er has  found  it  necessary  to  issue  a  supple- 
mentary list.  There  is  no  portion  of  North 
America  as  thoroughly  studied  and  inves- 
tigated in  ornithology  as  New  England, 
and  the  seeming  rivalry  existing  among  the 
naturalists  of  those  States,  forms  a  means 
which  rarely  fails  to  bring  to  notice  the  oc- 
currence of  a  doubted  species,  if  proven  by 
the  capture  of  a  single  specimen.  Dr.  Brew- 
er enumerates  twenty-one  species  in  this 
list,  making  a  total  of  three-hundred  and 
fifty-six  species  known  to  occur  in  the  New 
England  States.  Among  those  whose  pres- 
ence in  this  part  of  the  country  is  of  much 
interest,  are  Audubon's  Warbler,  the  Lou- 
isiana Tanager,  Chestnut-collared  Bunting, 
Oregon  Snow  Bird,  Scissor-tail,  etc. 


5ldgi^> 


Vol.  IV. 


JUNE,  1878. 


No.  4. 


That  Nondescript  Egg. 


BY  JAMES  S.  BAILEY,  A.  M.,  M.  T>. 


fN  reading  the  leading  paper  of  the 
last  issue  of  The  Oologist,  entitled, 
"A  Nondescript  Egg,"  I  was  puzzled 
as  well  as  the  discoverer,  to  know  what 
kind  of  an  egg  he  had  found,  but  I  think 
one  fact  will  be  sufficient  to  upset  the  the- 
ory that  the  nondescript  eggs  had  been  laid 
by  its  foster  parent,  the  Eobiu. 

If  it  were  possible  for  the  ?  Robin  to 
have  mated  with  the  Blackbird  and  her  eggs 
to  have  been  fertilized  by  the  same,  so  far 
as  external  appearances  are  concerned  the 
eggs  would  not  have  been  changed  in  as- 
pect, but  the  chick  would  probably  not  re- 
semble either  parent,  or  might  partake  of 
the  characteristics  of  one  or  both.  If  this 
hybrid  should  not  prove  to  be  sterile,  her 
eggs  might  not  resemble  those  of  the  Robin 
or  Blackbird.  The  young  would,  therefore, 
have  cleared  the  mystery,  had  the  eggs  been 
allowed  to  have  gone  on  to  incubation. 

In  1871,  a  strange  hybrid  came  into  my 
possession,  said  to  have  been  a  cross  be- 
tween the  Guinea  hen  and  domestic  Tur- 
key.* After  much  labor,  I  traced  the  hyb- 
rid to  the  gentleman  who  reared  it,  and 
through  him  and  his  family,  gleaned  the 
following  facts.  Mr.  Matthew  Flausburgh 
of  Stony  Hill,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  bred  the 
hybrid  in  this  manner.  In  1865,  he  pro- 
cured some  Guinea  eggs  for  a  setting.  Not 
having  enough,  he  added  eggs  of  the  do- 
mestic fowl,  which  were  hatched  and  rear- 
ed together.     The  next  spring  two  of  this 


brood,  a  Dominique  cock  (half  Shanghai) 
and  a  Guinea  hen  mated.  Their  amours 
were  not  always  conducted  in  private,  for 
Mr.  Hausburgh  at  one  time  was  an  eye- 
witness. 

The  eggs  from  the  Guinea  hen  were  care- 
fully preserved  by  Mr.  F.  and  placed  un- 
der a  hen,  together  with  a  few  Turkey  eggs. 
The  Guinea  eggs  hatched  in  three  and  a 
half  weeks  ;  the  Turkey  eggs  not  until  the 
expiration  of  four.  The  chicks  from  the 
Gnniea  eggs  -were  of  a  smiff  color,  instead 
of  the  usual  color  of  youvg  Guineas.  Of 
this  fecundation,  only  three  eggs  hatched, 
two  of  the  chicks  only  lived  a  day  or  two. 
The  one  referred  to  grew  to  maturity.  The 
important  points  are,  that  the  Guinea  eggs 
were  not  changed  in  their  characteristics 
by  this  seemingly  unnatural  fecundation. 
It  would  not  have  been  evident,  had  not  the 
chicks  presented  unusual  characteristics 
which  followed  the  surviving  one  through 
life.  Another  fact  deserves  notice.  The 
period  of  incubation  in  the  domestic  fowl 
is  21  days  ;  that  of  the  Guinea  28  days. 
The  Guinea  eggs  having  been  made  fertile 
by  the  domestic  fowl,  influenced  the  period 
of  incubation,  which  occupied  the  interme- 
diate space  between  three  and  four  weeks 
for  their  development. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  members  of 
the  Finch  family  cross,  as  the  Goldfinch 
and  Canary,  but  it  is  positively  known  that 
the  color  of  the  eggs  is  not  changed  from 
that  peculiar  to  the  parent  bird  winch  lays 
them. 


*I  Avrote  and  published  a  paper  on  this  sub- 
ject and  illustrated  the  bird,  in  the  Country 
Gentleman;  Vol.  xxxvi.,  p.  571. 


The  facts  above  given  by  Dr.  Bailey  do 
not  deteriorate  the  importance  of  the  facts 
stated  in  our  May  number.  The  only  real 
inconsistency,  if  so  it  is,  lies  in  the  possi- 
bility of  the  nondescript  egg  being  the  joint 


26 


THE  OOLOGIST 


property  and  the  natural  result  of  a  union 
of  two  different  species.  P^ven  if  this  is 
not  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  physiol- 
ogy, there  is  an  interestiu<^  item  in  the 
knowledge  that,  at  least  one,  and  probably 
two  of  the  eggs,  were  clearly  abnormal, 
Avhich  luct  is  made  additionally  prominent 
and  notewortliy  by  the  circumstances  sur- 
rounding the  whole  matter.  The  inference 
we  drew — much  less  a  theory — was  the  re- 
suit  of  reflections  brought  out  by  the  cir- 
cumstances ;  and,  excepting  the  possibility 
of  an  abiu)rmal  e^^'j:  being  the  natural  con- 
sequence of  an  "•  abnormal  "  pair  of  bii'ds, 
it  follows  that  this  may  be,  and  very  prob- 
ably is,  an  instance  simply  of  abnormity, 
even  though  brought  about  by  a  different 
species.  The  rule  that  eggs  of  the  same 
species  the  world  over,  are  of  the  same  gen- 
eral appearance,  and  the  exception  that 
they  occasionally  widely  differ  in  all  re- 
spects, may  apply  to  the  production  of  a 
pair  of  birds  of  which  the  male  is  one  spe- 
cies and  the  female  another,  as  well  as  to 
a  pair  of  like  species.  And,  among  the 
causes  of  abnormity  in  eggs,  it  is  reasona- 
ble to  suppose  that  a  union  such  as  indi- 
cated, might  combine  opposite  character- 
istics, which,  together  with  the  attend- 
ant physiological  relations  of  each,  would 
produce  a  defective  egg. 

While  we  are  on  the  subject  of  abnormi- 
ties, an  item  from  a  correspondent  in  New 
Jersey  will  be  of  interest.  Reference  is 
also  made  to  Dr.  Brewer's  opinion  of  im- 
maculate eggs,  where  usually  maculate,  and 
vice  versa,  in  our  April  number. 

A  Plain  Egg. 

On  reading  your  article  published  in  The 
OoLOGisT,  (May  issue)  entitled,  "A  Non- 
descript Egg,"  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  simi- 
lar circumstance  that  happened  with  me 
last  year.  I  was  out  one  day  on  a  collect- 
ing tour,  when  my  brother  called  my  atten- 
tion to  a  nest  situated  in  the  top  of  a  pine 
tree,  and  he  said  he  had  seen  some  Crow 
Blackbirds  about  there  a  few  days  before. 
I  climbed  up  the  tree  and  was  much  sur- 
prised to  find  a  nest,  to  all  appearances  ex- 


actly like  a  Crow  Blackbird's,  but  the  eggs 
(three  in  number)  were  very  peculiar  to 
that  species.  One  was  marked  like  a  Crow 
Blackbird's,  and  the  other  two  were  the 
same  shape  and  measurements,  but  were  of 
the  ground  color  of  the  first.  One  of  them 
had  a  black  spot  on  one  side,  the  other  was 
plain.  J.  L.  Adams,  Jr. 


Notes  on  the  Nesting  of  the  Black 

Tern,  at  St.  Clair  Flats,  Mich., 

June  7,  1878. 


BY  W.  H.  COLLINS. 


T^HIS  species  builds  a  nest  of  short  pieces 
of  grass  and  rushes,  laid  together  in  a 
little  heap  on  the  drift  rushes,  in  sheltered 
situations  where  the  wind  cannot  carry  them 
away.  Many  were  placed  on  pieces  of 
board  and  drift-wood  that  were  floating  in 
the  marsh.  The  eggs  were  usually  three  ; 
I  did  not  find  more  in  any  of  the  nests. 
Some  of  them  were  fresh  and  in  others  in- 
cubation was  well  advanced.  The  birds 
were  very  courageous  in  defending  their 
nests  ;  they  would  sometimes  come  so  close 
to  my  head  that  I  could  feel  the  wind  from 
their  wings,  while  they  kept  up  a  continu- 
ous cry.  Most  of  the  eggs  were  warm 
when  taken  ;  still,  I  did  not  see  any  of  the 
birds  sitting  on  the  eggs.  The  female  birds 
killed  showed  that  they  were  sitting,  by  the 
bare  portions  of  their  bodies  and  the  thick 
skin  usually  found  on  birds  that  are  sitting. 
1  often  saw  the  birds  go  down  in  the  rush- 
es and  remain  until  I  got  within  several 
rods  of  the  place,  when  they  would  rise 
and  hover  over  the  vicinity,  and  I  usually 
found  a  nest  near  by.  In  one  instance,  I 
found  two  nests  on  one  piece  of  drift-wood, 
twelve  feet  long,  one  nest  at  each  end  ;  us- 
ually the  nests  were  not  witliin  sight  of  each 
other.  While  the  birds  were  there  by  hun- 
dreds, I  frequently  killed  two  birds  at  one 
shot,  and  could  shoot  for  an  hour  without 
changing  my  position.  The  birds  kept  com- 
ing at  each  discharge  of  the  gun,  which 
seemed  to  excite  and  not  frighten  them. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


27 


Nesting  of  the  Canada  Jay. 

I  HAVE  seen  an  article  in  your  valuable 
paper,  in  i-ef'erence  to  the  breeding  of  the 
Canada  Jay,  in  paper  for  A{)ril,  '78.  It 
breeds  in  winter,  February  and  March,  at 
tirst  appearance  of  spring  thaw  ;  in  inter- 
ior of  forest ;  nests  in  pine  or  spruce,  about 
two  fathoms*  from  ground  ;  nest  of  small 
branches  and  moss  ;  young,  three  or  five  ; 
have  seen  nests  with  young  and  one  addled 
egg,  light  gray,  brown  spots. 
Si  John,  N.  B.  S.  B.  Wily. 


Oological  Notes  for  June. 

Egbert  Bagg,  Jr.,  discovered  a  nest 
and  three  eggs  of  Lincoln's  Finch  {3Iclos- 
jnza  Lincolni)  in  Northern  New  York,  re- 
cently. The  discovery  is  important,  inas- 
much as  it  is  probably  the  first  authentic 
record  of  its  nesting  in  tiiis  State. 

While  out  collecting  two  and  a  half 
miles  from  Colony,  Kas.,  about  the  middle 
of  -June,  I  found  the  nest  of  a  Cliewink 
[Pipilo  erythrophthalmus) .  It  was  built 
two  feet  from  the  ground  on  a  gooseberry 
bush.  The  nest  contained  four  eggs.  Nev- 
er having  found  or  heard  of  a  Chevvink's 
nest  built  above  the  ground,  I  shot  the  old 
bird  and  satisfactorily  identified  her  as  the 
above  species.  It  had  been  raining  nearly 
every  day  for  several  weeks,  and  the  ground 
was  probably  too  wet  to  build  upon. 

John  Holzapfel. 
Is  it  uncommon  for  young  Robins  to  nest 
the  same  season  they  were  hatched?  An 
early  brood  of  Robins  was  raised  on  a  low 
limb  of  a  Balm  of  Gilead  tree  in  a  neighbor's 
garden,  and  I  think  it  was  one  of  this  brood 
that  I  saw  on  the  3rd  of  June,  carrying  ma- 
terials to  a  nearly  finished  nest  in  the  tip- 
top of  the  tree  ;  at  any  rate,  it  was  a  young 
one  that  I  saw  building,  for  its  flight  was 
very  weak,  and  its  breast  was  of  the  pecu- 
liar yellow  color  that  the  young  of  this  spe- 
cies have,  at  a  certain  stage  of  their  growth. 
*About  twelve  feet. 


I  saw  it  go  to  the  nest  several  times  Avith 
bits  of  grass  in  its  bill,  and  it  invariably 
flew  from  one  limb  to  another,  a  little  high- 
er up,  continuing  these  short  flights  till  it 
reached  the  nest.  Other  members  of  the 
family  said  that  they  saw  an  old  one  also 
working  at  the  nest,  and  that  it  went  from 
the  ground  to  the  nest  in  one  flight.  I 
would  have  examined  the  nest,  but  it  was 

inaccessible I  obtained  twenty-five 

Flicker  eggs,  the  aggregate  of  four  sets, 
from  one  cavity  in  a  lialf  dead  tree  this  sea- 
son.    Was  it  an  unusual  haul? 

W.  T.  Warrick. 

[Birds  will  occasionally  deposit  eggs  to 
a  large  number,  if  the  set  is  continually 
broken  up. -Ed.] 

Up  to  June  24,  observations  on  the  pro- 
lificness  of  the  House  Sparrow  failed  to 
prove  that,  so  far,  th.ey  have  passed  the 
nesting  season.  At  that  date,  a  pair  were 
seen  vigorously  at  work  carrying  materials 
into  a  box  erected  on  the  premises.  It  re- 
mains now  whether  the  nest  will  be  finish- 
ed, and  the  usual  routine  of  oviposition  and 
incubation  take  place  ;  in  which  event,  it 
will  be  safe  to  put  this  down  as  the  third 
litter,  since  this  pair  built  the  first  nest  ear- 
ly in  IMarch. 

Every  oologist  should  subscribe  for  this 
journal  and  keep  himself  thoroughly  posted 
on  all  matters  relating  to  the  study  of  birds' 
eggs.  Terms — 75  cents  per  year,  with  a 
beautiful  colored  plate  ef  eggs.  Do  not  de- 
lay, as  the  number  of  plates  is  limited. 

Large-billed  Water  Thrush. — The 
nest  of  this  species  I  discovered  in  a  marsh 
undor  some  low  bushes.  It  was  situated 
in  a  tuft  of  sword  grass  one  foot  from  the 
ground.  The  nest  is  somewhat  enlongated, 
composed  of  sword  grass  principally,  and 
lined  with  fine  grass  and  hairs.  It  was  six 
inches  long,  and  contained  four  eggs  of  the 
bird  and  two  Cow  Bird's  eggs.  The  eggs 
were  so  tender  that  I  broke  them  all  but 
one,  and  have  not  dared  to  measure  this 
one.  I  judge  it  to  be  about  .65  by  50 
inch.  W.  H.  Ballou. 


28 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfie  ©«fo3tst« 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


JUNE,  1878. 


Wanted  : — Numbers  two  and  four,  vol- 
ume three  of  this  journal.  Those  of  our 
readers  willing  to  dispose  of  these  issues, 
please  send  to  this  office  and  state  price. 
None  but  good  specimens  wanted. 


Ward's  Catalogues. — Those  among 
our  readers  especially  interested  in  oology, 
cannot  fail  to  notice  the  advertisement  of 
Professor  Ward.  The  magnitude  of  his 
establishment  of  natural  science  at  Roches- 
ter, is  a  guarantee  that  his  collections  em- 
brace specimens  of  birds'  eggs  exceedingly 
rare  and  valuable  to  collectors.  Send  six 
cents  for  his  catalogue  of  North  American 


Our  correspondents  and  patrons  would 
greatly  facilitate  the  filling  and  forwarding 
of  orders  for  supplies  or  specimens  by  spec- 
ifying the  articles  desired  on  a  separate  slip 
of  paper,  written  distinctly.  We  would  al- 
so request  that  those  who  require  the  pi-ices 
of  certain  specimens  or  supplies,  should,  in 
ordering,  re-specify  them  in  full,  and  there- 
by save  the  time  that  would  otherwise  be 
consumed  in  correspondence. 


With  this  number  we  mail  our  recent 
subscribers  for  the  plate  of  eggs,  a  copy  of 


the  March  number  containing  it.  Oolo- 
gists  desiring  the  plate  should  subscribe 
early,  as  the  number  is  limited,  and  we  shall 
be  unable  to  supply  more. 


The  Harpy  Eagle  (Harpyia 
destructor).* 


f|-T  HE  Harpy  Eagle  constitutes  the  type 
if  I  of  a  distinct  section  among  the  birds 
^  of  prey,  a  section  first  established  by 
Cuvier,  and  adopted  by  most  naturalists. 
The  species  comprehended  in  this  genus, 
Harpyia,  are  exclusively  American  :  they 
are  characterized  by  the  enormous  thick- 
ness and  strength  of  the  tarsi,  which  are 
feathered  half  way  down  ;  the  wings  are 
short  and  rounded  ;  the  beak  is  strongly 
hooked,  as  are  the  talons  also,  and  of  for- 
midable magnitude.  Comparing  the  Har- 
py witli  the  Golden  Eagle,  we  observe  the 
former  to  be  distinguished  not  only  by 
shorter,  but  by  more  rounded  wings,  by 
tarsi  far  more  robust,  and  only  partially 
feathered,  by  more  powerful  talons,  and  by 
a  more  stout  and  curved  beak  :  the  physi- 
ogaomy  of  the  two  birds  is  also  very  differ- 
ent ;  both  have  a  stern,  but  glistening  eye, 
indicative  of  courage  and  ferocity  ;  of  both 
the  port  is  royal,  but  the  arrangement  of 
the  feathers  of  the  head  in  the  Harpy  in 
some  degree  reminds  us  of  the  Great-eared 
Owl.  In  the  Golden  Eagle,  the  head  and 
neck  are  covered  with  long,  narrow  point- 
ed feathers,  which  fall  over  each  other,  and 
yet  preserve  their  distinctness  of  appear- 
ance. On  the  contrary,  the  feathers  of  the 
neck  and  sides  of  the  head  in  the  Harpy  Ea- 
gle are  broad  and  rounded  at  their  anterior 
margin,  and  capable  of  being  puffed  up  ; 
while  on  the  back  of  the  head,  the  feath- 
ers, still  of  the  same  character,  but  longer, 
form  a  crest,  which  the  bird  can  raise  or 
depress  at  pleasure.  Tiie  middle  feathers 
of  this  ci'est  are  shorter  than  the  more  lat- 
eral, so  that  when  erected  it  is  lowest  in  the 


*  Kniglifs  Museum  of  Animated  Nature : 
Vol.  I,  p.  259. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


29 


centre,  and  rises  at  each  side  somewhat  in 
the  form  of  ears  or  tufts  ;  but  the  proud  de- 
portment aud  the  fierce  ghmce  of  the  eyes 
redeem  the  Owl-like  character  thus  giveu 
to  the  liead.  Ofteu  liave  we  watclied  tlie 
spleudid  Harpy  Elagle  in  the  gardens  of  the 
Zoological  Society,  as  he  has  sat  upright 
on  his  perch,  and  motionless  as  a  statue, 
unmoved  by  every  attempt  to  intimidate 
him,  or  disturb  his  dignitied  composure, 
while  the  gleam  of  his  eye  fixed  steadily 
upon  us  betokened  at  once  daring  and  en- 
ergy. In  strength  none  can  equal  him  ;  in 
courage  and  ferocity  none  excell  him.  But 
we  have  seen  the  Harpy  Eagle  under  other 
circumstances  :  we  have  seen  him  feasting 
on  his  slaughtered  prey,  with  his  talons 
buried  in  the  body,  and  his  beak  crimson 
with  gore  ;  on  our  approach,  instead  of 
quitting  it,  he  has  expanded  his  ample 
wings  over  it,  so  as  to  conceal  it,  and  as- 
sumed a  menacing  attitude,  as  if  prepared 
to  contest  the  possession  of  it  to  the  utmost  ; 
and  such  was  the  ferocity  aud  power  dis- 
played, as  to  convince  us  that  any  attempt 
at  interference  (had  it  been  practicable) 
would  have  been  a  most  dangerous  under- 
taking. The  Harpy  Eagle  is  a  native  of 
Guitma  and  other  parts  of  South  America, 
where  it  frequents  the  deep  recesses  of  the 
forests  remote  from  the  abodes  of  man.  Of 
its  habits,  however,  in  a  state  of  nature, 
we  have  but  little  information.  It  is  fear- 
ed for  its  great  strength  and  fierceness,  and 
is  reported  not  to  hesitate  in  attacking  in- 
dividuals of  the  human  race  ;  nay,  that  in- 
stances have  been  known  in  which  persons 
have  fallen  a  sacrifice,  their  skulls  having 
been  fractured  by  the  blows  of  its  beak  aud 
talons.  This  may  be  an  exaggeration,  but 
certainly  it  would  be  a  hazardous  experi- 
ment to  venture  unarmed  near  the  nest  of 
a  pair  of  these  formidable  Eagles.  Her- 
nandez states  that  this  species  not  only  thus 
ventures  to  assault  man,  but  even  beasts  of 
prey.  According  to  Mandruyt,  it  makes 
great  destruction  amongst  the  sloths,  which 
tenant  the  branches  of  the  forest,  and  are 
ill  fitted  to  resist  so  formidable  an  antago- 
nist ;  it  also  destroys  fawns,  cavies,  opos- 


sums, and  other  quadrupeds,  which  it  car- 
ries to  its  lonely  retreat,  there  in  solitude 
to  satiate  its  appetite.  Monkeys  are  also 
to  be  numbered  among  its  victims  ;  but  the 
sloth  is  said  to  constitute  its  ordinary  prey. 
Of  its  nidification  we  know  nothing  ;  as  the 
Eagles,  however,  lay  only  from  two  to  three 
eggs,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
present  species  is  not  an  exception  to  the 
rule. 

It  has  been  correctly  observed  by  Mr. 
Selby,  that  the  members  of  the  Aquiline 
division  of  the  Raptorial  order  do  not  pos- 
sess the  same  facility  of  pursuing  their 
prey  upon  the  wing  which  we  see  in  the 
Falcons  and  Hawks  ;  for  though  their  flight 
is  very  powei-ful,  they  are  not  capable  of 
the  rapid  evolutions  that  attend  the  aerial 
attacks  of  the  above-named  groups,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  their  prey  is  mostly 
pounced  upon  on  the  ground.  The  short- 
ness of  the  wings  of  the  Harpy  Eagle,  when 
compared  with  those  of  the  Golden  Eagle 
of  Europe,  and  their  rounded  form  and 
breadth,  tliough  well  adapting  them  for  a 
continued,  steady  flight,  render  them  less 
efficient  as  organs  of  rapid  and  sudden  aeri- 
al evolutions  than  those  of  the  latter  ;  but 
as  it  inhabits  the  woods,  and  does  not  prey 
upon  birds,  but  upon  animals,  incapable  of 
saving  themselves  by  flight,  its  powers  of 
wing  (or  rather  the  modification  of  those 
powers)  are  in  accordance  with  the  circum- 
stances as  to  food  and  locality  under  which 
it  is  placed.  If  the  Harpy  P^agle  soars  not 
aloft,  hovering  over  plains  and  mountains, 
it  threads  the  woods,  it  skims  amidst  the 
trees,  aud  marks  the  sloth  suspended  on  the 
branch,  or  the  monkey  dozing  in  unsuspi- 
cious security,  and  with  unerring  aim  strikes 
its  defenceless  victims.  Mr.  Selby,  com- 
menting on  the  fierceness  of  a  pair  of  Gol- 
den Eagles  in  his  possession,  and  their 
readiness  to  attack  every  one,  indiscrimi- 
nately, observes  that  when  living  prey  (as 
hares,  rabbits,  or  cats)  are  thrown  to  them, 
the  animal  is  "  instantly  pounced  on  by  a 
stroke  beliind  the  head,  aud  another  about 
the  region  of  the  heart,  the  bill  appearing 
never   to   be   used  but  for  the  piu'pose  of 


30 


THE  OOLOGIST 


tearing  up  the  prey  when  dead."  It  is  pre- 
cisely in  this  manner  that  the  Harpy  Eagle 
deals  Avith  its  victims  ;  death  seems  the 
work  of  an  instant  ;  the  strongest  cat,  pow- 
erless in  his  grasp,  is  clutched,  and  expires. 
Nor  will  this  surprise  any  one  who  has 
contemplated  the  power  seated  in  the  talons 
of  this  bird  ;  strong  as  are  the  talons  of  the 
Golden  Eagle,  great  as  is  the  muscular  de- 
velopment of  its  limbs,  and  formidable  as 
are  its  claws,  they  seem  almost  trifling 
compared  with  those  of  the  Harpy  Eagle. 
In  the  museum  of  the  Zoological  Society 
are  skeletons  of  both  these  birds,  which  it 
is  interesting  to  compare  together.  The 
thickness  of  the  bones  of  the  limbs  in  the 
latter,  and  especially  of  the  tarsus,  which 
is  more  than  double  that  of  the  Golden 
Eagle,  and  the  enormous  size  of  the  talons, 
are  sutficlent  to  convince  the  observer  of 
the  ease  witli  which,  when  living,  the  fierce 
bird  would  bury  its  sharp-hooked  claws  in 
the  vitals  of  its  prey,  and  how  vain  resist- 
ance when  the  fatal  grasp  was  taken.  In 
its  native  regions  the  Harpy  Eagle  is  said 
to  be  by  no  means  common  ;  were  it  so,  the 
destruction  occasioned  by  its  presence  would 
it  might  be  naturally  expected,  preponder- 
ate over  the  renovation  of  the  species  which 
constitute  its  habitual  food,  and  the  balance 
which  nature  has  established  between  the 
destroyed  and  the  destroying,  the  sanguin- 
ary and  their  victims,  be  thus  disarranged. 
No  doubt  that  (as  is  the  case  with  all  car- 
nivorous animals)  its  numerical  ratio  in  a 
given  space  is  proportionate  to  that  of  the 
animals  on  which  it  is  destined  habitually 
to  feed.  AYliere  the  sloth  is  most  abund- 
ant, there  will  most  abound  the  Harpy 
Eagle. 

The  general  colour  of  tliis  noble  bird  is 
slate-black  ;  the  head  is  light  slate-gray, 
passing  into  dusky  black  on  the  crest ;  the 
under  parts  are  white,  with  a  broad  band 
of  dark  slate-colour  across  the  chest.  The 
tail  is  barred  with  black  and  slate-colour. 
The  beak  and  claws  are  black  ;  the  tarsi 
yellow. 


Avi  vita  Naturae  sunt. 


The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. — The 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  is  a  somewhat  rare 
and  irregular  visitor  in  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania. It  arrives  about  the  15th  of  May, 
and  is  mainly  a  denizen  of  high,  open  woods, 
where  it  delights  in  the  tallest  tree-tops. 
We  have  never  observed  it  along  water- 
courses, which  has  been  the  experience  of 
others.  Eew  species  are  more  shy  and  af- 
fect greater  fondness  for  places  of  retire- 
ment. While  gleaning  amid  the  branches 
of  the  tallest  oaks,  almost  beyond  the  reach 
of  effective  gunshot,  the  presence  of  a  hu- 
man being  on  the  scene,  infuses  a  feeling 
of  dread,  and  leads  to  its  hasty  departure. 
When  absorbed  in  feeding,  or  in  their  gam- 
bols with  each  other,  the  sexes  will  remain 
upf)n  the  same  tree  for  hours  together. 

This  species  is  not  gregarious,  but  ap- 
pears to  arrive  already  paired  ;  for  it  is  not 
an  uncommon  occurrence,  even  from  its 
first  arrival,  to  find  the  sexes  feeding  and 
rambling  together,  and  in  the  intervals  of 
gleaning,  dallying  together  ;  and  lavishing 
upon  each  other  the  most  endearing  atten- 
tions. P^ither  the  species  arrives  already 
mated,  or  performs  this  indispensable  bus- 
iness immediately  on  its  arrival.  Diligent 
searching  has  convinced  us  that  it  does  not 
breed  within  our  limits,  although  these 
movements  would  seem  to  warrant  the  be- 
lief that  it  does.  Why  these  tokens  of  en- 
dearment and  aflfection?  On  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  birds  arrive  already  paired, 
and  are  devotedly  attached  to  each  other 
as  evidenced  by  these  actions  which  are 
the  promptings  of  an  overflowing  love,  and 
which  must  manifest  itself  in  some  such 
way,  when  not  otherwise  diverted  by  the 
duties  of  nidification  and  incubation,  they 
can  be  readily  accounted  for.  We  have 
occasionally  observed  a  lonely  male  to  come 
upon  the  scene  in  the  midst  of  these  woo- 
ings  or  caresses,  when  a  conflict  would  en- 
sue, which  would  last  a  long  while.  The 
female  would  remain  a  passive  spectator  of 
the  struggle,  unless  her  partner  wavered  in 
the  conflict,  when  she  would  come  to  his 
rescue,  and  deal  most  summary  blows  upon 
his  antagonist. — Gentry. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


31 


Studies  on  Certain  Fringillidae. 
The  Grass  Finch. 


rriHAT  little  bird  which  springs  \\\)  before 
you,  as  you   are  wauderitig  through  a 
pasture  or  meadow,  aud  after  flutteriug  ir- 
regularly in  the  air  for  a  moment,  sliowing 
a  pair  of  white  outer  feathers  in  its  tail, 
plunges    suddenly,   and  rather  awkwardly  1 
into  the  grass  again,  a  short  distance  away,  j 
can  seldom  be  mistaken  by  the  young  nat-  \ 
uralist,  if  he  will  notice  the  characteristic  | 
by  which  it  is  easily  distinguished  when 
upon  the  wing — the  white  lateral  tail  feath- 
ers.     Perhaps  you  are  traveling  along  the 
road,   gun   in   liand,   collecting   box   slung 
over  your  shoulder,  and  you  see  a  modest 
little  Sparrow  sitting  on  a  fence-rail,  atten- 
tively observing  you,  though  with  no  indi- 
cation   of   fear.       You    usually    regard    it 
thoughtlessly,  assuming  it  to  be  one  of  the 
three  or  four  commoner  Sparrows  one  can 
see  at  almost  any  moment  in  the  fields  ;  yet ! 
you  often  almost  reproach  yourself  for  not  1 
observing  closely  what  might  have  been  a 
species  new  or  desirable  to  you,  and  which  ; 
you  declined  to  destroy,  because  of  the  prob-  I 
ability  of  its  being  a  bird  with   which  you  j 
are    well   acquainted  ;    but   when    it   takes  j 
wing  and  flits  a  little  farther  along  the  rail, 
exposing  its  peculiar  markings,  you  are  at 
once  at  ease  concerning  its  identity,  and  do  j 
not  afterward  regret  that  you  had  not  killed  , 
that  little  Sparrow  upon  the  fence.     Thus 
it  is  with  nuiny  other  small,  aud  even  large 
birds  which  are  very  similar  ;  unless  you 
are  at  once  satisfied — by  hearing  their  song 
or  notes,   or  noticing  some  distinguishing 
mark  in  their  plunuige — that  you  have  no 
necessity  for  destroying  what  would  turn 
out  to  be  a  common  species. 

Fooecetes  (jramineus  is  well  known  to  all 
ornithologists.  It  is,  next  lo  the  Song  aud 
Chipping  Sparrows,  the  commonest  species 
of  Sparrow  to  be  found  in  Eastern  North 
America.  We  have  observed  it  often  in 
such  large  numbers  in  the  fields,  that  one 
might  be  led  to  remark  that  it  is  the  com- 
monest species  by  far  ;  but  this  is  no  cri- 


terion as  to  its  general  abundance,  for,  dur- 
ing the  early  spring,  and  for  the  remainder 
of  the  season  after  the  breeding  period,  they 
are  quite  erratic,  and  one  frequently  notes 
the  great  abundance  of  Grass  Finches  in 
cei'tain  fields  (though  not  at  all  in  flocks, 
but  pursuing  each  its  own  avocation,  and 
departing  alone,  just  as  it  happens)  ;  while 
at  other  times,  in  a  hard  day's  tramp  thro' 
pastures  and  meadows  which  they  generally 
frequent,  one  can  scarcely  account  for  the 
very  diminished  few  that  rise  at  long  inter- 
vals from  the  grass  and  fences.  Upland 
pastures,  studded  with  tb.istles  and  weeds, 
and  containing  moist  areas,  are  mostly  fre- 
quented for  nesting,  but  quite  often  one  will 
find  several  nests  in  succession,  in  the  long 
grass  of  a  meadow.  When  the  nest  is  ap- 
proached too  closely,  the  bird  usually  flut- 
ters confusedly  up  before  you,  and  ordina- 
rily attempts  to  draw  your  attention  by  re- 
peated feints,  often  exercised  so  skillfully 
and  naturally,  that  the  tyro  is  commonly 
induced  to  suppose  he  has  accidentally  stum- 
bled upon  a  maimed  bird,  Avhich  he  imag- 
ines easily  caught,  and  only  finds  out  his 
mistake,  when,  in  after  days,  he  reads  of 
this  peculiar  method  of  many  birds,  to  al- 
lure an  intruder  from  their  domiciles  and 
eggs,  or  young  ;  oftentimes  it  will  merely 
flit  to  a  prominent  object  a  few  yards  dis- 
tant, and  betray  its  (•oncern  by  uttering  a 
restless  chirp  ;  at  others — and  this  is  its 
safest  and  most  deceiving  measure — it  flies 
to  a  short  distance  and  drops  unconcerned- 
ly into  the  grass  a";aiu. 


Mr.  W.  H.  Ballon  has  donated  to  the 
museum  of  the  North  Western  University, 
at  Evanston,  111.,  a  classified  collection  of 
North  American  birds'  eggs,  numbering 
over  1,0UU  specimens,  210  species,  150 
genera  ;  also  numerous  nests.  The  collec- 
tion is  valued  at  $500. 


Thi-:  "  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,"  illus- 
trated with  a  beautiful  engraving,  may  be 
obtained  at  this  office.     Price,  10  cents. 


32 


THE  OOLOGIST 


The  Souffriere  Bird. — Mr.  Fred.  O- 
ber,  who  is  studying  the  natural  history  of 
the  islands  of  the  Caribbean  Sea,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
contributes  some  remarkable  notes  on  this 
bird,  in  a  private  letter  to  the  editor  of  the 
Forest  and  Stream.  Its  notes  are  describ- 
ed as  "  strains  of  most  delicious  melody, 
yet  strongly  mild  and  melancholy."  It  is 
always  heard  on  the  mountain  top  and  no- 
Avhere  else  ;  its  music  coming  from  stunted 
trees  covering  and  hiding  the  deep  gorges 
that  scan  the  lip  of  the  crater.  No  one 
had  ever  seen  the  bird  or  captured  it.  It 
possessed  a  fascination  for  the  listener  that 
the  notes  of  few  birds  could  command. 
Fine  birds  were  obtained  at  an  elevation  of 
3,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

W.  H.  B. 


vigorously  pursuing  a  dove-house  Pigeon. 
The  Blackbird  would  dart  at  the  Pigeon 
and  wheel  savagely  after  it,  whenever  it 
turned  in  its  course,  but  was  not  seen  to 
strike  the  Pigeon,  whether  unable  or  from 
want  of  sufficient  courage  to  approach  near 
enough,  we  are  not  prepared  to  say.  Both 
soon  disappeared,  and  we  could  only  won- 
der the  cause  of  such  a  strange  proceeding. 


General  Items. 


— Louisiana  Tanager.  —  Dr.  T.  ]\L 
Brewer  in  Forest  and  Stream^  notes  the  oc- 
currence of  this  bird  at  Lynn,  .Mass.,  dur- 
ing a  violent  snow-storm.  Its  occurrence 
here  is  attributed  to  having  been  caught  in 
the  vortex  of  a  storm — whicii  started  from 
the  Mexican  Pacific  coast, — and  borne  to 
the  shoi'es  of  the  Atlantic. 

— Additions  to  the  Avi-fauna  of  Il- 
linois.— I  have  added  one  species  during 
the  last  year,  to  the  avi-fauna  of  the  State. 
In  Cairo,  111.,  I  found  the  dead  body  of 
BuiFon's  Long-tailed  Jaeger  (^Stercorarius 
Bufforii),  shot  by  some  sportsman.  Its 
body  floated  ashore  and  was  found  shortly 
after  being  killed.  In  answer  to  a  commu- 
nication, Mr.  Ridgway  thought  that  it  must 
have  been  shot  near  there,  or  some  bird  of 
prey  would  have  taken  it,  wliich  is  proba- 
ble, as  the  "  scavengers  of  all  the  earth" 
clean  the  river  of  every  imaginable  victim, 

dead    or    alive,    that   appears Tlie 

Mourning  Warbler  has  also  been  added  by 
Frank  E^  DeWitt,  of  Chicago. 

W.  H.  Ballou. 

— On  the  morning  of  March  10,  our  at- 
tention was  attracted  to  a  Crow  Blackbird 


We  are  glad  to  note  the  growth  of  our 
conteinpoi'ary,  the  Valley  Naturalist.  It 
now  has  eight  pages,  and  its  contents  are 
ably  disposed. 

The  Naturalists'  Directory  for  1878,  pub- 
lished by  S.  E.  Cassino,  Salem,  Mass., 
has  made  its  appearance.  It  contains,  be- 
sides a  list  of  the  naturalists  of  North  Amer- 
ica in  all  branches  of  natural  science,  a  di- 
rectory of  chemists  and  physicists,  a  list  of 
scientific  societies,  and  scientific  books. 

We  notice  that  the  Temperance  Vedette^ 
of  Terrell,  Texas,  has  a  department  devot- 
ed to  natural  history,  with  G.  H.  Ragsdale 
at  its  head  as  editor.  It  is  mainly  the  ex- 
ponent of  Texas  ornithology. 

Students  of  ornithology  will  find  it  to 
their  interest  to  obtain  a  copy  of  Wm.  Wes- 
ley's book  circular  on  ornithology,  just  pub- 
lished at  26  Essex  St.,  Strand,  London.  It 
contains  a  very  complete  list  of  all  publish- 
ed works  on  birds  and  their  eggs. 

Mr.  C.  J.  Maynard  has  resumed  the  pub- 
lication of  his  Birds  of  Florida.,  and  will 
supplement  the  work  with  a  treatise  on  the 
birds,  nests  and  eggs  of  Eastern  North  A- 
merica.  We  shall  notice  this  work  at  great- 
er length  hereafter. 

The  science  columns  of  a  recent  number 
of  the  Chicago  Tribune  contained  an  arti- 
cle by  Mr.  W.  H.  Ballou,  on  the  "  Game 
Birds  of  Chicago  Market,  with  an  Appen- 
dix on  Mammals."  Seventy-five  species 
of  birds  are  noticed.  Many  names  were 
omitted  on  account  of  their  extreme  varia- 
bility. 


Nesting  of  Contopiis  vireiis  (Wood  Pewee), 34 

Practical  Oology,       34 

Editorial  Notices,      36 

Studies  oil  Certain  Fringillidae.— Tlie  Tree  Sparrow,    37 

Utility  of  the  Crow, 38 

The  Acadian  Owl, .38 

■M^^-^  .^-^ss^        '^•'•^  Condor,       39 


General  Items, 40 

Pkcent  Pubmcations, 40 

Advertisements,  .    last  cover. 


Volume  Four; 


Number  Five. 


A  Monthly  Journal  devoted  to  the  Study  of  Birds  and  their  P^ggs. 


S.  L.  WILLARD,  Editor  ; 
Assisted  by  Able  ornithological  Writers. 


Subscriptions: — 60  cents  a  year,  in  advance,  postage  prepaid  by 
the  publishers.  With  Colored  Plate  of  t)ggs  as  a  frontispiece  to  the  vol- 
ume, 75  cents  a  year. 

We  do  not  publish  two  editions  of  this  journal ;  the  distinction  in  price 
is  made  to  partly  compensate  for  the  expense  of  publishing  the  colored 
plate.  Subscriptions  can  commence  at  any  time,  and  unless  otherwise  un- 
derstood, will  date  from  the  number  following  the  receipt  of  the  money. 
No  subscriptions  received  for  less  than  one  year. 

Single  copies,  5  cents  each. 


Advertisements. —  Collectors  wishing  to  sell  or  exchange  rare 
specimens,  or  to  introduce  among  oologists  any  novelty  in  this  branch  of 
study,  will  find  The  Oologist  the  best  journal  published  for  reaching  a 
large  class  of  collectors  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  California. 

Terms  : — Inside  cover,  7  cents  per  brevier  line  ;  50  cents  per  inch. 
Outside  cover,  10  cents  a  line  ;  70  cents  per  inch.  Reasonable  discount 
for  three  or  more  insertions. 


Oologists. — We  solicit  interesting  facts  concerning  the  eggs,  nests, 
and  breeding  habits  of  rare  species,  and  especially  observations  relating 
to  any  novel  characteristic  connected  with  Oology,  that  our  readers  are 
brought  into  contact  with. 

All  communications  and  subscriptions  should  be  addressed  to 

THE   OOLOGIST, 

Oneida  Street,  UTICA,  N.  Y. 


e® 


-^      ® 


si 

X-    Vol.  IV. 


Things  Oological. 


oioqi 


JULY,  1878. 


No.  5. 


BY  W.   H.   BALLOU. 


KUSTY  BlA('KBI1!D 

^y       ,  . 

IIE  opening  ai'ticle  of  Field  tind  For- 
est for  March,  entitled  "■The  Natu- 
ral history  of  the  Islands  of  Lake  E- 
rie,"  contributed  by  myself,  contains  a  state- 
ment that  seems  to  call  ibr  some  explana- 
tion. Among  the  birds  noted  as  known 
to  bi'ced  on  the  islands,  is  the  Rusty  Black- 
bird. It  may  be  a  matter  of  some  surprise 
that  this  announcement,  so  importiint  in  it- 
self, should  not  have  been  made  public  be- 
ibre,  as  the  taking  of  the  eggs  of  this  bird 
on  one  of  the  islands  indicated,  occurred  in 
•lutie,  '7(5.  The  article  in  question  was 
contributed  some  tive  or  six  months  ago, 
which  at  least  cancels  nearly  half  a  year 
of  the  responsibility.  It  may  also  be  prop- 
er to  state  further,  that  a  press  of  other 
matter  rendered  an  earlier  announcement 
of  the  fact  impracticable. 

Happening  one  day  iu  a  gi-ove  on  JNliddle 
Island  of  the  Put-in-Bay  grouj),  I  was  at- 
tracted by  the  noise  of  some  birds  quarrel- 
ing. An  examination  showed  that  some 
Pur|)le  Grackles  were  endeavoring  to  drive 
the  Kusty  Blackbirds  I'rom  tiieir  nest  to  ob- 
tain the  eggs,  but  as  I  thought  at  the  time, 
rice  oerna.  But  my  presence  seemed  to 
frighten  the  Purple  Gi'ackles  away,  and 
the  Rustics  retin'ued  to  the  nest.  The  nest 
was  placed  in  a  small  evergreen  some  fif- 
teen feet  high,  and  was  nolliing  more  than 
an  old  Thrush's  nest.  There  were  three 
eggs  in  it.  one  of  which  1  broke  ;  the  oth- 
ers are  still  in  my  posses'sion.  They  do  not 
ditfer  mateiially  from  the  general  run  of 
their    kind,    except    that   they  are  heavily 


blotched,  rather  than  marked.     This  bird 

has  formei-ly*  been  known  to  breed  "  from 
Northern  Maine  to  the  Arctic  Circle." 

Bell's  Viueo. 

The  discovery  of  a  nest  of  Vireo  Bdlii 
on  the  campus  of  the  North  Western  Uni- 
versity is  a  matter  of  no  little  interest  to 
;  me.  Immediately  on  noting  this  bird  as  a 
resident  of  the  campus,  I  watched  it  care- 
fully until  1  discovered  its  nest  some  twen- 
ty leet  up  a  large  oak,  on  a  small  limb  and 
iu  a  most  exposed  position.  There  were 
young  birds  in  the  nest,  and  1  concluded  to 
leave  it  alone  and  await  a  second  laying  of 
eggs.  The  heavy  storms  of  July  2  and  8, 
however,  killed  the  young  birds.  I  took 
the  nest,  which  does  not  ditfer  materially 
from  that  of  the  commou  Vireo,  except  that 
it  is  snuiller.  As  I  was  leaving  tlie  tree 
iu  a  kind  of  despair  at  the  prospect  of  a  sec- 
ond laying  being  thus  cut  off,  I  heard  the 
bird's  peculiar  scpieal,  and  following  it,  a 
hundred  yards  away  I  found  them  building 
a  new  nest  in  an  accessible  position  some 
forty  feet  frona  the  ground  ;  so  I  may  yet 
obtain  their  eggs. 

To  Rkmovk  iiakdknkd  Yolks,  &c. 

Eggs  are  often  obtained  in  which  the  con- 
tents have  become  hardened.  The  extract- 
ing of  this  substance  so  as  not  to  spoil  the 
shell,  has  become  an  accomplished  fact  af- 
ter a  few  chemical  experiments.  The  pro- 
cess I  found  to  be  more  simple  than  I  had 
anticipated.  It  consists  in  introducing  car- 
bonate of  soda  and  water  through  the  drill- 
ed aperture.  The  soda  is  dissolved  by  the 
water  and  foi-ms  a  lye.  This  lye  converts 
the  contents  of  the  shell  into  soap,   which 

*We  would  nifer  our  corresi)ondeiit  to  page 
;^7,  No.  5,  Vol.  I.  of  this  jounial  for  farther 
evidence  of  the  nesting  of  this  bird. 


34 


THE  OOLOGIST 


may  then  be  blown  out.  Water  must  fre- 
quently be  introduced  into  the  shell,  to  pre- 
vent the  lye  from  becoming  too  strong.  In 
large  eggs  a  small  quantity  of  ammonia 
may  also  be  introduced  to  assist  the  j)io- 
cess.  Care  must  be  taken,  howevei-,  not 
to  get  any  of  the  latter  on  the  outside  of  tiie 
shell,  as  it  is  sure  to  deface  the  coloring. 
I  successfully  performed  this  operation  on 
an  egg  of  the  American  Swan,  which  had 
been  brought  me  in  tlie  condition  mentioned. 
[Uefore  this  experiment  is  tried  upon  val- 
uable eggs  of  small  size,  it  is  worth  while 
that  we  should  offer  a  caution.  'J'he  ex- 
periment is  an  extremely  hazardous  one  up- 
on any  but  large  eggs  ;  since  not  only  may 
it  be  impossibU^  for  the  tyro  to  obtain  the 
proper  proportions  of  the  injection,  but  the 
use  of  any  alkali  or  acid  is  attended  with 
more  or  less  danger  to  the  specimen.  A 
lye  operating  upon  the  inside  of  a  tender 
shell  will  dissolve  it  in  a  few  moments, — 
and  would  a  strong  one,  uidess  well  dilu- 
ted. The  experiment  /k/.s  been  successfully 
tried  by  some  collectoi's,  but  at  best  it  is 
attended  with  uiu-ertainty. — Ed.] 


four  nearly  fresh  eggs.  The  nest  was  the 
most  shallow  of  any  that  I  ever  have  tak- 
en, not  exceeding  |  of  an  inch  in  depth. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  full  complement  of 
eggs,  I  sliould  iiave  thought  it  incomplete. 
The  pei'iod  of  incubation  is  fourteen  days. 
They  leave  here  about  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember. Jf  there  was  plenty  of  time  for 
this  last  case  to  hatch  and  get  away  in  sea- 
son, why  not  others?  I  have  alwavs  tho't 
that  only  one  brood  was  raised  in  New 
England  ;  still,  in  the  more  southern  parts 
two  may  be  the  rule  instead  of  the  excep- 
t'o"-  B.  J.  Peckham. 


Nesting  of  Contopus  virens. 

TX  your  No.  5  of  Vol.  III.  I  notice  a  call 
for  obsei-vations  on  the  Wood  Pewee. 
I  iiave  iield  off,  waiting  for  others  more  ca- 
pable to  tell  what  tiiey  know  about  it.  1 
now  take  the  liberty  of  relating  my  obser- 
vations thi'ongh  your  colunuis.  Nearly 
everyone  will  admit  that  locality  makes  a 
wide  difference,  not  only  in  the  material  of 
the  nest,  but  in  the  breeding  hal)its  also. 
In  '74,  the  Gth  of  June,  I  removed  a  nest 
containing  four  eggs  from  the  limb  of  an 
old  apple  tree,  about  seven  feet  from  tlie 
ground.  It  would  compete  with  many 
nests  of  Trochilus  coluhris.  .July  4th  I  i-e- 
moved  a  second  nest  from  the  same  spot. 
Whether  the  owners  of  the  second  nest  were 
identical  with  those  of  the  first,  I  can  not 
say  with  certainty,  but  think  they  were. 
July  12,  1878,  I  removed  fi-om  an  oak 
limb  at  a  height  of  thirty  feet,  a  nest  with 


Practical  Oology. 

gTUDYING  bii-ds'  eggs  ejzgs  with  an  ar- 
dor only  felt  by  a  born  oologist  ;  noting 
every  individual  circumstance  connected 
with  nesting  and  oviposition  ;  making  draw- 
ings of  eggs  and  nests  ;  collecting  specimens 
— these  are  tlie  attributes  to  the  successful 
accpiirement  of  oo'ogical  knowledge  :  the 
practical  and  salient  points.  If  one  has  an 
inclination  to  view  the  study  as  the  best  of 
Natm-e's  gilts,  in  other  words,  to  take  to  it 
as  a  "hobby."  all  reas()nal)le  facilities 
should  be  allowed  him  to  pursue  his  obser- 
vations, which,  it  m;iy  be  assured,  will  pos- 
sess the  value  of  originality.  A  studious 
artist-naturalist  will  combine  correct  natu- 
ral effect,  in  his  sketches,  with  a  fitting  ar- 
tistic covering;  besides  possessing  ability 
for  making  original  and  important  notes", 
he  may  be  able  to  throw  the  scenery  around 
them,  and  thus  combine  the  scientific  with 
the  poetical.  But  he  cannot  deviate  from 
the  descriptive  to  satisfy  the  poetical,  else 
his  notes  would  savor  of  insufficiency  and 
shallowness  ;  and  he  must  learn  that  where 
necessary,  strict  attention  to  technicalities 
cannot  allow  of  poesy.  His  love  of  art  and 
the  artistic  must  not  permit  him  to  make 
drawings  indiscriminately  as  to  the  value  of 
the  representations  :  that  is,  he  must  ever 
be  eager  to  portray  new  and  ch;iracteristic 
points,  however  devoid  of  beauty,  and  must 
beware  of  exaggeration. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


35 


In  collecting  specimens,  the  true  oblogist 
will  not  search  tor  the  higher  colored  and 
larger  species, — for  this  shows  a  sacrilice, 
or  rather  a  lack  of  scientific  interest — but 
will  at  all  times  direct  his  energies  toward 
procuring  specimens  of  current  intrinsic 
value  ;  he  will  hunt  up  specimens  exhibit- 
ing the  characteristics  of  the  several  groups 
and  sub-divisions  of  birds,  and  take  partic- 
ular enjoyment  in  finding  abnormal  speci- 
mens, llis  cabinet  will  exhibit  system, 
and  he  will  take  pleasure  in  pointing  out 
the  rarest  specimens  and  giving  the  circum- 
stances of  their  collection  ;  he  will  cherish 
a  specimen  which  he  obtained  with  his  own 
hands,  in  his  own  vicinity,  and  which  in  it- 
self has  a  value  for  rarity,  with  more  sat- 
isfaction than  he  would  the  rarest  egg  col- 
lected by  anyone  else  to  be  found  in  Sum- 
niatra  or  any  other  remote  locality.  He  is 
attracted  by  his  own  field  of  study — his  own 
district — and  takes  delight  in  learning  what 
he  can  of  local  oology,  while  he  studies  gen- 
eral Oology  to  aid  him  in  his  special  work  ; 
he  aims  at  classification,  and  if  he  has  had 
education,  is  quick  to  perceive  incongrui- 
ties in  terminology  ;  his  investigations  are 
as  far  original  as  his  means  permit,  and  he 
is  ever  on  the  qal  vive  to  search  into  dispu- 
ted and  (piestionable  statements  ;  to  discov- 
er the  missing  links  to  an  incomplete  asser- 
tion, or  to  come  into  possession  of  indispu- 
table evidence  corroborating  or  disproving 
a  former  questionable  statement,  is  at  all 
times  his  highest  aim. 

The  inseparable  companion  of  the  natu- 
ralist is  his  note  book  or  journal.  It  is 
true,  that  there  is  nothing  relating  to  oolo- 
gy upon  which  it  is  possible  to  ofi'er  advice, 
that  has  been  urged  upon  collectors  more 
than  the  admoniti(n)s  i-egarding  the  perma- 
nent preservation  of  notes-  ;  but  there  are 
few  things  that  demand  more  attention,  and 
require  to  be  inqjressed  more  upon  the  mind 
of  the  tyro  oiilogist.  A  note  is  a  substan- 
tial history  of  the  event  of  which  it  treats, 
and  may  often  be  required  to  decide  later 
controversy  upon  the  same  subject,  where 
verbal  memory  cannot  suffice  and  is  fre- 
quently doubtful.      Liberal  notes  should  be 


made,  even  at  the  expense  of  specimens  :  a 
note  book  is  valuable  in  itself,  scientifically 
— specimens  are  valuable  only  for  orna- 
ment, unless  accompanied  with  the  authen- 
ticating particulars  ;  both  together  form  a 
strong  tie  of  incontrovertible  evidence, 
which  is  greatly  strengthened  by  pencil  and 
brush.  The  note  book  is  a  help  to  the  mem- 
ory, properly  speaking — a  compend  of  items 
written  in  the  field  and  necessarily  brief; 
the  journal  is  a  more  dignified  and  finished 
collection  of  notes,  which  includes  every- 
thing ])ertainiug  to  birds'  eggs  the  collector 
is  brought  into  contact  with,  from  the  item 
on  the  arrival  of  the  Robin  to  his  theory  of 
migration,  or  the  narration  of  a  personal 
oological  incident.  We  agree  with  Dr. 
Cones,  that  the  items  should  savor  of  the 
woods  themselves — make  them  interesting, 
but  do  not  contract  a  poetical  habit :  some 
facts  will  bear  only  the  closest  descriptive 
language.  If  the  note  book  is  to  serve  as 
the  j^/'o  ton.  receptacle  of  skeleton  items  to 
be  written  and  elaborated  in  the  journal,  no 
delay  should  be  made  in  doing  this,  tor,  if 
neglected,  the  time  and  circumstances  will 
be  forgotten,  and  nothing  can  repair  the 
loss.  Time  and  places  should  be  an  import- 
ant i'actor  in  all  items  where  necessary  to 
throw  light  upon  doubtful  existing  points, 
and  as  Dr.  Cones  remarks,  it  is  well  worth 
while  to  take  note  of  the  topography  and 
the  meteorology  of  the  locality,  tor  both  of- 
ten have  a  direct  influence  upon  birds  and 
certain  of  their  habits.  If  a  note  book  is 
commenced,  it  should  not,  like  the  almost 
proverbial  fate  of  the  diary,  be  discontinued 
after  a  little  has  been  written  in  it  ;  and  the 
true  oologist  will  not  sutler  it  to  be  slighted. 
Keep  a  book,  and  a  substantial  one  too,  for 
the  notes,  and  never  in  haste  use  slips  of  pa- 
per, for  the  most  valuable  items  may  be 
overlooked,  lost,  or  destroyed  in  common 
with  the  waste  material  which  is  periodic- 
ally removed  from  the  house.  No  item 
in  the  history  of  birds'  eggs,  however  triv- 
ial, should  be  suifered  to  pass  unheeded. 
Perchance  the  same  thing  has  been  noticed 

CONCLUDED  ON  PAGE  37. 


36 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfte  ©yfogist. 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


JULY,  1878. 


How  TO  SEND  Birds'  Eggs  bv  Mail. — 
The  exteut  of  our  patience  is  such,  that  it 
will  not  continue  unimpaired  beyond  the 
reasonable  bounds  of  human  capacity  in 
that  respect ;  and  when,  iu  spite  of  the  no- 
tices and  instructions  we  have  published 
from  time  to  time,  regarding  packing  and 
shipping  specimens,  correspondents  will 
continue  to  send  us  boxes  nailed,  screwed, 
or  glued  iu  such  a  manner  as  to  render  it 
a  sealed  package  in  postal  parlance,  we  must 
needs  give  more  prominence  to  our  previous 
advice.  Correspondents  who  mail  speci- 
mens for  the  first  time,  should  inquire  con- 
cerning the  postal  regulation  which  attach- 
es to  this  particular  subject,  and  they  will 
find  it  much  more  restrictive  than  we  have 
intimated  ;  postmasters  will  give  the  re- 
quired information  in  all  cases.  We  have 
received  a  numbei'  ol"  packages  thus  treat- 
ed of  late,  and  the  charges  payable  by  us 
amounted  to  more,  iu  most  cases,  than  ex- 
pi'essage  on  the  same  would.  Aud  when 
the  contents  are  of  small  importance,  this 
is  made  all  the  more  irritating.  The  post- 
age on  packages  properly  fastened  is  one 
cent  for  each  two  ounces  or  fraction  ;  for 
those  sealed  six  cents  for  each  ounce.  Thus., 
a  box  of  eggs  that  should  cost  but  twelve 
cents,  having  the  cover  nailed  or  screwed 
down  will  cost  nearly  $1.5U  for  postage. 
We  would,  therefore,  advise  our  corres- 
pondents :   1st,  In  fastening  packages  to  be 


sent  as  third-class  matter,  tie  down  the  cov- 
er v:ith  twine,  with  a  loop  knot,  never  us- 
ing nails,  screws,  or  glue.  2nd,  Never 
place  writing  inside  the  box — it  is  not  ad- 
missible, unless  the  package  is  prepaid  with 
letter  postage.  3d,  Use  a  strong  box — 
a  wooden  or  tin  box  are  best — and  plenty 
of  cotton. 


The  Akdeid.e. — That  important  paper 
on  the  nests  and  eggs  of  the  Herons  and 
Bitterns  of  North  America,  by  W.  H.  Bal- 
lon, should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  oolo- 
gist  in  the  country  ;  no  better  opportunity 
to  obtain  such  a  work  on  the  Herons  has 
been,  or  will  immediately  be,  in  possession 
of  the  student.  It  will  be  the  most  import- 
ant paper  ever  published  in  this  journal. 
The  egg  of  each  species  will  be  represented 
by  illustrations  of  natural  size. 


In  writing  to  us,  correspondents  should 
not  fail  to  give  their  address  in  full — num- 
ber of  box  or  street  aud  number,  and  when 
the  town  is  small,  the  county.  We  have 
occasionally  received  letters  in  which  the 
writers  failed  to  mention  the  state,  aud  once 
in  a  while  one  comes  without  any  address 
whatever,  save  the  name  of  the  writer  ;  and 
what  is  worse,  the  post-mark  on  the  envel- 
ope is  frequently  so  indistinct  as  to  cut  off 
all  source  of  information  in  that  direction. 


Most  of  our  young  oological  friends 
doubtless  have,  ere  this,  arranged  their  sea- 
son's notes  on  bii'ds'  nesting  habits  and  eggs. 
We  invite  them  to  write  us  concerning  their 
season's  successes,  and  to  send  such  items 
as  they  consider  worthy  of  publication.  It 
is  not  necessary  that  facts  of  interest  be 
clothed  in  technical  language  as  mauy  young 
writers  suppose  ;  a  plain  expression  will  not 
deteriorate,  in  the  least,  the  importance  of 
any  observation.  We  desire  to  keep  the 
collectors  throughout  the  country  posted  as 
to  local  discoveries,  and  to  this  end  need  , 
the  cooperation  of  each  reader. 


THE  00  LOG  I  ST. 


37 


by  the  collector  before  and  recorded  ;  still, 
there  is  no  excuse  for  saying  '■'  Every  one 
knows  of  it,  and  1  have  put  it  down  before." 
Perhaps  every  one  knows  of  it  atid  perhaps 
no  one  does.  Tlie  repeated  recurrence  of 
what  appears  to  be  the  most  iiisiguiticant 
phenomenon  may  change  the  whole  aspect 
of  a  bird's  character. 

Oology  cannot  be  studied  to  advantage 
it  it  is  considered  a  task  or  is  undertaken 
in  too  I'ormal  a  manner — too  much  method 
is  inconsistent  witli  the  study  of  luiture  : 
one  cannot  begin  with  tiie  list  and  learn  a- 
bout  each  species  in  its  turn  ;  neither  can 
he  dejjcnd  upon  ascertaining  just  what  he 
searches  for,  though  an  experienced  natu- 
ralist is  more  certain  to  be  successful  than 
a  mere  collector.  'J\)  go  into  the  fields  and 
diligently  apply  one's  self  to  the  phenomena 
as  they  appear  alternately  before  him,  is  the 
easiest  and  cpiickest  method  of  beginning 
the'study.  Jt  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  the 
profitable  study  of  birds'  eggs  is  within  the 
power  of  the  born  0()logist  alone;  intei'est 
and  application  will  ctfect  a  great  deal  for 
anyone  who  has  the  determination  and  ad- 
mires Nature. 


Studies  on  Certain   Fringillidae.— 
The  Tree  Sparrow. 

I  MON(j  the  many  species  of  birds 
which  frequent  the  United  States  in 
winter,  is  the  Tree  Sparrow — Spi- 
ZL'lla  monitcola.  It  greatly  resembles  the 
C'liippiiig  Sparrow,  and  its  habits  are  sim- 
ilar, but  it  is  easily  identified  by  tiie  Hesli- 
<tolor  of  the  hnver  mandible,  and  its  song, 
which  is  entirely  ditflTeut  from  that  of  *S'. 
Nociaiis.  Sometimes  these  little  Sparrows 
will  appear  in  scores  about  the  gai-dens,  ut- 
tering their  peculiar  sec'-wU,  nee'-wit,  or 
singing  a  pretty  litth;  refrain,  so  low  and 
modest,  but  so  sweet  withal,  that  one  is  in- 
clined to  admire  it.  They  are  very  a(!tive, 
one  might  say  almost  restless,  flitting  about 
in  the  bushes  and  vines,  gleaning  every- 
where, or  chasing  each  other  about  as  if  in 
sport.      In  New  York,   they  appear  to  be 


most  abundant  in  the  month  of  November, 
and  again  in  February  and  March,  when, 
in  company  with  White-throated,  White- 
crowned,  Song,  and  Swamp  Sparrows,  they 
j  frequent  the  mai'shy  places  and  scrubby 
[  hill-sides.  They  are  not  at  all  shy,  but 
seem  to  regard  man  with  confidence,  and  to 
consider  him  as  a  protector.  Such  is  their 
boldness  that  they  will  i-eadily  enter  a  trap 
cage  or  sie\e  trap,  and  being  released  will 
have  little  or  no  hesitation  in  entering  again. 
During  the  great  snow  storm  which  occur- 
red in  April,  1874,  we  obtained  many  of 
these  Spai-rows,  together  with  other  spe- 
cies, and,  though  all  others  would  immedi- 
ately quit  the  vicinity  upon  being  let  free, 
they  would  fly  down  in  the  garden,  and  fain 
have  again  eaten  the  inevitable  grain.  In 
confinement,  a  number  will  tiirive  together 
better  than  one  or  a  pair  would,  and  if  prop- 
erly cared  for  will  become  very  confiding 
to  man  and  indifierent  to  objects  that  are 
naturally  a  terror  to  them  ;  often  they  can 
be  taught  to  eat  from  the  hand,  and  they 
are  n(jt  averse  to  using  what  vocal  talent 
they  have,  at  any  time.  In  view  of  these 
iacts,  if  they  have  sufficient  room,  and  am- 
[)le  natural  surroundings,  we  see  no  reason 
why  these  Sparrows  should  not  breed  in 
confinement.  It  is  a  fact  that  birds  which 
ai-e  naturally  not  sliy  of  man,  will  general- 
ly breed  in  confinement  if  pro})erly  cared 
tor  ;  and  undei-  oi-dinary  circumstances  the 
Tree  Sparrow  woidd  probably  prove  no 
exception. 

Whether  this  species  breeds  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  United  States  or  not,  is 
a  question  open  to  some  dispute  ;  but  it 
may,  like  many  other  boreal  species,  nest 
in  the  mountainous  portions  of  the  North- 
ern States.  The  Adirondacks  of  New  York 
and  the  i-ugged  portions  of  Vermont,  New 
Hampshire  and  Maine,  possess  many  fea- 
tures of  the  more  northern  country,  and 
this  bird  may  be  found  to  be  a  resident  of 
those  localities.  The  nest  has  been  found 
in  various  parts  of  the  North,  and  is  said 
to  be  placed  upon  the  ground,  or  a  few 
inches  above  it.  The  materials  are  grass- 
es and  rootlets,  intermixed   with   pieces  of 


38 


THE  OOLOGISr 


l);iik,  and  lined  with  featliors  and  hairs. 
The  egys  are  greenish,  with  reddish-hrown 
dots  and  spots,  qnite  well  distributed  over 
the  surface  ;  four  or  five  constitute  the  num- 
ber in  a  set. 

The  food  of  this  bird  consists  of  the  va- 
rious grain,  grass,  and  weed  seeds  and  often 
insects.  While  feeding,  they  appear  to 
have  their  hearts  bent  upon  the  work,  for 
they  are  very  diligent ;  and  if  their  field  of 
investigation  be  a  marsh,  or  other  locality 
abounding  in  seeds,  they  will  linger  about 
the  vicinity  for  a  nunil)er  of  days.  Some- 
times one  will  meet  individuals  late  in  the 
spring  and  summer  wandering  about  appar- 
ently as  if  lost ;  at  this  time,  they  conduct 
themselves  much  in  the  style  of  the  Yellow- 
Bird,  flying  restlessly  i'rom  one  tree  to  an- 
other, suddenly  dropping  into  the  grass,  or 
rea})peariug  again  after  a  supposed  depart- 
u]-e.  The  only  note  uttered  in  the  fall  of 
the  year  is  a  short  pit^  which  can  scarcely 
be  distinguished  from  the  notes  of  the  Snow 
IJird  and  some  of  the  other  Sparrows. 


Lj'tilitv  of  thk  Chow. —  Few  writers 
have  allowed  the  Crow  any  credit  as  a  ben- 
efactor, for  the  explicit  J'eason,  no  doubt, 
that  its  history  for  generations  has  been  one 
of  continued  usui'pations  and  mischief;  and 
very  few  farmers  can  be  found  who  are 
willing  to  add  any  testimony  in  behalf  of 
its  good  character,  if  it  really  has  any.  But 
not  long  since,  having  occasion  to  bring  up 
the  topic  of  ornithology  with  a  farmer  of 
considerable  observation,  the  immediate 
cause  being  the  killing  of  a  Crow  upon  his 
farm,  he  said  that  in  view  of  the  services 
the  Crows  rendered  him,  he  did  not  like 
to  have  them  shot.  llun<lreds  and  thou- 
sands of  them,  he  said,  roosted  in  his 
wood  all  through  the  winter,  and  the  result 
was  an  immense  layer  of  manure,  which 
was  carried  down,  when  the  snow  melted, 
and  enriched  his  land  more  than  all  the  fer- 
tilizei-s  he  knew  of.  Certainly  this  is  to 
the  credit  of  Mr.  Crow,  but  the  fact  that 
few  farmers  are  thus  benefited,  nullifies  a 
])ortion  of  his  might-be-inferred  good  ([ual- 


ities  ;  for  these  roosting  places  are  few  in 
any  one  part  of  the  country,  since  tlie  birds, 
collecting  from  far  and  near,  pass  the  win- 
ter in  one  spot, — where  they  can  get  an  a- 
bundance  of  food.  But  this  gentleman  al- 
so states,  that  in  some  mysterious  manner 
still  more  to  the  credit  of  the  Crow,  his 
corn-fields  have  been  unmolested  for  some 
years  past,  aiul  that,  too,  in  the  very  face 
of  the  fact  that  the  birds  are  unusually  nu- 
merous thereabouts  at  all  times  of  the  year. 
We  might  add,  that  the  gentleman  spoken 
of  is  well  ac(piainted  with  the  birds  which 
frequent  his  lands,  and  is  able  to  discrimi- 
nate between  their  good  and  bad  habits 
without  prejudice. 


The  Acadian  Owl, — considered  a  rath- 
er rare  species  in  the  central  part  of  this 
State,  has  appeared  in  such  numbers  wifhin 
the  past  month  or  two,  as  to  entitle  it  to  a 
place  either  among  the  most  abundant  of 
our  nocturnal  Baptores,  or  as  a  bird  of 
marked  wandering  habits.  Scarcely  a  wood 
offv'i'ing  the  avei'age  ulitJir  advantages  has 
been  found,  which  does  not  contain  a  num- 
ber of  these  Owls,  and  the  queries,  'Where 
did  they  come  from?'  and  'Why  did  they 
appoint  their  rendezvous  here  ?'  do  not  seem 
out  of  place.  Young  and  old  were  obtain- 
ed, all  seeming  to  display  a  degree  of  un- 
coiicernedness  upon  the  near  approach  of  a 
hunter  which  was  quite  surprising.  'J"'he 
low  portions  of  the  woo<ls,  where  grow  ev- 
ergreens and  small  trees,  rather  thickly  in- 
terspersed with  rank  shrubs  and  wild  grape 
vines,  are  their  favorite  resorts,  from  which 
before  sundown,  they  emerge  in  search  of 
their  diminutive  prey.  These  Owls  ap- 
peared in  districts  where  neither  they  nor 
any  otiier  species  of  Owl  had  been  seen  in 
years  ;  many  were  shot  by  farmers  for 
'Screech'  Owls,  wliich  they  somewhat  re- 
semble, and  some  were  brought  in  by  boys, 
who  remarked  that  they  had  no  difficulty 
in  discovering  them,  as  they  flew  about 
befoi'e  dark  and  flew  low.  Several  excel- 
lent specimens  were  taken. 


TEE  00 LO GIST. 


39 


The  Condor. 


BY  Cr.  STUART  SMITH. 


fTHE  birds  of  the  t'aniily  Vithiiridoi  are  of 
large  size  and  gluttonous  habits.  Their 
cliief  susteiiant'c  is  derived  IVom  animal 
matter  in  a  slight  state  of  deconipositioii, 
and  they  are  not  nnfreqnently  gregarious. 
Tiiey  have  been  fiil'ted  with  great  powei's 
of  flight,  which  they  use  continually,  unless 
indolently  resting  after  an  ample  meal. 
They  rear  their  young  among  inaccessible 
precipices,  feeding  them  by  emptying  the 
unsavory  contents  of  their  own  crops,  not 
possessing  talons  strong  enough  to  carry 
their  prey,  as  do  the  Hawks  and  Eagles. 
The  members  of  this  family  are  distributed 
in  almost  every  quarter  of  the  wcjrlu,  but 
are  more  abundant  in  tropical  countries, 
where  their  services  are  most  needed. 

The  (Jondor  is  the  largest  of  this  group, 
measuring  from  three  to  five  feet  long,  and 
generally  eleven  or  twelve  in  extent,  but  in- 
stances are  on  record  of  specimens  being 
captured  whose  extent  was  eighteen  I'eet  ! 
The  bill  projects  sti-aight  forward,  but  at 
the  extremity  curves  sharply  downward, 
the  U{)per  mandible  having  a  somewhat  sin- 
uous or  S-!ike  outline  by  reason  of  a  high 
prottdjerance  (ju  the  upper  side.  The  fe- 
male is  nuich  browner  than  her  consort,  and 
is  much  smaller  in  size — an  unusual  circum- 
stance among  the  Rapton'a. 

Many  have  magnitied  the  Condor  til!  he 
almost  rivalled  the  Roc  of  Arabian  tradition 
and  great  was  their  disappointment  at  the 
first  view  of  the  bird  in  possession  of  the 
Zoological  Society  of  London.  1  followed 
the  general  fate  of  those  who  anticipated  too 
greatly,  when  visiting  London,  a  few  years 
ago.  I  went  to  see  the  Society's  valuable 
menagerie,  and  instead  of  finding  a  terrible 
scavenger  of  the  air,  I  saw  a  plain,  sombre 
looking  bird  of  lai'ge  dimensions,  perched 
upon  a  rock  in  the  center  of  a  large  cage, 
his  naked  head  otdy  showing  above  his  col- 
lai-  of  long  tawny  feathers,  and  seemingly 
oblivious  to  the  unceasing  attempts  of  the 


visitors  to  make  him  move.  The  old  fel- 
low's patience  at  last  became  exhausted, 
when,  stretching  out  his  ugly  neck  and  head 
entirely  devoid  of  feathers,  he  turned  a  glar- 
ing eye  on  his  tormenters  ;  suddenly  he  ex- 
panded his  enormous  wings  to  the  length  of 
eleven  feet  (by  actual  measurement),  they 
seeming  half  as  large  again  for  our  proxim- 
ity, and  paying  no  heed  to  the  suddenly  ut- 
tered cries  of  admiration,  walked  distlain- 
i'uUy  to  the  farthest  corner  of  his  cage  with 
a  most  awkward  swaying  gait.  Some  vis- 
itors soon  threw  some  morsels  of  food  to 
him,  all  of  which  he  swallowed  greedily, 
afterwards  ejecting  such  pieces  as  did  not 
suit  his  tastes. 

The  Condor  inhabits  the  loftiest  of  the 
Andes,  and  its  aerial  gyrations  are  exer- 
cised far  above  every  other  living  creature. 
According  to  Humboldt,  it  soars  to  the  vast 
height  of  six  perpendicular  miles,  watchful- 
ly surveying  the  airy  dej)ths  below  for  its 
aciMistomed  prey  with  telescopic  eye.  There 
on  the  verge  of  perpetual  snows,  they  perch 
on  the  naked  rocks,  silently  reposing  like 
melancholy  spectres,  the  otdy  animate  ob- 
jects in  this  death-like  landscape. 

\\\  these  dreary  solitudes  they  rear  their 
y(uuig,  depositing  their  eggs  on  the  bare 
rock,  unprotected  l)y  any  boi'der.  The  pe- 
riod of  incubation  is  fifty-four  days,  as  has 
been  proven  by  a  female  once  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  London  Society.  The  chick, 
if  such  it  may  l)e  called,  grew  rapidly  for 
a  month,  when  it  suddenly  died.  The  fol- 
lowing is  an  extract  froiu  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Society,  July  21,  1.S4G  :  "The 
young  Condor,  after  thriving  well  to  all 
appearance,  died  tliis  morning.  *  *  The 
good  hen  *  *  seemed  to  miss  it  much.  * 
The  cry  of  the  young  Condor  resembled  the 
squeak  of  a  rat,"  Between  1844  and  1847 
the  feniiile  laid  seven  eggs,  of  a  white  col- 
or, but  covered  with  a  slight  calcareous  de- 
posit. None  of  these  with  the  exception  of 
the  above,  were  hatched,  and  the  female 
soon  after  died. 

The  Iiulians  capture  the  birds  by  expos- 
ing a  dead  horse  or  cow,  and  although  no 
bird  may  be  in  sight,  the  Condors  are  soon 


40 


THE  OOLOGIST 


to  be  seen  coming  from  every  quarter.  They 
are  permitted  to  gorge  themselves  until  un- 
able to  walk  ;  then  lassoes  are  thrown,  and 
the  birds  strangled  or  taken  alive,  at  the 
option  of"  their  captors.  They  are  very 
tenacious  of  lil'e.  Humboldt  alluding  to  a 
case  where  the  bird  was  hung  up  by  the 
head  for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  and 
afterwards  struck  Avith  four  pistol  bullets, 
at  the  distance  of  four  paces,  but  did  not 
die  for  half  an  hour  after  receiving  his 
wounds.  The  Condor  lives  to  a  very  old 
age,  and  seems  to  thrive  well  in  captivity, 
an  old  male  surviving  an  imprisonment  of 
over  thirty-five  years. 


General  Items. 


— A  YOUNG  White-headed  Eagle  was 
taken  upon  the  St.  Lawrence  River  by  Dr. 
Gray,  of  Utica,  measuring  eight  feet  in  al- 
ar extent.  The  beak,  legs,  and  claws  of 
the  bird  were  enormous — sufficiently  so  to 
compel  one  to  think  it  some  other  species. 
The  largest  P^agles  oi'  this  species  seldom 
attain  a  spread  of  more  than  ninety  inches. 

— A  Yellow  Rail  {Porzana  novehora- 
censis)  was  obtained  recently  in  the  central 
part  of  New  York  by  Mr.  E.  Bagg,  Jr. 

— We  notice  in  the  Familial-  Science 
that  a  new  species  of  Hawk,  called  Bnteo 
alhi-caudatus,  has  been  recently  determin- 
ed to  belong  properly  to  the  North  Ameri- 
can fauna.  Its  discovery  is  due  to  Mr.  (t. 
B.  Sennett,  further  more  conclusive  obser- 
vations having  been  made  by  Dr.  Merrill. 

— CoKUECTiON. — The  Mourning  War- 
bler announced  in  the  June  number,  among 
the  additions  to  the  avi-fauna  of  Illinois,  is 
noted  in  Nelson's  Birds  of  N.  E.  Illinois. 
His  knowledge,  however,  seems  to  have 
been  based  on  circumstantial  evidence. 

W.  II.  Ballou. 

— Young  Ruffed  Grouse  (Bonasa  mn- 
bdlus)  are  plenty  (Oswego,  N.  Y.),  ami 
about  the  size  of  a  full-grown  Quail.  .  .  . 
The  young  of  the  Wood  Duck  {^Aix  aponsa) 
are  half-grown  and  well-fledged,  except  the 


wings,  wliich  seem  latest  to  develop.  .  .  . 
Quail  [Ortijx  rirginiannfi)  witli  their  young 
have  been  recently  seen  in  this  vicinity,  for 
the  first  time  in  several  years.  Under  the 
protection  of  ti)e  game  laws,  it  is  to  be  hop- 
ed that  they  will  increase.  J.  A.Seveuanck 
July  IG. 


Recent  J^ibUcatious. 

The  IncligUnlity  of  the  European  House 
Sparrow  in  America,  by  Dr.  Cones,  con- 
tained in  the  American  Naturalist,  is  a 
practical  exposition  of  the  situation.  And 
should  the  question  of  the  unlimited  in- 
crease of  the  Sparrow  become  as  serious 
as  present  appearances  seem  to  indicate, 
some  such  measiu'es  as  Dr.  Coues  suggests, 
would  have  to  be  enforced.  If  tlie  Sparrows 
were  left  to  their  own  resources,  and  not 
fed  by  the  citizens  ;  and  were  they  not  pro- 
tected from  their  natural  enemies,  if  they 
have  any,  they  would  in  a  measure  cease 
to  be  the  bugbear  they  are  now  considered. 
If  oiu'  own  birds  were  pampered  and  shield- 
ed with  equal  ardor  and  compassion,  we 
would  have  no  need  of  a  foreign  species  to 
help  us  fight  the  worms  ! 

The  Nuttall  Bulletin  continues  to  occu- 
py a  high  position  in  ornithological  litera- 
ture. The  papers  by  Drs.  Brewer  and 
Coues,  Messrs.  Allen,  Brewster,  and  oth- 
er scientists,  coupled  with  the  genei'al  notes 
and  literary  notices,  make  up  a  galaxy  of 
rare  scientific  merit.  The  nesting  of  the 
Solitary  Tatler,  mentioned  in  the  Notes,  is 
an  item  of  importance  in  ornithological  cir- 
cles, since  it  throws  light  upon  the  subject 
of  the  position  of  the  nest  and  the  general 
appearance  of  the  eggs,  cohcerning  which 
tliere  has  been  some  controversy.  Dr. 
Brewer  says  that  tliis  nest  was  placed  upon 
the  ground  ;  the  egg  ineasiued  1.37  by  .9o, 
and  its  ground  color  was  a  liglit  drab,  over 
which  were  ''scattered  small  I'ounded  mark- 
ings of  brown,  some  of  these  quite  dark, 
nowhere  confluent,  and  never  large  enough 
to  be  called  blotches."  In  shape,  it  was 
an  enlongated  pyriform. 


A  D  VERTISEMENT. 


NOTICE  TO  COLLECTORS  OF  BIRDS. 


W.  H.  Collins'  Preseryative  Liquid. 

PRESERVES  BIRDS   FROM  DECAY  AND  DRYING. 

Birds  treated  with  tliis  Liquid  can  be  skinned  in  from  ten  to  thirty  days 
— in  warm  weather — without  trouble.  In  cold  weather  it  will  keep  them 
from  drying  for  three  months.      Tliey  will  not  spoil. 

My  method  of  injecting  preserves  the  bird  entiue,   without  cutting  or 
removing  any  part  of  the  bird.     On  receipt  of  10  cents,  to  pay  postage, 
etc.,  I  will  send  a  prepared  bird  to  any  address  by  mail,  to  enable  collect- 
ors to  see  for  themselves,  what  it  will  do. 
Price,  per  I/2  I^int  Bottle,  .   .   $  1.00  ;  peu  1  Pint  Bottle,   .  .    1.75 

InJKCTOR,     .      .     75  CENTS. 

Iiistructloiis  with  each  Bottle. 

Address  W.  H.  COLLINS, 

6i5  153  Woodward  Ave.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

^^=»Chas.  E.  Aiken,  Colorado  Springs,  Col.,  is  agent  for  the  Pre- 
servative, and  will  furnish  it  to  tliose  wisliing  it  in  that  locality. 


A    NKW  WORK  ON  THE 

BIRDS,  NESTS,  AND  EGGS 

OF 

Eastern  North  America. 

The  Birds  of  Florida  with  the  Water 
and  Game  Birds  of  Eastern  North  A- 
merica,  to  ichich  is  added  an  Appendix 
containing  the  remaining  sjyecies  'not 
found  in  the  Body  of  the  TForA;,  tohich 
occur  between  the  Mississippi  River  and 
Atlantic  Ocean. 

Illustrated  by  sixteen,  or  more,  hand  col- 
ored plates  of  new  or  little  known  species. 
Also  part  VI.,  to  be  issued  in  August,  will 
contain  a  colored  plate  of  many  rare  eggs. 

The  Book  will  be  completed  in  sixteen  parts 
issued  monthly.  Price,  Eighty-live  cents  per 
part,  Payable  on  Delivery.  Send  for  circu- 
lars. For  Sale  By 
C.  J.  MAYNARU  AND  COMPANY, 
Publishers,  Nkwtonville,  Mass. 

Every  collector  should  have  a  copy  of 

H>The   Ornithological    Directory,^ 
Price,  40  cents.    Address  this  Office. 


AN    HERBAPvIUM   of  100  well  mounted 
plants  of  Northeastern  Illinois,  to  exch. 
for  Bird  skins  or  eggs,  preferably  the  latter. 
Address    W.  H.  Ballou, 
Evanston,  Ills. 


OAA  ROBINS'  EGGS  wanted,  at  fl.OOper 
OXjyJ  bubdred.  Must  have  very  small  holes 
in  end  or  side.  W.  J.  Knowlton, 

18  Arch  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

THE 

-3 i^m^i '- ^ 


JVovelty  IiJgg  cBlower^ 

■^-^ ^^^ ^'^ 

IS  THE  CHEAPEST  AND  BEST. 

It  can  be  applied  to  any  ordinary 
Blow-pipe. 

Price  OF  Blower,  WITHOUT  Pipe,   .  $1.00 

Blower,  complete,  with  Drill  and 
Egg  Tongs, $1.50 

Sent,  paid  by  mail,  on  receipt  of  price. 
Gi4  W.  H.  COLLINS, 

152  Woodward  Ave.,  Detroit.  Mich. 


WABjyS  CJlTJlT^OG  UJiJS 

— -OF 

AMERICAN  and  FOREIGN  BIRDS'  EGGS: 

The  Largest  Variety  ever  Offered  for  sale  in  America, 

Six  Hundrkd  and  Twenty-Five  Species! 


275   North  American ;  300   European ;   and  the  remainder 

from  South  America,  Africa,  India,  Ceylon,  Mauritius, 

New  Zealand,  Australia,  and  the  Islands 

of  the  Pacific. 

*  Many  of  these  Eggs  are  of  extreme  rarity.      Among  the 

EXOTIC     SPECIES 

which  are  especially  noteworthy,  are  the 
Apterip'I!   Brush    T'urhcy !    Condor!!  Emeu.,   African    and  Amer- 
ican Ostriches.,  Arabia Ji  and  Griffin  Vultures!    Imperial 
Eagle!  Flamingo!    Tropic  Bird!  Penguin! 
Guacharo  Bird!!  Etc. 

P^qually  rare  are  some  of  tlie 

NORTH    AMERICAN    EGGS. 

Such  as 

Bronzed   or    White-faced   Ibis!   Frigate  Bird!    Chaparral   Cock! 

Texas  Guan!  Hooded  Oriole!  Bio    Grande  Jag! 

and  many  of  the  rarer    Thrushes^    ^h/~ 

catcJiers  and    Warblers. 

These  Eggs  are  well  prepared  and  positively  identified,  and  will  be 
sent,  postage  or  express  prepaid,  to  any  address  on  receipt  of  price. 

Send  stamps  for  complete  catalogues  ;   six  cents  each. 

PROF.  HENRY  A.  WARD, 
WARD'S  NATURAL  SCIENCE  ESTABLISHMENT, 

ROCHESTER,    N.  Y. 


The  Sharp-tailed  Finch— Ammo- 

dromus  caudacutus, — its 

Nest,  and  Eggs. 


T.  M.   HKEWEK. 


^^   HIS  very  iuterestiug  and  peculiar  spe- 
vii  ,   cies  appeal's  to  liave  a  somewhat  re- 
^''^   stricted  distribution.      It  occupies,  at ; 
different  seasons  of  the  year,  a  narrow  belt 
along  the  Atlantic  sea-coast  from  southern 
Georgia  to  northern  Nova  Scotia.    In  win- 
ter it  seems  to  be  confined  to  the  sea-coasts 
of  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia.      1   am   not  aware  that  any  are 
known  to  breed  south  of  Delaware  Bay. 
During  the  breeding  season,  it  is  most  com- 
mon on  the  low  and  marshy  shores  of  New 
Jersey  and  Long  Island.      It  is  found,   in 
favorable  locaHties  on  the  coast  of  Connect- 
icut, Rhode  Island  and  eastern   Massachu- 
setts.     In  "-North  Amei-ican  liirds,"  it  is 
stated  that  the  Sharp-tailed  Finch,  tliough 
found  bi'eeding  as  far  north   as   Ipswich, 
Mass.,  had  not  been  traced  as  far  east  as 
Maine.      More  recently,  however,  its  pres- 
ence has  been  detected  both   in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Portland  and  on  the  Bay  of  St. 
Andrews,  an  estuary  of  the  River  St.  Croix, 
and  even  so  far  to  the  north  as  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,   north  of  Nova  Scotia.      So 
that  its  occurrence,  in  congenial  localities, 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Delaware,  in  the  sum- 
mer months,  may  be  reasonably  supposed 
to  be  probable.      In  the   winter  it  is  more 
or    less   abundant  from    the   Delaware   to 
Florida,  though  its  presence  in  the  latter 
state  has  never,  to  my  knowledge,  been  ac- 
tually ascertained. 

Mr.  E.  W.  Ni^lson  has  discovered  in  the 
marshes  bordering  Lake  Michigan,  as  well 


as  in  the  vicinity  of  smaller  lakes,  a  local 
race  closely  allied  to  the  Sharp-tailed,  A. 
NeJsoni,  Allen,  which,  from  its  abund- 
ance in  the  i'all  is  supposed  to  be  quite  com- 
mon in  some  more  northern  regions.  With 
this  exception  this  Fiuch  is  to  be  met  with 
only  near  the  sea-shore,  and  not  to  be  found 
at  any  considerable  distance  from  it.  There 
it  feeds  both  upon  minute  marine  insects, 
such  as  are  to  be  found  near  the  water's 
edge,  or  on  the  floating  seaweed,  as  well 
as  upon  the  seeds  of  grasses  and  sedges  that 
grow  in  the  neighboring  uplands.  In  its 
search  for  the  latter  the  Sliarp-tail  will  climb 
the  stems  of  reeds  and  other  })lanls,  moving 
up  or  down,  and  even  hanging  from  them, 
in  different  positions,  combining  thus  some 
of  the  habits  of  shore-birds  with  those  of 
Titmice. 

The  Sharp-tailed  Finch  is  also  a  bird  pe- 
culiarly of  terrestrial  habits.  It  runs  about 
on  the  ground  more  in  the  manner  of  a 
mouse  than  in  that  of  most  birds,  and  is 
hard  to  flush  and  consequently  difficult  to 
shoot,  as  it  keeps  so  closely  to  the  grass  by 
which  it  is  concealed.  In  their  winter  re- 
treats they  assemble  in  flocks  and  feed  in 
more  open  gi-oiinds  than  when  they  are 
rearing  theii-  young,  and  are  more  readily 
procured.  It  has  no  song  worthy  of  men- 
tion, but  is  said  to  utter  an  occasional  call 
note  and  a  feeble  twitter,  but  I  have  never 
heard  them  utter  a  sound. 

Their  nest  is  always  placed  on  the  ground, 
in  dry  places  above  the  reach  of  the  highest 
tides,  often  on  the  side  of  a  low  bank,  un- 
der a  projecting  sod,  or  in  a  grassy  tussock. 
Not  unfrequently  it  scratches  out  for  itself 
a  slight  depression  in  the  sandy  soil,  and 
therein  arranges  its  inartistic  nest.  This 
'  construction  is  a  comparatively  large  one 
tor  the  bird,  is  loosely  made  of  soft  grasses 


42 


THE  OOLOGIST 


and  other  similar  material,  and,  if  lined  at 
all,  is  only  finished  oft' with  finer  material 
of  the  same  description  as  that  which  com- 
prises its  base  and  sides.  These  can  hard- 
ly be  said  to  be  interwoven,  so  slightly  are 
they  put  together.  The  whole  mass  is  so 
loosely  combined  that  it  is  not  always  pos- 
sible, in  attempting  to  remove  the  nest,  to 
prevent  the  materials  from  falling  apart. 
In  this  it  difters  a  good  deal  from  the  nest 
i)f  the  8ea-side  Finch. 

The  number  of  eggs  is  Ircqucntly  six, 
more  nsnally  five.  These  are  oval  in  shape, 
are  somewhat  rounded  at  one  end  and  slight- 
ly tapering  at  the  other.  Their  greatest 
length  is  .78  of  an  inch  and  their  least  .70. 
Their  average  length  is  .75  of  an  inch. 
They  vary  but  little  in  their  greatest  breadth 
wliich  is  about  ..58  of  an  inch.  The  eggs 
of  this  species  present  a  greater  uniformity 
of  appearance  than  is  generally  found  among 
those  of  the  Sparrow  family.  Their  ground 
color  is  a  light  green,  varying  only  in  in- 
tensity, in  some  the  green  shading  being 
hardly  perceptible  but  never  wholly  w^ant- 
iug.  The  fine  dots,  points  and  markings 
of  rusty  brown,  with  which  tlie  eggs  are 
profusely  covered,  are  usually  both  uni- 
versally and  equally  sprinkled  over  the  en- 
tire surface  of  the  Q^^.  In  exceptional  in- 
stances these  spots  are  larger,  and  form  a 
confluent  ring  around  the  larger  end.  In 
other  examples  the  points  are  so  very  small 
and  so  closely  sprinkled  that  it  requires  the 
aid  of  a  good  glass  to  enable  one  to  distin- 
guish their  separate  distinctness,  or  to  real- 
ize that  there  is  not  before  you  one  uniform 
shade  of  a  rusty  brown. 

1  am  not  aware  that  the  egg  of  Ammo- 
drovivs  Alhni  has  ever  been  found,  and  it 
would  be  a  matter  of  no  little  interest  to 
learn  how  much  difference  there  may  be  i 
between  the  eggs  of  this  inland  species  and 
those  of  its  salt-water  relatives,  and  wheth- 
er tin's  inland  form  is  not  a  good  and  dis- 
tinct species. 


Wr  solicit  oological  notes  from  all  parts 
of  the  country. 


Two  Nests  of  Ictkrus  Baltimore. — 
Number  one  was  attached  to  the  ends  of 
three  twigs  drooping  perpendicularly,  at  the 
end  of  a  slender  elm  limb.  Its  depth  is 
seven  inches  outside  and  six  inside,  three 
sides  being  carried  upward  more  than  two 
inches  above  the  fourth,  which,  by  the  prox- 
imity of  two  of  the  twigs  to  each  other, 
forms  what  one  might  be  justified  in  call- 
ing an  entrance,  though  there  is  no  mate- 
rial over  the  top.  Its  material  is  entirely 
white  hemp,  sub-,  supra-  and  intra-struct- 
ure  being  all  the  same,  ■wnith  the  exception 
of  half  a  dozen  or  so  hair-like  shavings  in 
the  bottotn.  It  is  not  plastered  together, 
to  be  hardened  by  the  weather,  as  some 
nests  of  tliis  bird  are,  but  the  fibers  are  in- 
dividually incorporated  inter  se  with  most 
wunderi'ul  ingenuity.  There  are  no  dang- 
ling ends  nor  extra  pieces,  for  every  fiber 
is  fastened  either  in  the  nest  or  to  the  twigs, 
with  a  firmness  sufficient  to  render  it  in- 
vulnerable to  the  weather  for  years.  In 
general  appearance,  it  is  the  handsomest 
nest  of  the  Baltimore  Oriole  we  have  ever 
seen.  Number  two  is  a  rather  shabby, 
make-shift  affair,  which  seems  as  if  it  had 
been  extemporized  for  use  late  in  the  sea- 
son. Its  main  material  is  twine  of  two  or 
three  kinds,  fibers  of  various  vegetable  sub- 
stances, a  good  deal  of  thread,  thistle-down, 
some  coarse  strips  of  grape-vine  bark,  and 
added  to  which  is  a  promiscuous  array  of 
stringy  substances  of  many  kinds.  The  on- 
ly lining  was  the  thistle-down  and  bark. 
The  whole  was  evidently  stuck  together, 
for  it  is  brittle  and  easily  separates.  The 
ends  of  various  pieces  of  string  and  thread 
hang  down  for  several  inches,  and  less  of  it 
is  used  in  the  nest  than  is  thus  left  useless. 
Instead  of  being  built  upon  the  twigs  to 
which  it  is  attached,  as  the  first  is,  it  is 
merely  pendant  from  their  tips,  while  two 
or  three  pieces  of  string  were  carried  up  to 
the  main  limb  and  wound  around  it  once 
or  twice.  It  is  shallow — 2J  inches  deep, — 
flimsy,  and  of  a  ragged,  ungainly  appear- 
ance, very  much  unlike  most  nests  of  this 
bird  in  these  particulars. 


THE  00  LOG  I  ST. 


43 


Oological  Notes  for  January. 


Eggs  of  Bnteo  pcnnaijlvaniacus. — We 
have  been  a-sked  a  number  of"  times  if  the 
egg  of  the  lifoad-wiiiged  Hawk  represent- 
ed in  our  phite  is  tpyical  of  all  the  eggs  of 
this  bird.  We  would  say  that  it  is,  near- 
ly. The  egg  from  which  the  figure  was 
made  was  one  of  a  set  of  four,  of  which 
two  were  lightly  marked  and  one  nearly 
white.  It  fairly  represents  the  majority  of 
specimens,  though  it  may  be  somewhat 
heavily  nuirked. 

We  must  beg  leave,  on  behalf  of  some 
of  our  contributors,  to  render  the  generally 
received  idea  that  the  Ground  Robin  nests 
wholly  upon  the  ground,  as  Mr.  Gentry, 
Dr.  Cones  and  some  others  inigardedly  de- 
clare, less  exclusive.  That  this  bird  often 
does  nest  above  the  ground,  a  note  in  our 
last  number  and  the  following  will  clearly 
show  : 

''  Is  it  not  exceptional  for  a  Che  wink  to 
build  her  nest  in  a  bush?  While  hunting 
Woodcock  at  Foote's  Point,  fifteen  miles 
out  of  Cleveland,  on  the  20th  of  July,  I 
found  the  nest  of  a  Red-eyed  Towhee  con- 
taining three  young  birds  and  an  egg,  sit- 
uated in  a  small  bush  two  and  one-half  feet 
above  the  ground  ;  com.posed  of  sticks  and 
leaves.  The  female  was  on  the  nest,  and 
was  shot  by  Mr.  W.  li.  Gaylord,  who  ac- 
companied me."  W.  W.  Sarin. 

''Among  your  'Oological  Notes  for  June,' 
1  see  a  circumstance  related  by  Mr.  Holz- 
apfel  on  the  Fipilo  erythruplitJialians.  A  like 
occurrence  I  can  testify  to.  While  collect- 
ing, 1  passed  a  clump  of  oak  sprouts  that 
grew  from  a  stump.  I  stopped,  looked  at 
it  a  second  time,  and  then  retraced  my  steps. 
Parting  the  thick  foliage  I  saw  a  nest  in 
the  first  stages  of  construction,  which  I  took 
to  be  that  of  Turdns  viustelinus  from  its 
material,  size  and  position.  It  contained 
two  eggs  the  second  visit.  On  my  third  vis- 
it I  approached  to  within  four  feel  of  the 
nest,  and  stood  some  three  minutes  watch- 
ing the  bird,  which  did  not  leave  until  my 
hand  touched  the  nest.      I  saw  the  bird  no 


more  after  leaving  the  nest,  neither  did  I 
see  the  male.  The  nest  was  built  similar 
to  that  of  Turdus  mustelinus,  yet  being 
placed  a  trifle  high*  for  them  ;  this  was 
four  feet  or  more  from  the  ground,  while 
the  Wood  Thrush  here  rarely  places  its  nest 
higher  than  a  foot.  The  nest  contained  four 
eggs,  difi'erent  from  any  I  ever  saw  before. 
Egg  No.  1  ;  ground  color,  greenish-gray, 
covered  with  a  ring  of  purplish  points  (leav- 
ing the  large  end  nearly  bare),  intermixed 
with  red  points  ;  size,  .91  by  .75  inch. 
No.  2  :  with  red  points  larger  than  in  No. 
1,  and  the  ring  more  confluent,  .94  by  .77 
inch.  No.  3  :  with  purple  barely  percep- 
tible and  large  blotches  over  the  entire  egg  ; 
.92  by  .78  inch.  No.  4:  ground  color  a 
pale  white  ;  purple  pricks  few  in  number 
and  scarcely  perceptible  to  the  eye  ;  blotch- 
es large  and  confluent  so  as  to  hide  the  pri- 
mary color.  These  blotches  resemble  in 
color  faded  blood  ;   size,  .92  by  .73  inch." 

B.  J.  Peckham. 

I  SHOWED  a  single  specimen  of  the  Cas- 
pian Tern  to  some  seven  fishermen  who 
live  at  the  shore,  and  not  one  of  them  ever 
saw  one  before.  A  single  specimen  of  the 
Turnstone  and  Golden  Plover  are  the  only 
ones  I  ever  saw  here  on  the  marsh.  They 
usually  pass  by  well  out  at  sea. 
!  Westerly,  R.  I.  B.  J.  PeCKHAM. 

Erratum. —  Page  34,  number  5,  first 
line  under  "Practical  Oology,"  omit  egcji^ 
before  with. 

That  the  Horned  or  Shore  Lark  nests 
in  New  York  is  now  evident ;  nests  found 
during  the  season  of  1878  fully  confirm 
this.  The  birds  probably  build  early,  and 
since  numbers  of  them  have,  for  the  last 
three  or  four  years,  been  observed  in  March 
April  and  May,  their  supposed  nesting  sea- 
son, there  can  be  no  doubt  many  spend  the 
breedino;  season  south  of  the  Canadas. 


*Our  correspondent  surely  refers  to  T.  fus- 
cescens  and  not  mustelinus.  The  latter  us- 
ually builds  higher  than  the  other  Thrushes 
except  the  Ilobin.  The  former  builds  either 
on  the  "-round  or  a  foot  or  two  above  it. 


44 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfie  ©5*lo3ist 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


JANUARY,   1879. 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGICALLY  OONSIDEEED. 


ATTACHMENT  DISPLAYED  BY 
BIRDS  FOR  THE  IB  EGGS. 


Under  the  first  above  title  we  propose 
to  publish  a  series  of"  essays,  which  shall 
not  treat  so  much  of  the  eggs  themselves, 
as  of"  the  habits  of  birds  during  the  nesting 
season,  and  of  the  more  generally  slighted 
particulars  closely  connected  with  the  dep- 
osition of  eggs.  This  series  of  articles,  bas- 
ed upon  observations  made  at  various  times 
during  an  extended  experience,  will  be  con- 
tinued in  the  succeeding  numbers  of  the 
present  volume. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  to  even  the  tyro 
collector  of  any  original  observation,  that 
one  class  of  birds  will  immediately  leave  the 
vicinity  forever,  if  they  imagine  their  nest 
to  be  discovered  ;  another  will  sometimes 
desert  the  nest,  and  at  others  will  not,  if 
the  eggs  are  touched  or  misplaced  ;  still 
another  will  not  abandon  the  nest  uidess 
robbed,  but  will  then  certainly  leave  the  vi- 
cinity ;  a  fourth  class  will  sit  quietly  by 
and  see  the  demolition  of  their  homes  with- 
out a  murmur,  return,  and  begin  anew 
within  a  few  hours  ;  and  there  is  a  very 
small  number  who  do  not  seem  to  regard 
the  robbing  of  their  nest  as  of  any  conse- 
quence :  who  will  sometimes  rebuild  and 
re-deposit  to  a  surprising  extent,  at  others 
will  abandon  the  labor  of  nesting-  and  breed- 


ing altogether  for  the  season.  This  nuich 
as  a  rule  ;  sometimes  we  are  surprised  at 
the  seemingly  peculiar  behavior  of  a  bird, 
— which  is  known  to  invariably  desert  the 
nest  if  it  has  been  discovered  or  an  adjacent 
twig  moved — in  returning  immediately  to 
the  nest  and  depositing  a  fresh  set.  We 
may,  in  many  cases,  perhaps  set  this  down 
as  the  ambition  of  a  young  pair,  who  mav 
not  have  become  sufficiently  matured  in  the 
ways  and  customs  of  their  ancestry,  to  dis- 
criminate between  the  wilfull  intentions  of 
avaritious  man,  and  the  to-be-expected  dis- 
pensations of  Nature.  But  however  this 
may  be,  we  should  credit  most  birds  with 
the  discrimination  and  qnick  perception  that 
they  deser\  e  ;  for  if  they  know  tlie  position 
of  every  twig,  or  every  spear  of  grass  im- 
mediately about  the  nest,  the  very  position 
of  the  eggs  themselves  in  the  nest  ;  if  they 
know  when  a  hand,  however  delicate,  has 
been  placed  upon  the  nest  or  ii'^^^a^  or  when 
an  Q.]i'j^  is  slightly  turned,  not  to  say  hand- 
Jed  ;  if  they  know  when  to  suspect  tlie  prox- 
imity of  an  enemy  by  means  of  some  visi- 
ble or  invisible  token,  and  to  know,  like 
the  fabled  Lark  who  warned  her  Larklings 
of  danger  only  when  it  was  imminent,  what 
to  do  and  when  to  do  it,  surely,  we  are  not 
allowed  to  hastily  say  that  birds  have  no 
f"aculty  of  discrimination,  and  to  affirm  all 
their  actions  instinctive.  AVhen  we  see  an 
exhibition  of"  affection  on  the  pai't  of  a  pair 
of  birds  for  their  eggs,  we  can  call  it  noth- 
ing but  instinct;  and  when  they  select,  af- 
ter a  careful  search,  a  position  most  likely 
j  to  off"er  concealment,  there  is  then  an  in- 
stinctive display,  approaching,  in  some 
cases  of  adaptation,  almost  to  reason,  but 
wJiich  is  still,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 
only  a  greater  development  of  the  instinct ; 
but  when  a  bird  perceives  the  approach  to 
its  home  to  bear  the  marks  of  touch,  or  the 
little  twig  which  jutted  out  of  its  side  care- 
lessly bent  down  or  broken,  does  instinct 
show  it,  or  is  it  disclosed  by  a  higher  fac- 
ulty? It  is  not  denied  but  that  the  event 
following  such  a  discovery  is  instinctive, 
for  the  preservation  of  safety  is  ever  an  in- 
voluntary and  unconscious  effort. 


THE  OOLOGIST, 


45 


Let  us  look  at  the  first  and   second 
classes  of  birds  niontioiied  above.     We  may 
reasonably  state  that   the  carefulness  of  a 
bird  in  protecting  its  treasures,  is  in  a  di- 
rect ratio  witli  its  affection  ;  so  that  when 
we  affirm  for  instance,  the  Ruffed  Grouse 
or  Black-throated  (ireen  Warbler  to  be   a- 
mong  the  foremost  of  bii'ds  in  tlieir  attach- 
ment to  their  eggs,   we  imply  that  in  the 
breeding  season,  they  guard  them  with  un- 
scrupulous care,   and  aie  quickest  to  per- 
ceive any  danger  to  them.      But  here  ai'ises 
a  question  :  If  a  bird  possesses  great  affec- 
tion, shoidd  we  suppose  it  on  that  account 
to  leave  its  eggs  when  discovered,  or  to  in- 
definitely deposit  if  robbed  ?     Certainly  a 
superficial  glance  at  the  subject   would   e-  ; 
duce  the  logical  query  :  that  if  a  bird  is  af- 
fectionate, why  should  she  desert  her  eggs  ?  \ 
That  she  should  naturally,   after  abandon-  \ 
iug    her  nest, — the  eggs  not  having  been 
taken — betake  herself  to  a   I'emote   locali- 
ty, is  nothing  singular.      Instinct  is  involv- 
ed in  the  question,  whichever  way   it   may 
be  proposed  ;  if  a  mother  cherishes  her  eggs 
with  great  attachment,  she  is  ever  the  most 
active,  a.s  above  remarked,  in  avoiding  dan- 
ger,  for  It  is  one  of  her  chief  duties  to  pro- , 
tect  ;  as  soon  as  she  is  aware  that  her  treas-  j 
ures  are  in  jeopardy,  her  instinct  is  quick  j 
to  prompt  her  to  remove  to  a  safer  locali- 1 
ty  ;  she  cannot  move  the  eggs — sometimes  ' 
she  destroys  them,  preferring  to  suffer,  like  ! 
the    followers   of  Adcantuannus  of  Gallic 
fame,  rather  than  have  her  valued  friends 
fall  into  the  hands  of  an  enemy.      This,  we 
think  is  the  highest  type  of  affection  among  '< 
birds  :  that,   superficial   as   the  conclusion 
may  appear,  it  cannot  well  be  undermined. 
For,  if  a  bird  deposits  eggs  to  a  large  num- 
ber, or  rnther  deposits  n)aiiy   sets,    having; 
been  deprived  of  them  again  aiul  again,  the  ' 
open  character  of  the  proceeding  at  once  j 
denominates  the  bird  as  undetermined  and  I 
indifferent ;  and  the  fact  of  a  bird's  nesting 
in  the  same  lo(,-ality  year  alter  year,  under  ; 
the  most  discouraging  circumstances,  points 
out  either  a  most  decided  want  of  affection  j 
or  an  unusual  degree  of  stupidity — proba- 1 
biy  a  little  of  both.  ■ 


To  that  class  of  birds  which  guard  their 
eggs  with  great  care,  belong  notably  the 
Sandpipers,  Plovers,  Warblers  and  Mead- 
ow Lark.  The  Sandpipers  are  in  almost 
every  way,  very  particular  birds — they  are 
always  suspicious,  easily  agitated,  and 
watch  their  nest  with  most  untiring  zeal, 
day  and  night.  If  an  egg  is  turned  with 
the  lai'ge  end  toward  the  center  of  the  nest, 
they,  upon  discovering  the  fact,  search  the 
surrounding  vicinity,  and  demean  them- 
selves as  if  undetermined  whether  to  re- 
gard the  indications  dangerous  or  not,  but 
they  usually  return  to  the  nest,  and  if  not 
disturbed  again,  remain  by  the  eggs  until 
hatched.  The  more  mysterious  and  unac- 
countable the  manner  in  which  any  unusual 
aijpeurance  of  the  eggs  or  nest  seems  to  have 
been  effected,  the  more  likely  is  the  bird  to 
desert  them, — at  least  it  has  been  so  found 
in  our  experience — for  the  winged  and  four- 
footed  enemies,  those  depredators  who'  of- 
ten conceal  the  ownership  of  their  piracv, 
are  more  dreaded  than  man.  In  regard  to 
their  young,  the  Sandpipers  are  very  affec- 
tionate, more  so  than  most  other  birds. 
They  exhibit  a  recklessness  that  is  not  com- 
mendable except  for  its  purpose.  We  once 
caught  a  female  in  a  hat  extended  at  the 
end  of  a  switch  without  any  great  difficul- 
ty, so  zealous  was  she  in  her  endeavors  to 
distract  our  attention  from  her  young.  The 
Warblers  as  a  class,  are  greatly  attached 
to  their  homes,  and  their  generally  retiring, 
shy  demeanor  upon  the  approach  of  a  stran- 
ger, is  no  indication  of  their  indifference. 
This  leads  us  to  mention  the  different  modes 
of  timid  birds  of  showing  attachment  to  their 
eggs,  and  as  to  whether  or  not  they  endeav- 
or in  any  manner  to  protect  them.  In  the 
first  place,  it  is  proper  to  state  that  the  fe- 
male is  not  alvxiys  the  one  repi-eseuting  the 
chief  protectorship,  as  many  authors  would 
have  us  take  for  granted  ;  if  the  ornitholo- 
gist will  apply  himself  to  this  particular, 
in  connection  with  the  study  of  the  affection 
of  birds,  he  will  be  brought  into  contact 
with  many  examples  in  support  of  this  state- 
ment. We  must  reasonably  suppose  that 
the  sitting  bird  is  at  the  time,   the  main 


46 


THE  OOLOGIST 


guardian,  de  facto,  of  the  nest  and  eggs  ; 
and  as  the  process  is  performed  in  many 
eases  by  both  parents  alternately,  the  male 
bird  is  often  ealled  upon  to  use  his  ingenu- 
ity and  loyalty  in  defending  it ;  even  if  the 
female  is  sitting,  if  her  partner  is  within 
sutnmons,  he  straightway  comes  to  her  as- 
sistance, and  shows  by  his  behavior,  in 
many  cases  a  greater  degree  of  fondness 
for  the  family  possessions  than  the  female, 
or  is  hypocritical  about  it — and  we  are 
slow  to  conclude  that  the  latter  is  the  case. 
But  though  the  male  is  expected  when  the 
female  is  upon  the  nest,  to  attend  to  her 
wants  and  olfer  his  services  in  case  of  dan- 
ger,— which  he  certainly  does  in  most  in- 
stances with  due  earnestness  and  with  wliat 
dexterity  he  can  muster — still,  the  sitter 
is  really  the  warden.  Now  he  may  be 
cowardly  or  the  reverse  :  he  may  stand  his 
ground  and  (if  the  nest  has  been  discover- 
ed) bravely  tight  the  intruder  with  bill  and 
claws,  or  feign  injury  if  the  uest  is  still 
undiscovered  ;  or  he  may  only  flit  about 
here  and  there  at  a  safe  distance  from  the 
enemy.  The  latter  course  should  not  be 
confounded  with  the  corresponding  natural 
habit  of  some  birds  to  offer  no  resistance  ; 
this  will  presently  be  considered. 

[CONCLUDED  IN  OUR  FEBRUARY  NUMBER.] 


The  Voyageur  Pigeon. 


Xj^OR  the  purpose  of  edifying  such  of  our 
readers  as  may  be  interested  in  this  sub- 
ject we  propose  to  depart  from  our  usual 
custom  of  treating  scientific  subjects,  by 
giving  a  brief  account,  historically,  of  this 
famous  bird,  the  Homing  or  Voyageur 
Pigeon. 

Since  the  war  between  France  and  Ger- 
many, none  of  the  feathered  species  of  an- 
imal life  has  attracted  more  universal  at- 
tention than  the  Belgian  Voyageur  or  Hom- 
ing Pigeon.  During  that  memorable  con- 
test, and  while  the  city  of  Paris  was  closely 
besieged  by  the  German  military  forces, 
only  by  the  aid  of  this  trusty  messenger  bird 


could  the  Parisians  obtain  the  niDSt  mea- 
ger intelligence  of  what  was  occnrring  out- 
side the  military  lines.  By  its  aid,  Paris 
was  fully  supplied  with  information  regard- 
ing all  ciu'rent  events  of  the  day  tliroughout 
the  civilized  world,  and  in  particular  with 
reference  to  the  sitnatif)n  of  the  enemy's 
troops. 

The  birds  employed  in  this  service  were 
bred  within  the  city  of  Paris,  and  were  pass- 
ed beyond  the  lines  by  means  of  balloons, 
in  which  were  caged  a  niunber  of  them  ; 
the  balloon  being  set  at  liberty,  arose  and 
drifted  away  in  its  aerial  voyage  until  it 
should  alight  aTuong  friends  of  the  French, 
who,  imderstanding  their  mission,  would 
prepare  such  intelligence  as  would  most  in- 
terest the  pent-up  denizens  of  the  beleagued 
city,  attach  it  to  the  bird  and  set  him  at 
liberty.  On  gaining  its  freedom,  it  took 
inunediate  flight  for  home. 

It  was  reported  at  the  tiuu',  that  mess- 
ages equal  in  the  amount  of  matter  to  a 
whole  page  of  the  largest  New  York  daily 
newspaper  were  transmitted  by  a  single 
bird.  It  was  by  the  aid  of  photography 
that  this  was  made  possible.  These  lengthy 
dispatches  were  prepared  and  reduced  un- 
til the  whole  would  cover  no  more  space 
than  the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  were  then 
transferred  to  tissue  paper,  which  was  com- 
pactly rolled  and  inserted  in  a  quill  ;  this 
was  then  fastened  to  a  central  tail  feather 
of  the  bird,  who  faithfully  delivered  it  to 
his  owner.  It  was  then,  by  the  aid  of  the 
magnifying  glass,  read  and  published  to  the 
people.  So  effectual  did  this  source  of  in- 
telligence become,  that  the  Germans  offered 
large  rewards  for  the  capture  of  one  of  these 
birds  carrying  contraband  news. 

Before  the  days  of  the  telegraph,  it  is  re- 
ported that  large  numbers  of  Homing  Pig- 
eons were  employed  by  the  Rothschilds  in 
carrying  from  J^ondou  to  the  Continent  the 
state  of  the  money  market  at  that  city, 
which  intelligence  was  used  by  them  in 
their  stock  operations  throughout  Europe, 
and  that  immense  fortunes  were  realized 
by  them,  based  solely  upon  the  information 
derived  in  this  way. 


THE  00  LOG  I  ST. 


47 


It  is  but  quite  recently  that  attention  has  |  the  Savannah  Sparrow,  only  slightly  more 
been  paid  to  this  bird  in  the  United  States,  '  ovoidal  in  form.  They  are  the  most  beau- 
but  so  iutensL'  had  been  the  desire  among  '  tiful  Sparrow  eggs  1  have  ever  seen,  the 
Pi"-eon  fancieis  to  become  possessed  ot'him,  |  briglit  i\'(l  ol'  the  spots,  which  are  very  fine, 
that  hirge  importations  have  been  made  |  contrasting  well  with  the  white  ground  col- 
trom  BclLnum.  The  flying  of  these  birds  ■  or,  reminding  one  of  the  more  beautiful  of 
lon^  distances  has  become  quite  a  mania,    the  Warblers'  eggs." 

and"  has  attracted  universal  attention  all  I  have  since  then  found  several  nests  of 
over  the  country,  from  all  chisses  of  persons,  this  bird,  most  of  them  in  the  same  locali- 
A  grand  iuter-kate  eoucouise  was  flown  in  ties  and  under  the  same  circumstances  as 
June  of  last  sea- 


season  by  birds 
from  s  e  v  e  r  a  1 
States,  tlie  dis- 
tance being  150 
mih'S.  It  was 
<|uiti'  an  impos- 
ing as  well  as  in- 
teresting sport. 


Yellow-wing'- 
ed  Sparrow. 


4  NUN  (J     our 

CO  m  m  o  n  f  r 
Spari'ows,  prob- 
alily  none  is  less 
known  than  tliis 
one,  especially  as 
i-t'gartls  its  nest 
and  eggs.  It  is 
no  where  as  a- 
bundant  as  most 
of  the  (jther  Spar- 
rows, but  as  I 
liave  been  so  for- 
tumite  as  to  find 
sevei'al  nests  of 
this  bird,  1  will 
uive  a  short  des- 


TIIE  VOYAGEUR  PIGEON. 


the  above.  The 
eggs  are  mostly 
of  the  same  gen- 
eral appearance, 
but  some  arc;  oc- 
ciisionally  more 
thickly  spottefl 
than  others.  The 
action  of  the  bird 
when  the  nest  is 

-  being  inspected, 
does  not  differ 
materially  from 
that  of  any  other 

_  Spari'ows,  oidy 
that  its  mourn- 
ing is  possibly 
less  incessant.  ]t 
i-uns  quickly  off 
the  nest  until  at 
some  distance, 
then  flies  up  and 
connnences  to  ut- 
tei-  a  chipper.  It 
is  thus  extremely 
difficult  to  find  its 
nest,  unless  the 
bird  is  almost 
stejjped  upon  and 
suddenly  fright- 
ened,   and    since 


ci-iption  of  one,  taken   from   my   note-book  it  is  a  somewhat  wary  biid,  it  rarely  per-' 

of  May  2r)th,  1876.  mits  itself  to  be  flushed   immediately  from 

•' The  nest  was  placed  on  the  ground  un-  the  nest.      The  youug  birds  appear  about 

dor  a  single  tussock  of  grass,   in  an  open  tlie   first  or  secoud  week  in  June.      I  do 

pasture  lot.      The  nest  was  formed  of  small  not  think  they  rear  two  broods, 
roots,  twiiis,  and  lined  with  horse-hair.     It  Fhed.  J.  Davis. 

was  impossible  to  remove  it.    'J'here  were  —.»♦" 

four  eggs  in  it,  pure  white,  spotted  with   a        Kuitou. — For  unscrupulous,  p.  45,  10th 

bright  red,  mikI  about  the  size  of  those  of  line,  read  scrupulous. 


48 


THE  OOLOGIST 


General  Items. 


— On  December  9,  an  incident  came  un- 
der my  observation  that  was  a  surprise  to 
me.  I  shot  into  a  flock  of  Snow  Buntings 
aud  winged  one  of  them,  and  as  I  was  pick- 
ing up  another,  the  wounded  one  fluttered 
along  ahead  of  me,  which  so  attracted  tlie 
attention  of  tlie  flock  that  it  canie  back  over 
my  head,  wheii  one  of  tlie  flock  alit  on  the 
b;ick  of  the  wounded  one,  picked  it  up  and 
flew  ott"  with  it.  1  was  within  a  couple  of 
paces  of  the  wounded  bird  when  the  other, 
took  it  up.  Delos  Hatch. 

— PcNE  Gkosbkaks,  Lesser  Red-polls, 
Snow  Buntings,  and  Sparrows  of  various 
species  have  been  abundant  all  winter  in 
the  Middle  States.  They  frequent  the  gar- 
dens of  th.e  cities  for  seeds  and  crumbs,  I'rom 
which  we  would  infer  that  they  have  ditli- 
culty  in  obtaining  food. 

— The  following  incident  will  sliow  tiie 
fondness  of  the  Rufled  Grouse  for  a  partic- 
ular roosting  place.  Not  far  from  the  city 
there  is  a  rather  open  wood,  intersected  by 
what  is  termed  the  Ravine,  on  one  side  of 
which  there  is  a  small,  rather  thick  clump 
of  cedars,  beech  saplings,  and  wild  gnipe 
vines.  A  Grouse  was  flushed  from  there 
about  dusk  by  a  youthful  hunter  last  fall, 
on  two  successive  days.  On  the  third  oc- 
casion of  his  visit  to  the  wood,  it  was  flush- 
ed in  the  viciuity  of  the  same  place,  and  it 
became  evident  to  the  young  hunter,  that, 
in  order  to  obtain  a  Grouse  and  surprise 
his  friends,  he  might  sit  down  upon  a  stump 
at  dusk  and  wait  till  his  prey  came  to  roost. 
So  whilst  we  were  beating  the  woods  in  ex- 
pectation of  flushing  the  bird,  our  shrewd 
hunter  sat  still  for  ;i  few  moments,  when  the 
bird  came,  dropped  upon  the  ground  a  few 
yards  away,  and  scratched  about  under  the 
shrubbery  preparatory  to  going  to  rest, 
when  a  trembling  hand  shot  it.  Acting 
upon  this  experience,  the  successful  hunter 
with  a  companion  returned  to  the  spot  a 
few  days  after,  thinking  tliey  might  shoot 
another  in  the  same  place,  and  they  had  not 
been  long  deposited  upon  the  stump  before 


another  Partridge  came  and  was  sacrificed. 

Both  these  birds  were  started  from  the 
same  covert  again  and  again  by  people  who 
frequented  the  wood,  but  notwithstanding 
their  wonted  shyness,  they  could  not  be 
driven  from  their  favorite  clump  of  trees. 

— Robins  have  been  observed  to  winter 
in  the  vicinitv  of  Utica. 


Recent  ^HtbUcHtlous. 

Sciente  Neivs — is  a  new  publication  de- 
voted to  the  exposition  of  general  science  ; 
published  fortnightly  bv  S.  ¥j.  Cassino,  Sa- 
lem, Mass.  Subscription,  $  2.00  per  year. 
INIen  of  prominence  in  the  several  branches 
of  science  will  contribute  to  the  journal. 

Birch  of  Florida. — Part  VI.  of  this  work 
has  been  published.  It  contains  three  col- 
oi-ed  plates,  one  of  eggs,  one  explaining  the 
structiu'e  of  the  different  genera,  and  a  plate 
representing  the  Brown-headed  Nuthatch 
and  the  Yellow-throated  W;irbler.  The 
text  has  advanced  to  the  one-hundred  and 
sixtieth  page,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  the 
work  may  be  completed. 

Illustratinvs  of  the  Nests  avd  Efjf/s  of 
the  Birds  of  Oliiu^  by  Genevieve  K.  Jones 
and  Eliza  J.  Siudze. — The  first  part  of  this 
folio  work,  containing  tiiree  plates  of  the 
eggs  and  nests  of  Ohio  birds,  and  the  cor- 
responding text,  has  been  issued.  The  fig- 
ures are  natural  size,  and  are  excellent,  both 
in  artistic  and  natural  effect.  The  price 
of  the  work  is  $5.00  per  part  for  the  col- 
ored co[)ies,  and  $  2.00  I'or  the  uncolored 
ones.  Such  a  work  merits  a  generous  sup- 
port, especially  as  its  value  as  an  original 
work  is  very  high.  If  the  scientific  read- 
ers of  this  country  were  better  able  to  offer 
pecuniary  aid  to  publications  of  real  merit, 
and  the  weak,  fictitious  literature  of  the 
times  could  be  partly  superceded  by  such 
substantial  works,  many  libraries  would  be 
enriched,  and  many  youthful  readers  would 
be  benefited. 

Chas.  W.  Gunn's  Naturalist  and  Fan- 
cier has  appeared  for  1879, 


FEBRUARY,  1879. 


No.  7. 


Breeding  Habits  of  the  Hooded 
Oriole. 


BY  KRNKST  INGKKSOLL 


all 


[From  the  advance  sheets  of  "The  Nests  and 
Eggs  of  American  Bii'ds."] 

HE  diminutive  Hooded  Oriole  {Tcte- 
rits  ruculatus)  or  Banana-bird  of  Cen- 
tral America,  is  abundant  in  summer 
ilong  the  Mexican  frontier  in  the  Colo- 
rado Valley,  and  throughout  southern  Cal- 
ifornia. It  arrives  at  San  Diego,  Cal.,  a- 
l)out  the  22nd  of  April,  but  very  soou  re- 
tires from  the  coast  to  the  warmer  valleys 
of  the  interior,  to  breed.  In  the  villages, 
and  at  the  military  posts  along  the  Rio 
Grande,  it  is  a  I'amiliar  bird,  breeding  in 
close  proximity  to  men,  and  overcoming 
much  of  the  shyness  natural  to  it  iu  wilder 
parts.  It  penetrates  as  far  north  as  Los 
Angelos,  and  eastward  into  Cooke  county, 
Texas,  five  hundi'ed  miles  north  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande.  At  the  mouth 
of  that  river.  Sennet  found  it  "more  plen- 
tiful than  all  the  rest  of  the  genus  combin- 
ed." 

These  Orioles  chose  for  nesting  places 
all  sorts  of  trees  and  large  plants,  placing 
their  homes  from  five  to  ibrty  feet  high. 
Vinery  has  great  charms  for  them,  but  their 
especial  favorite  is  a  tuft  of  the  hanging 
Spanish  moss  everywhere  so  abundant  on 
the  larger  growth  of  trees.  Whatever  the 
situation,  the  Oriole  takes  the  dry  white 
vegetable  threads  (which  constitute  the 
heart  of  the  moss,  and  form  the  "curled 
hair"  of  commerce)  and,  with  its  slender 
pointed  beak  ingeniously  weaves  them  into 
the  mass  of  a  living  tress,  making  a  secure 
and  handsome  home.  80  durable  is  this 
moss  that  it  lasts  for  years,  and  as  a  con- 


sequence there  are  everywhere  ten  old  nests 
to  one  new  one.  Such  are  the  Hooded  O- 
riole's  abodes  along  the  lower  Rio  Grande. 
Elsewhere,  where  the  Spanish  hair-moss  is 
less  available,  the  bird  places  its  nest  in 
the  crotch  of  several  twigs  on  the  outer  end 
of  a  limb,  and  weaves  it,  with  secure  fast- 
enings, out  of  a  long,  tough  grass,  which 
grows  in  flat  or  wet  prairies,  called  "wire 
grass."  Composed  almost  wholly  of  this 
long  grass,  placed  in  a  clump  of  leaves  and 
renuiining  green  for  several  days,  the  nest 
is  hard  to  discover.  Its  outside  diameter 
is  four  inches,  inside  (at  top)  two  inches  ; 
depth,  outside,  four  inches,  inside  two  and 
one-half  inches.  The  interiors  of  these  nests 
vary  as  greatly  as  do  their  external  forms, 
and  bear  a  general  resemblance  to  those  of 
/.  spicrius.  Sometimes  no  other  lining  than 
the  grass  itself  is  put  in  ;  sometimes  the 
maroon  red  of  an  old  nest  will  be  set  of}' by 
an  interior  wall  of  white  cow-hair  or  feath- 
ers, or  only  wool,  cotton  or  the  soft  pappus 
of  seeds.  The  bird  seems  to  have  very  in- 
definite ideas  in  regard  to  the  furnishing  of 
its  house,  but  is  careful  about  hiding  it  in 
dense  tufts  of  leaves.  A  few  pairs.  Dr. 
Merrill  tells  us,  build  in  Spanish  bayonets 
(yucca)  growing  on  sandy  ridges  in  the  salt 
prairies  ;  here  the  material  used  is  chiefly 
the  dry,  tough  fibers  of  the  plant,  with  a 
little  wool  or  thistle-down  as  lining.  The 
nests  are  placed  among  the  dead  and  de- 
pressed leaves,  two  or  three  of  which  are 
used  as  supports. 

Like  those  of  all  the  Icteridoe^  the  eggs  of 
the  Hooded  Oriole  vary  greatly  in  their 
markings.  They  are  easily  distinguished 
from  the  other  Orioles'  eggs,  however,  by 
the  almost  entire  absence  of  the  pen-scrat<!h- 
es  and  liierogliphics  characteristics  of  the 
other  species,  the  markings  consisting  of 
spots  and  blotches,  forming  a  ring  around 


50 


THE  OOLOGIST 


the  large  end,  leaving  the  whole  of  the  rest 
of  the  surface  as  a  rule,  entirely  free  from 
blemish.  Usually  the  spots*  and  blotche'S 
are  brown,  but,  where  profuse,  lilac  tints 
and  black  also  appear.  The  jrround  color 
iilso  varies  somewhat  ;  occasionally  a  blue 
tinge  appears,  but  more  frequently  a  buff 
tint  is  added  to  the  white.  Tiie  eggs  i^iore 
nearly  resemble  those  of  the  Texas  Orchard 
Oriole  (/.  spurius,  var.  affinis)  more  than 
anythiug  else  ;  in  fact,  the  light  colored, 
slender  specimens  of  the  Orchard  Oriole, 
would  not  be  tlistinguished  from  the  round- 
er blue-tinted  eggs  of  the  Hooded.  Tliey 
are  comparable  rather  to  the  eggs  of  tlie 
Quiscali  than  to  those  of  most  of  the  Icteri. 
Their  shape  varies  considerably,  but  the 
majority  of  specimens  are  marked  by  a  pe- 
culiar pointedness  at  both  ends.  In  size 
they  run  from  .90  to  .78  of  an  inch  in 
length  and  from  .Go  to  .55  in  breadth,  a 
large  number  of  specimens  having  been 
referred  to.  '•'•Some  sets,"  says  Dr.  Mer- 
rill, "•  are  precisely  like  larjie  Vireos'  eggs." 
Eggs  for  the  first  brood  are  laid  about  the 
middle  of  May. 


Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Clay-col- 
ored Bunting. 


fpiIE  Clay-colored  Sparrows  nest  abund- 
antly  in  Dakota,  and  especially  along 
the  Red  River,  in  the  open,  low  underbrush 
by  the  river-side,  and  among  the  innumer- 
able scrub-willow  copses  of  the  valley.  They 
pair  here  the  latter  part  of  May,  when  the 
males  come  into  full  song.  The  pairing 
season,  during  which  the  males  may  be  seen 
continually  chasing  the  females  about  in  the 
bushes,  is  of  short  duration  ;  and,  prelim- 
inaries adjusted,  both  birds  set  to  work  in 
earnest  at  their  nest,  with  such  success  that 
it  is  completed  and  the  eggs  laid  in  a  week 
or  two.  Most  of  my  nests  were  taken  dur- 
ing the  first  two  weeks  in  June.  In  one 
case,  in  which  I  visited  a  nest  daily,  I  found 
that  an  egg  was  laid  each  day,  till  the  com- 
plement of  four  was  filled.  I  have  not 
found  more  than  four  eggs  in  a  nest,   and 


sometimes  only  three.  They  are  of  a  light 
green  color,  rather  scantily  and  sharply 
speckled  with  sienna  and  other  rich  shades 
of  brown — sometimes  very  dai'k  brown. 
(Tenerally  the  dotting  is  chiefly  confined  to 
the  larger  end,  with  only  a  speck  here  and 
there  over  the  general  siu'face  ;  the  dots 
are  sometimes  in  an  area  at  tlie  butt,  some- 
times partially  confluent  and  wreathed  a- 
round  it.  Tiie  eggs  measure  about  0.62 
by  0.50.  The  nest  is  always  placed  low  ; 
1  never  found  one  so  high  as  a  yard  from 
the  ground,  and  genei'ally  took  nests  with- 
in a  few  inches,  in  the  crotch  of  a  willow 
or  other  shrub,  or  in  a  tuft  of  weeds.  The 
nest  is  inartistically  built  of  fine  di-ied  grass- 
stems  and  tiie  slenderer  weed-stalks,  with 
perhaps  a  few  rootlets  ;  it  is  sometimes  lin- 
ed quite  thickly  with  horse-hair,  sometimes 
not,  then  having  instead  some  very  fine 
grass-tops.  It  varies  a  good  deal  in  size 
and  shape,  according  to  its  situation,  but 
may  average  about  three  inches  across  by 
two  deep,  with  a  cavity  two  inches  wide  by 
otie  and  a  half  deep.  In  those  cases  where 
I  approached  the  setting  bird,  she  left  the 
nest  when  I  was  a  few  steps  away,  and 
fluttered  directly  into  concealment,  without 
attempting  any  artifice  or  venturing  to  pro- 
test against  the  spoliation  of  her'home.  It 
is  most  probable  that  two  broods  may  be 
reared,  even  in  this  high  latitude,  but  I 
cannot  so  assert,  as  I  i'ound  no  nests  nor 
heard  the  nuptial  songs  alter  June. 

Dr.  Coues  in  Birds  of  the  Noiihwest. 


ExTENSivii  series  of  House  Sparrows' 
eggs  show  a  range  of  variations  quite  in- 
teresting. Here  is  a  set  of  five,  very  light 
colored,  with  exceedingly  fine  points  of  lav- 
ender ;  another  of  four,  with  light  ground 
color  and  several  largish  spots  upon  their 
surfaces  ;  here  a  set  containing  two  heavi- 
ly and  two  lightly  flecked  eggs  ;  while  an 
unpretentious  complement  of  six  are  near- 
ly slate-colored  with  the  numerous  points 
upon  their  deep-tinted  surface  ;  one  egg  is 
nearly  spherical,  and  has  the  spots  in  a 
bunch  on  the  lar";e  end. 


TEE  OOLOGIST. 


51 


NESxrNG  OF  Buteo  pennsylvaniacus  in  a 
Hemlock  Tkek. — Ou  the  29th  of  April, 
1878,  1  found  the  nest  of  this  bird  in  a  small 
hemlock  tree,  and  as  it  was  the  only  nest 
of  a  Buteo  I  had  ever  found  in  a  hemlock, 
I  thought  it  worthy  of  notice.  The  cir- 
cumstances were  as  follows  :  On  the  18tli 
of  Ajjril,  whilst  out  collecting  birds  I  dis- 
covered the  nest  in  a  wof)ds  about  six  miles 
from  this  city.  Seeing  the  nest  in  a  hem- 
lock, I  was  somewhat  ;it  a  loss  to  classify 
it.  although  1  saw  the  Hawks  flying  near 
there.  1  had  never  in  the  course  of  my  ex- 
perience, covering  a  period  of  about  seven 
years,  found  a  Buteo' s  nest  in  a  hemlock. 
As  there  were  no  eggs  in  the  nest,  and  it 
liad  the  appearance  of  being  a  new  one,  I 
left  it  for  a  futm-e  visit,  and  on  the  29th,  I 
went  again  to  get  the  eggs  and  decide  its 
identity.  The  nest  of  this  genus  is  usually 
))lace(l  in  the  fork  of  a  large  hardwood  tree, 
and  exposed  to  the  view,  usually  iu  rather 
an  open  grove,  easily  found,  but  robbed 
with  dithculty.  This,  however,  proved  an 
exce})tion  to  the  rule.  It  was  probably  an 
old  Crow's  nest  repaired,  situated  not  more 
than  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground,  and  as 
before  stated,  placed  in  a  small  hemlock, 
overshadowed  by  two  exceptionally  large 
trees  of  the  same  variety,  in  the  densest 
])art  of  a  rather  thick,  low  woods,  and  this 
too  not  from  necessity,  for  about  half  a 
mile  off  there  was  a  flue  grove  of  large, 
hard-wood  trees.  The  nest  when  last  vis- 
ited, c(}iitained  three  beautifully  marked 
eggs,  which  are  now  iu  my  collection^ 

Fked.  J.  Davis. 


Oological  Notes  for  February. 

Dk.  Brewer,  in  collating  evidence  of  the 
nesting  of  the  Butciier  Bird  (^(Jollxriu  hu- 
realis)  in  the  United  States,  has  uuulc 
some  interesting  discoveries,  which  are  of 
importance  as  bearing  upon  the  eastern  dis- 
tribution of  the  N.  A.  Laniidxe.  Collurio 
Ixdoviciarnts,  previously  known  to  be  a  bird 
of  rather  southern  and  southwestern   habi- 


tat, has  been  found  nesting  in  Bangor,  Me. 
This  instance,  with  one  or  two  others  oc- 
curring in  New  England,  is  positive  ev- 
idence that  this  species  occurs  and  breeds 
in  J^astern  N.  A.  In  addition  to  these 
discoveries,  it  seems  probable  that  excu- 
hitoroidcH,  or  a  form  between  this  species 
and  borecdis  is  also  found  in  the  Middle  and 
New  P^ngland  States.  It  is  also  probable 
that  an  intergradiiig  between  the  last  men- 
tioned species  and  either  the  Loggerhead  or 
Whitc-rumped,  occurs  here,  which  would 
rather  complicate  the  evidence  sought  foi-. 
The  Butcher  Bii-d  nests  in  New  York,  as 
has  been,  and  will  be  further  proven  the 
coming  spring  ;  but  there  is  a  possibility  of 
its  bearing  occasionally  n  faint  tinge  of  one 
or  the  other  above  mentioned  species. 
Since  it  is  of  importance  tiuit  all  the  facts 
concerning  the  nesting  of  this  or  either  of 
the  other  species  of  Collurio  be  taken  note 
of,  it  will  be  well  for  collectors  possessing 
specimens  and  eggs  taken  east  of  Ohio  and 
noi'th  of  Pennsylvania  to  put  themselves  in 
correspondence  with  Dr.  Brewer. 

Collectors  may  commence  to  look  for 
early  nests  during  the  latter  part  of  this 
and  all  of  next  month.  The  Ilorned  Lark 
will  be  found  breeding  during  the  middle  or 
latter  part  of  March  ;  Hawks  the  flrst  of 
April.  The  White-headed  Eagle  nests  iu 
March  and  April,  as  do  also  the  Ruffed 
Grouse  and  Woodcock.  The  Canada  Jay 
and  Crossbill  nest  in  January,  February 
and  March. 

Love  of  locality  and  company  during 
the  nesting  season  are  shown  to  be  quite 
prominent  traits  in  the  Robin.  There  is 
a  sniall  grove  of  two  or  three  acres  upon 
the  suburbs  of  the  city,  which  hits  been  ap- 
propriately termed  "  Robinvillc,"  from  the 
uund^er  of  nests  of  this  bird  tbuiul  there. 
All  is  harmony  among  this  colony,  and  in 
some  instances  there  are  several  nests  in  a 
single  tree.  Sixteen  nests,  within  reach 
from  the  ground,  contained  eggs,  each  set 
for  the  most  part  consisting  of  four  eggs. 
A  number  of  other  species  nested  in  the 
grove,  and  all  contributed  toward  the  gen- 
eral harmony  of  the  scene. 


r)2 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfie  Qoto^ist 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


FEBRUARY,  1879. 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGIOALLY  OONSIDEEED. 


ATTACHMENT  DISPLAYED  BY 
BIRDS  EOE  THEIR  EGGS. 


CONCLUDED  FROM  JANUARY  NUMBER. 

Being  first  in  the  order  of  occurrence, 
we  will  first  look  at  the  conduct  of  the  pur- 
eiits  in  their  endeavors  to  protect  their  eggs. 
As  a  rule,  the  smaller  birds  which  are  un- 
able to  protect  tlieir  homes  by  open  attack 
upon  the  collector -invader,  use  various 
stratagems  to  entice  him  from  the  vicinity 
beibre  he  has  discovered  the  nest,  but  this 
class  of  birds  do  not  always  demean  them- 
selves in  the  same  manner  ;  hence,  we  may 
presumably  separate  their  actions  into  two 
divisions,  in  accordance  with  the  circum- 
stances. In  the  first  division,  we  see  that 
upon  the  approach  of  certain  enemies,  es- 
pecially natural  foes,  the  maximum  extent 
of  the  parents'  courage  is  called  forth  for 
actual  resistance,  whether  the  nest  has  been 
discovered  or  not.  A  snake  is  anticipated 
in  its  approach,  and  whether  or  no  it  has 
as  yet  seen  the  little  home  and  its  precious 
contents,  the  ferocity  of  the  defenders  usu- 
ally knows  no  bounds,  for  they  assail  the 
unwelcome  visitor  with  great  energy.  We 
have  noted  this  circumstance  on  a  number 
of  different  occasions,  the  invader  being  a 
bird  of  prey,  and  the  imiformity  of  demean- 
or has  impressed  us  as  being  almost  a  rule 
in  this  respect.     Now  in  the  second  class  of 


actions,  we  recognize  the  method  which 
these  same  species  make  use  of  to  attract 
the  attention  of  man  under  the  same  circum- 
stances. This  is  the  better  known  of  either 
class  of  actions,  for  we  are  almost  exclu- 
sively brought  into  contact  with  these  ex- 
hibitions. Instead  of  appearing  as  if  ready 
to  repel  the  trespasser,  the  little  owners  im- 
mediately feign  intense  suffering,  as  if  from 
a  broken  wing  or  other  bodily  injury.  The 
same  species  are  thus  seen  to  adapt  their  de- 
meanor to  the  circumstances.  Instinctive- 
ly they  know  their  natural  enemies  are  al- 
most certain  to  discover  their  nest ;  while 
it  seems  as  if  they  were  equally  cognizant 
that  man  is  easily  deluded  and  readily  per- 
suaded. There  certainly  is  evident  some- 
thing of  natural  and  logical  discrimination, 
if  it  may  so  be  termed.  The  habit  referred 
to — the  eff'ort  to  draw  away  the  intruder — 
is  too  well  known  to  require  further  consid- 
eration. 

As  already  stated,  some  birds  are  natu- 
rally too  cowardly  or  lack  sufficient  affec- 
tion to  either  "  stand  their  ground,"  or  to 
use  any  method  of  allurement  to  protect  their 
nest  and  eggs.  That  this  is  so,  and  not 
traceable  to  habits  typical  of  the  species  or 
family,  is  amply  proven  by  the  fact  that 
birds — the  Sandpiper,  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat  and  Grass  Finch  for  example-known 
to  exhibit  the  characteristic  attempt  of 
throwing  the  collector  off"  his  guard,  have 
occasionally  been  known  to  sit  close  by  with- 
out the  slightest  movement  or  utterance  up- 
on his  approach.  And  this  is  an  by  no 
means  insignificant  fact  with  which  the  ool- 
ogist  has  to  contend  ;  for  when  a  certain 
class  of  birds  demean  themselves  in  this 
manner,  one  is  tempted  to  believe,  and  is 
almost  convinced,  that  there  is  really  no  nest 
in  the  vicinity.  But  such  cases  are  seldom 
met  with. 

Briefly  then,  we  may  state  that  there  is 
one  class  of  birds  that  universally  attack 
the  intruder,  not  only  when  at  the  nest,  but 
even  when  in  its  locality.  Another  will  ha- 
bitually glide  from  the  nest  and  sit  quietly 
by  from  the  first  glimpse  of  a  trespasser  to 
his  departure,  displaying  by  no  movement 


THE  0  OLD  GIST. 


53 


or  note  their  anxiety.  A  third  class  will 
remain  upon  their  nests  until  bruslied  a- 
gaiust  or  almost  trodden  upon  :  to  this  class 
belong  some  of  the  most  demonstrative  spe- 
cies above  mentioned.  .  In  regard  to  the 
behavior  of  birds  when  they  perceive  their 
eggs  to  be  discovered,  it  may  be  concisely 
stated  that  it  is  usually  the  same  as  their 
conduct  prior  to  this  event,  but  perhaps 
more  vehement ; — while  with  many  species 
this  is  the  only  time  of  demonstration  ;  as 
tor  instance,  tlie  Kutled  Grouse  never  cries 
until  her  eggs  or  young  have  been  found. 


In  order  that  notes  for  the  current  num- 
bers of  The  Oologist  may  reach  us  in  time 
for  publication,  and  that  collectoi's  may  be 
seasonably  informed,  it  is  desired  that  con- 
tributions be  sent  as  early  as  the  iirst  of  the 
month  ;  oological  notes  especially,  will  be 
more  acceptable  if  published  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible after  the  observations  have  been  made. 
We  would  also  state  that  tiie  Aalue  of  this 
journal  as  a  repertory  of  ornithological  in- 
formation, can  only  be  retained  and  aug- 
mented by  observers  themselves  tiironghout 
the  country  ;  and  to  these  ends  we  invite 
correspondence  and  authentic  notes  from  all 
(juarters.  It  is  tlie  aim  of  th^  journal  to 
stand  at  the  head  of  oologi(;al  magazines, 
and  to  become  something  of  an  authority 
on  matters  pertaining  to  the  study  ;  this  can 
be  accomplished,  not  by  naturalists  retain- 
ing their  notes  and  keeping  them  forever 
concealed  in  the  notebook,  but  by  imparting 
the  information  tlirough  the  proper  chan- 
nels. Therefore,  let  us  not  lack  in  scien- 
tific value,  what  we  may  in  other  respects. 


The  Great -tailed  Crackle  (Quis- 
calus  macrurus). 


;HP]N  I  think  of  this  bird,  it  is  always 
with  a  smile.  It  is  everywhere  as 
abundant  on  the  Rio  Grande  as  is 
PatiHtr  domesticus,  P^nglish  Sparrow,  in  our 
northern  cities,  and,  when  about  the  habi- 


tations, equally  as  tame.  This  bird  is  as 
much  a  part  of  the  life  of  Brownsville  as 
the  ballero  rolling  along  his  cask  of  water 
or  the  mounted  beggar  going  his  dailv 
rounds.  In  the  towns  or  about  the  ranch- 
es, he  knows  no  fear  ;  is  always  noisy,  nev- 
er at  rest,  and  in  all  places  and  positions  ; 
now  making  friends  with  the  horses  in  the 
barns  or  the  cattle  in  the  fields,  then  in  some 
tree  pouring  forth  his  notes,  which  I  can 
liken  otdy  to  the  scrapings  of  a  "■  cornstalk- 
Hddle"  ;  now  stealing  from  porch  or  open 
window  some  I'ibbon  for  his  nest,  then  fol- 
lowing close  behind  the  planter,  quick  to 
see  the  dropping  corn.  With  all  his  bold- 
ness and  curiosity,  the  boys  of  the  streets 
say  they  cannot  trap  or  catch  him  in  a  snare. 
He  will  take  every  bait  or  grain  but  the 
right  one  ;  he  will  put  his  feet  among  all 
sorts  of  rags  but  the  right  ones  :  and  the 
boys  are  comjjletely  outwitted  by  a  bird. 
He  performs  all  sorts  of  antics.  The  most 
curious  and  laughable  performance  is  a  com- 
mon one  with  him.  Two  males  will  take 
position  facing  each  othei'  on  the  groimd  or 
upon  some  shed,  then  together  begin  slowly 
raising  their  heads  and  twisting  them  most 
comically  from  side  to  side,  all  the  time 
steadily  eyeing  each  other,  until  their  bills 
not  only  stand  perpendicular  to  their  bodies, 
but  sometimes  are  thrown  over  nearly  to 
their  backs.  After  maintaining  this  awk- 
ward position  for  a  time,  they  will  gradu- 
ally bring  back  their  bills  to  their  natural 
position,  and  the  performance  ends.  It  is 
somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  clowns'  do- 
ings' in  a  circus,  who  slowly  bend  backward 
until  their  heads  touch  their  heels,  then  pro- 
ceed to  straighten  up  again.  It  is  a  most 
amusing  thing  to  see,  and  seems  to  be  mere 
fun  fur  the  bird,  for  nothing  serious  grows 
out  of  it. 

With  all  their  familiarity,  I  have  seen 
these  birds  in  the  open  chaparral  as  wild 
and  wary  as  other  birds,  knowing  very  well 
when  out  of  gunshot  range.  Th.eir  flight  is 
rather  slow,  and  when  they  make  an  as- 
cent it  is  labored  ;  but  once  up,  with  their 
great  tails  and  expanse  of  wing  they  make 
jrraceful  descents. 


54 


THE  OOLOGIST 


As  a  general  thing,  they  are  gregarious 
in  all  their  habits.  Great  numbers  breed 
all  along  the  river,  usually  in  scattered  col- 
onies, similar  to  Redwings,  but  their  nests 
are  higher,  and  not  often  near  the  water. 
The  ebony  is  a  favorite  tree  for  them  to 
breed  in  ;  and  wherever  these  trees  exist 
in  towns  or  about  ranches  they  are  always 
occupied  with  nests  of  these  birds,  some- 
times in  great  numbers.  My  first  eggs 
were  taken  from  an  ebony-tree  near  our 
room,  in  which  were  six  or  eight  nests. 
They  were  found  in  great  numbers  in  the 
young  willows  and  rank  undergrowth  of  the 
resacas  ;  and  in  the  great  "•  heronry"  in  the 
salt-marshes,  halfway  between  Brownsville 
and  the  coast,  we  obtained  many  eggs.  We 
found  their  nests  about  two  feet  above  the 
water  in  the  rushes,  and  from  four  to  thir- 
ty feet  above  the  ground  when  in  trees. 
They  are  shaped  like  those  of  our  familiar 
Purple  Grackle,  Q.  purpureus,  and  not 
much  larger.  They  are  composed  of  grass- 
es principally  ;  but,  when  convenient,  pa- 
pers, rags,  feathers,  anything,  are  woven 
in,  and  not  infrequently  mud  is  thrown  in, 
as  if  to  weigh  it  down.  Just  how  far  north 
of  the  Rio  Grande  this  species  reaches,  I 
cannot  tell.  On  the  northern  end  of  Padre 
Island,  at  Corpus  Christi  Pass,  I  saw  them 
in  abundance,  and  about  Corpus  Christi  al- 
so. No  Quiscalus  major,  Jackdaw,  was 
secured.  The  first  eggs  were  taken  April 
25th.  In  shape  they  are  very  oblong, 
rounded  at  one  end  and  pointed  at  the  oth- 
er, with  the  greatest  diameter  much  netirer 
one  end.  The  ground  color  is  usually  of  a 
greenish-white,  clouded  with  a  purplish- 
brown  irom  the  small  end  as  far  as  the 
centre,  and  sometimes  over  the  whole  eg'^. 
The  markings  are  of  a  very  dark  brown, 
chiefly  at  the  small  end,  and  consist  of  pen- 
cillings,  drops,  and  splashes  irregularly  and 
grotesquely  put  on.  Of  a  very  large  series 
of  eggs,  the  largest  was  1.40  by  0.95,  and 
the  smallest  1.12  by  0.87,  with  an  average  of 
1.27  by  0.87.  The  narrowest  egg,  0.83, 
was  next  to  the  longest,  being  1.39,  thus 
showing  great  variation  in  shape. — Geo.  B. 
Sennett. — Birds  of  the  Rio  Grande. 


— Bubo  virginianus  is  not  so  exclusively 
a  bird  of  swampy,  low  regions,  as  is  gen- 
erally believed.  Great  numbers  of  them 
dwell  in  the  high  wooded  portions  of  the  Ad- 
irondacks,  in  districts  where  one  meets  with 
only  beech,  maple  and  spruce  trees  ;  and 
here,  too,  they  breed.  Their  presence  in 
large  numbers  can  be  attested  by  those  who 
visit  these  wild  regions  diu'ing  the  summer, 
for  it  seems  almost  as  if  they  lived  solely 
for  the  purpose  of  hoo-hoo-'u\g  in  concert  or 
at  brief  intervals,  during  the  whole  night. 


The  Brush  Turkey  (Tallegalla 
Lathami). 


BY  FRED.  J.   DAVIS. 


"VTO  country  or  continent  on  the  globe  fur- 
nishes  so  many  curious  specimens  of 
the  animal  kingdom  as  the  Island  of  Aus- 
tralia. And  among  its  many  curious  or- 
nithological inhabitants,  none  are  more  re- 
markable, especially  as  regards  the  method 
of  nesting  and  incubation  than  the  above 
bird.  This  bird  was  first  described  by  Lath- 
am, who  called  it  the  New  Holland  Vul- 
ture, but  he  afterward  changed  its  classifi- 
cation from  the  Vultures  to  the  Turkeys,  to 
which  it  properly  belongs.  That  distin- 
guished ornithologist,  Mr.  Gould,  after- 
ward gave  a  very  full  and  accurate  account 
of  its  distribution  and  habits. 

The  Brush  Turkey  is  about  the  size  of  a 
two-thirds  grown  domestic  Turkey.  In  the 
adult,  the  whole  of  the  upper  surface  is  of 
a  blackish-brown  ;  the  feathers  of  the  chest 
are  edged  with  silver-gray  ;  the  skin  of  the 
head  and  neck  is  deep  red,  and  thinly  sprink- 
led with  short  hair-like  feathers  ;  the  sides 
of  the  neck  at  its  lower  part  are  ornament- 
ed with  a  bright  yellow  wattle,  capable  of 
being  expanded  or  contracted  at  will.  The 
female  is  somewhat  smaller  than  the  male, 
and  her  w^attles  not  so  much  develo])ed  ;  the 
color  is  the  same.  The  flesh  of  this  bird  is 
very  tender  and  delicate,  and  is  held  in 
hijrh  esteem. 


THE  OOLOGIST.  55 


These  birds  are  gregarious  in  habits,  as-  l  ply  of  materials  previously  to  laying.  The 
sociating  iu  small  flocks,  and  inhabiting  the  mode  in  which  the  materials  comprising 
dense  brush  wood.  They  are  extremely  these  mounds  are  accumulated,  is  equally 
shy  and  wary.  They  are  very  swirt-footed,  singular  ;  the  bird  never  using  its  beak,  but 
and  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  localities  always  grasping  a  quantity  in  its  foot, 
which  they  inhabit,  easily  escape  from  pur-  throwing  it  backward  to  one  common  cen- 
suit.  The  greatest  enemy  of  the  Brush  ter,  and  thus  clearing  the  surface  of  the 
Turkey  is  the  wild  dog,  and  when  closely  ground  for  a  considerable  distance  so  corn- 
pursued  by  them,  it  hops  upon  the  lower  pletely,  that  scarcely  a  leaf  or  a  blade  of 
branches  of  a  tree,  and  by  hopping  from  one    grass  is  left. 

branch  to  another  reaches  the  top  ;  the  en-  "The  heap  being  accumulated,  and  time 
tire  flock  acting  together  and  having  ascend-  allowed  for  a  sufficient  heat  to  be  engen- 
ed  to  the  top,  either  remain  there  oi-  fly  to  dercd,  the  eggs  are  deposited,  not  side  by 
some  distant  spot  where  greater  coucealnient  side,  as  is  ordinarily  the  case,  but  planted 
is  offered.  They  also  take  to  the  trees  to  at  the  distance  of  nine  or  twelve  inches  from 
escape  the  heat  of  the  sun  at  mid-day,  and  j  each  other,  and  buried  at  nearly  an  arm's 
while  thus  perched  are  easily  destroyed.  A  '  depth  perfectly  upright,  with  the  large  end 
whole  flock  may  thus  be  shot  before  they  upwards.  They  are  covered  up  as  they  are 
are  aroused  from  their  repose — hardly  a  laid,  and  allowed  to  remain  until  hatched, 
sportsmanlike  amusement,  but  still  furnish-  1  have  been  credibly  inf(jrmed  both  by  na- 
ing  a  desirable  luxury  for  the  table,  which  tives  and  settlers  living  near  their  haunts, 
is  more  to  the  purpose  with  the  majority  of  that  it  is  not  unusual  to  obtain  nearly  a 
the  colonists.  Its  food  consists  of  berries  bushel  of  their  eggs  at  one  time  from  a  sin- 
and  various  seeds.  Like  others  of  its  tribe  gle  heap,  and  as  they  are  delicious  eating, 
it  bathes  in  the  dry  dust,  nuiking  large  they  are  eagerly  sought  for." 
bare  spots.  1      Some  of  the  natives  say  that  the  female 

The  most  remarkable  circumstance  con-  is  constantly  in  the  vicinity  of  the  heap, 
cerning  this  bird  is  its  method  of  nesting  waiting  for  the  eggs  to  hatch,  and  that  they 
and  incubation.  The  eggs  are  collected  to-  sometimes  uncover  them  as  if  for  the  pur- 
gether  into  an  '•^evcaleohion"  where  they  pose  of  liberating  the  young.  Others  deny 
are  hatched  with  the  trouble  incident  to  oth-  this,  and  say  that  the  eggs  are  altogether 
er  birds.  Mr.  Gould  gives  an  accurate  and  Ibrsakeu,  and  the  young  left  to  liberate 
interesting  account  of  its  nesting  habits,  themselves.  Mr.  Gould  inclines  to  the  lat- 
from  which  I  quote:  "■The  Brush  Tur-  ter  opinion,  as  the  position  of  the  eggs  is 
key  collects  together  an  immense  heap  of  not  altered,  and  although  he  was  not  in  the 
decaying  vegetable  matter  as  a  depository  districts  inhabited  by  this  bird  during  the 
of  its  eggs,  and  trusts  to  the  heat  engender-  incubation,  he  once  foimd  in  searching  for 
ed  by  the  process  of  decomposition,  for  the  eggs  a  young  bird,  apparently  just  hatched, 
development  of  the  young.  The  heap  em-  It  was  covered,  not  with  down,  but  with 
ployed  for  this  purpose  is  collected  by  the  feathers,  and  if  just  hatched,  was  much 
birds  during  several  weeks  previous  to  the  further  advanced  than  the  domestic  fowl  at 
period  of  laying.  It  varies  in  size  from  two  the  same  time.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  re- 
to  four  cart-loads,  and  is  of  a  perfectly  py-  tired  spot,  usually  in  a  shady  glen,  and  on 
ramidal  form.  The  construction  of  the  hea[)  the  slope  of  a  hill.  The  ground  above  the 
is  not  the  task  of  one  pair  of  birds,  but  is  nest  is  always  scratched  clean,  while  below 
effected  by  the  united  efforts  of  several ;  the  it  is  apparently  untouched,  as  if  the  bird 
same  site  appears  to  me,  from  the.  great  had  brought  the  nuiterial  down  the  hill, 
size  and  the  entire  decomposition  of  the  low-  ^  The  eggs  are  perfectly  white,  of  a  long  o- 
er  part,  to  be  resorted  to  for  several  years  val,  and  three  inches  and  three-quarters  in 
in  succession,  the  birds  adding  a  fresh  sup-    length. 


56 


THE  OOLOGIST 


General  Items. 


— I  NOTICKL)  ill  the  early  part  of  June, 
a  nest  of  the  Bahimore  Oriole  (^Icterus  hal- 
timore)  in  an  elm  tree  about  fifteen  feet 
from  the  ground.  When  1  first  visited  it, 
the  female  flew  off,  but  there  proved  to  be 
nothing  in  it.  1  continued  to  visit  the  nest 
once  or  twice  a  week  for /b?/r  ov  five  weeA-s, 
and  almost  invariably  found  the  female  sit- 
ting, but  in  an  empty  nest.  Finally  I  took 
the  nest,  though  unsuccessful  in  my  attempts 
to  obtain  any  eggs.  Why  the  bird  should 
not  have  laid  in  so  long  a  time,  or  why,  if 
not  intending  to  lay,  she  should  have  so  per- 
.sistently  tenanted  the  nest,  is  what  I  do  not 
understand.  Jamks  E.  Humphrey. 

— The  admonitions  in  various  newspa- 
pers throughout  the  country  are  adding 
more  and  more  to  the  worthlessness  of  the 
Sparrow.  "Feed  the  Sparrows"  means: 
Increase  their  already  alarming  numbers  ; 
give  them  the  confidence  not  merited  ;  ab- 
stract their  desire  for  caterpillars,  if  it  is 
possible  they  ever  possessed  any  ;  make 
them  depend  upon  man  for  their  food  ;  call 
them  about  piazzas  and  window-sills  whence 
they  will  not  be  driven.  People  who  take 
into  consideration  the  humane  side  of  the 
question,  will  be  glad  to  know  that  the 
House  Sparrow  is  destined  neither  to  starve 
nor  freeze,  and  the  more  it  is  made  to  de- 
pend upon  its  own  efforts  in  winter,  the  more 
will  its  services  be  worth  in  summer. 

— Mr.  Hutciiins,  in  an  article  on  the 
"  Birds  of  Central  New  York,"  in  a  recent 
number  of  Forest  and  Stream^  mentions  a 
specimen  of  the  Raven  {Corvus  carnivorus) 
as  having  been  taken  in  the  Oneida  Valley. 
This  is  only  the  second  specimen  as  far  as 
we  know  which  has  been  shot  in  central  N. 
Y.,  outside  of  the  Great  Woods  of  this 
state  ;  for  though  it  is  found  frequently  in 
these  woods,  it  only  aceidently  happens  in 
the  open  country. 

— It  will  soon  be  time  for  the  s{)ring  mi- 
grations, when  observations  on  the  occur- 
rence of  certain  species  within  given  areas 
are  most  readily  made.     The  Warblers  es- 


pecially should  be  shadowed,  and  doubtful 
visitants  carefully  looked  for. 


Recent  ^HtbUcittious 

AND    ANNOUNCEMENTS. 

There  is  much  of  value  and  interest  in 
the  Familiar  Science,  published  at  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  relating  to  ornithology  and 
oology.  The  department  devoted  to  gen- 
eral natural  history  is  a  great  aid  to  tliose 
who  should  not  only  inculcate  in  them- 
selves useful  information  in  general,  but  a 
knowledge  of  the  feathered  life  about  them. 
We  think  the  demands  of  the  times  and  the 
partiality  shown  the  study  of  birds  require 
a  change  of  the  heading  the  '■'Naturalist" 
to  the  "  Ornithologist." 

Among  the  many  costly  ornithological 
publications  with  which  Europe  and  Amer- 
ica are  furnished,  the  series  of  monographs 
upon  general  ornithology  by  eminent  savans 
of  Europe,  now  being  published,  form  a 
most  valuable  contribution  to  this  science. 
The  forthcoming  work  on  the  Jacamars 
and  Puff-birds  of  Soutli  America,  species 
belonging  or  allied  to  the  Kingfisher  fami- 
ly, to  be  superbly  illustrated  with  colored 
plates,  will  be  issued  in  parts. 

Birds  of  North  America. — The  portion 
of  this  work  devoted  to  the  water  birds  is 
under  way,  and  we  are  informed  will  be 
ready  for  the  press  in  June,  when  its  pub- 
lication will  proceed  rapidly  until  com- 
pleted. Professor  Agassiz  has  charge  of 
its  publication,  and  under  the  supervision 
of  this  eminent  naturalist,  the  completion 
of  the  work  in  about  a  year  is  assured. 

The  National  Museum  at  Washington 
will  soon  publish  Mr.  Fred.  Ober's  recent 
notes  on  the  birds  of  some  of  the  islands  of 
West  Indies.  In  his  sojourn  there,  Mr. 
Ober  made  important  observations  and  (!ol- 
lected  many  birds,  among  which  there  were 
several  new  species. 

Parts  VII.  and  VIII.  of  the  Birds  of 
Florida  have  been  issued.  Part  IX.  is 
fbrthcomin":. 


-^ 


oioqi 


MARCH,  1879. 


No.  8. 


Coues  on  the  Nest  and  Eggs  of 

the  Water  Thrush  (Siurus 

naevius).* 


[From  '•  Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley."] 

fUNE  is  the  lieiglit  of  the  breeding  sea-  \ 
son  with  this  bird.  During  this 
month,  egg-laden  nests  hiive  been 
found  so  fur  apart  as  are  Maine  and  Ahis- 
ka — early  in  the  month  in  the  New  Eng- 
land locality  just  mentioned,  and  later  on 
the  Yukon  River.  Doubtle.ss  only  one 
brood  is  reared  in  the  higher  latitudes  to 
which  the  birds  resort ;  the  case  may  also 
be  the  same  in  other  localities,  and  proba- 
bly is  so,  considering  how  soon — by  the 
fore  part  of  August — these  birds  reappear 
in  places  where  they  are  not  known  to  breed, 
as  in  Illinois  and  Jamaica.  In  the  few  in- 
stances which  have  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  naturalists,  the  Water  Thrush's  nest  was 
built  on  the  ground  or  its  equivalent.  The 
Alaskan  nests  to  which  I  have  alluded  were 
placed  by  the  river  bank,  at  the  foot  r)f  wil- 
low-bushes, one  of  them  beneath  a  small 
pile  of  drift-wood,  and  contained  four  to  six 
eggs.  These  and  other  Arctic  nests,  as 
preserved  in  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
are  about  four  inches  across  by  two-thirds 
as  much  in  depth  ;  they  are  composed  chief- 
ly of  moss,  compactly  matted  and  mixed 
with  little  sticks  and  straws,  one  of  them 
having  also  a  large  amount  of  circularly- 
woven  fibrous  material  in  a  state  of  disin- 
tegration. A  nest  found  in  Maine  by  Prof. 
A.  E.  Verrill,  and  described  with  particu- 
larity by  Dr.  Brewer,  was  built  in  an  ex- 
cavation in  the  side  of  a  decayed  log,  which 

*Siiitrux  novcboracenain  in  former  publications. 
Dr.  Coues  gives  preference  to  "Aquatic  Accentor'' 
as  the  English  term. 


overarched  the  structure  somewhat  as  the 
domed  portion  of  the  nest  of  the  Golden- 
crowned  Thrush  covers  the  main  part  of 
the  structure.  It  was  a  beautiful  fabi'ic, 
built  chiefly  of  green  Ili/pnum  mosses,  with 
which  a  few  withered  leaves  and  plant-stems 
were  mixed,  having  a  compact  iiuier  por- 
tion or  lining  of  the  fruit-stems  of  the  same 
Hypnum,  and  showing  a  number  of  slen- 
der black  rootlets  intertwined  around  the 
outer  circumference.  It  was  flatter  and 
shallower  than  the  nests  I  have  seen,  being 
four  and  a  half  inches  across,  but  only  one 
and  a  half  high,  with  a  cavity  half  an  inch 
less  in  depth.  "This  nest  contained  five 
eggs,  the  brilliant  white  grtjiuul  of  which, 
with  their  delicately  shaded  spots  of  red- 
dish brown,  contrasted  with  tiie  bright  gi-eeii 
of  the  mossy  exterior,  and  set  off  to  advaii- 
tage  by  the  conspicuous  and  uiii(|ue  lining, 
produce  a  very  beautiful  efl'ect." 

The  numerous  eggs  I  have  examined — 
I  all,  however,  after  they  had  been  emptied 
I  oftheir  contents-measure  from  three- fourths 
to  four-fifths  of  an  inch  in  length  by  a  little 
more  or  less  than  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in 
breadth — more  exactly,  two  selected  spec- 
imens give  respectively  the  measurements 
0.75x0.58  and  0.82x0.60.  The  ground- 
color of  the  shell  is  brilliant  crystal-white  ; 
this  is  marked  all  over,  but  in  most  cases 
more  thickly  at  and  around  the  larger  end 
:  than  elsewhere,  with  small  spots  of  reddish, 
of  quite  dark  brown,  and  of  lilac  or  laven- 
der—  sometimes  all  the  spots  being  dots 
'  and  mere  points  ;  sometimes  many  of  them 
beinir  larirer,  and  more  or  less  confiuent  to 
enwreathe  the  greater  end  of  the  egg.  Oc- 
casionally the  other  end,  or  evQU  some  con- 
siderable part  of  the  egg,  is  nearly  free  from 
markings,  but  the  shell,  as  a  rule,  is  pretty 
thoroughly  speckled. 


58 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Note  on  the  Nesting  Habits  of  the 

Sparrow  Hawk  (Falco  spar- 

verius). 


fpHE  Sparrow  Hawk,  like  many  other 
birds  whose  persistency  in  occupying  a 
nest  after  repeated  deprivation  of  their  eggs 
is  pretty  well  known  to  oologists,  often  dis- 
plays considerable  attachment  to  an  old  hole 
ill  the  dead  limb  of  a  tree;,  and,  too,  this 
j)ersistency  often  goes  beyond  the  reasona- 
ble bounds  of  prudence.  A  pair,  having 
nested  in  a  squirrel's  hole  in  a  monster  dead 
basswood  tree,  reared  four  or  five  young. 
The  next  season,  the  tree  was  broken  off  by 
the  wind  two-thirds  of  the  way  up,  and  the 
broken  piece  (which  contained  the  nest)  ! 
toppled  over  and  lodged  in  a  small  tree,  but  \ 
renuiined  attached  to  the  standing  portion 
by  a  splinter  and  piece  of  bark.  The  Hawks 
fixed  over  their  old  nest  and  laid  the  custom-  { 
ury  set  of  eggs,  which,  notwithstanding  the 
risk  attending  the  scaling  of  a  rotten  and  in- 
secure trunk,  were  duly  taken.  Undaunt- 
ed, the  pair  laid  another  set,  this  time  of 
three,  in  the  same  hole,  within  a  week  after 
the  first  set  was  taken,  in  the  incubation  of 
which  they  met  with  as  little  success,  for 
th.ey  were  robbed  again.  Foiled  in  their 
attempts  to  raise  any  young,  it  was  suppos- 
I'd  they  gave  it  up  entirely  for  the  season, 
for  the  next  year  they  came  back  to  the 
broken  trunk,  laid  five  eggs,  and  for  a  third 
successive  time  were  deprived  of  them. 
This  was  too  much  :  they  left  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  whether  or  no  they  ever  returned 
afterward  could  not  be  ascertained.  The 
same  year  that  the  last  clutch  was  taken, 
llie  home  of  another  pair  in  the  very  top  of 
a  straight,  dead  tree,  was  despoiled  of  five 
eggs,  on  the  24th  of  May  ;  on  June  1st  it 
was  again  visited  —  result,  three  eggs. 
It  was  not  ascertained  whether  this  pair 
deserted  or  not. 

A  lively  Sparrow  Hawk  will  frequently 
show  himself  a  noble  defender  of  his  pos- 
sessions, by  making  it  unpleasant  for  the 
robber.  While  as  a  rule,  most  birds  of 
prey  keep  a  respectful  distance,  this  little 


fellow  has  it  in  him  to  attempt  resistance 
by  flying  at  the  intruder  when  off,  and  by 
showering  blows  with  its  sharp  beak  when 
upon,  the  nest.  Those  spiteful  notes  V-/i/, 
't-iit^  I'd-le,  kil-le,  are  an  alarm  which  all  the 
birds  in  the  vicinity  might  recognize,  were 
it  policy  ;  but  it  does  not  seem  to  us  that 
there  is  anything  of  either  grief  or  dismay 
in  the  notes. 

The  eggs  of  this  Hawk  are  an  interesting 
study.  They  do  not  often  differ  in  shape 
and  general  aspect,  but  the  variety  of  tints. 
and  the  different  groupings  of  the  mottled 
portions  are  such,  especially  since  the  egg 
is  always  handsome,  as  to  make  a  most  a- 
greeable  display  in  the  cabinet.  Some  of 
them  are  exceedingly  delicate  in  tint,  the 
creamy  ground  color  being  tantastically  be- 
spattered Avith  red  ;  others  are  deeply  pink, 
with  Indian  red  surface  markings.  Some- 
times one  end  will  be  bare  of  spots,  while 
they  will  a[)pear  to  have  crowded  toward 
the  other,  the  number  gradually  incrci'.sing 
until  the  ground  color  is  indistinguishable 
through  the  mass. 

From  the  moment  tlie  young  appear  till 
the  time  when  they  are  able  to  catch  theii- 
own  Sparrows,  it  is  as  much  as  the  parents 
can  do  to  keep  them  from  starving,  for  the 
little  things  eat  almost  to  suffocation  ;  they 
keep  up  their  "chil-l-l-'p"  until,  having  eat- 
en all  'twere  possible  to  cram  into  tliem,  they 
close  their  eyes,  their  crops  stick  out,  and 
they  gasp  as  if  choked. 


Nesting   of  the   Black -throated 
Bunting  (Euspiza  americana). 

TIHIS  member  of  the  Frinfiillidce,  altho' 
classed  among  the  accidental  visitors  to 
New  England,  is  abundantly  distributed 
throughout  the  south  and  west.  There  it 
breeds,  placing  its  nest  upon  or  near  the 
ground.  Several  pairs  associating  they 
undertake  predatory  excursions  to  the  ad- 
jacent fields,  where  they  glean  a  precari- 
ous[?]  subsistence  from  the  animal  and 
vegetable  matter  which  collects  in  such 
places. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


59 


Although  considered  very  impartial  to  eggs  were  a  light  buff  color,  covered  all  o- 
water,  I  collected  my  first  nest  within  two  ver  with  lines  and  dashes  of  brown  and  pur- 
feet  of  the  current  of  a  small  stream  ema-  pie,  and  were  very  fresli.  The  birds  did 
natiu"-  from  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Unaka  not  make  much  outcry,  but  flew  to  a  limb 


range  in  eastern  Tennessee.  I  was  follow 
iug  the  banks  trout  fishing,  when  my  atten- 
tion was  attracted  by  a  wisp  of  straw,  caught 
it  seemed,  by  some  previous  inundation,  in 
a  species  of  large  fern.  On  closer  exami- 
nation, I  found  it  to  be  a  nest  composed  en- 


near  by  and  watched  the  proceedings. 

8.  Cunningham. 


A  CORKESPONDENT  oi' Fovcfit  and  Stream, 
C.  H.  Munger,  makes  an  interesting  state- 
ment in  regard  to  the  nesting  of  Ortyx  vir- 
ginianus.     He  says  :      '•' 1  noticed  an  arti- 
tirely  of  straw,  and  woven  with  great  labor  |  ^,^  -^  .^  j^^.,^,  ^^.^p^^.  ,^^^.^  yesterday,  stating 

that  a  gentleman,  while  out  luuiting  in  Cal- 


into  a  homogeneous  mass.  In  this  nest, 
which  was  about  six  inches  from  the  ground,  | 
lay  one  egg,  which,  owing  to  a  transient  ( 
visit,  I  was  compelled  to  ap])ropriate,  1 
took  anotlier  nest  of  this  species  at  Morris- 
town,  Tenn.,  Aug.  1st.  Its  structure  did 
not  differ  essentially  from  the  first  speci- 


away  Co.,  a  county  adjoining  this,  in  the 
mouth  of  .January,  found  a  Quail's  nest  with 
fifteen  or  sixteen  eggs,  and  the  mother  bird 
sitting  on  the  nest.  After  she  flew  off  the 
nest  he  examined  it  carefully,  the  bunch  of 
crass  covering  it  beins  filled  with  ice  and 


men,  but  it  was  built  m  a  bush  soine  four    ^.,^^^^^  ^^^.^^^  ^_^,^^.       .^^^^  ^^^^^    ,,^  ^,j,_ 

ieet  from  the  ground,  in  the  centre  of  a  high  ,  ^^^.  .^  ^^^.  ^,^^  ^^j^.j  ^^^;^j  j^^^.  ^^^^^^  ^,^^,^  ^^    ,^^^.^ 
pasture.       1  he   complement   of  four   eggs  1  ^.^^  ^^j^^      ^  ^^^^  ^^         ,^^.^^^,  ^^^^^y        -^  ,,^ 


were  of  an  azure  blue,  and  presented  an  av- 
erage measxn-ement  of  .73  by  .89.  Their 
principal  charaeteristics  are  lost  when  plac- 
ed by  the  side  of  eggs  of  Sialia  sialis. 

G.  8.  8mith. 


Oological  Notes  for  March. 


Nest  of  Great-crested  Flycatcher. 

— While  collecting  last  June,   on  the   15th 
inst.,  with  my  friend  Howard  81iields,   we  i 


and  other  parties  went  to  examine  it  again. 
This  time  they  found  the  bird  still  sitting  on 
the  nest,  but  frozen  to  death.  A  portion  of 
the  eggs  had  been  hatched,  but  the  young 
were  also  frozen.  Was  this  not  a  very  sin- 
gular occurrence?  I  should  have  been 
somewhat  skeptical  in  regard  to  it  if  I  had 
not  met  with  very  nearly  a  similar  case 
while  out  Quail  shooting  four  years  ago  this 
winter,  in  company  with  a  venerable  sports- 
man, Mr.  Pratt,  of  this  place.      Our  dogs 


,,  ,  111  made  a  rjoint.      We  flushed  a  single  bird  af- 

were  i)assinLr  tl!rou";h  an  orcliaro,  Avhen  we  ! .       ,  ,    i  ■  i  •  ^  "  ^^ 

, ,     ,     ,    '^    ,  ^i    ^         p.,     t^       ^  .    1  ter  considerable  kicking  around  in  the  grass 

suddenly  lieard  the  cry  of  the  Great-crested         ^  -i  r        ^   ^      ^     ^   ,  •".• 

,.,       ,  I  1  •  1    ij        !•  11-  and  snow,  and  found  she  had   been  sitting: 

iMycatcher,  which  new  from  a  hole  m  an  ,  '  .   .  ,  . 

■' ,     ,  .,         .  1      ]   r    I  I  on    her    nest   containing   three   apparently 

apple  tree,   then  to  a  dead  limb  near  by.  „      ,  „  °  '  ^  -' 

I  \  1-  r       1  »i  t  fresh  ejjcs. 

On  ascending,  we  found  the  nest  as  we  sup- 


posed we  would,  in  the  hole  from  which  the 
bird  had  just  flown.      It  was  about  two  feet 


About  the  first  of  last  June  while  passing 
by  a  small  thicket  of  alder  bushes,   I  dis- 


deep  and  the  bottom  was  lined  with  dried  covered  a  nest  of  the  Yellow  Warbler.  As 
grass,  cow-hair,  &c.  I  did  not  notice  any  i  it  contained  no  eggs,  I  left  it,  in  about  a 
snake-skin,  which  however,  I  might  have  ;  week  visiting  it  again,  but  still  it  contained 
overlooked  in  my  haste.  It  contained  three  '  no  eggs.  I  took  it  home  and  on  close  ex- 
eggs.  The  uest  was  not  more  than  twenty  amituition  found  with  surprise  two  nests  in- 
rods  from  a  farm-house,  and  about  nine  feet  stead  of  one.  One  fitted  closely  inside  of 
from   the   ground.      We   did  not  take  the    the  other,  so  as  to  have  the  appearance  of 


nest,  as  we  supposed  we  should  be  able  to 
obtain  another  set ;  but  on  returning  a  week 
after  we  found  the  birds  had  deserted.    The 


one.  The  under  nest  contained  three  eggs 
of  the  AVarbler  and  one  of  the  Cow-bunt- 
ing. W.  B.  Dickinson. 


60 


THE  OOLOGIST 


\f     ^' 


Tfie   ©«roijtst 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    TEAR. 


MARCH,  1879. 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGIOALLY  CONSIDEEED. 


//.   CONFIDENCE  AND  ADAPT- 
ATION. 


T^HERE  is  a  remarkably  close  relation  of 
the  confidence  displayed  by  birds,  with 
the  adaptation  of  varions  places  to  the  re- 
quirements of  nest-building  ;  and  we  are 
i'requeutly  obliged  to  consider  both  togeth- 
«M-  as  inseparable.  Whether  a  certain  pair 
of  birds  act  out  of  desire  ibr  protection,  for 
advantage  in  situation,  or  in  some  cases, 
from  compulsion,  there  is  shown  in  an  un- 
usual placing  of  the  nest  in  proximity  to 
populated  districts,  houses,  or  window-sills, 
a  perception  of  the  advantage  thus  to  be 
gained,  which  we  might  do  well  to  term, 
accommodatio  covfidentia  nata.  Good  ex- 
amples of  this  fact  are  brought  to  our  no- 
tice every  year,  in  the  case  of  the  semi-do- 
mesticated birds  which  frequent  our  lawns 
and  gardens  in  the  summer  season  ;  but  as 
such,  and  being  accustomed  to  turning  to 
good  account  all  manner  of  positions  for 
their  nests,  we  are  tempted  to,  and  gener- 
ally do,  look  upon  these  little  anomalies 
with  a  small  degree  of  interest.  The  very 
fact  of  the  semi-domestication  of  a  species 
is  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  interest  and 
attention  a  case  of  adaptation  to  circum- 
stances should  call  forth  ;  but  the  moment 
we  become  aware  of  any  unusual  freak,  as 
exhibited  by  what  we  may  here  term  with 


propriety,  wild  birds,  in  the  selection  of  a 
nesting  place,  we  at  once  exert  ourselves  to- 
ward the  explanation  of  the  phenomenon. 
We  may  be  pardoned  for  want  of  ardor  to 
a  certain  extent  in  some  few  individual  in- 
stances of  adaptation,  both  of  position  and 
material,  on  account  of  the  })eculiarity  of 
the  species  to  nidificate  at  all  seasons,  in  all 
places,  and  without  regard  to  circumstanes 
— one  nesting  place  being  as  usual  as  an- 
other. The  House  Sparrow,  for  example, 
is  a  bird  of  no  choice  of  material,*  we  had 
almost  said  not  even  for  the  frame  of  its 
nest,  and  each  disquisition  on  some  new  ma- 
terial used,  only  renders  the  succeeding  item 
the  more  monotonous  and  disinteresting  ; 
while  no  one  would  think  of  giving  partic- 
ular notice  to  the  position  selected,  unless 
the  bird  be  so  far  uncharacteristic  as  to 
place  the  nest  upon  the  ground  or  in  unin- 
habited districts. 

Many  circumstances  may  combine  to  im- 
press a  bird  with  confidence  in  man,  and 
the  same  circumstances  often  operate  in  the 
adaptation  of  peculiar  and  actually  unfavor- 
able positions  to  the  whims  of  birds  ;  so  that 
it  is  sometimes  puzzliug  to  determine  wheth- 
er the  builders  really  sought  advantage  or 
safety,  or  exercised  a  degree  of  carelessness. 
We  do  know,  that,  notwithstanding  the  care 
which  birds  usually  exercise  in  the  selection 
of  nesting  places,  occasionally  in  the  case  of 
too  great  confidence  tliere  will  be  a  surpris- 
ing disregard  for  position.  We  do  not  look 
upon  tlie  nesting  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow 
or  Humming  Bird  within  a  few  inches  of 
the  window-sill,  as  anything  extraordinary  ; 
but  when  a  Yellow-winged  Sparrow  nests 
within  a  few  feet  of  a  house,  and  that,  too, 
at  disadvantage  of  position  and  especially 
concealment ;  and  when  a  pair  of  Crows, 
driven  and  harassed  continually  in  common 
with  others  of  their  tribe  by  a  multitude  of 

*In  eleven  nests  of  Passer  domesticus,  there 
was  not  a  single  spccinicu  wliieli  did  not  con- 
tain at  least  one  article  of  its  composition  dif- 
ferent from  all  tlie  rest.  Cotton,  wool,  hair, 
string,  fiower  stems,  paper,  feathers  and  even 
bits  of  wire  have  been  found  in  nests  of  tliis 
bird,  besides  the  two  or  three  usual  materials 
of  construction. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


61 


boys  aud  men,  (lelibcratcly  build  tlieir  un- 
comely home  in  a  small  evergreen  tree,  six 
feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
city,  not  lifteen  rods  from  four  or  five  houses 
for  two  successive  years  ;  in  a  place,  more- 
over, which  formed  the  very  rendezvous  of 
numbers  of  boys, — does  there  not  seem  to 
be  some  inconsisteucy  as  far  as  the  relation 
(d'  protection  with  position  is  concerned? 
Indeed,  there  is  something  which  seems  al- 
most unaccountable  in  this  latter  case  ;  for 
the  parents  when  off  the  nest,  were  as  Avihl 
as  a  Crow  proverbially  is,  since  they  could 
not  be  ap])roached  within  gunshot.  Under 
wliicli  of  the  already  suggested  causes  of 
choice  of  situation  can  we  properly  place 
tliis  instance?  It  is  not  likely  they  sought 
protection — at  least  tiie  circumstances  are 
against  such  a  sup})Osition.  Was  there  any- 
tliing  to  be  gained  in  tlie  situation?  It  did 
not  seem  possible  there  could  be,  for  there 
were  favoi-able  nesting  places,  offering  pro- 
tection everywhere  about  the  adjacent  coun- 
try, where  Crows  bred  in  large  munbers. 
Then,  while  we  must  debar  this  as  a  case 
of  actual  confidence,  there  are  evident  traces 
of  whim  and  of  carelessness,  from  which  we 
cannot  always  detract  assurance. 

If  man  shows  toward  the  birds  about 
him  his  desii'e  to  protect  them,  they  have 
no  fear  of  nesting  in  close  proximity  to  him, 
and  do  so  sometimes  at  great  inconvenience 
of  po>>^ition.  Swallows  will  rear  their  young 
within  a  lew  feet  of  constant  movement  and 
noise  ;  Cedar  Birds  frequently  make  their 
nests  within  a  few  feet  of  the  dwellings  of 
man  ;  the  Baltimore  and  Orchard  Orioles 
siiow  their  confidence  in  man  by  nesting  in 
lilac  bushes  aud  saplings  close  to  his  door. 
The  Wild  Pigeon  not  a  great  many  years 
since,  nested  with  great  confidence  iu  the 
vicinity  of  houses,  in  a  number  of  instances 
in  the  low  orchard  trees  ;  but  when  their 
indiscriminate  destruction  was  begun,  they 
lost  their  assurance  and  sought  wilder  and 
safer  localities.  Gradually,  as  they  were 
di-i\  en  fartiier  and  farthei-  into  wild  regions, 
we  notice  that  they  built  their  nests  higher 
until  they  occupied  the  highest  beech  aud 
maple  trees.    Chipping  and  Song  Sparrows, 


Yellow  Birds  and  Pewees  show  great  con- 
fidence in  nesting  close  by  railroads,  iu 
bridges,  and  upon  supports,  where  trains 
and  vehicles  are  constantly  passing,  and  in 
the  presence  of  jarring  and  rattling.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  some  of  the  Hawks 
aud  Blackbirds. 

Let  us  look  briefly  at  adiiptation.  A 
Robin  finds  the  sill  of  a  barn  to  answer  her 
purpose  better  than  the  crotch  in  the  apple 
tree,  where  she  had  nested  for  a  series  of 
seasons  ;  and  despite  its  proximity  to  pass- 
ing persons  and  the  apparent  fact  of  nothing 
gained,  she  forthwith  builds  her  nest  there. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  nuiny  cases 
of  adaptation  of  situation,  the  builder  is  act- 
uated by  a  desire  for  protection,  as  ofien  in 
the  adaptation  of  materials  for  tlie  conceal- 
ment of  the  eggs.  But  when,  as  previous- 
ly mentioned,  birds  nest  close  to  i-ailroads 
and  well-traveled  highways,  it  seems  as  if 
there  must  certainly  be  some  charm  in  the 
situation  —  some  advantage,  —  else  why 
leave  a  naturally  quiet  and  rather  retired 
place  for  one  so  exposed  and  noisy?  An 
interesting  instance  of  adaptation  coming 
under  the  head  of  advantage  in  situation, 
coupled  perhaps  with  something  of  a  desire 
for  the  protection  of  concealment,  is  shown 
iu  the  choice  of  a  nest  l)y  a  pair  of  House 
Wrens.  Working  their  way  through  a  fis- 
sure caused  by  a  powder  blast  in  a  stone 
quarry,  they  found  at  the  end  a  snug  en- 
largement, where  they  built  a  nest,  laid 
their  eggs  and  successfully  reared  four  little 
Wrens,  unconscious  of  the  f.ict  of  their  pos- 
sible total  destruction  at  any  moment.  This 
is  a  good  illustration  of  adaptation.  Sure- 
ly, the  instance  mentioned  in  our  February 
number,  of  the  placing  of  a  Broad-winged 
Hawk's  nest  in  an  evergreen  tree,  seems  to 
us  a  singular  whim  on  the  part  of  the  birds, 
unless  they  became  totally  lost  to  all  other 
consideration.s  by  the  temptation  of  an  al- 
ready laid  foundation  ;  for  it  is  a  noticeable 
peculiarity  of  the  Buteouiclce  to  vie  with 
each  other  in  placing  their  nests  in  the  loft- 
iest and  most  inaccessible  trees. 

There  is  a  fitting  illustration  of  adapta- 
'  tiou,  combined  with  coufideuce  and  fondness 


tV2 


THE  OOLOGIST 


for  locality,  in  the  nesting  of  several  pairs  1 
of  Red-eyed  Greenlets  for  successive  years, 
ill  the  little  saplings  upon  the  edge  of  a  path 
through  the  woods,  i'requented  daily  by  both 
men  and  cattle.  A  small  group  of  maples 
contained  six  of  these  uests  ;  iind  the  men- 
tion of  this  circumstance  induces  the  query 
hearing  upon  this  subject :  are  not  Red-eyed 
Vireos  often  gregarious  in  nesting?  Or  is 
it  true  tliat  these  gi'oups  of  nests  one  some- 
times finds,  make  up  a  "family  settlement"  ? 
Vireos  delight  to  nidificate  in  small  trees, 
iind  in  the  vicinity  of  these  one  is  most  lia- 
ble to  find  their  nests  :  hence,  if  a  certain 
group  of  young  trees  offers  suitable  advan- 
tages for  a  common  nesting  place,  and  there 
is  a  probability  of  protection,  the  adaptation 
is  complete,  though  not  marked.  Crow 
Blackbirds  are  nc^tably  indillerent  as  regards 
the  position  of  their  nests,  placing  them  in 
all  sorts  of  odd  situations — and  tliei'e  seems 
to  be  nothing  gained  eitlier.  A  few  years 
ago  (1874),  large  numbers  of  Yellow  Birds 
nested  in  the  elder  bushes  which  grew  in  a- 
bundance  beside  one  of  the  numerous  New- 
port roads,  in  Herkimer  county,  and  the 
very  multitude  of  their  nests  indicated  that 
tliese  buslies — which  grew  to  the  height  of 
tour  or  five  feet —  formed  a  most  advanta- 
geous nesting  place. 

Individual  instances  to  a  large  number 
might  be  mentioned  to  illustrate  the  desire  of 
birds  for  new  and  different  nesting  places, 
anil  perhaps  many  could  be  cited  which 
would  point  more  strongly  to  adaptation  ; 
but  limited  space  forbids  further  lengthen- 
ing of  what  was  intended  to  be  a  mere  skel- 
eton of  the  subject. 


General  Items. 


— The  "  Woodruff  Scientific  P^xpedition 
around  the  World"  is  expected  to  leave  the 
port  of  New  York  in  May.  Its  object  has 
already  been  briefly  alluded  to  in  this  jour- 
nal. The  material  which  must  necessarily 
accumulate  to  those  who  accompany  this 
expedition  will  be  important  and  interesting. 


— About  this  time  of  the  year  the  Hawks, 
after  a  hard  struggle  with  Imnger  for  three 
months,  begin  to  realize  something  i'nnn 
their  predatoi-y  excursions.  Tlie  field  mice, 
enticed  from  their  burrows  and  nests  by  the 
opening  of  the  meadows,  now  form  their 
principal  food,  and  numbers  of  Hawks  may 
be  seen  searching  for  them.  On  the  15th, 
while  watching  a  Harrier  in  his  search,  he 
suddenly  alit  on  the  ground  not  many  paces 
away,  and,  grasping  a  mouse-nest,  lilted 
the  whole  into  the  air,  but  losing  a  part,  lie 
settled  to  the  task  of  devouring  what  he  had. 
He  had  evidently  taken  the  whole  family  in 
the  nest,  for  we  found  on  the  ground  two 
dead  mice  pierced  by  his  talons,  which  he 
had  dropjied,  and  which  he  afterward  bore 
away.  Doubtless  a  large  number  of  these 
annoying  little  animals  are  captured  in  their 
uests  by  the  Hawks. 

— The  first  arrival  in  the  vicinity  of  Utica 
was  a  Robin — March  1 1 .  The  correspond- 
ing arrival  last  year  was  March  4. 

— The  partial  opening  of  the  rivers  and 
ponds  has  brought  the  van  of  Ducks  and 
Geese,  which  are  seen  by  twos  and  threes. 

— The  winter  of  1878-9  has  in  many  re- 
spects been  a  severe  one  for  the  small  non- 
migratory  and  "winter"  species,  and  the 
finding  of  frozen  birds  is  reported  from 
many  parts  of  the  north.  Red-polls,  Pine 
Finches,  Pine  Bnlfinches  and  Sparrows  of 
many  kinds  have  been  compelled  to  apj)ly 
at  the  doors  of  man  for  food  ;  and  their  ap- 
pearance about  gardens  in  the  cities  has 
been  a  very  common  occurrence. 

— It  may  not  be  generally  believed  that 
the  Crow  can  really  be  taught  to  talk.  Sev- 
eral instances,  however,  have  come  to  our 
notice  which  fully  demonstrate  that  there 
is  considerable  linguistic  ability  in  this  bird, 
and  this  may  be  developed  to  a  surprising 
extent  by  proper  training.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary, though  it  probably  is  an  advantage, 
to  slit  the  tongue,  for  the  bird,  if  intelligent, 
will  pick  up  simple  sounds  in  a  short  time 
of  its  own  accord. 

— EvEiiY  young  oologist  should  subscribe 
for  this  journal. 


THE  OOLOGIST. 


63 


The  Great  Moa  (Diornis  maxi- 
mus.) 


4  MONG  recent  discoveries  of  the  fossil 
■^  remains  of  gigantic  birds,  that  of  the 
Moa  of  New  Zeahind  claims  due  promi- 
nence, not  only  in  regard 
to  its  importance  as  a 
paleontological  disclos- 
ure, but  concerning  its 
history,  structure,  and 
size,  ornithologically. 
There  have  been  ascer- 
tained to  be  a  number  of 
species  of  Diornis,  the 
largest  of  which,  D.  max- 
im us,  stands  about  twelve 
feet  in  height,  and  is  a- 
mong  the  largest  fossil 
l)irds  ever  discovered.  Its 
build,  as  will  be  seen  in 
tlie  illustration,  is  very 
stout  and  characteristic- 
ally imcouth,  which  seems 
to  be  in  keeping  with  the 
supposed  slow  and  slug- 
gish habits  of  the  birds. 
The  great  development  of 
the  femur,  tibia  and  met- 
atai'sus,  indicate  a  bird  of 
great  power,  and  capable 
of  considerable  speed,  al- 
though the  length  of  the 
two  last  seems  dispropor- 
tionate, and  rather  an  im- 
pediment. 

It  is  supposed  the  Moa 
existed  until  as  recently 
as  two  centuries  ago,  and 
that  its  extinction  is  due 
to  "bush"  fires,  and  to 
the  continual  war  waged 
against  them  by  the  natives.  The  birds 
were  hunted  for  food,  and  if  we  are  to  take 
the  persistency  of  the  natives  in  hunting  it 
for  a  criterion,  we  must  conclude  it  to  have 
been  a  favorite  article  of  their  food.  Their 
liaunts  were  the  timbered  portions  of  the 
elevated  country,  whei'e  a  number  of  their 


SKELETON  OF  T 


bones,  together  with  numerous  rude  imple- 
ments and  weapons  have  been  found.  It 
did  not  possess  even  rudimentary  wings, 
as  the  Apteryx,  but  depended  solely  upon 
its  speed  of  foot  for  means  of  esca|)e  from 
enemies.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  so 
great  a  bird,  with  upright  mien  and  out- 
stretched neck,  and  pos- 
sessing ample  means  by 
which  to  defend  itself 
against  a  moderately  e- 
qnipped  enemy  if  it  chose, 
should  have  been  regard- 
ed with  both  fear  and  rev- 
erence ;  but  it  is  said  the 
natives  hunted  and  killed 
it,  and  made  the  occasion 
one  of  their  periodical 
gala-days. 

The  eggs  of  the  Moa 
varied  somewhat  in  size 
from  five  to  six  inches  in 
breadth,  by  eight  to  nine 
or  more  in  length,  and 
were  of  a  dirty  white  col- 
or. Only  one  egg  was 
laid  for  a  hatching,  for  the 
natives  state  that  but  a 
single  young  bird  accom- 
panied the  parents.  The 
eggs  were  considered  a 
delicacy,  or  at  least  a 
much  desired  article  of 
food  ;  for  the  remains  of 
the  shells  found  in  various 
parts  of  the  islands  indi- 
cated that  they  must  have 
been  very  commonly  eat- 
en, and  that  the  birds  at 
one  time  probably  existed 
in  great  numbers.  There 
are  one  or  two  eggs  in 
European  museums,  and 


HE  OUEAT  MOA. 

the  Smithsonian  Institution  has  a  cast  of 
one  in  its  oological  collections.  Little  or 
nothing  is  known  of  the  nest,  if  indeed  there 
was  any  ;  probably  the  egg  was  deposited 
on  the  bare  earth  or  in  a  hollow  scraped  in 
the  "round.  Thei-e  are  a  few  skeletons 
1  and  numerous  collections  of  the  bones  of 


64 


THE  OOLOGIST 


the  Moa  in  some  of  tlie  niuseunis.  We  are 
iudebteil  tor  most  of  the  facts  in  this  account 
of  Diornis  maxinms  to  Forest  and  Stream. 


Jlcccut  J^^bUcation6. 

No.  34  of  Wm.  Wesley's  Book  Circular 
on  Oriiitholoiiy  has  been  received.  It  is  a 
complete  list  of  the  more  important  works 
publislRMl  in  this  country  and  in  P^uropc  on 
this  subject,  and  forms  also  a  valuable  cir- 
cular of  reference. 

Notea  on  the  Ornithology  of  Southern 
Texas,  by  Dr.  James  C.  Merrill. — South- 
ern Texas  is  the  grand  avenue  of  many  spe- 
cies of  migratory  birds,  which  prefer  the 
laud  route  in  their  passage  to  the  more 
southern  countries  ;  and  it  is  one  of  the 
best  regions  in  North  America  for  the  study 
of  ornilhulogy.  Here  many  of  the  species 
which  spend  the  winter  in  the  south  are 
found  ;  and  here,  also,  is  the  rendezvous  of 
a  large  number  of  species  from  the  east  and 
west,  and  from  the  south.  Mexican  birds 
of  many  species  cross  the  line,  and  our  list 
is  thus  gradually  increased.  We  have  too 
little  space  to  presume  to  quote  from  Dr. 
Merrill's  notes,  but  certainly  he  has  done 
much  toward  solvin^i:  some  of  the  ornitho- 
logical problems  of  the  regions  explored  by 
him.  He  is  to  be  credited  with  the  discov- 
ery tliat  many  species  occur  in  Texas,  of 
which  nothing  was  known  a  few  years  ago. 
Among  the  species  which  are  specially  in- 
teresting, are  the  Green  Finch  {Emherua- 
gra  rufivirgata),  Bronzed  Cow-bird  (ilio- 
luthrus  oeneus),  MyiarcJius  erytJiroccrcus, 
var.  cooperi,  Nydidromus  aUnrolUs  (illns- 
trat'd),  Amazilia  fuscicaudata,  White-tail- 
ed Buzzard  (Buteo  alhicaudatus) ,  White- 
faced  Glossy  Ibis  (^Plegadis  guaraujia). 

The  papers  published  in  the  Bulletin  of 
the  National  Museum,  containing  Mr.  O- 
ber's  lists  of  birds  of  the  islands  of  Domin- 
ica, St.  Vincent,  Antigua,  Barbuda,  Gre- 
nada and  Martinique,  are  an  important  con- 
tribution to  the  literature  of  ornithology. 


The  material  obtained  by  Mr.  Ober  has  been 
placed  in  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  This 
ornithologist  has  done  much  toward  deter- 
mining the  avi-faunal  relations  of  these  is- 
lands ;  and  in  resolving  the  species,  Mr.  G. 
N.  Lawrence  has  added  largely  to  the  val- 
ue of  the  papers. 

We  note  with  regret  the  suspension  of  the 
Valley  Naturalist .  It  has  for  a  year  held 
a  good  position  as  an  exponent  for  western 
naturalists  ;  and  in  concliology,  entomolo- 
gy, and  perhaps  geology,  it  has  been  valu- 
able to  the  student. 

Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley  ;  Part  I., 
by  Dr.  Elliott  Coues. —  It  would  be  pre- 
sumptuous in  us  to  endeavor  to  properly  no- 
tice this  work.  It  has  been  carel'ully  and 
detailedly  described  by  the  press  throughout 
the  country,  and  it  is  enough  that  we  should 
class  it  among  those  works  which  are  an 
ornament  and  a  monument  to  American  or- 
nithology. It  bears,  throughout,  the  stamp 
of  that  excellence  which  Dr.  Coues  always 
displays  in  his  ornithological  work  ;  and  as 
a  hand-book  of  the  birds  of  the  Colorado 
Valley,  it  holds  a  high  position  in  our 
bird  literature.  In  addition  to  the  ornith- 
ological portion,  is  a  Bibliographical  Index, 
giving  a  skeleton  of  the  ornithological  lit- 
erature of  North  America  up  to  the  present 
time.  There  is  much  of  interest  to  the  sci- 
entifically inclined,  the  synonymy  of  the 
species,  especially,  being  very  complete  ; 
while  the  fresh  morsels  in  the  life-history 
of  the  birds,  which  are  so  numerously  dis- 
persed throughout  th.e  work,  will  remind 
any  bird-naturalist  of  happy  days  spent  a- 
mong  them.  While  it  is  not  a  work  for 
for  the  general  reader,  it  is  one  in  which  the 
ornithologist  is  at  home,  and  by  means  of 
which  he  may  and  should  be  incited  to 
greater  effoi't. 

Dr.  Jasper's  woi'k  on  the  Birds  of  North 
America  is  completed,  forty  numbers  hav- 
ing been  issued.  The  plates  are  very  good, 
and  are  pretty  accurate,  but  llie  text  is  main- 
ly too  general  to  be  considered  a  contribu- 
tiou  to  current  oruitholoijical  literature. 


•  m 


-i4        ® 


oioqi 


APRIL,  1879. 


No.  9. 


Nest  of  the  White -bellied  Nut- 
hatch (Sitta  carolinensis). 


E  were  roamiug  over  tlie  fields  on  a 
bright  clay  in  June,  soarcliiiig  for 
what  we  might  find,  aud  particular- 
ly interested  for  the  moment  with  the  an- 
tics of  a  Field  Sparrow,  when  our  inform- 
ant asked  us  if  we  "•  wanted  a  Woodpeck- 
er's nest?"  We  did,  most  certainly,  and 
he  agreed  to  conduct  us  to  the  tree,  where 
he  said  a  pair  of  these  birds  had  nested  for 
two  or  three  years.  We  were  led  over  the 
country  two  miles  or  so  and  finally  brought 
up  in  a  beech  wood.  Our  guide  pointed 
out  a  huge  beech  in  whose  trunk,  twenty 
feet  up,  there  was  a  knot-hole,  directly  be- 
neath a  large  limb.  To  scale  the  trunk 
was  not  the  easiest  matter,  but  after  a  short 
struggle,  with  the  aid  of  a  broken  bough 
placed  against  the  tree  the  hole  was  reach- 
ed, when  out  flew,  not  a  Woodpecker,  but 
a  Nuthatch,  with  vociferous  cries  aud  an- 
gry contortions.  The  cavity  was  deep  and 
the  entrance  small,  so  it  required  some 
time  to  reach  the  nest  proper,  and  when  we 
did  feel  the  chips,  out  scrambled  two  little 
ones,  who,  with  open  mouths  and  weak 
cry,  rather  surprised  and  disappointed  us, 
since  it  was  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  a 
set  of  eggs  that  we  tasked  ourselves.  But 
after  counting  five  young  of  about  five  days' 
or  a  week's  growth,  there  was  still  some- 
thing left  in  the  bottom  of  the  nest  which 
turned  out  to  be  an  egg,  rotten  and  some- 
what soiled,  but  otherwise  a  good  speci- 
men. This  egg  was  white,  covered  with 
small  speckles  of  reddish,  distributed  over 
its  entire  surface. 

The  next  year,  and  the  next,  we  visited 
the  Nuthatch's  nest  in  hopes  of  obtaining  a 


full  set  of  eggs,  but  the  parents  had  aban- 
doned it  and  probably  repaired  to  some  oth- 
er locality.  The  nest  proper  was  merely 
a  bed  of  chips  and  ^  saw  "-dust,  with  a  few 
feathers  as  a  lining.  The  year  after  ob- 
taining the  egg,  another  nest  containing 
young  was  shown  to  us,  high  up  in  a  bass- 
wood  tree. 

The  nest  of  the  Nuthatch,  though  by  no 
means  rare,  is  not  very  well  known  to 
young  collectors,  and  therefore  the  eggs  are 
desirable  for  cabinets.  Of  a  number  of 
holes  occupied  by  these  birds  for  nesting 
places,  all  but  one  were  knot-holes.  The 
nest  above  alluded  to  evidently  had  contain- 
ed six  eggs,  of  which  one  as  stated,  did  not 
hatch  ;  but  probably  this  is  an  exceptional 
number,  five  or  four  oftener  constituting  a 
set.  Whether  this  species  occasionally  does 
deposit  a  large  set  of  eggs,  like  the  Downy 
Woodpecker  or  Flicker,  we  are  not  pre- 
pared to  state.  When  the  nest  is  approach- 
ed the  parents  run  excitedly  up  and  down 
the  adjoining  trees,  displaying  an  agility  not 
observable  in  their  ordinary  habits  of  search- 
ing for  insects,  and  their  contortions  seem 
at  times  almost  reckless  and  absurd  ;  while 
the  grating  notes  so  often  heard,  are  uttered 
in  such  rapid  succession  as  to  appear  al- 
most continuous. 


The  first  instance  of  the  occupation  of  a 
Robin's  nest  by  the  Cow  Bird  came  to  our 
notice  on  the  26tli  of  this  mouth.  Though 
the  nest  was  not  quite  completed,  it  was  es- 
pied by  a  roving  trio  and  one  of  the  females 
quickly  dropped  into  it.  The  next  day  the 
Robin  was  seen  completing  her  nest,  and  in 
all  pi'obability  the  egg  of  the  Cow  Bird,  if 
one  was  deposited,  was  covered  up  or  de- 
stroyed. 


66 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Seasonable  Suggestions. — The  season 
for  birds'  eggs  being  at  hand,  perhaps  a  few 
suggestions  relating  to  the  collecting  and 
preparing  of  specimens  may  not  come  amiss. 

First — It  should  be  remembered  that  eggs 
blown  in  the  field  will  withstand  much  more 
jarriug  and  shaking  than  unblown  ones  ; 
hence,  mauy  of  the  best  collectors  prefer  to 
prepare  them  as  soon  as  obtained. 

Second — Make  ample  notes  concerning 
the  surroundings  of  a  nest,  and  do  it  before 
leaving  the  locality. 

Third — If  it  is  necessary  to  climb  decay- 
ed trees,  take  time  for  it,  and  under  no  cir- 
cumstances become  so  flurried  as  to  step 
upon  a  limb  before  testing  it. 

Fourth — Do  not,  in  momentary  excite- 
ment concerning  an  im})ortant  find,  pack 
the  eggs  hastily  in  your  box,  trusting  to  care 
in  their  con\'eyance  ;  for  the  box  may  fall 
or  be  forcibly  shaken  when  least  expected. 

P^ifth — If  you  are  disappointed  after  hav- 
ing climbed  for  eggs,  do  not  revenjiefuUy 
destroy  the  nest ;  it  may,  if  a  new  one,  re- 
pay the  trouble  of  a  later  visit. 

Sixth — Make  but  one  hole  in  the  egg, 
and  remove  every  particle  of  the  contents, 
for  moths  and  divers  other  pests  will  take 
advantage  of  half  blown  specimens  and  de- 
stroy them. 


Nesting  of  the  Sharp-tailed  Finch 
(Ammodromus  caudacutus). 

BY  G.   S.  SMITH. 

T^lIIS  species  is  rarely  seen  north  of  Mass- 
achusetts.  In  that  state  it  is  not  un- 
common, though  it  is  found  only  as  a  strag- 
gler in  the  more  northern  sections.  The 
Sharp-tailed  Finch  is  never  found  over  a 
mile  or  two  from  salt-water  :  thus  many  of 
its  most  notable  habits,  here  related,  may 
be  of  interest  to  the  inland  readers  of  The 

OOLOGIST. 

This  bird  selects  the  salt  marshes  and 
meadows  adjacent  to  our  sea-coast,  where 
it  remains  during  its  stay.     Here  it  may 


be  flushed  from  the  rank  grass,  or  it  will 
run  before  you,  dodging  round  any  little 
hummocks  rising  above  the  ground,  thus 
managing  to  keep  pretty  well  concealed  ; 
and  here  it  is  seen  alonji  the  margins  of 
pools,  gleaning  its  sustenance  from  the  mi- 
nute crnatacece  which  inhabit  such  places. 

For  their  breeding  place  these  birds  pre- 
fer meadows  where  the  grass  is  short  and 
not  so  abundant.  About  the  last  of  April 
each  bird  selects  its  consort,  when  the  new- 
ly made  pair  proceed  to  select  a  suitable  sit- 
uation ibr  a  home.  This  is  generally  un- 
der the  shelter  of  an  over  hanging  lump  of 
peat,  wliere  the  little  creatures  pat  with  in- 
finite labor  a  considerable  depression  in  the 
thick  grass-roots.  In  this  hollow  the  nest 
is  placed,  composed  entirely  of  dried  mead- 
ow grass,  and  not  infrequently  intermixed 
with  fine  sea-weeds.  It  must  needs  be  very 
thick  and  warm  to  protect  the  young  from 
the  dampness  of  the  ground.  After  the 
nest  is  completed,  the  birds  form  a  canopy 
over  it,  by  bending  the  neighboring  grass- 
blades,  leaving  only  a  small  orifice  for  en- 
trance and  exit. 

Tlie  collector  may  be  traversing  a  moor 
when  he  will  be  surprised  by  a  little  bird 
jumping  from  the  ground  at  his  feet,  and 
fluttering  before  him,  feigning  all  the  tor- 
tures of  a  broken  wing.  The  experienced 
oologist  will  immediately  recognize  his 
proximity  to  a  nest.  His  search  will  be 
long  and  tedious,  but  if  it  is  about  the  first 
of  June,  his  labors  will  be  rewarded  by  a 
complement  of  from  four  to  six  eggs,  near- 
ly spherical  in  shape,  and  covered  over  their 
entire  surface  by  contiguous  dots  and  blotch- 
es of  chocolate-brown,  imder  which  may 
be  distinguished  a  ground  color  of  light 
green.  Proceeding  forward,  the  above  gy- 
rations will  be  re])eated  by  another  bird, 
but  in  all  probability,  instead  of  flying  up 
dii'ectly  from  the  nest,  your  approach  has 
been  discovered,  and  it  will  jump  up  ten  feet 
away  ;  this  may  be  considerably  out  of  the 
direct  line  of  your  approach,  the  bird  desir- 
ing to  conceal  the  situation  of  its  nest,  and 
you  must  make  a  large  circuit  ere  the  eggs 
are  found. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


67 


I  know  of  no  place  where  this  Finch 
breeds  so  abiiiulantly  as  in  a  salt  meadow 
comprising  about  fifteen  acres,  situated 
near  this  city  (Boston).  It  was  first  bro't 
to  my  attention  by  a  boy  finding  what  he 
supposed  to  be  a  nest  of  M.  meloJia  in  a 
certain  salt  marsh.  Never  having  heard  of 
a  parallel  case  I  wished  to  investigate  the 
matter,  and  one  of  the  birds  being  shot  it 
was  recognized  as  belonging  to  the  species 
named  as  the  subject  of  this  article.  Here 
I  alterwards  found  several  complements  of 
eggs,  they  and  the  nests  not  differing  essen- 
tially from  the  description  given  above. 
Their  variation  is  very  slight,  being  but 
.80  to  .70  inch  in  lengtli  by  .74  to  .68  inch 
ill  breadth. 

After  rearing  one  brood,  these  birds 
gather  in  scattered  flocks,  and  frequent  the 
same  places  as  in  early  spring  till  the  first 
of  October,  when  their  shrill  chee  a  dee  dee 
dee  is  no  more  heard  in  New  ICngland,  hav- 
ing gone  to  more  southern  localities  to  pass 
the  incjement  season. 


Oblogical  Notes  for  April. 


TllK  Journal  d'  Agriculture  Progressive, 
says  :  *"  In  France  it  is  forbidden,  under  a 
penalty  of  from  16  to  100  francs,  either  to 
tiike  or  destroy  the  nest  or  eggs  of  wild 
birds,  with  the  exception  of  the  Crow,  the 
Magpie,  the  Wood  Pigeon,  and  birds  of 
JJl't'y.  Familiar  Science. 

In  the  government  of  Cherson,  Russia, 
in  the  bed  of  a  river,  a  peasant  found  an 
egg  of  unusual  size.  It  is  equal  to  forty 
hens'  eggs,  whereas  the  Ostrich  egg  is  equal 
to  only  twenty-four.  It  is  of  a  yellowish 
color,  and,  being  found  between  the  clay 
and  gypsum  layers,  is  supposed  to  belong 
to  the  tertiary  formation.  The  purchaser 
of  this  ^gf^  offered  it  to  the  Imperial  Acad- 
emy of  Sciences,  St.  Petersburg,  for  1,000 
roubles  [a  little  over  $700].  The  Acade- 
my failed  to  buy  it  on  account  of  lack  of 
means,  but  asked  permission  to  take  a  mould 


from  it.  The  British  Museum  has  now 
bought  this  unique  egg,  to  the  grief  of  the 
Russian  students  of  natural  science. 

Chicaijo  Eveniufi  Journal 

Allow  me  to  take  exception  to  the  state- 
ment in  the  February  number  of  your  jour- 
nal under  the  head  of  "Oological  Notes  for 
February,"  that  the  Woodcock  and  Ruffed 
Grouse  nest  during  March  and  April.  In 
central  New  York  the  former  may  some- 
times nest  in  March  and  undoubtedly  does 
in  April,  but  I  doubt  that  in  the  same  lati- 
tude the  Ruffed  Grouse  ever  nests  in  March, 
and  I  should  be  surprised  to  find  the  eggs 
much  before  the  first  of  May.  In  eastern 
Massachusetts  (south  of  the  latitude  of  cen- 
tral N.  Y.)  during  ten  years  of  observation 
I  never  knew  of  an  instance  of  this  bird's 
breeding  earlier  than  the  fii'st  of  May,  while 
the  newly  hatched  young  are  most  often  met 
with  during  the  last  of  May  and  the  first 
half  of  June.  So  far  as  my  own  observa- 
tions go,  the  same  holds  true  for  New  York 
state.  Relatively  to  the  time  of  breeding 
of  other  birds,  I  should  say — look  for  Wood- 
cocks' eggs  while  the  Blue  Birds  are  sitting 
on  their  first  set  of  eggs,  and  for  those  of 
the  Rufl'ed  Grouse  wlien  the  Blue  Jay  and 
Brown  Thrush  begin  to  build. 

W.  B.  Bakrows. 

["  The  Woodcock  is  an  early  layer,  gen- 
erally in  April,  but  even,  according  to  Au- 
dubon, in  March  or  February  at  the  South 
— the  period  varying  a  month  or  more  ac- 
cording to  latitude." — CouES,  B.N.W.  .  . 
"May  5,  '74. — This  afternoon,  while  en- 
gaged in  examining  some  bushes  in  what  is 
known  as  Cascade  Glen,  from  which  a  Spar4 
row  had  flown,  a  Grouse  ran  out  followed 
by  nearly  a  dozen  little  ones,  which  immedi- 
ately sought  concealment."  .  .  *■'.  .  Mav 
10,  '76. — On  the  19  ult.  the  farmer's  son 
informed  me  that  he  had  foimd  a  '  Par- 
tridge's '  nest  with  s^j^  eggs  in  it,  but  would 
not  tell  where.  .   .  " — Ed. 's  Note-book. 1 

April  22  ;  Robins  carrying  materials. 
Song  Sparrows  building.  Chipping  and  Bay- 
winged  Sparrows  mating. — 24  ;  Grackles 
carrying  mtU;erials. 


68 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfie  ©oro^ist 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


APRIL,  1879. 


In  remitting  subscriptions,  etc.,  it  would 
save  u!^  much  vexation  if  our  patrons  would 
remember  to  enclose  the  requisite  amount. 
It  your  letter  states  that  you  have  enclosed 
sixty  cents,  please  be  careful  that  that  a- 
mount,  and  not  fifty  or  forty  cents,  in  en- 
closed ;  and  if  data  blanks  are  wanted,  en- 
close thirtij  cents,  the  price  announced. 

We  desire  also  to  state,  that,  owing  to 
the  great  accumulation  of  postage  stamps 
upon  us,  we  prefer  that  in  all  cases  our  cor- 
respondents send  silver  if  paper  money  can 
not  be  procured  ;  it  is  safe  to  enclose  am'ts 
of  coin  less  than  one  dollar.  We  cannot 
use  more  tiian  one  half  the  [)ostage  stamps 
sent  to  us  in  letters,  and  since  money  is  pref- 
erable we  would  suggest  that  postage  stamps 
be  sent  only  when  positively  necessary. 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGIOALLY  OONSIDEEED. 
00 LOGICAL  MEMORANDA. 


TkURING  the  season  of  1876  we  had  oc- 
casion  to  make  ample  data  in  regard  to 
our  oological  collections,  and  the  results  of 
that  season,  though  not  as  important  in  re- 
gard to  the  number  of  specimens  obtained 
as  to  the  data  secured,  were  especially  grat- 
ifying. The  note  book  was  constantly  em- 
ployed, find  much  of  value,  as  exhibiting 
the  phenomena  which  a  collector  is  likely 


to  meet  with  during  the  season  of  oviposi- 
tion,  was  observed  and  recorded  :  the  few 
specimens  taken  possessed  a  history,  with- 
out which  they  would  have  had  little  or  no 
value.  The  season  in  itself  was  a  poor  one 
for  oological  observation  in  this  portion  of 
the  country,  and  there  seemed  to  be  a  re- 
markable scarcity  of  interesting  species,  the 
commoner  ones  with  their  numbers  seeming 
to  make  up  what-there  was  wanting  in  va- 
riety,— and  the  summer  would  indeed  have 
been  most  unpromising,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  interest  which  attached  to  the  eggs  of 
those  few  common  species.  The  value  of 
oological  memoranda  was  then  brought  out 
in  all  its  force. 

The  habits  of  the  Bay-winged  Buntings, 
whose  eggs  and  nests  up  to  that  season  had 
been  regarded  small  prey,  furnished  mate- 
rial for  reflection  and  deliberation.  One 
pair  had  so  far  forsaken  their  old  liabits  as 
to  place  their  nest  a  foot  above  the  ground, 
in  the  top  of  a  bunch  of  tall  grasses,  which 
even  swayed  considerably  when  the  wind 
blew  ;  another  pair  of  the  same  species 
placed  their  home  against  a  fence-post,  quite 
down  in  the  ground.  Then  a  pair  of  8ong 
iSparrows  built  a  pretty  nest  of  very  fine 
materials  in  an  elder  bush,  away  up  near 
the  top,  four  feet  from  the  ground.  This 
nest  was  built  early  in  the  season,  and  was 
probably  given  a  high  position  to  escape  the 
snow  and  the  dampness  of  the  ground.  An- 
other pair  of  the  same  species  hatched  one 
egg,  the  sole  occupant  of  the  nest,  and  an 
early  laying,  too.  This  same  pair,  later 
in  the  season,  laid  four  eggs  and  reared  the 
young,  with  the  addition  of  a  bouncing 
Blackbird.  A  little  colony  of  Crow  Black- 
birds selected  a  site  by  no  means  roomy, 
for  nesting,  since  a  tree  not  over  ten  feet 
in  height  was  made  to  serve  the  purposes 
of  three  pairs,  notwithstanding  that  the 
crowding  of  their  bulky  nests  into  the  small 
space  at  its  slender  top,  bent  it  over  almost 
enough  to  tip  out  the  eggs.  In  an  old  saw- 
mill, upon  the  beam  which  serves  as  a  sup- 
port to  the  saw  guides,  our  two  pairs  of 
Pewees  again  deposited  their  eggs,  one  pair 
laying  three  out  of  the    set   of  four   with 


THE  OOLOGIST 


69 


speckles  of  reddish,  an  occurrence  never  be- 
fore happening  with  tliis  pair  in  six  years, 
for  twenty-seven  eggs,  tlie  aggregate  of  that 
period,  were  all  wliitc  Some  species  were 
remarkably  late  in  tiieir  honseiiold  duties. 
It  required  one  pair  of  Chipping  Sparrows 
a  whole  month  to  get  ready  for  niditicatiou  : 
they  built  a  nest  in  a  spruce  tree,  but  the 
position  was  so  exposed  that  the  cats  troub- 
led the  unlucky  pair,  and  they  left  it  just 
before  the  lining  was  put  in.  Another  nest 
was  commenced  in  an  apple  tree  a  few  rods 
away,  but  the  situation  was  still  more  un- 
favorable,  and  this,  too,  was  left  to  its  fate. 
The  third  and  last  nest  —  a  poor,  hastily 
built  tiffair — was  not  begun  till  a  number  of 
days  afterward,  but  they  laid  their  eggs  in 
it,  and  in  a  couple  of  weeks  four  little  Spar- 
rowlets  appeared,  which,  alas,  were  sacri- 
ficed to  fill  the  greedy  maw  of  some  prowl- 
ing cat. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  to  be  a  profita- 
ble season  to  the  collector,  he  need  not  nec- 
essarily find  new  specimens,  or  even  rare 
ones.  If  the  data  of  one's  work  among  the 
birds  for  a  season  are  faithfully  kept,  and 
even  the  most  familiar  species  watched  with 
assiduity,  the  collector  may  be  surprised  at 
the  results.  His  note  book  will  not  pre- 
sent the  appearance  it  often  does  :  as  if  the 
items  had  been  selected — picked  out,  as  it 
were,  from  the  many  observations,  great 
and  small,  important  and  trifling,  which  he 
had  made.  It  is  frequently  the  case  with 
the  young  collector,  after  he  has  once  been 
brought  into  contact  with  rarer  species,  to 
wholly  ignore  those  which  he  sees  about 
him  every  day  ;  and  thus  many  interesting 
bird-traits  pass  unobserved.  Date  and  lo- 
cality of  a  nest,  with  the  number  and  con- 
dition of  the  eggs  it  contains,  are  usually 
tlie  most  important  particulars  ;  but  when 
other  facts  are  observed  in  connection  with 
these,  es{)ecially  in  case  of  abnormity,  they 
should  be  recorded  for  a  precedent.  Un- 
usual appearances  in  a  nest  or  eggs,  or 
strange  demeanor  on  the  part  of  the  parents 
should  be  closely  observed,  since  this  por- 
tion of  the  study  is  the  most  interesting  and 
often  most  valuable.     A  cabinet  of  birds' 


eggs — the  mere  existence  of  the  specimens — 
is  indeed  but  a  portion  of  a  good  collection  : 
the  other  portion  consists  of  their  history — 
a  complete,  substantial  record  of  their  latent 
value,  their  intrinsic  worth,  their  scientific 
merit, — that  which  exists  after  the  speci- 
men itself  is  lost  or  destroyed,  and  serves  to 
establish  the  facts  concerning  it  with  due 
prominence  for  years  afterward. 

Oological  memoranda  are  not  less  import- 
ant than  ornithological  data  :  the  establish- 
ing of  a  given  locality  as  the  breeding  ground 
of  a  certain  species,  by  the  finding  of  its 
nest,  forms  an  important  era  in  the  history 
of  its  nesting,  just  as  the  discovery  of  a  spe- 
cies does  its  range  of  habitat ; — the  discov- 
ery of  some  new  feature  concerning  the  nest 
or  eggs  of  a  species  is  equally  as  valuable 
as  the  observation  of  some  new  peculiarity 
in  its  habits.  Thei'efore,  every  new  item, 
however  small,  connected  with  the  eggs  or 
nestiujr  habits  of  birds,  should  be  eagerly 
recorded  by  the  collector. 


It  is  interesting  to  study  the  changes  in 
plumage  wliicli  some  birds  undergo  when 
moulting.  The  transition,  especially  in  tin- 
case  of  cage  birds,  is  frequently  accompa- 
nied with  odd  appearances  in  coloring,  an<l 
this,  too,  often  changes  several  times  before 
the  normal  plumage  is  obtained.  Two  Bob- 
olinks, kept  for  a  year  in  a  cage,  exhibited 
during  the  period  of  shedding  their  feathers, 
peculiarities  of  an  amusing  nature.  One 
seemed  more  forward  than  the  other  in  sev- 
eral respects,  and  when  the  season  came  for 
the  new,  shining  black  plumage,  he  was  the 
first  to  moult.  But  the  operation  was  ex- 
ceedingly slow,  and  it  required  a  long  time 
to  bring  out  even  a  few  new  feathers.  Af- 
ter the  breast  had  begun  to  exliil)it  a  few 
dark  spots,  the  belly  began  to  show  signs 
of  whiteness  and  in  a  week  or  two  was  quite 
pale.  Sinuiltaneously,  on  the  back  and 
sides  and  top  of  the  head  appeared  black 
feathers.  The  plumage  thus  remained, 
with  here  a  little  bla(;k,  there  brown,  and 
once  in  a  while  a  white  feather,  for  several 
weeks,  when  the  bird  died. 


70 


THE  OOLOGIST 


The  Gilded  Cuckoo  of  Africa, 

(Chalcites  auratus.) 


i 


j^ljrHIS  beautiful  bird,  closely  resem- 
l  i  1  bliiig  the  European  Cuckoo  in  form 
^-\  and  habits,  is  found  in  Caffraria,  in 
Africa.  The  female  deposits  its  eggs  in 
the  nests  of  other  species,  in  which  respect 
it  resembles  the  European  Cuckoo  and  the 
American  Cow  Bird ;  but  there  is  a  pe- 
culiarity connected  with  the  oviposition  of 
this  species  which  has  engrossed  the  atten- 
tion of  naturalists — that  of  the  female's  sup- 
posed habit  of  conveying  the  egg  in  her 
mouth  or  throat  to  the  nest  in  which  it  is  to 
be  deposited.  Le  Vaillant,  a  naturalist  of 
considerable  study,  has  made  inquiry  con- 
cerning this  singular  habit,  and  after  con- 
siderable observation,  found  it  to  be  true. 
His  own  narrative  may  prove  interesting  : 
"Although  this  bird  be  so  common  if  not 
in  the  immediate  environs,  yet  about  one 
hundred  leagues  from  Cape  Town,  it  was 
scarcely  known  in  J2urope  before  my  voy- 
ages, and  in  France  there  was  only  one  mu- 
tilated and  badly  preserved  specimen  of  it 
to  be  seen  in  the  Royal  Museum  at  Paris. 
I  myself  brought  over  one  hundred  and  fif- 
ty males  and  females  as  well  as  young  birds, 
which  are  now  exhibited  in  the  chief  cabi- 
nets of  Europe.  To  this  beautiful  species 
I  am  indebted  for  my  chief  knowledge  of  the 
Cuckoo  family.  From  the  facility  I  had 
of  leisurely  and  successfully  observing  its 
manners,  I  always  entertained  the  hope  that 
I  should  one  day  surprise  a  female  Didric 
in  the  act  of  depositing  its  egg  in  the  nest 
of  another  bird,  but  having  been  disappoint- 
ed in  this  respect,  I  began  to  imagine  that 
my  ignorance  on  this  point  would  never  be 
removed,  when  one  day  having  killed  a  fe- 
male of  this  species,  and  Avishiug  to  intro- 
duce a  plug  of  hemp  into  her  throat  accord- 
ing to  my  custom  after  bringing  down  a 
bird,  in  order  to  prevent  the  blood  from 
staining  its  plumage,  I  was  not  a  little  sur- 
prised, on  opening  its  bill  for  this  purpose, 
to  find  in  its  throat  an  entire  egg,  which  I 
knew  immediately  from  its  form,  size,  and 


beautiful  whiteness,  to  belong  to  the  Didric. 

Delighted  at  length,  after  so  many  useless 
efforts,  at  having  obtained  a  confirmation 
of  my  suspicions,  I  loudly  called  my  faith- 
ful Klaas,  who  was  only  a  few  paces  dis- 
tant from  me,  to  whom  T  imparted  my  dis- 
covery with  much  pleasure,  as  he  had  used 
his  best  exertions  to  second  my  views. 
Klaas,  on  seeing  the  egg  in  the  bird's  gul- 
let, told  me  that  after  killing  female  Cuck- 
oos, he  had  frequently  observed  a  newly 
broken  egg  lying  upon  the  ground  near 
wliere  they  had  fallen,  which  he  supposed 
they  had  dropped  in  their  fall,  being  at  that 
moment  ready  to  lay.  I  recollect  very  well 
that  when  tliis  good  Hottentot  brought  me 
the  fruits  of  his  sports,  he  frequently  remark- 
ed, as  he  pointed  to  the  Cuckoo,  '  This  one 
laid  her  egg  as  she  fell  from  the  tree.'  Al- 
though I  was  convinced  from  this  ('ircum- 
stance  that  the  female  Cuckoo  deposits  her 
egg  in  the  nests  of  other  birds  by  conveying 
it  in  her  beak,  I  was  desirous  to  collect 
what  facts  I  could  on  the  subject ;  Klaas 
and  1,  therefore,  began  to  shoot  as  many 
Cuckoos  as  we  could  meet  with,  which  ac- 
counts for  the  great  number  of  tliis  species 
we  procured.  However,  among  all  the 
specimens  there  occurred  only  one  instance 
similar  to  that  1  have  just  mentioned,  name- 
ly, that  of  a  second  fenude,  which  was 
trjuispoi'ting  her  egg  in  her  mouth,  like  the 
former.  " 


Empidonax  flaviventris  is  rather  abund- 
ant in  the  Adirondack  region  of  New  York. 
Its  retired  habits,  however,  would  lead  one 
to  suppose  it  very  uncommon.  The  swampy 
places,  thickly  studded  with  a  species  of  wil- 
low and  scrubby  trees  are  its  favorite  re- 
sorts. Wliile  maay  other  species  of  bird 
came  readily  to  the  call,  the  Yellow-bellied 
Flycatcher  would  invariably  remain  silent- 
ly perched  ujjon  a  low  limb,  not  even  essay- 
ing to  utter  a  sound.  It  is  easily  approach- 
ed and  seems  to  care  little  for  the  hunter. 
It  is,  however,  an  active  bird. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


71 


Studies  on  Certain  Fringillidae. — 
The  White-throated  Sparrow. 


fpiIE  birds  liuve  all  made  preparations  I'or 
departing  to  tlieir  winter  homes,  and  tlie 
hedges  and  fences  are  occupied  now  and  then 
by  a  little  bird  whose  ruffled  appearance  and 
melancholy  look  plainly  say  :  "1  am  cold 
and  this  country  is  dreary  ;  why  linger  long- 
er when  I  might  be  enjoying  with  my  fel- 
lows, the  bright,  sunny  south?  Winter  is 
near,  and  snow  is  on  the  horizon  —  why 
should  1  linger?"  Soon  he,  too,  is  gone  ; 
and  the  days  become  dark,  clouds — cold, 
heavy  clouds — lill  the  sky,  searching  winds 
conuiience  to  herald  the  approach  of  a  sea- 
sou  of  ice  and  snow,  and  flurries  of  sleet 
admonish  the  husbandman  to  be  looking  a- 
bont  him — then  there  comes  another  little 
l)ird,  a  pert,  jaunty  little  fellow,  whose 
quick,  lively  "chink"  neutralizes  half  the 
dreariness,  and  whose  beautiful  song  is 
cheering  amid  the  waste  of  blast  and  storm. 
This  is  the  White-throated  Sparrow  or  Pea- 
body  bii'd.  Perhaps  he  is  not  alone  :  there 
may  be  numbers  of  White-crowned  and  Fox 
Sparrows,  Snow  Birds  and  Tree  Sparrows 
with  him.  He  does  not  care  for  the  cold  : 
winter,  with  all  its  fierce  storms  and  pene- 
trating cold,  has  charms  for  him,  and  while 
his  less  hardy  companions  quail  before  the 
prospect,  he,  with  cheerful  song  and  exult- 
ant mien,  makes  nature  seem  glad  again. 

The  White-throated  Sparrow  (^Zontrich- 
ia  alhicollis  of  most  scientists)  is  usually 
considered  a  migratory  species  in  the  Middle 
States,  but  it  certainly  breeds,  and  quite 
abundantly,  in  New  York,  and  likely  also 
in  Maine.  It  is  seen  in  the  fall  and  spring 
about  low  pastures,  especially  on  the  bor- 
ders of  the  woods  and  iu  swanipy,  bushy 
localities,  where  its  lively  habits  and  pleas- 
ing song  are  most  often  uoted.  It  is  easily 
recognized,  and  when  once  seen  is  never 
confounded  with  another  species.  In  the 
early  morning  the  fiute-like  uotes,  repeated 
in  a  quivering,  delicate,  and  exceedingly 
mellow  tone,  the  first  usually  commencing 
high,  the  other  three  somewhat  lower,  or 


vice  versa,  have  a  great  charm  for  the  lis- 
tener. It  is  not  a  very  shy  bird,  but  is 
never  so  intimate  as  the  Song  and  Swamp 
or  Bay-winged  Sparrows.  It  is  wont  to  vis- 
it our  gardens  quite  frequently  to  pick  up 
the  crumbs  and  grain  which  are  always 
more  or  less  abundant  about  the  walks  and 
steps. 

In  the  mountainous  portions  of  the  United 
States,  north  of  about  43^  10'  N.  Latitude, 
the  White  throated  Sparrow  breeds.  Its 
eggs  and  nest  are  not  as  well  known  to  col- 
lectors as  they  would  be  if  it  bred  in  more 
accessible  situations  ;  for  among  those  who 
spend  the  summer  in  the  northern  wilder- 
nesses, there  are  remarkably  i'ew  natural- 
ists,— although  there  is  a  vast  amount  of 
material  and  rare  opportunities  offered  him 
who  would  make  these  regions  a  field  for 
investigation  in  ornithology.  The  nest  is 
commonly  built  in  low  bushes  or  upon  the 
ground.  It  does  not  differ  much  from  the 
nests  of  our  familiar  ground-building  Spar- 
rows, though  it  may  be  larger  and  occasion- 
ally supplied  with  material  different  from 
that  which  is  employed  in  populated  dis- 
tricts. The  eggs,  laid  during  tlie  last  week 
in  May,  are  five,  from  .5G  to  .G4  in  breadth, 
by  .88  to  .92  in  length,  and  covered  with 
markings  of  burnt  sienna,  burnt  umber, 
chocolate  brown  and  paler  tints  of  the  same 
colors  ;  the  ground  color  is  grayish  or  ash 
white,  with  a  slight  tinge  of  bluish.  The 
eggs  greatly  resemble  those  of  the  common- 
er ground-building  Sparrows,  and  it  is  of- 
ten difficult  to  decide  the  difference  between 
them  ;  the  liability  to  variation  is  probably 
also  as  great  as  iu  the  eggs  of  other  species. 


The  sound  of  running  water  has  a  great 
charm  for  confiued  birds,  and  singing  birds 
will  start  up  a  most  enthusiastic  strain  when 
they  hear  it,  which  usually  subsides  as  the 
sound  ceases.  This  is  especially  true  in 
the  mating  and  nesting  season. 


Read  the  announcement  in  the  supplement 
and  show  it  to  your  oblogical  friends. 


72 


THE  OOLOGIST 


The  Flamingo. 


Have  you  ever  heard 

Of  the  creature  absurd — 

That  ridiculous  bird — the  FlaiiiiugoV  — 

With  neck  long  and  slim, 

And  legs  lean  and  trim, 

And  the  funniest  sort  of  a  lingo  ? 

When  a-fishing  he  goes 

He  thrusts  in  his  nose, — 

This  humorous  bird — the  Flamingo — 

Without  bait  or  hook. 

His  long  neck  a-crook, 

Aloft  in  the  air  see  his  wing  go. 

A  plunge  and  a  dive, 

And  a  fish  all  alive 

This  wonderful  bird — the  Flamingo — 

Brings  out  to  the  land 

And'gobbles  ott'-hand  : 

In  a  twinkle  he  makes  the  whole  thing  go. 

Then  the  mate — the  old  womau^ 

As  though  she  were  human, — 

And  not  like  a  growling  Flamingo — 

For  lack  of  her  share 

Sets  up  a  great  flare. 

And  makes  everything  in  a  din  go. 

But  a  screech  loud  and  shrill 

Comes  out  of  the  bill 

Of  the  masculine  bird — the  Flamingo — 

His  eyelids  both  close, 

And  he  stands  on  the  toes 

Of  one  leg — he's  asleep,  bj'  jingo  ! 

Toronto  Globe. 


General  Items. 


— Three  Carolina  Doves  {Z.  carolinen- 
.s/.-,)  remained  here  tliis  winter.  They  ob- 
tained tlieir  food  from  under  a  large  barn, 
where  I  saw  them  several  times.  About 
March  first  two  more  arrived.  They  were 
seen  by  several  persons  besides  myself.  .  . 
I  shot  a  Pine  Finch  from  a  flock  of  six  or 
seven  on  Nov.  2yth,  '78,  but  have  seen 
none  since.  Redpolls  arrived  about  the 
15th  of  Nov.  and  remained  till  about  Jan. 
10th,  when  they  and  the  Snow  Buntings 
went  south.  About  March  loth  the  Snow 
Buntings  returned  in  two  flocks,  but  none 
are  here  now.  .  .  .  Robins  arrived  March 
20  ;*  Blue  Birds  March  14. f     A  lew  Rob- 


*  Utica :  1878— March  5 ;  1879— March  14.  West- 
em  N.  Y. :  1879— March  18.  Penna.  :  1879— March 
8. 

t  Utica  :  1878— March  4  ;  1879— March  24.  Conn. : 
1879— March  20.  N.  J.:  1879— March  1.  North'n 
N.  Y.:  1879— April  1. 


ins  remained  all  winter,  as  some  Avere  seen 
in  the  middle  of  January.  Swamp  Spar- 
rows reached  here  about  Mitrch  '2'2  ;  Cedar 
Birds  the  29  ;  heard  House  Wrens  singing 
on  the  same  day.  The  last  may  have  been 
Winter  Wrens.  P.  Thalimer. 

Troy,  N.    Y. 


The  ninth  pai't  oi'  Birds  of  Florida  has 
made  its  appearance.  Mr.  Maynard's  work 
is  written  in  a  style  calculated  to  appeal  to 
the  sympathies  of  everyone  who  reads  it. 
The  method  of  writing  the  life-histories  of 
birds  in  narrative  style  is  and  ever  will  be, 
the  most  popular,  and  the  author  of  this 
work  has  the  faculty  of  making  his  descrip- 
tions interesting.     Part  X.  is  forthcoming. 

Town  and  Countrij  is  the  name  of  a 
monthly  paper  publislied  by  E.  A.  Samu- 
els. It  has  a  department  devoted  to  or- 
nithology, the  editor's  favorite  study.  Mr. 
Pope  writes  a  series  of  articles  on  the  game 
birds  of  the  United  States,  illustrated  bv 
his  own  hand. 

Nests  and  Eggs  of  American  Birds,  by 
Ernest  IngersoU. — We  were  somewhat  dis- 
appointed when  we  received  the  first  part 
of  this  work.  Its  size,  we  think,  should 
have  been  larger,  with  corresponding  si/e 
of  printed  matter;  for,  if  it  is  to  be  a  na- 
tional work,  its  points  of  excellence  must 
necessarily  be  consistent  with  the  magni- 
tude of  its  mission.  The  typography  and 
general  appearance  otherwise,  are  excellent. 
Ten  species  and  their  varieties  are  discuss- 
ed, the  particulars  of  nidification  and  ovi- 
position  being  given  minutely.  The  plates, 
representing  eggs  of  the  Robin,  Oregon 
Robin,  Wood  Thrush,  Hermit  Thrush,  Ol- 
ive-backed Thrush,  Oregon  Thrush,  Wil- 
son's Thrush,  Mountain  Mockingbird, 
Mocking  Bird,  Cat  Bird,  Brown  I'hrasher 
and  a  variety  of  the  last  species,  are  very 
accurate.  The  work  promises  to  be  one 
of  value  to  the  student  of  oology,  and  when 
completed,  will  form  an  important  addition 
to  any  library. 


Drawn,  Engraved  and  Printed  in  Colors  by  S.  L,  Willard, 


(FIG.  1.) 


Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  American 
Bittern  (Botaurus  minor). 

15 Y  D.   H.   KATON. 

T^HIS  bird,  as  far  as  my  experience  goes, 
is,  contrary  to  the  testimony  of  Mr, 
Samuels,  solitary,  it  being  very  seldom  that 
more  than  one,  or  at  most  a  pair  (;an  be 
found  in  the  same  slough.  Indeed  it  is 
comparatively  rare  to  find  two  pairs  breed- 
ing in  sloughs  which  are  very  near  togeth- 
er ;  oftener  they  are  separated  by  several 
juiles. 

Their  nests  are  built  of  the  reeds  and 
lushes  growing  in  the  sloughs.  Sometimes 
a  kind  of  platform  is  built  a  few  inches  a- 
bove  the  water,  and  fastened  to  the  reeds  ; 
on  this  dried  reeds  and  rushes  are  placed 
without  any  attempt  at  arrangement,  and 
the  eggs  are  placed  in  the  centre.  Again, 
the  nest  rests  on  the  water,  and  is  moored 
to  the  growing  reeds.  These  nests  are  gen- 
erally placed  in  the  middle  of  the  slough, 
and  often  cover  three  or  four  squai'e  feet 
of  surface.  The  high,  thick  growth  of  the 
riieds  com])letely  hides  them  from  view,  and 
one  may  pass  within  a  foot  of  the  nest  Avith- 
out  discovdring  it,  unless  he  chances  to  flush 
the  bird. 

Occasionally  their  eggs  are  laid  in  a  slight 
liollow  of  the  ground,  on  the  border  of  a 
small  slough  or  wet  place  in  a  pasture.  In 
this  case  there  is  no  appearance  of  any  en- 
deavor on  the  part  of  the  birds  to  keep  the 
eggs  or  chicks  from  contact  with  tlie  earth. 

Samuels  says  that  their  nests  are  placed 
"  on  low  bushes,  or  thick  tufts  of  grass, 
sometimes  in  low,  thickly-wooded  trees  ; 
and  are  composed  of  grasses,  twigs  and  a 
few  leaves."     1  think  that  this  may  be  ow- 


ing to  some  accident — driving  them  from 
their  usual  haunts — for  it  is  directly  oppos- 
ed to  my  observation  of  their  habits,  as  well 
as  to  that  of  other  ornithologists  much  bet- 
ter known  than  the  writer  of  this  article. 

On  being  frightened  from  the  nest,  the 
bird  rises,  uttering  a  hoarse  croak,  and  flies 
slowly  off',  barely  clearing  the  tops  of  the 
rushes.  It  is  very  easily  killed,  a  few  pel- 
lets of  number  8  or  10  shot  bringing  it  to 
the  ground.  When  wounded  it  is  well  for 
the  shooter  to  be  Avary  in  picking  it  up.  At 
such  times,  on  being  approached,  it  throws 
itself  on  its  back,  and  with  head  drawn 
back,  watches  its  enemy  closely.  Let  a 
hand  be  approached  nearer  than  coincides 
j  with  its  ideas  of  safety,  and,  like  a  flash, 
I  its  head  is  thrown  forward,  and  an  ugly 
thrust  given  with  its  sharp,  strong  beak. 

The  eggs  are  from  3  to  7  in  number,  gen- 
erally 4  constituting  a  set,  7  being  a  very 
unusual  number.  I  have  never  seen  but 
one  set  of  that  number,  and  unfortunately 
they  were  so  far  gone  in  incubation  that  I 
could  not  save  all.  They  are  of  an  olive- 
green  color  (that  is  what  I  should  call  the 
color,  though  perhaps  drab,  with  a  slight 
grayish  shade  would  be  nearer  ;  at  any  rate, 
after  once  being  seen  they  can  always  be 
recognized,  since  they  never  resemble  in 
color  the  eggs  of  the  Herons),  without  spots 
or  markings  of  any  kind.  They  generally 
measure  from  1.90  by  1.50  to  2.00'  by  1.50, 
though  occasionally  an  egg  will  be  found 
which  is  very  nearly  round. 

Its  food  consists  of  various  small  aquatic 
animals,  such  as  crawfish,  small  snakes, 
lizards,  frogs,  etc.  It  also  eats  insects.  In 
its  ordinary  movements  the  Bittern  is  slow 
and  awkward,  but  wiien  engaged  in  catch- 
ing its  food,  which  it  does  by  using  its  long 
bill  as  a  spear,  it  is  veiy  quick  and  skillful. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Its  note  resembles  the  noise  made  by  driv- 
ing a  stake  into  the  ground  ;  hence  its  name 
in  some  sections,  of  "  Stake-driver."  The 
note  may  be  represented  by  the  syllables  : 
"•  chunk- a-hmk- chunk,  quank."  This  note 
is  uttvred  in  the  spring,  during  the  breed- 
ing season,  and  on  calm,  clear  nights  may 
be  heard  a  long  way.  At  other  times  it  is 
a  very  silent  bird,  uttering  when  alarmed, 
a  single  note  like  "  quark." 

They  make  their  first  appearance  in  the 
north  about  the  15th  of  April,  and  by  the 
10th  or  12th  of  May  the  eggs  are  laid  and 
incubation  commenced. 

'J'heir  flesh  is  not  highly  esteemed  as  a 
table  luxury,  and  such  is  the  prejudice  a- 
gainst  it  that  I  doubt  if  the  ardent  natural- 
ist, desirous  of  testing  its  qualifications  as 
an  article  of  food,  would  find  it  an  easy 
matter  to  persuade  his  wife  or  house-keep- 
er to  cook  it  for  him. 

The  above  remarks  are  based  on  obser- 
vations made  in  the  northern  part  of  Illi- 
nois. 


(FIG.  2.) 

The  Curve  -  billed  Thrush  (  Har- 

porhynchus  curvirostris),  its 

Nest  and  Eggs. 

BY.  GEO.  B.  SENNET^T. 

[Advance  sheets  of  Notes  of  1878  on  the  Ornithol- 
ogy of  the  Lower  Rio  Grande.] 

fTlHIS  Thrush,  by  some  called  the  Gray 
Curve-bill,  reaches  into  our  southern 
border  from  Mexico,  and  its  limit  within 
the  United  States,  so  far  as  is  known,  is 
confined  to  the  valley  of  the  lower  Rio 
Grande.  Its  nearest  relative.  Palmer's 
Thrush  (var.  pahneri)  and  other  curve-bill- 
ed forms  of  the  genus  are  found  in  the  high- 
er latitudes  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 
The  northern  limit  of  this  Thrush  is  not 
fully  determined,  but  it  can  only  be  consid- 
ered common  in  southern  Texas,  and  most 
abundant  between  Fort  Brown  and  Ring- 
gold Barracks  near  the  river.  The  great 
alluvial  deposits  here  produce  berries  and 
insects  in  abundance  for  food  ;  and  tangled 


thickets  as  well  as  great  prickly  pear  cac- 
tuses for  cover  and  breeding  resorts.  In 
1877  1  collected  from  Hidalgo  nearly  down 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river.  In  the  follow- 
ing season  I  was  for  some  weeks  at  a  point 
several  miles  above  Hidalgo  in  the  heart  of 
the  greatest  growth  of  timber  to  be  found 
on  the  river  ;  and  it  was  here  that  I  found 
the  Curve-billed  Thrush  more  numerous 
than  ever  before.  In  point  of  numbers  it 
nearly  equaled  the  Mocking-bird  and  Long- 
billed  Thrush  or  Texas  Thrasher.  The 
three  species  comprise  all  the  varieties  of 
the  family  observed  by  me  in  that  locality. 

The  Ciu've-billed  Thrush  in  color  nearly 
resembles  the  JNIocking-bird  ;  and  in  the 
bushes,  where  its  longer  tail  and  curved 
bill  are  not  readily  distinguished,  may  be 
taken  for  it  at  short  range.  This  species 
is  usually  more  fond  of  dense  cover  than 
the  Mocking-bird,  and  while  not  often  found 
in  the  heaviest  timber,  yet  will  be  found  in 
the  thickets  commonly  on  the  margins  of 
such  tracts.  In  open  woodland,  where 
clumps  of  tall  thorny  bushes  and  cacti  sur- 
round the  scattered  trees,  it  will  surely  be 
found,  and  probably  in  company  with  the 
Long-billed  Thrush. 

I  did  not  obtain  many  fresh  plumagcd 
specimens.  By  the  first  of  April  the  plu- 
mage becomes  faded  and  much  worn,  and 
by  the  latter  part  of  May  they  commence 
to  moult.  About  this  time  also  the  small 
black  fruit  or  berry  of  the  como  tree,  upon 
which  they  feed,  ripens,  and  it  becomes  al- 
most impossible  to  shoot  and  prepare  a  spec- 
imen without  the  plumage  becoming  stain- 
ed with  the  purple  juices.  I  brought  home 
from  this  trip  five  birds  and  forty  sets  of 

In  nesting,  their  habits  vary  to  suit  the 
locality.  In  sections  where  the  chaparral 
covers  the  country,  and  where  no  respect- 
able growth  of  timber  is  found,  save  now 
and  then  in  openings  principally  occupied 
by  cactus  and  scattering  mezquite  trees  ; 
their  nests  will  be  found  in  cactus,  more 
frequently  perhaps,  than  in  trees.  But  at 
Somita  Ranche  I  found  five  nests  in  trees 
to  one  in  the  cactus. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


75 


For  a  bird  so  suspicious  and  wary  they 
are  wouderfiiUy  bold  at  times  iu  buildiujjj 
nests  and  rearing  young.  In  my  Notes  oC 
1877  I  mentioned  a  nest  with  four  eggs  ta- 
ken from  an  outhouse  in  the  center  of  a  vil- 
lage. At  Somita  Kanche,  close  by  a  large 
and  much  frequented  gateway,  I  took  a  nest 
and  four  eggs  in  April  of  the  following  sea- 
son. On  May  20th  1  took  a  nest  and  three 
fresh  eggs,  which  I  discovered  some  four- 
teen feet  high  in  a  lai'ge  ebony  tree  close 
by  the  pathway  on  the  edge  of  a  coi-nlield. 
These  were  the  highest  nests  found,  and  in 
both  instances  the  birds  wei'e  as  tame  as 
our  Robins,  and  were  watched  for  several 
days  before  taking  their  treasures.  Nests 
are  seldom  found  lower  than  four  feet  from 
the  ground. 

On  the  last  of  May,  the  last  nest  I  ex- 
amined before  leaving  the  ranche  was  a 
very  bulky  one  of  this  species  in  a  small 
tree  close  by  the  house.  It  was  situated  on 
the  lowest  branch  and  close  to  tlie  body  of 
the  tree,  entirely  exposed  to  view  and  while 
standing  on  a  chair  I  examined  the  inte- 
rior. It  was  just  completed  and  ready  for 
the  eggs  but  I  did  not  disturb  it.  I  saw 
the  pair  construct  the  nest  on  the  very  same 
place,  where,  a  number  of  days  before,  I 
had  destroyed  the  nest  of  a  Mocking-bird 
after  its  young  had  departed.  The  last  nest 
was  much  larger  than  the  first,  and  com- 
posed, quite  similarly,  of  thorny  twigs, 
and  lined  with  a  few  grasses.  I'his  tame- 
ucss  is  exceptional,  but  indicates  that,  were 
the  country  thickly  settled,  this  bird  might 
become  as  domestic  as  the  Mocking-bird 
or  Robin. 

It  is  resident  where  found,  commences 
to  breed  in  March  on  the  Rio  Grande,  and 
rears  several  broods  in  a  season.  The  first 
brood  is  hatched  in  April  and  generally 
numbers  four.  By  the  middle  or  latter 
part  of  May  clutches  for  the  second  brood 
arc  full  and  consist  nearly  always  of  throe 

The  eggs  vary  in  shape  from  oblong  oval 
to  almost  pyriform  ;  the  ends  ai"e  round- 
pointed  and  the  greatest  diameter  nearer 
one  end.      The  color  is  pea-green  and  cov- 


ered more  or  less  over  the  entire  surface 
with  fine  brown  dots.  Of  the  great  series 
of  eggs  taken  by  me  only  one  set  was  com- 
paratively free  from  spots.  A  set  of  over- 
sized eggs  taken  May  24th  average  1.25  by 
.83.  The  general  average  is  1.12  by  .79. 
The  shell  is  strong  enough  imless  incuba- 
tion is  well  advanced,  iu  which  case  it  be- 
comes so  tender  that  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  save  a  fair  specimen.  The  color  becomes 
dull  and  faded  when  long  sat  upon,  so  that 
their  condition  can  generally  be  told  with- 
out haudlinjf. 


(FIG.  3.) 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  the    Texas 

Thrasher  ( Harporhynchus 

rufus  van  longirostris.) 

rpmS  species  is  a  rather  conmion  resident 
of  lower  Texas,  and  is  seen  most  fre- 
quently in  the  scrubby  and  overgrown  coun- 
try, the  thickets  being  its  usual  haunts.  In 
its  usual  habits,  it  seems  to  be  the  counter- 
part of  the  Brown  Thrasher,  although,  ac- 
cording to  eminent  authorities,  it  builds  its 
nest  higher,  while  the  eggs  are  somewhat 
different.  Dr.  Merrill  says  that  the  nest 
is  a  well  built,  substantial  aflfair,  resembling 
that  of  the  typical  rufus.  Mr.  Sennett,  hav- 
ing found  and  examined  several  nests,  states 
that  they  are  composed  of  stems  and  sticks, 
and  lined  with  grasses,  Spanish  moss,  bark 
or  fine  roots.  'I'he  depth  is  from  one  to 
two  and  one-half  inches.  "  Of  those  taken, 
the  lowest  was  four  feet  from  the  ground 
and  the  highest  some  eight  feet,  averaging. 
I  think,  five  and  one-half  feet.  I  found  their 
nests  in  a  variety  of  places — j)rickly-pear 
cactus,  Spanish  bayonet,  chaparral,  and 
most  commonly  in  the  dense  undergrowth 
under  the  heavier  timber.  I  saw  no  nest 
of  this  bird  iu  an  exposed  position  '  above 
the  upper  branches.'  Its  usual  position  is 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  tree  or  plant  select- 
ed, and,  like  most  of  the  nests  of  this  re- 
gion, not  capable  of  being  detached  from 
the  thorny  bushes  without  falling  to  pieces." 


76 


TEE  OOLOGIST 


There  is  a  great  similarity  between  the  nests 
of  this  species,  the  Curve-bill  and  the  Mock- 
iug-bivd,  and  iu  most  cases  they  so  closely 
resemble  each  other  in  position,  material, 
etc.,  that  it  is  not  ordinarily  easy  to  tell  one 
from  another. 

The  eggs,  four  iu  number — occasionally 
five — are  "  marked  very  much  like  those  of 
H.  7-ufus,  and  are  hardly  distinguishable 
from  them.  The  typical  egg  has  a  ground 
color  of  the  faintest  greenish-white,  and  is 
finely  speckled  all  over  with  brown,  the 
dotting  being  thickest  at  the  larger  end." 
Dr.  Merrill  says  that  "  the  usual  number 
of  eggs  is  three,  often  two,  more  rarely 
four  ;  the  ground  color  varies  from  green- 
ish to  reddish-white,  more  or  less  thickly 
sprinkled  with  reddish  and  brownish  dots 
and  spots.  One  set  is  sparingly  covered 
Avith  lar<;e  clouded  blotches,  <jivin<2;  the  eirsrs 
an  appearance  unusual  in  this  genus."  To 
show  what  variation  there  may  be  in  eggs 
of  this  species,  although  there  is  no  remark- 
able point  of  variation,  the  following  from 
Mr.  Sennett's  notes  will  add  to  the  above : 
"  Several  sets  were  obtained  with  the 
ground-color  yellowish-white,  and  so  thick- 
ly speckled  as  to  have  a  general  color  of 
ochre.  One  set  is  nearly  pure  white,  speck- 
led thickly  only  in  the  form  of  a  wreath  at 
the  larger  end,  otherwise  very  sparsely  and 
faintly  marked.  The  shape  is  usually  imi- 
form,  like  all  the  Thrushes'  ;  but  I  have 
one  egg  shaped  exactly  like  a  Quail's  egg. 
The  largest  egg  was  1.12  by  0.84,  and  the 
smallest  1.01  by  0.75.  I'he  average  length 
was  1.07  by  0.78." 

The  eggs  of  the  Texas  Thrasher  or  Long- 
billed  Thrush  are  not  unkngwu  in  cabinets, 
though  until  late  years  they  were  considered 
rare.  The  nests  are  found  rather  abund- 
antly in  suitable  localities. 


One  will  be  surprised  sometimes  at  the 
number  of  different  species  to  be  found  nest- 
ing in  close  proximity  to  one  another  in  a 
swamp  or  on  marshy  ground.  Such  re- 
gions are  generally  the  best  for  the  collector. 


(FIG.  4.) 

Nesting  of  Accipiter  fuscus. 

T^HE  Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  known  local- 
•^  ly  as  the  "Pigeon  Hawk,"  "Chicken 
Hawk,"  etc.,  is  rather  abundant  through- 
out North  America  and  is  well  known  to 
naturalists.  Its  numbers  can  generally  be 
estimated  best  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  just 
before  nesting  season,  when,  at  times,  the 
air  seems  to  swarm  with  them,  and  many 
are  seen  in  the  woods.  They  prefer  wood- 
ed and  hilly  country,  being  found  iu  the 
heart  of  the  deepest  forests,  sometimes  fly- 
ing about  in  the  high  trees,  at  others  low 
down,  quite  near  the  ground,  where  they 
obtain  large  numbers  of  mice  and  small 
birds.  The  hunter  will  frequently  come 
suddenly  upon  one  silently  perched  on  the 
lower  limbs  of  a  tree  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest,  wat(;hing  for  its  prey.  But  they  are 
by  no  means  uncommon  in  open  country  ; 
every  farmer's  boy  knows  him  and  well, 
for  he  is  accustomed  to  fly  over  the  mead- 
ows at  sunset  in  search  of  mii-e  and  moles. 

The  nest  of  this  Hawk  is  placed  in  trees, 
usually  of  the  hard-wood  species  ;  some- 
times, according  to  Dr.  Coues  and  others, 
on  rocks.  It  is  built  of  sticks,  in  the  man- 
ner of  other  Hawks'  nests,  and  lined  with 
a  few  feathers  or  rootlets  ;  in  some  cases 
without  any  lining  whatever.  It  is  about 
as  large  as  a  Crow's  nest,  but  not  so  bulky 
as  those  of  its  larger  relatives,  and  is  built 
generally  in  accessible  trees,  often  as  low 
as  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground  iu  some  por- 
tions of  the  country,  where  ' 

"  familiarity  breeds  contempt ;" 
many  nests  being  taken  and  destroyed  by 
boys  ;  but  in  its  northern  home,  it  selects 
a  position  some  twenty-five  to  forty  feet 
high.  It  nests  during  the  latter  part  of  A- 
pril  and  the  first  week  in  May. 

The  eggs,  four  in  number  —  frequently 
five  —  are  always  easily  recognized  ;  they 
resemble  nearest  those  of  the  Pigeon  Hawk. 
They  are  variable,  so  much  so  that  one 
specimen  may  be  entirely  free  from  spots, 
while  another  may  be  almost  totally  covered 


THE  OOLOGIST 


77 


with  them.  They  are  certainly  the  hand- 
somest of  Hawks'  eggs,  the  distribution  and 
appearance  of  the  markings  of  some  speci- 
mens excelling  Sparrow  Hawks'  eggs  in 
beauty.  On  a  yellowish-,  pale,  or  slightly 
bluish-white  ground  color,  are  irregularly 
scattered,  usually  at  or  about  the  large  end, 
in  all  the  fantastical  shapes  imaginable, 
blotches  and  spatters  of  various  shades,  a 
single  specimen  frequently  exhibiting  three 
or  four  tints,  including  yellowish,  reddish 
and  blackish.  A  set  of  eggs  will  thus  be 
seen  to  present  a  good  effect  in  the  cabinet. 
Kggs  sometimes  have  few  markings  on 
them,  these  in  the  form  of  dots  and  pale 
spots,  while  occasionally  a  specimen  will 
be  found  without  any  markings  whatever, 
lu  general,  the  eggs  of  this  species  may  be 
said  to  be  splashed  with  a  rich  reddish- 
brown.  From  an  extensive  series  of  eggs, 
three  specimens  taken  at  random  exhibit 
the  followinjr  measurements  :  1.39  by  1.10, 
1.41  by  1.13  and  i.44  by  1.14.  The  shape 
is  sphero-ellipsoidal,  both  ends  being  the 
same  ;  some  eggs  are  almost  round.  When 
held  toward  the  light,  the  inside  of  the  shell 
will  be  seen  to  have  a  greenish  tint,  like 


A 


Nesting  of  the  Barred  Owl  (Syr- 
nium  nebulosum). 

BY  C.  ALGER  HAWES. 

8  the  nest  of  the  above  bird  is  very  sel- 
dom found  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston, 
the  following  account  will,  I  think,  prove 
interesting  to  the  readers  of  The  Oologist. 
On  April  3rd,  1879,  while  collecting  along 
the  banks  of  tlie  Charles  River,  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town  of  Wellesley,  I  was  for- 
tunate enough  to  find  a  nest  of  this  species. 
I  was  about  to  enter  a  very  dense  copse  of 
soft  pine  trees,  when  I  observed  a  large 
Owl  fly  into  the  woods  about  two  gunshots 
from  me.  Knowing  that  it  was  high  time 
for  the  nests  of  the  Strigidce  I  began  a  care- 
ful search,  and  after  climbing  to  several  old 
squirrels'  nests,  and  wasting  ( ?)  about 
twenty  minutes  1  at  last  found  tlie  nest. 


It  was  built  iu  a  soft  pine  tree,  resting  up- 
on two  branches,  each  about  two  inches  in 
diameter,  and  close  against  the  trunk,  about 
forty-five  feet  from  the  ground.  1  ascend- 
ed to  the  nest  and  found  it  to  be  an  old 
Crow's  nest,  repaired  to  suit  the  new  ten- 
ants, and  as  I  thought,  completed.  The 
hollow  in  the  centre  of  the  old  nest  was 
filled  in  with  small  twigs  and  several  pieces 
of  fresh  evergreen.  On  the  edges  of  the 
nest  were  three  of  the  feathers  from  the 
side  of  the  breast  of  S.  iiehidonum^  which, 
from  the  long  stripe  and  fur-like  appear- 
ance were  unmistakable  ;  and  also  on  a 
branch  just  under  the  nest  was  a  primary 
wing  feather  of  this  bird.  Slightly  disap- 
pointed not  to  have  been  able  to  add  the 
globular  treasures  to  my  oological  collec- 
tion, I  descended,  with  the  idea  of  again 
visiting  the  nest  at  an  early  date.  'J'wo 
days  alter,  April  5th,  I  again  ascended  to 
the  nest,  and  this  time  had  a  fine  view  of 
the  bird  as  she  flew  off.  The  nest  contain- 
ed one  egg,  very  large  for  the  size  of  the 
bird.  I  did  not  again  visit  the  nest  until 
April  12th,  and  then  found  tliat  the  prolific 
female  had  accommodated  me  with  four 
eggs.  From  all  accounts  of  the  nesting  of 
this  bird  that  I  have  access  to,  all  authors 
agree  that  three  eggs  is  the  number  usually 
laid.  Two  were  of  the  usual  si/e,  meas- 
uring 2.02  by  1.62  and  2.04  by  1.64  ;  the 
third  is  somewhat  larger  and  measures  2.09 
by  1.70,  while  number  four  was  the  first 
egg  laid,  doubtless,  and  measures  2.23  by 
1.75.  This  day  there  were  two  fine  sec- 
ondary feathers  on  the  edge  of  the  nest,  and 
these  identify  the  eggs  beyond  dispute.  Af- 
ter preparing  the  eggs  (for  to  me,  it  seems 
very  dangerous  to  travel  with  unblown 
eggs)  I  left  the  grove  without  disturbing 
the  nest,  for  I  thought  that  the  Owl  might 
lay  a  second  time,  and  perhaps  in  the  same 
nest.  Impressed  with  this-  idea,  I  visited 
the  old  nest  on  April  27th,  but  found  it  de- 
serted and  much  impaired  by  the  recent 
rains  and  wind.  As  I  walked  on  farther, 
however,  I  observed  what  I  supposed  to  be 
an  old  squirrel's  nest  in  the  fork  of  a  pine 
tree,  about  thirty-five  feet  from  the  ground. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


While  I  was  watching  it,  off  flew  the  Owl 
that  I  was  in  search  of.  I  climbed  to  the 
nest,  and  found  that  the  lower  part  certain- 
I3'  had  once  been  occupied  by  a  gray  squir- 
rel, but  now  simply  forms  a  rest  for  the 
nest  of  the  Owl,  which  this  time  they  had 
built  themselves  of  coarse  sticks,  roughly 
placed  together,  and  lined  (I  will  call  it  a 
lining)  with  smaller  sticks  and  some  leaves 
of  the  pine.  Tiiere  were  also  several  breast 
feathers  of  S.  nehulosum  in  the  hollow  of 
the  nest,  whether  placed  there  for  lining 
purposes  or  were  simply  the  worn  plumage 
of  the  bird,  pulled  out  by  accident,  I  was 
unable  to  determine.  The  nest  contained 
three  eggs,  of  a  very  globular  appearance, 
yet  not  ditfering  materially  from  the  first  set. 
They  average  a  trifle  larger,  measuring 
2.06  by  1.65,  2.10  by  1.68  and  2.10  by 
1.69.  Had  I  a  gun  with  me,  I  should 
have  shot  the  bird  as  it  left  the  nest,  for  I 
think  there  is  no  possibility  of  my  being 
able  to  send  a  postscript  of  au  account  of 
the  third  laying  of  this  pair  of  birds  to  The 

OOLOGIST. 

Since  writing  the  above  account,  I  again 
visited  the  second  nest  referred  to  on  May 
3i'd,  and  found  that  in  spite  of  her  former 
fruitless  attempts  to  propagate  the  sub-fam- 
ily SyrninxE,  she  had  again  laid  three  eggs, 
not  differing  materially  from  the  first  two 
sets. 


Oblogical  Notes  for  May. 


I  TOOK  the  first  full  set  of  Magpie's  eggs 
(7)  April  12.  H.  W.  Nash. 

Puehlo^  Colo. 

In  my  note  book  1  find  an  entry  under 
the  date  of  May  10th  :  Set  of  10,  Ruffed 
Grouse,  fresh  ;  same  date,  set  of  11  eggs, 
nearly  fresh.  Both  nests  were  found  on 
the  4th  of  May,  and  each  had  7  eggs.  A- 
bout  a  week  ago  [about  April  26]  a  boy 
told  me  that  he  had  found  a  Partridge  nest 
with  three  eggs.  C.  iCrnest  Knight. 

Wiscasset,  Maine. 

The  question  as  to  whether  Cow  Birds 
ever  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  nests  of  larger 


birds  is  permantly  settled,  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned.  April  28th  I  saw  a  Robin's 
nest  finished,  but  empty  ;  to-day,  May  5th, 
I  visited  it  again,  and  found  the  female  sit- 
ting on  three  of  her  own  eggs  and  one  Cow 
Bird's  Q^^.  Rev.  J.  Walton. 

Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Set  of  2  eggs  Barred  Owl,   .  March  15 
4  Mottled  Owl,    .    April  11 

4  Blue  Bird,  11 

3  Red-should.  Hawk,        11 

4  Mottled  Owl,  14 

5  "  "  16 
4  "  ''  16 
4  "  "  16 
3  Red-should.  Hawk,  26 

Brooklyn,  N.  ¥.  T.  B.  Stearns. 

[Our  correspondent  is  of  the  opinion  that 
the  publication  of  brief  memoranda  as  above 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  will  be  of  great 
benefit  to  collectors.  It  is  a  good  idea,  and 
we  accordingly  invite  oologists  to  send  such 
notes  for  publication,  with  items  concern- 
ing any  observation  made  in  connection 
with  the  discovery  of  nests  and  eggs,  that 
will  be  of  interest. — Ed.] 

The  eggs  of  Swallows  differ  as  much  as 
their  modes  of  nesting.  As  might  be  ex- 
pected from  consideration  of  the  slender- 
bodied  form  of  the  birds,  the  eggs  are  rath- 
er narrow,  elongate,  and  pointed.  In  the 
typical  hole  diggers,  who  retain  their  orig- 
inal habits  most  tenaciously,  the  eggs  are 
pure  white,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Bank  Swal- 
low, and  as  the  rule  is  with  birds  which, 
like  Owls,  Kingfishers,  Woodpeckers,  and 
many  others,  lay  in  holes.  Many  Swal- 
lows' eggs,  however,  are  colored,  and,  in 
fact,  profusely  speckled  with  reddish  and 
brown  shades.  I  presume,  without  the 
slightest  proof,  but  judging  by  reasonable 
analogy,  that  Swallows'  eggs  were  original- 
ly or  primitively  white,  and  tliat  they  be- 
came colored  somewhat  according  to  in- 
creasing degree  of  exposure  to  which  they 
may  have  been  subjected  during  the  long 
time  in  which  the  nesting  habits  of  the 
birds  have  undergone  modification. 

Coues :  Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


79 


Last  August  collecting  coleoptera  I  found 
a  Ground  Robin's  nest  in  a  hazel  bush  about 
three  feet  from  the  ground  containing  two 
eggs  ;  incubation  in  the  first  stages.  The 
female  flew  oiF  when  I  was  within  four  feet 
of  the  nest,  and  hopped  about  on  the  lower 
limbs  of  the  hazel.  The  nest  was  compos- 
ed of  weeds,  &c.,  lined  with  round  stems  of 
fine  green  grass.  1  also  found  a  nest  on 
the  23rd  of  this  mouth  (May,  '79).  This 
nest  was  situated  in  the  side  of  a  sloping 
bank,  a  narrow  passage  running  uuder  the 
dry  grass  and  leaves  tor  two  or  three  inch- 
es, at  the  end  of  which  it  suddenly  widen- 
ed, and  where  lay  on  a  bed  of  grass,  four 
egors  of  the  Chewink,  and  two  of  the  Cow 
Bird,  the  group  almost  filling  up  the  nest 
to  the  top.  The  birds  had  evidently  left 
the  nest,  for  the  entrance  was  covered  over 
with  a  spider  web  ;  the  eggs  were  fresh. 

.  .  Is  it  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  to 
find  eggs  of  the  Cow  Bird  iu  Crow  Black- 
birds' nests?  Last  spring  a  young  collect- 
or here  found  a  nest  containing  five  eggs  of 
the  Crow  Blackbird  and  one  of  the  Cow 
Bird.  The  latter  was  nearly  covered  up 
with  the  lining  of  the  nest. 
Galesburg,  Ills.  C.  W.  Strumbekg 

[As  a  general  thing,  the  Cow  Bird  does 
not  deposit  her  eggs  in  larger  birds'  nests  ; 
but  sometimes  she  is  constrained  to  do  so, 
and  in  such  cases  the  fear  of  possible  disa- 
greeable consequences  is  doubtless  overbal- 
anced by  the  necessity  of  ejecting  the  egg 
at  once,  for  when  a  selection  can  be  made, 
the  smaller  species  are  almost  invariably 
imposed  upon.  What  we  should  like  now 
to  ascertain,  is,  Avhether  any  collector  has 
found  eggs  of  the  Cow  Bird  on  the  ground, 
as  if  dropped  there  by  the  burdened  female. 
Vide  supra. — Ed.] 

The  Indigo  Bird  nests  rather  commonly 
in  the  Middle  and  New  England  States. 
About  June  10th  full  sets  of  their  eggs  are 
laid  in  the  nest  of  fine  straws,  weed  stalks, 
rootlets  and  hairs.  The  nest  is  placed  in 
low  bushes,  from  one  to  three  feet  above 
the  ground.  Frequently  it  is  fortified  by 
the  thorns  of  raspberry  bushes  in  which  it 


is  placed.  The  outskirts  of  woods,  espe- 
cially on  side-hills  and  where  there  is  con- 
siderable undergrowth,  are  the  usual  haunts 
of  the  Indigo  Bird,  and  furnish  it  the  best 
nesting  places. 

The  eggs  are  clear,  with  the  slightest 
tinge  of  blue,  and  four  in  number.  They 
are  of  the  size  of  Chipping  Sparrows'  eggs, 
but  not  quite  as  pointed  at  the  small  end. 


Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Chestnut-col- 
lared Bunting. — Dr.  Coues  says  of  the 
nesting  of  this  bird  :  "The  Chestnut-col- 
lared Bunting  breeds  in  profusion  on  the 
plains  of  Northern  Dakota.  On  the  bare 
plains,  away  from  a  single  laud-mark,  it 
is  perhaps  the  most  abundant  bird  of  all, 
though  Baird's  Bunting  and  the  Missouri 
Sky-lark  are  not  far  behind  in  this  respect. 
The  nest  of  the  present  species  is  placed  on 
the  ground,  effectually  concealed  beneath 
some  little  tuft  of  grass  ;  it  is  a  slight  affair, 
merely  a  few  fine  grasses  and  slender  weed- 
stems,  for  the  most  part  circularly  disposed, 
and  considerably  hollowed.  It  measures 
about  three  and  one-half  inches  across  out- 
side, and  more  than  half  as  much  in  depth  ; 
the  bottom  is  very  thin  in  comparison  with 
the  brim,  which  is  well  defined.  The  eggs 
are  usually  four  in  number,  measuring 
about  four-fifths  of  an  inch  long  by  three- 
fifths  broad,  and  are  not  peculiar  in  shape. 
They  are  grayish-white,  more  or  less  cloud- 
ed, and  mottled  obscurely  with  pale  pui- 
plish-gray,  which  confers  the  prevailing 
tone  ;  this  is  overlayed  with  numerous  sur- 
face-markings of  points,  scratches,  and 
small  spots  of  dark  brown,  wholly  indeter- 
minate in  distribution  and  number,  but  al- 
ways conspicuous,  being  sharply  displayed 
upon  the  subdued  ground  color.  When  the 
nest  is  approached,  the  female  generally 
walks  quietly  off,  after  a  little  flutter,  thread- 
ing her  way  through  the  grass  till  she  is  at 
a  safe  distance,  and  then  taking  wing." 


May  12,  Broad- winged  Hawk,  2  eggs 
20,  Carolina  Rail,  4  eggs. 


so 


THE  OOLOGIST 


Tfte  ©oroaist 


FOUKTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


MAY,  1879. 


I^'A  NUMBER  of  subscriptions  expire 
with  this  issue  of  The  0(3logist.  Those 
Avhose  subscriptions  terminated  immediate- 
ly prior  to  this  number  have  been  informed 
by  postal  card.  Will  they  renew  at  once 
and  save  the  delay  in  adjusting  our  subscrip- 
tion book? 


1^  Arrangements  have  been  made 
whereby  subscribers  to  the  American  Nat- 
uralist may  receive  also  this  journal  at 
S4.00  per  annum.  This  is  an  unusual  of- 
fer to  naturalists,  who  should  at  once  avail 
themselves  of  it. 


Our  Plate. — As  an  experiment,  per- 
haps the  plate  which  accompanies  this  num- 
ber may  be  considered  tolerably  accurate. 
So  far  as  we  are  aware,  this  is  the  first  in- 
stance of  bird  egg  illustration  in  colors  pro- 
duced by  wood  engravings  in  this  country  ; 
and  the  defects  which  must  of  necessity 
occur  from  an  experiment  in  this  field,  con- 
sidering the  admitted  ditHculty  in  properly 
portraying  the  eggs  of  birds,  are  happily 
fewer  than  were  expected.  The  figures  are 
sufficiently  correct  to  exhibit  the  typical  pe- 
culiarities of  each  egg,  while  the  coloring 
is  sufficiently  exact  to  represent  the  average 
run  of  specimens,  excepting  it  be  that  the 
blotching  on  eggs  of  Accipiter  fuscus  is  more 
of  a  yellowish-red,  or  dirty  red  color. 


A  series  of  trials  in  this  process  of  pro- 
ducing figures  of  birds'  eggs  might,  doubt- 
less, be  attended  with  excellent  results  ;  and 
they  would  vie  with  the  best  efit)rts  of  the 
lithographer,  for  all  the  nicety  of  outline 
and  configuration  of  markings,  may  with 
study,  be  obtained.  As  regards  the  present 
plate,  it  is  hoped  that  the  defects  will  be 
considered  merely  as  those  resulting  from 
experiment. 


Attention  is  called  to  our  prospectus  in 
another  portion  of  this  number.  Oologists 
are  referred  to  this  announcement  as  a  state- 
ment of  what  our  journal  proposes  to  ac- 
complish, provided  it  receives  their  encour- 
agement. If  our  readers  will  show  this 
number  to  their  friends  who  collect  birds' 
eggs,  they  may  succeed  in  arousing  a  deep- 
er interest  in  this  study,  and  thus  imbue  in 
them  a  desire  to  promote  the  science  thro' 
our  journal.     Subscribe  for  it. 


Copies  of  the  plate  may  be  obtained  for 
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postage  paid. 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGIOALLY  OONSIDEEED. 


IV.    ON  THE  RELATION  OF  NID- 
IFIGATION  TO  CERTAIN  OTH- 
ER HABITS  OF  BIRDS. 


ANE  of  the  most  notable  facts  presented 
^  to  the  ornithologist  for  study  and  phi- 
losoj)hy,  and  which  often  serves  as  a  key  to 
the  character  of  a  bird,  is  the  great  conform- 
ity of  its  general  habits  with  some  one 
prominent  peculiarity.  As  in  human  be- 
ings, a  trait  which  is  marked  in  one  bird, 
may  be  modified  or  wanting  in  another  of 
the  same  species,  and  whatever  this  trait 
is,  it  points  as  a  sort  of  index  to  the  whole 
demeanor  of  the  individual.  Prominent 
and  noted  as  are  the  peculiarities  which  dis- 
tinguish one  family,  genus,  or  species  from 
another  ;  and  closely  as  all  the  individuals 
of  a  species  are  connected  by  a  common 


THE  OOLOGIST 


81 


bond  iu  habits,  no  extensive  series  of  birds 
of  the  same  species  will  be  found  to  have 
inherited  the  same  and  all  the  features  of 
their  predecessors  or  companions ;  there 
will  be  some  marked  latent  or  obscure — 
mental,  as  it  were — quality  which  distin- 
guishes the  every  movement  of  this  bird 
from  that  one.  Authors  have  been  profuse 
in  writing  upon  the  ability  of  one  bird  to 
build  a  beautiful  nest  ;  while  the  sheer  in- 
ability or  negligence  of  another  of  the  same 
species  is  manifest  in  the  adjustment  of  ev- 
ery straw.  None  the  less  true  does  it  seem 
in  regard  to  the  powers  of  singing  possessed 
by  different  individual  birds  ;  and  to  the 
unstudied  person  probably  this  fact,  from 
the  opportunities  afforded  of  noticing  it,  is 
much  the  more  evident.  More  than  this, 
is  it  not  probable  that  the  reasoning  facul- 
ties of  one  bii'd  (for  we  most  rigidly  hold 
that  all  the  actions  of  birds  are  not  instinct- 
ive, any  more  than  are  those  of  the  more 
intelligent  lower  animals)  in  other  depart- 
ments— in  selection,  procuring  of  food,  pro- 
tection, etc. — whether  the  department  be  a 
well  known  one  or  the  converse,  are  more 
decided  than  the  same  faculty  or  group  of 
faculties  in  another?  The  demeanor  of 
birds  certainly  does  often  bring  out  quali- 
ties in  quick  succession,  which  we  have  nev- 
er before  noticed  in  others  of  the  same  kind, 
and  we  can  do  no  better  than  to  put  it  down 
to  the  credit  of  the  author,  that  that  partic- 
vdar  trait  iu  him  is  more  largely  developed 
than  in  the  generality  of  his  fellows. 

But  isolated  as  one  well  developed  trait 
may  be  in  some  individuals,  others  will  be 
Ibuud  possessing  a  goodly  number,  all  pret- 
ty prominent,  and  rather  diversified  ;  while 
another  individual  or  class  will  lack  one  or 
all  of  them.  A  bird  may  have  little  taste 
in  nest-building,  and  following  out  the  ac- 
cessory characteristics,  we  see  negligence 
in  its  every  action.  She  places  her  nest  in 
the  first  location  that  is  fit  for  a  bird's  nest ; 
its  construction  occupies  her  attention  seem- 
ingly only  casually,  and  she  appears  to  be 
half-hearted  iu  the  task  of  putting  the  ma- 
terials together.  Days  will  elapse  between 
the  justification  of  one  mass  of  material  and 


another,  when  they  could  evidently  be  in- 
corporated together  to-day  as  well  as  to- 
morrow. Close  observation  of  the  birds 
shows  them  to  be  sitting  about — not  even 
searching  for  material.  This  bird  is  inat- 
tentive to  her  own  eggs,  and  is  away  from 
them  during  the  pei'iod  of  incubation  about 
as  many  days  in  the  aggregate  as  she  is 
upon  them  ;  and  when  hatched,  it  will  be 
after  the  normal  period  of  time  required  ;* 
tlie  young  will  receive  little  attention — be- 
ing however  usually  well  fed,  but  sometimes 
unprotected,  and  this  in  cold,  damp  weath- 
er quite  as  often  as  at  other  times.  The 
only  satisfactory  conclusion  to  be  arrived 
at  to  account  for  the  finding  of  whole  sets 
of  Bank  Swallows'  eggs  unliatched  and 
spoiled,  is  that  the  parents  must  have  been 
negligent  in  caring  for  them.  Observation 
of  various  species  during  the  breeding  sea- 
sou,  has  revealed  the  fact  that  frequently 
the  predominance  of  one  peculiarity  relating 
to  nesting  is  indicative  of  the  cluiracter  of 
others  ;  and  that  where  this  one  is  strong,  its 
counterparts  are  likely  to  be  strong  also,  as 
in  the  instance  of  the  bird  above  mentioned. 
Birds  naturally  indifferent  in  their  ordi- 
nary habits,  frequently  exhibit  indifference 
in  nest-building.  We  are  often  struck  by 
the  taste  displayed  by  a  builder  on  one  day, 
while  on  the  next  we  find  a  nest  of  the  same 
species  quite  shabby,  not  only  in  selection 
of  material,  but  the  manner  iu  which  it  is 
put  together.  There  seems  to  be  a  perfect 
coalescence  of  the  constituent  actions  wliich 
make  iq)  the  carriage  of  some  species  with 
their  nesting  habits,  and  tracing  them  out, 
we  note  that  one  peculiarity  in  every  posi- 
tion in  which  we  see  the  bird.  A  bird 
careful  in  the  construction  of  its  nest  is  care- 
ful of  its  young,  and  will  endeavor  to  defend 


*  This  has  been  observed  a  number  of  times  in 
late  j'ears ;  two  cases  have  tlius  far  come  to  qui- 
notice  this  year — botli  Robins.  In  one  case  t\u: 
pair,  tliough  oif  the  nest  nearly  half  the  time,  sue 
eeedecl  iu  rearing  two  young,  having  sat  upon  the 
eggs  sixteen  days,  two  or  three  days  over  time.  In 
the  other  instance,  the  female  did  not  give  the  care 
whicK  even  some  of  the  more  inattentive  species 
would  to  the  young,  and  it  seemed  indeed  surpris- 
ing that  the  young  should  have  been  able  to  sur- 
vive the  cold  and  rain  to  which  they  were  exposed. 


82 


THE  OOLOGIST 


til  em  to  tlie  last  in  its  own  particular  way. 
This  quality  of  carefulness  seems  to  per- 
\  ade  the  bird's  whole  being.  We  thus  see 
that  the  general  character  of  a  bird  is  often 
determined  by  its  demeanor  in  nest-build- 
ing; and  this  is  a  fair  criterion  to  judge 
from,  on  account  of  the  greater  facility  for 
noticing  differences,  and  better  opportuni- 
ties for  observing  numbers  of  cases  which 
to  compare  together.  So  when  we  observe 
;in  instance  of  largely  developed  instinct, 
which  seems  almost  reason,  in  the  selection 
of  a  nesting  place  offering  the  best  conceal- 
ment, we  see  also  the  tendency  of  the  birds 
to  place  reliance  in  it,  since  they  will  not 
leave  it  till  the  last  moment,  when  discov- 
ery is  almost  certain;  then,  in  the  same 
occult  manner,  they  glide  off  and  away, 
while  to  perfect  the  situation  many  species 
utter  no  sound  whatever.  To  follow  this 
out,  it  is  unnecessary  to  state  that  as  a  gen- 
(^•al  thing,  birds  which  are  themselves  the 
most  conspicuous  build  their  nests  and  have 
th.e  approaches  to  them  in  exposed  situa- 
tions. One  of  a  nestfull  of  birdliugs  will 
leave  home  sooner  than  another,  and  will 
(■at  and  become  domesticated  long  before 
its  companions  ;  its  whole  development,  in 
fact,  is  more  rapid. 

Of  course  there  are  reverse  instances  :  it 
is  absurd  to  say  that  because  a  bird  may 
l)e  able  to  sing  better  than  his  fellows,  that 
he  can  build  a  better  nest,  or  vice  versa. 
Or  a  bird  may  construct  a  poor  nest,  but 
be  attentive  to  the  eggs  and  young — shift- 
lessuess  in  nest-building  is  so  marked  a 
trait  in  some  birds,  that  did  their  other  ac- 
tions entirely  correspond  with  it,  there 
would  indeed  be  material  for  theorists  and 
philosophers  which  would  fill  a  volume. 
Nor  can  it  be  said  that  a  connected  train 
of  characteristics,  chiming  together,  as  we 
have  observed,  will  hold  good  in  any  ex- 
tended series  of  cases — it  is  not  as  good  as 
a  rule.  Birds  appai'ently  negligent  of  their 
eggs  are  often  known  to  be  greatly  attach- 
ed to  their  young.  As  above  remarked, 
however,  a  broad  application  of  the  subject 
is  in  the  case  of  marked  development  of  the 
faculties  as  a  whole,  as  opposed  to  natural 


weakness  or  stupidity.  The  comparing  of 
cases  wherein  points  illustrative  of  Avhat 
has  been  said  may  tend  to  show  the  collect- 
or much  of  importance  relating  to  the  inter- 
nal or  inside  liistory  of  birds  ;  and  many 
curious  anomalies  and  incongruities  will 
present  themselves,  which  grow  more  inter- 
esting as  one's  study  in  this  field  is  en- 
larjred. 


A  Day's  Spring  Collecting. 

BY  FRED.  J.   DAVIS. 

fN  the  spring  of  1874,  we  were  engag- 
ed collecting  the  birds  of  New  York 
state  for  a  prominent  educational  in- 
stitution,* and  a  page  or  two  from  my  note 
book  at  that  time  may  be  of  interest  as 
showing  the  variety  of  birds  which  are  of- 
ten congregated  within  a  comparatively 
small  district. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  'iOtii  of  May, 
after  a  lovely  drive  in  the  cool  air  we  ar- 
rived at  our  destination.  About  four  miles 
from  the  city  we  heard  and  saw  tlie  Orioles, 
/.  haJtimore^  among  the  elms  and  the  little 
Yellow  Warbler,  Dendroeca  cestiva.,  flitting 
by  the  roadside,  while  the  Crows  croaked 
their  satisfaction  in  the  newly  })lanted  corn 
field  ;  these  and  their  surroundings  tended 
to  make  up  an  ideal  picture  of  country  life. 
But  not  until  we  reached  the  woods  did  we 
see  our  feathered  friends  in  all  their  prodi- 
gal abundance.  The  place  we  had  chosen 
for  our  day's  campaign  against  the  harm- 
less beauties  was  a  hill,  covered  with  fine, 
large  old  trees,  while  once  tlie  top  was  a 
small  cedar  swamp  and  at  tlie  foot  a  swampy 
grove  of  second  growth  extending  its  entire 
length — about  two  miles.  After  seeing 
our  horse  comfortably  in  the  farnner's  barn, 
we  walked  up  through  the  orchards  and 
fields,  where  the  Bobolink  and  Meadow 
Lark  made  the  air  melodious  and  the  Spar- 
row Hawk  sat  like  a  sentinel  on  the  old 
elm,  in  which  his  mate  was  sitting  on  her 
nest.     We   soon   reached  the  woods,   and 


*Hamilton  College. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


83 


here  a  perfect  Babel  of  music  greeted  our 
ears.  The  loud  "  teacher  "  of  the  Golden- 
crowned  Thrush,  and  the  clear  song  of  the 
Indigo  Bird  could  be  distinguished  ;  higher 
up  ou  the  hill  we  heard  the  loud  song  of 
tlie  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak, — not  one  but 
a  dozen  or  more.  Nearer  the  outskirts,  like 
a  gleam  of  fire  among  the  trees,  sat  a  Scar- 
let Tanager  ;  in  the  trees  we  heard  the 
plaintive  note  of  the  Wood  Pewee  ;  flitting 
liere  and  there  in  the  tree-tops  and  in  the 
bushes  were  a  great  variety  of  wood  War- 
blers. Everywhere  we  turned  we  could 
see  the  bright  colors  and  hear  the  clear 
songs  of  some  feathered  treasure,  and  we 
spent  the  day  wandering  along  the  hill,  shoot- 
ing the  birds  here  and  there  as  we  needed 
them,  or  sitting  on  some  mossy  bank  list- 
ening to  the  beautiful  and  varied  songs. 
We  flushed  the  Ruffed  Grouse  from  her 
smoothly  lined  nest  wherein  lay  twelve 
eggs,  winch  we  left  that  we  might  enjoy 
the  shooting  in  the  fall.  We  frightened 
the  Crow  off  her  nest  in  several  instances, 
and  the  Grass  Finch  and  Song  Sparrow 
from  theirs  in  the  clearing.  And  thus  we 
wandered  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when 
we  brought  up  at  our  starting  place. 

Here  we  reviewed  the  result  of  our  ram- 
ble. Carefully  unwrapping  the  birds,  we 
laid  them  down  beside  one  another,  and 
found  we  had  the  following  species :  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak,  Guiraca  ludoviciana  ; 
Scarlet  Tanager,  Fyranga  rubra  ;  Canada 
Flycatcher,  Myiodiodes  canadensis  ;  Black- 
buruian  Warbler,  Dendroeca  blackburniw  ; 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  D.  virens  ; 
Black-tliroated  Blue  Warbler,  D.  canaden- 
sis ;  Yellow-rumped,  D.  coronata  ;  Mourn- 
ing, Geothlypis  j^hiladelphia  ;  Black-poll, 
D.  striata  ;  and  Chestnut-sided  Warblers, 
D.  pennsylvanica ;  Redstart,  Setophaga 
ruticilla  ;  Black-and-White  Creeper,  Mni- 
otilta  varia  ;  Golden-crowned  Tlirush,  Siu- 
rus  auricajjillus  ;  Wood  Thrush,  Turdus 
vMstelinus  ;  Nashville,  Hehninthophaga  ru- 
ficapilla  ;  and  Blue  Warblers,  D.  ccerulea, 
besides  many  commoner  species.  We  saw 
some  varieties  which  we  did  not  shoot,  not 
needinjr  them.     Of  some  of  the  birds  men- 


tioned we  had  several  specimens. 

Putting  our  horse  to  the  buggy  we  rode 
home  in  the  light  of  the  setting  sun,  much 
fatigued  though  well  satisfied  with  our  day's 
ramble.  This  is  only  one  of  many  pleas- 
ant days  I  have  spent  in  this  way,  but 
never  have  I  found  the  birds  so  plentiful  as 
ou  that  bright  spring  day  of  1874. 


The  Caracara  Eagle. — This  bird, 
known  as  Audubon's  Caracara,  inhabits 
the  middle  portions  of  America  from  Cuba, 
whence  its  place  southward  is  taken  by  the 
true  Caracara,  to  the  sojithern  portions  of 
the  United  States,  extending  along  their 
border  from  Mexico  to  Florida.  Its  union 
with  its  more  southern  ally,  of  which  itself, 
according  to  the  best  authors,  is  merely  a 
variety,  may  be  said  to  be  in  Central  Amer- 
ica. The  specimens  of  eggs  in  possession 
of  various  naturalists  seem  to  confirm  the 
belief  in  two  distinct  forms,  though  author- 
ities have  hitherto  considered  the  existence 
of  but  one  species.  The  Caracara  is  nei- 
ther an  Eagle  or  a  Vulture,  and  yet  is  both  ; 
its  structure  and  much  of  its  outward  ap- 
pearance claim  a  place  for  it  among  the 
Falconidce ;  while  its  sluggish,  undeter- 
mined, negligent  mien,  together  with  its 
propensity  for  feeding  upon  carrion  an<l 
gorging  itself  until  scarcely  able  to  move, 
brand  it  as  but  little  if  any  superior  to  the 
Vultures  in  these  respects.  Its  habits  are 
interesting  because  they  show  so  many  con- 
flicting traits  ; — while  one  must  readily  ad- 
mit the  indolent  bearing,  combined  with 
two  or  three  marked  external  features  as 
typical  of  the  Vulture,  there  is  still  some- 
thing in  its  appearance  which  shows  it  to 
be  not  entirely  the  scavenger  a  Buzzard  is 
— a  combination  of  features  which  have 
suggested  the  name  of  Vulture-eagle.  Ac- 
cording to  Darwin,  however,  this  bird  of- 
ten shows  activity,  being  sometimes  quite 
fierce,  and  certainly  the  aspect  of  the  head 
and  form  of  the  beak  indicate  aquiline  fea- 
tures which  are  hard  to  overlook  in  spite 
of  its  ignoble  habits. 


84 


THE  OOLOGIST 


General  Items. 


— M.  A.  BouCARD,  who  has  spent  five 
months  studying  the  ornithology  of  Costa 
Rica,  collected  250  species  of  birds,  many 
of  which  are  new  to  science,  and  many  oth- 
ers are  of  rare  occurrence.  .  .  .  The  late 
English  Arctic  Expedition  collected  sixteen 
species  of  birds  on  the  shores  of  the  Polar 
Basin,  and  north  of  82^  North  Latitude. 

Chicago  Tribune. 

— Professor  Duges,  of  Mexico,  in  a 
recent  letter  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
speaking  of  the  enormous  numbers  of  the 
common  Cow  Bird,  or  3Ioluthrus  pecoris, 
in  his  neighborhood,  refers  to  a  certain 
flight  supposed  to  have  been  12,000  yards 
iu  length,  six  yards  wide,  and  probably 
over  a  yard  deep,  and  estimates  the  num- 
ber contained  in  it  to  be  from  nine  to  ten 
millions.  A  flock  of  one  or  two  thousand 
of  these  bix'ds  is  very  common,  generally 
mixed  with  the  Xanthornus  icterocephalus., 
and  to  some  extent  with  the  Red-winged 
Blackbird.  JETarper's  Weekly. 

— Early  in  the  morning,  if  the  collector 
will  take  his  position  near  the  foot  of  a  tall, 
decayed  tree,  and  imitate  the  notes  of  dis- 
tress of  a  young  bird,  if  the  locality  is  of 
the  right  kind,  the  decoy  will  generally  suc- 
ceed iu  bringing  about  birds  of  prey,  who 
will  naturally  alight  for  a  moment  upon 
the  top  of  the  tree,  which  the  collector  must 
keep  covered  with  his  gun.  In  this  way 
good  specimens  may  be  procured  without 
much  difficulty,  whose  capture  by  other 
methods  might  be  impossible.  We  have 
tried  this  method  with  great  advantage,  for 
some  species  is  pretty  sure  to  be  allured  by 
it,  if  within  hearing  distance.  The  same 
decoy  may  be  used  with  success  in  discov- 
ering the  whereabouts  of  small  species,  and 
in  calling  to  one  those  which  might  be  pur- 
sued for  hours  without  being  secured.  The 
more  excruciating  the  imitation,  of  course 
the  more  potent  will  it  be  in  alluring  little 
birds.  Spring  and  summer  are  the  times 
when  such  stratagems  may  be  most  suc- 
cessfully employed. 


— The  science  department  of  the  Chica- 
go Tribune  is  edited  by  W.  H.  Ballou, 
whose  name  will  be  recognized  in  connec- 
tion with  this  journal. 


Jtcccut  JhxbU cations 

AND  ANNOUNCEMENTS. 

A  new  journal  iu  the  scientific  field  is  the 
Meteorologist.,  a  small  8vo  monthly  devoted 
to  the  subject  of  meteorology.  •  Its  object 
is  a  good  one,  since  it  should  encourage  ob- 
servation on  the  part  of  young  scientists 
throughout  the  country.  It  might  be  print- 
ed better. 

Familiar  Science  still  continues  to  con- 
tain fresh  things  about  the  birds.  Dr.  Wm. 
Wood's  series  of  papers  on  the  Birds  of 
Connecticut  appear  in  each  number. 

Science  Observer.,  of  Boston,  conducted 
by  the  Boston  Scientific  Society,  though  not 
an  ornithological  publication,  merits  notice 
as  a  contribution  to  the  scientific  serials  of 
the  day.  Its  subjects  of  discussion  are  al- 
most wholly  astronomical. 

The  Birds  of  Neiv  York,  by  C.  Hart 
INIerriam,  M.  U. — The  great  want  of  an 
authentic  work  upon  the  birds  of  New  York, 
and  the  abundance  of  material  which  has 
accumulated  since  the  publication  of  De- 
Kay's  state  work,  have  called  upon  Dr. 
Merriam  to  bring  together  the  existing  his- 
tory of  the  birds  into  as  exhaustive  a  treat- 
ise as  possible.  He  has  had  ample  means 
of  procuring  the  desired  information  respect- 
ing the  habits  of  little  known  species,  and 
proposes  to  discuss  minutely  the  general 
habits,  nests,  eggs,  and  descriptions  of  each 
species.  This  work  will  be  important  be- 
cause it  will  contribute  another  to  the  series 
of  local  ornithologies,  and  also  because  it 
will  be  thorough.  Dr.  Merriam  states  that 
it  will  require  three  years  to  complete  the 
work.  Collectors  living  in  this  state  or  in 
localities  contiguous  to  it  are  invited  to  cor- 
respond with  the  author,  and  to  furnish 
notes  upon  the  eggs  and  breeding  habits  of 
as  many  species  as  possible. 


SlogisLl^i 


/     rT    Vol.  IV. 


Parasitic  Birds. 

i;y  t.  m.  hhrwkh. 

J  HAVE  recently  received  i'roin  a  tiieiul 
some  Eaft  ludiau  eggs.  Amougtliese 
was  the  loug  desired  egg  of  the  Eu- 
(li/nann/H  orientalin.  This  bird  is  a  large 
Cuckoo,  and,  like  all  the  Cuckoo  tribe  of 
the  Old  World,  imposes  its  eggs  upon  oth- 
er birds  not  of  its  owu  kiud.  It  is  an  in- 
teresting fact  that  many  of  the  Asiatic  Cuck- 
oos not  only  lay  tlieir  eggs  in  other  birds' 
nests,  but  select,  in  so  doing,  the  nest  of 
some  bird  of  whose  eggs  its  own  are  in  close 
imitation.  Thus  the  egg  I  have  received 
of  the  Kii<iytiainiis  is  like  a  small  Crow's 
i-gg.  ami  this  egg  is  always  laid  in  the  nest 
of  the  common  Indian  Crow,  Corvus  spleii- 
(h'nu.  Their  eggs  are  about  one  third  small- 
<M-  than  the  Crow's  egg  and  are  more  oval. 
The  eggs  of  the  Crow  always  come  to  grief, 
the  Cuckoo's  oidy  being  hatched.  It  is 
supposed  the  (Juckoo  punctures  them  when 
she  lays  her  own. 

Another  species  of  Euihjnatyiys  always 
lays  its  eggs  in  the  nests  of  the  Corvua  cul- 
iiiiiialus.  This  species  is  the  E.  honorata., 
the  Coel  of  Western  India.  It  always  de- 
sti-oys  the  Crow's  eggs,  and  its  own  only 
are  luitched  and  brought  up  by  the  pool', 
<heated  Crow.  Its  eggs  are  exactly  like 
the  Crow's  egg  in  color  and  markings. 

The  Cuculus  himalayimsDi  lays  eggs  just 
like  those  of  a  Shrike  and  always  drops  its 
eggs  in  the  nests  of  Lanias  erythronolus. 
These  are  also  Indian  birds. 

Some  of  the  habits  of  these  Cuckoos  are 
very  curious.  Thus  the  (Jundus  driatus 
lays  its  eggs  in  the  nests  of  the  Laughing 
Thrush,  Trocalopteron  liniatHni.  The  eggs 
are  so  much  alike  that  the  Thrush  is  at  first 
(■heated  and  sits  upon  them.      But  as  soon 


JUNE,  1879. 


^ 


No.  II. 


as  they  ai'e  hatched  out  the  foster  mothei- 
finds  out  the  fraud,  and  abandons  the  young 
Cuckoos  to  their  ftite.  Then  their  own 
mother  thinks  it  time  to  interpose,  ami 
comes  in  and  takes  care  of  her  children  un- 
til they  can  shift  for  themselves.  A  veiy 
interesting  story  might  be  made  by  one  on 
the  spot,  of  the  remarkable  habits  of  these 
Cuckoos  who  lay  eggs  imitating  those  of 
some  other  bird.  If  Mr.  Hume  ever  pub- 
lishes his  long  promised  work  on  Indian 
Birds,  his  accounts  of  the  Indian  Cuckoos 
will  be  well  worth  reading,  as  he  has  made 
their  habits  a  matter  of  close  observation. 


Nest  and  Eggs  ok  Empidonax  tkailii. 
— A  nest  of  this  species,  found  on  the  21st 
of  June  was  placed  in  a  small  bush,  two  or 
three  feet  above  the  ground,  on  the  border 
of  a  deep  swamp.  It  contained  three  jaggs. 
which  had  not  been  sat  upon. 

The  nest  was  much  like  an  Indigo  Bird's, 
(composed  wholly  of  dry  grasses,  neither 
deep  nor  shallow,  and  rather  strongly  de- 
posited in  a  fork  formed  by  three  twigs.  Ir 
was  well  calculated  to  escape  observation  : 
while  to  perfect  the  obs(!urity  of  its  owner- 
ship, the  bird,  like  a  swamp  Warbler,  glided 
noiselessly  off  through  the  bushes,  close  to 
the  ground.  The  female  was  exceedingly 
shy. 

The  eggs  were  white,  ovoidal,  as  large 
as  those  of  the  Phoebe,  and  marked  sparse- 
ly on  tlie  large  end  with  clear  i-ed  spots, 
not  large  enough  to  be  called  blotches.  Be- 
fore being  blown,  they  received  a  slighr 
rosy  tint  from  the  yolk. 

This  species  inhabits  the  swampy  por- 
tions of  the  country,  resembling  the  Yel- 
low-bellied Flycatcher  in  this  respect.  The 
male  is  very  active,  though  not  vociferous. 


86 


THE  OOLOGIST 


uttering  a  short  note  similar  to  that  of  the 
Wood  Pewee.  Its  appeurunee  is  such  as 
to  readily  coutbuTid  it  with  the  two  or  three 
conimoner  species,  unless  a  close  compari- 
son is  made. 


Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Blue -gray 
Gnatcatcher.* 

^pillS  little  sylph  of  the  woodland  wau- 
<lers  southwardly  across  the  continent, 
on  the  Pacific  coast  reaching  northward  to 
latitude  42'^,  on  the  Atlantic  slope  to  south-  [ 
ern  New  England,  and  in  the  interior  north- 
ward to  Iowa  and  central  Michigan  ;  south- 
ward it  ranges  to  Central  Ainerica  and  the 
West  Indies,  breeding  throughout  all  this 
area.  Reaching  the  Middle  States  rather 
early  in  the  season  it  quickly  mates  and  se- 
lects a  site  for  its  exquisite  liome.  This  is 
usually  among  the  twigs  on  a  horizontal 
branch  of  a  forest  tree,  from  ten  to  sixty 
feet  above  the  ground, — preferably  the  lat- 
ter height.  The  nest-building  is  begun  in 
Texas  about  April  10  ;  in  the  Ohio  valley 
early  in  May.  In  West  V'irginia,  where 
they  were  abundant,  1  found  them  working 
at  it  on  May  8,  both  parents  seeming  very 
busy';  in  Michigan,  eggs  are  taken  about 
June  10. 

The  nest  is  very  elaborately  constrncted, 
with  thick,  warm  walls  of  soft  materials, 
which,  although  slight  and  perishable,  like 
very  fine,  wiry  grass,  husks  of  buds,  stems 
of  old  leaves,  withered  blossoms,  down  from 
milk-weed  pods  and  the  stalks  of  ferns, 
are  strong  and  elastic.  It  is  two  inches  or 
more  deep,  and  the  top  nan-ower  than  the 
base,  as  though  the  rim  had  been  "puck- 
ered to  prevent  the  eggs  being  rocked  out 
by  some  too-rude  breeze."  The  outside  is 
artfully  made  to  reseml)le  tlie  limb  upon 
which  the  nest  is  saddled,  and  so  guard  a- 
gaiust  observation,  by  being  coated  with 
yellow,  greeu  and  gray  wood-lichens,  firm- 
ly pressed  into  the  walls  and  further  kept 
in  place  by  a  netrwork  of  gossamer.     The 


lining  is  of  yellow  and  white  plant-down, 
lichens  "and  horse-hair,  often  the  last  alone, 
or  sometimes  downy  feathers,  the  quills  of 
which  are  skiliully  thrust  into  the  wall  of 
the  nest,  so  that  only  the  soft  tips  can  be 
felt.  Being  no  lai-ger  than  a  tea-cup,  and 
looking  precisely  like  a  scar  on  the  limb, 
this  nest  is  not  an  easy  one  to  find  ;  but  its 
perfection  costs  the  birds  a  full  week  of  la- 
bor. The  eggs  are  four  to  six  in  number, 
shortly  oval  in  form,  somewhat  pointed  ; 
white  in  color,  spotted  and  blotched  with 
varying  and  blending  shades  of  reddish 
brown,  lilac  and  slate.  The  egg  varies 
greatly  in  the  amount  of  speckling,  which, 
however,  ispretty  evenly  distributed.  Blown 
specimens  are  frequently  faint  bluish-  or 
greenish-white.  Their  average  dimensions 
are  .58  by  .48.  These  Flycatchers  are  said 
to  sil  fourteen  days,  but  do  not  rear  more 
than  one  brood  each  season  if  their  nest  is 
undisturbed.  Mr.  Ragsdale  notes  that  half 
the  nests  lie  has  met  with  in  Cooke  Coun- 
ty, Texas,  where  the  bird  is  abundant,  are 
destroyed  before  completion,  most  of  them 
being  totally  obliterated.  He  attributes  this 
to  the  battles  which  take  j)lace  between  the 
PMycatchers  and  some  intrusive  Cow-bird, 
in  the  coui-se  of  which  the  fragile  structure 
is  demolished.  It  is  certain  that  this  nest 
is  a  favorite  hospice  tor  the  Cow-bird's  egg. 


*Ingersoll's  "Nests  ami  Eggs  of   A 
I'.ir.ls,"  Part  IL,  p.  41. 


merican 


A  srNUL'LAK  oological  fact  came  to  our 
notice  some  years  ago,  which  deserves  to 
be  recorded  among  those  occurrences  which 
collectors  are  now  and  then  brought  into 
contact  with,  but  find  difticult  to  account 
for.  In  the  steep  bank  of  a  gully  east  of 
Utica.  we  found  a  hole — large  enough  to  be 
a  Kingfisher's.  After  due  labor,  the  nest 
proper  was  reached,  and  an  egg  of  the  al- 
cyov  taken  out.  The  next  time,  instead  of 
a  Kingfisher's  egg,  two  or  three  of  Bank 
Swallow's  were  removed,  and  when  the  nest 
was  entirely  emptied,  five  eggs  each  of  the 
two  above  species  were  counted,  all  lying 
together  in  the  same  nest.  The  birds  were 
not  in  si'rht. 


TEE  OOLOGIST 


Oblogical  Notes  for  June. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  hearing  that  the 
Blue  Hcrous  had  a  ucstiug  ph\ce  about 
twenty  miles  from  here,  we  set  out  to  ob- 
taiu  some  of  their  eggs,  aud  alter  a  long 
drive  over  a  muddy  road  we  reached  the 
swamp  at  1  :  00  p.  m.  We  found  the  nests 
in  tall  dead  tamaracks,  usually  about  sixty 
feet  from  tlie  ground.  JMany  of  the  trees 
were  not  safe  to  climb,  as  they  were  not 
more  than  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter 
where  the  nests  were.  Still  we  secured  four 
full  sets  of  four  eggs  each  and  also  four  old 
birds.  We  were  rather  late  as  most  of  the 
eggs  were  nearly  ready  to  hatch. 

Jasper,  in  his  birds  of  N.  A.  says  that 
the  Blue  Heron  lays  two  or  three  eggs — 
not  more  than  three.  We  found  four  in 
each  nest  examined,  and  two  nests  of  yoiaig 
contained  live  each.  German  boys  living 
near  the  swamp  say  they  lay  five  or  six 
eggs  to  each  nest.  Del<xs  Match. 

Fond  da  La<\  Wis. 

[Let  us  hear  from  you  in  regard  to  the 
nesting  of  the  Black  Tern. — Ei>.] 

TiiK  question  as  to  whether  the  Ruffed 
Grouse  will  propagate  in  conliuemeut  seems 
to  be  affn-matively  determined  by  Mr.  M. 
W.  Clark  of  Maine,  who,  in  a  communica- 
tion to  Forest  and  Stream.!  states  that  lie 
has  a  male  and  two  female  Grouse,  that 
the  two  latter  have  made  nests  and  up  to 
his  writing  laid  one  and  two  eggs  respect- 
ively.    The  result  is  eagerly  awaited. 

Fourteen  eggs  were  found  in  a  Black- 
capped  Chickadee's  nest  on  the  8th  of  this 
month  by  two  collectors  in  Utica.  Con- 
sidering the  usual  size  of  sets  of  this  bird's 
eggs,  this  seems  to  overstep  the  usual  bound- 
aries in  point  of  mmiber.  It  may  be  pos- 
sible, though  it  does  not  seem  prolnible,  that 
(wo  j)airs  of  birds  occupied  the  same  nest, 
which,  by  the  way,  is  a  pretty  and  well  built 
affair.  The  eggs  are  so  placed  that  the 
wonder  is  how  the  undermost  ones  could  be 
heated  in  incubation,  the  nest  being  rather 
deep  and  narrow. 

We  have  since  learned  that  eisrht  of  the 


eggs  of  the  above  large  set  were  addled, 
which  renders  a  different  aspect  tc  the  cir- 
cumstance, and  one  which  our  rcsxlers  will 
probably  be  able  to  account  for  tlu  niselves. 

Two  weeks  ago  I  secured  the  eggs  of  the 
Broad-winged  Hawk  ;  there  were  three  eggs 
in  the  nest,  two  of  which  were  covered  with 
the  usual  blotches,  while  the  third  was  of  a 
uniform  light  color.  Is  it  generally  the 
case  that  eggs  vary  so  much  in  color?  .  .  . 
Also  found  a  Crow's  nest  with  six  (6)  egcs. 
Milford,  N.  H.  J.  O.  TiLTON. 

[Our  observations  fully  convince  us  that 
there  is  no  strict  rule  for  the  coloration  of 
eggs  of  B.  pennsylvartlacus .  Blotched  and 
inmiaculate  specimens  nva  frequently  found 
in  the  same  nest. — Ed.] 

This  morning  (June  23)  I  found  a  Yel- 
low-shafted Flicker's  nest  containing  six 
eggs,  two  of  which  were  of  an  uncommonly 
large  size.  They  wei'e  so  far  advanced  in 
incubation  that  1  was  unable  to  blow  them. 
I  therefore  broke  one  open,  and  to  my  sur- 
prise it  contained  tivo  young  birds  instead 
of  one,  both  alive  and  in  good  condition.  I 
also  broke  the  other,  which  contained  but 
one.  C.  W.  Strumbek(;. 

Galeshurg,  III. 
I       [A  man  exhibited  a  basket  of  twenty- 
one  chickens  in  this  city  recently,  stoutly 
:  claiming  that  they  were  hatched  from  six- 
,  teen  eggs.      At  first  thought,  this  appears 
quite  improbable,  but  there  are  many  wh(» 
have    found    double-yolked    eggs   in    hens' 
nests,  and  if  the  germ  is  perfect,  there  is 
no  reason  why,  cceteris  paribus^  they  should 
not  develop   as  many  chickens  ;  but  such 
[  anomalies  are  usually  short  lived.    ( )ur  (;or- 
I  respondents  should  preserve  such  cuiiosities 
I  in  alcohol. — Ed.] 

I      From  reports  of  collectors,  it  may  be  iu- 
'  ferred  that  the  season  just  past  has  been 
somewhat  remai'kable  for  its  brevity.    The 
birds  seemed  to  arrive  and  nest  later  than 
in  previous  years,  but  nevertheless  they  nest- 
ed nearly  imiformly  in  regard  to  date,  ear- 
I  ly  and  late  species  very  close  together.    The 
i  Yellow  Bird  yet  remains  to  nest  and  rear 
'  its  young. 


88 


THE  OOLOGIST 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGIOALLY  CONSIDEEED. 


V.   THE  PROXIMITY  OF  A  NEST 

INDICATED  BY  THE  DEMEANOR 

OF  THE  PARENTS. 


Tfse  ©ytoyist 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


JUNE,  1879. 


We  desire  to  direct  the  attention  of  col- 
lectors of  birds'  eggs  and  all  who  are  study- 
ing the  natural  sciences,  to  the  announce- 
ment of  Professor  Ward  in  this  number. 
His  series  of  obje(!ts  in  nature,  made  up 
with  care,  for  cabinet  and  educational  pur- 
poses, are  probably  the  most  complete  of 
auv  furnished  in  this  country,  and  embrace 
a  large  number  of  species  from  all  parts  of 
the  irlobe. 


Can  those  who  publish  articles  taken 
from  tlie  columns  of  The  Oologist  not 
give  credit  when  this  is  done?  We  are 
surprised  to  see  not  only  quotations,  but  en- 
tire articles  in  other  journals  and  publica- 
tions, taken  from  this  paper  and  published 
as  if  original  with  them.  Perhaps  this  may 
not  be  inapplicable  to  a  few  of  the  latt  st  au- 
thoritative ornithological  works. 


OoLOGiOAL  notes  are  mostly  made  up  for 
the  season.  Cannot  collectors  favor  us 
with  their  items?  They  will  prove  valua- 
l)le  to  those  who  live  in  remote  parts  of  the 
country,  and  have  no  other  means  of  com- 
paring notes. 

Copies  of  the  May  number  with  the 
plate  may  be  ol>tained  in  New  York  of  the 
Am.  News  Company,  or  at  the  office  of  the 
American  Atjriailturist. 


T^XPERIENCE  is  an  important  factor  in 
the  education  of  an  oologist — in  fact, 
one  cannot  be  called  a  naturalist  until  he 
has  mastered  those  parts  of  a  science  whicli, 
in  practical  language,  are  beyond  the  gen- 
eral scrutiny  of  avei'age  mankind.  In  the 
study  of  birds'  eggs,  especially,  one  should 
possess  considerable  experience  —  knowl- 
edge of  the  birds  themselves — of  ornitholo- 
gy, to  pursue  the  study  profitably.  Hence, 
it  is  seen  that  in  the  minute  details  which 
the  student  nmst  ever  keep  in  view,  person- 
al experience  is  an  aid  which  no  literary 
inculcation  in  this  direction  can  supercede. 
Anyone  can  describe  what  he  has  seen  a 
bird  perfoi'm,  or  measure  and  name  an  egg 
when  he  has  the  parent  before  him  ;  but 
when  called  upon  to  make  deductions  and 
apply  the  result  to  future  use  in  the  study, 
it  is  evident  that  some  knowledge  of  bird 
nature  is  required.  That  a  llobin  is  build- 
ing a  nest  is  manifest  when  she  is  observed 
with  straws  in  her  beak  ;  how  long  it  will 
take  her  to  build  it,  lay  her  eggs  and  rear 
her  young,  requires  patient  observation  to 
determine.  Moreover,  if  one  is  able  to 
predict  with  tolerable  accuracy  the  position 
of  the  nest,  from  certain  unanticipated  or 
uncalled-for  demeanor  on  the  pai't  of  the 
parents,  lie  has,  at  least,  the  qualification 
of  being  a  studious  observer. 

In  a  previous  paper,*  it  has  been  observ- 
ed that  many  birds  demean  themselves  o- 
penly  in  sucli  a  manner  as  to  give  an  im- 
portant clew  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  nest ; 
but  the  circumstances  in  the  present  case 
are  very  ditlerent.  In  the  article  just  quot- 
ed, mention  was  made  only  of  those  actions 
elicited  or  provoked  hy  anticipation  of  dan- 
ger ;  but  in  the  present  connection,  we  have 
to  deal  with  those  little  studied  and  seem- 
ingly commonplace,  though  often  siguificant 

i     *Page  44,  Number  6,  for  January,  1879. 


TEE  OOLOGIST 


89 


exhil)itious  of  couduct,  which  surely  mean 
much  more  thau  th(!y  seem  to  at  first  tlio't. 
These  little  displays  are,  however,  very  de- 
ceptive at  times,  siuce  birds  freciueatly  uot 
only  dissemble  those  actions  which  would 
indicate  the  proximity  of  the  nest,  but  on 
the  contrary,  impress  the  observer  very 
strongly  that  there  is  one,  by  little  move- 
ments which  he  is  almost  positive  could 
mean  nothing  else.  As  in  the  study  of  oth- 
er l)ird-traits,  the  observer  has  many  difii- 
cult  puzzles  to  solve,  so  these  are  difficulties 
in  which  the  greatest  experience  sometimes 
avails  little  or  nothing.  There  nevertheless 
seem  to  be  a  few  general  principles  which 
experience  teaches,  that  go  a  long  way  in 
solving  intricate  bird-problems  :  a  species' 
or  group  of  birds  are  found  by  the  ofilogist, 
to  have  a  way  of  displaying  those  actions 
which  might  be  indicative  of  the  position 
or  the  nearness  of  tiie  nest  on  all  occasions, 
and  he  must  treat  the  circumstance  accord- 
ing to  the  principle  which  he  thinks  is  the 
most  satisfactory  explanation  ;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  has  ascertained  that  certain 
other  species  are  ever  reticent  and  inactive. 
But  the  truth  is,  one  cannot  depend  upon 
"•general  principles"  beyond  a  certain  point. 
A  Hawk  sits  placidly  upon  a  limb  near  its 
nest  for  some  time,  which  means  to  the  un- 
observed collector  that  there  is  a  nest  close 
by,  and  if  successful,  the  next  time  his 
search  for  a  quiescent  Hawk  as  an  indica- 
tion of  a  nest,  may  Vje  vmrewarded  ;  while 
he  disregards  the  circling  bird  but  few  feet 
above  the  tops  of  the  trees.  This  is  not  to 
be  understood  an  actual  case,  but  simply  in 
illustration  of  the  position  here  described. 
I  Not  many  weeks  ago,  while  awaiting  the 
return  of  the  owner  of  a  nest  whose  identi- 
ty was  doubtful,  we  Were,  meanwhile,  in- 
terested in  the  maneuvers  of  a  Flycatcher 
a  few  rods  away.  He  caught  flying  in- 
sects, and  invariubly  alit  within  a  radius  of 
tour  or  five  rods,  often  flitting  quite  close 
to  the  nest  and  perching  on  the  topmost 
sprays  of  the  adjoining  bushes.  This  de- 
meanor seemed  in  itself  to  have  little  or  no 
significance,  and  at  first  little  attention  was 
given  it,  especially  since  it  was  believed  the 


nest  belonged  to  a  different  species  ;  but  the 
bird  continuing  to  remain  within  the  area, 
and  very  frequently  alighting  within  a  few 
feet  of  the  nest,  aroused  the  suspicion  tiiat 
he  was  one  of  the  parents,  which  was  short- 
ly verified  by  the  return  of  the  female. 
There  is  something  in  the  manner  of  the 
Sandpiper  and  Plover  tribes,  which,  having 
once  been  observed,  form  a  pretty  accurate 
guide  to  the  presence  of  eggs  or  young. 
The  almost  proverbial  anxiety  ever  display- 
ed by  these  birds,  when  an  intruder  is  es- 
pied too  close  to  the  little  home,  is  so  nat- 
ural with  them,  that  almost  their  every 
movement  during  breeding  season  betrays 
the  proximity  of  the  nest.  A  collector 
coming  unobserved  upon  a  Sandpiper,  can 
hardly  fail  to  note  how  carefully  she  exam- 
ines the  surrounding  objects  before  proceed- 
ing to  the  nest :  the  very  aspect  of  the  bird 
indicates  the  presence  of  eggs  or  young. 

A  large  class  of  birds,  by  their  songs, 
taken  in  connection  with  other  circimi- 
stances,  unconsciously  disclose  to  the  col- 
lector the  fact  that  tliey  have  a  nest,  and 
not  far  a  way.  Tliese  birds  are  wont  to 
perch  upon  some  eminence — tree,  bush  or 
rock — almost  invariably  in  the  same  posi- 
tion during  the  time  the  female  is  upon  the 
nest,  whence,  in  the  intervals  between  their 
melodies,  they  occasionally  flit  about  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  nest,  thus  indi- 
cating, though  in  a  remote  and  somewhat 
uncertain  manner,  that  the  female  is  sitting 
upon  her  nest  in  ch)se  proximity.  The  stol- 
id aspect  of  some  species,  the  Cedar  Bird, 
King  Bird  and  Sparrow  Hawk,  for  exam- 
ple, perched  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time  and  often,  upon  a  tree,  is  usually  a, 
sign  that  there  is  a  nest  in  its  branches  ; 
the  Cedar  Bird,  especially,  is  one  whose 
appearance  in  the  top  of  an  apple-tree  dur- 
ing nesting  season,  may  be  regarded  as  fa- 
vorable to  the  finding  of  a  nest  not  many 
yards  away.  Other  instances  might  be 
mentioned  to  show  the  force  of  the  present 
subject,  all  tending  to  verify  the  statement 
that  the  position  of  the  nests  of  some  bii'ds 
is  frequently  discovered  to  the  oologist  by 
certain  of  those  little  characteristics  which 


90 


THE  OOLOGIST 


only  a  naturalist  knows  how  to  interpretate. 


Studies  on  Certain  Fringillidae. — 
The  Black  Snow  Bird. 

A  MONG  the  numerous  winter  visitants 
to  the  United  States,  the  Snow  Bird, 
Junvo  hijemalis,  is  one  of  the  most  abund- 
ant. It  appears  in  cultivated  districts  of 
the  Middle  and  New  England  States  about 
the  first  of  September,  in  company  with 
Sparrows  of  various  species,  and  also  fre- 
(juently  with  Kinglets  and  Warblers.  Its 
habits  are  not  imlike  those  of  most  fringil- 
!ine  birds,  while  its  plumage  is  nearly  al- 
ways a  distinguishing  feature.  In  breed- 
ing season  the  female  is  quite  drab  allover, 
the  distinction  between  the  darker  upper 
parts  and  the  light  under  parts  being,  in 
>ome  cases,  almost  imjjerceptible  a  few  rods 
away,  iu  which  case  the  whitish  beak  and 
Sparrow-iike  twitter  readily  distinguish  it. 
It  is  never  shy,  penetreting  into  tlie  hearts 
iif  cities  in  quest  of  food  iu  severe  winters, 
and  alighting  on  windowsills  aud  door  steps  ; 
it  is  the  same  bird,  both  in  its  breed- 
ing grounds  and  during  its  winter  visits. 
Its  care  of  the  young  is  noticeable  for  the 
/ealousness  with  which  they  are  guarded, 
the  least  approach  to  the  sacred  spot  being 
greeted  with  chipperings  aud  quickly  re- 
peated notes,  which  express  genuine  solici- 
tude, while  the  parents  hop  excitedly  from 
one  spriti  to  another  and  peer  down  through 
the  leaves  iu  an  entreating  attitude. 

Janro  hyemalis  nests  regularly  in  the 
wooded  and  hilly  portions  of  the  Northern 
States,  as  far  south  as  the  43rd  Parallel. 
It  is  common  throughout  the  Adiroudacks 
in  nesting  season,  and  may  be  seen  there 
in  any  favorable  situation.  We  have  found 
it  especially  abundant  near  the  edge  of  the 
Great  Woods,  where  both  old  and  young 
were  abundant.  They  seemed  to  prefer 
the  bushy  and  scrubby  portions  of  the  for- 
est, and  were  met  with  even  in  the  densest 
regions,  where  many  young  were  seen.  It 
probably  nests  in  these  secluded  retreats, 
and  if  oui'  experience  may  go  toward  shdw- 


ing  its  fondness  for  any  particular  locality, 
we  should  look  for  their  nests  in  the  deep 
woods  rather  than  in  open,  treeless  places. 
The  parents  and  young  remain  about  the 
breeding  ground  until  it  is  time  to  flock, 
when,  the  adults  having  acquired  a  new 
phmiage  and  the  young  attained  full  feath- 
er, they  gather  together  and  commence  the 
journey  southward.  They  ramble  about 
from  field  to  field  in  an  uncertain  manner, 
visiting  one  place  perhaps  but  for  a  mo- 
ment, when  they  are  off  to  another,  where 
they  may  remain  for  weeks.  Their  ap- 
pearance in  open  districts  is  an  indication 
of  cold  weather,  and  if  early,  of  the  searing 
of  the  fields  and  coloring  of  the  leaves. 

These  birds  migrate  iu  flocks  of  from  a 
few  to  a  hundred  or  more  individuals.  Their 
habits  at  this  time  are  mainly  terrestrial, 
a  great  change  from  those  of  its  nesting 
grounds,  where  it  occupies  the  trees  and 
saplings,  often  at  considerable  elevation. 
It  is  mainly  a  grain  eater,  and  like  its  con- 
geners, will  eat  apple  and  otlier  fruit  blos- 
soms when  obtainable.  It  is  very  fond  of 
crumbs,  and  will  often  remain  about  the 
garden  throughout  the  winter  if  well  fed. 
It  undoubtedly  destroys  many  insects  dur- 
ing the  breeding  season.  It  is  commonly 
seen  about  spruce  and  hemlock  trees,  where 
it  doubtless  obtains  seeds  and  insects.  When 
suddenly  surprised  the  Snow  Bird  litters  a 
twitter  and  flies  hurriedly  up,  alighting  a 
few  rods  distant,. whence  its  further  flight 
is  proclaimed  by  another  quickly  uttered 
twitter.  It  may  often  be  seen  on  the  se- 
verest days  of  winter,  like  the  Snow  Bunt- 
ing, feeding  in  the  roadway  or  on  the  bare 
spots  in  meadows  and  pastures.  It  is  a 
quiet  bird,  always  agreeable,  aud  seldom 
quarrels  with  its  own  or  other  species. 


CoLLKCTOits  report  not  only  good  success 
from  oological  rambles,  but  that  the  rarity 
of  specimens  taken  in  various  places,  has 
been  such  as  to  add  greatly  to  the  value  of 
the  year's  collection  of  skins.  Quality  has 
seemed  to  rule. 


THE  OOLOOIST 


91 


On  Changes  of  Habit  among 

Woodpeckers.*  i 

BY  SAMUEL  CALVIN.  ] 

I 

TT  has  loug  been  kaowu  to  uaturalists  that 
-*■  certain  genera  of  Woodpeckers  have 
wholly  or  partly  adopted  habits  quite  incon- 
sistent with  those  generally  suggested  when 
we  think  of  the  group. 

Within  the  past  two  or  throe  years  1  have 
frequently  had  the  pleasure  of  observing  the 
Red-headed  Woodpecker  in  tlie  act  of  catch- 
ing flies  on  the  wiug.  Seating  itself  on  the 
summit — not  on  the  side — of  some  fence- 
stake  or  other  elevated  perch,  it  watches, 
as  does  the  King  Bird,  for  passing  insects.  ; 
Having  singled  out  the  desired  victim  from 
among  many  not  worth  catching,  it  darts 
forward,  catches  it,  and  returns,  usually  to 
the  same  perch,  to  wait  for  the  next.  This  \ 
any  one  may  see  repeated  over  and  over  a- 
gain  by  the  same  individual,  showing  that 
it  is  no  mere  chance  departure  from  Wood- 
])eckeriau  dignity  into  which  the  bird  is  in- 
advertently betrayed,  but  is  rather  one  of 
the  ordinary  and  settled  practices  resorted 
to  in  procuring  tbod. 

The  movements  in  the  air  of  this  Wood- 
pecker are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  King 
Bird  ;  it  executes  the  gyrations  and  pecul- 
iar gymnastics  necessary  to  follow  the  dodg- 
ing insect  with  great  adroitness. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this?  The 
barbed  tongue,  stout,  straight  bill,  muscu- 
lar neck,  and  structural  adaptations  for 
climbing,  all  point  tu  a  different  mode  of 
life.  None  of  them,  certaiidy,  cau  be  re- 
garded as  rendering  the  bird  any  special  fit- 
ness for  fly-catching.  It  must  be  that  the 
struggle  for  life  among  bark-searching  birds 
has  i-ecently — within  the  past  two  or  three 
geological  epochs — become  more  severe,  so 
much  so  as  to  drive  some  of  them  to  the  a- 
doption  of  other  habits,  quite  regardless  of 
structural  fitness.  The  Golden  -  winged 
Woodpecker  {  Colaptes  atiratus),  as  all 
know,  has  been  driven  from  the  trees  to  feed 
laigely  on  the  ground.     Its  near  relative 

*American  Naturalist,  Vol.  XI.,  No.  8,  p.  471. 


(Colaptes  campestris),  of  some  parts  of 
South  America,  frequents  open  plains,  and. 
according  to  the  testimony  of  competent  ob- 
servers, is  never  seen  on  trees  at  all. 

As  bearing  upon  these  changes  of  habit, 
and  perhaps  furnishing  a  suggestion  in  part 
of  their  compelling  cause,  it  is  interesting  to 
note  that  quite  a  number  of  the  perching 
birds  have  settled  into  the  questionable  hab- 
it of  systematically  poaching  upon  the  spe- 
cial domain  of  the  Woodpecker.  Among 
the  Warblers,  even,  we  have  in  Iowa  the 
Black-and-white  Creeper  {Mniotilta  varia)^ 
that  excels  most  Woodpeckers  in  ability  to 
scramble  over  and  thoroughly  search  tlu' 
bark  of  a  tree.  The  whole  family  of  Creep- 
ers, the  Certhias, — represented  with  us  by 
the  little  Brown  Creeper,  (  Certhia/amilia- 
r/s), — is  also  able  to  compete  successfully 
with  Woodpeckers  on  their  own  ground. 
But  perhaps  the  most  expert  of  all  the  perch- 
ers  that  have  taken  to  clambering  over  trees 
are  the  Nuthatches.  A  very  common  one  is 
the  Sitfa  carolinensis,  which  may  be  seen  al- 
most any  day  on  trees  in  om*  streets  an<l 
door-yards.  Its  nervous  and  rapid  move- 
ments, its  slaty-colored  back,  and  black 
crown  must  be  familiar  to  all.  It  moves 
upward  and  downward  with  equal  facility 
and  always  head  foremost ;  the  upper  and 
under  side  of  a  limb  are  explored  with  equal 
ease  ;  rarely  resting,  it  frisks  up  and  down, 
round  and  round,  over  and  under,  in  and 
out,  finishing  a  tree  and  ready  for  the  next 
long  before  the  average  Woodpecker  woulil 
be  able  to  collect  himself  and  get  fairly  un- 
der way. 

The  habit  of  climbing  is  certainly  an  an- 
cient one  among  Woodpeckers.  All  the 
genera  have  the  feet,  tongue,  bill,  tail  feath- 
ers, etc.,  modified  in  substiintially  the  same 
way,  and  this  would  point  to  an  ancestor 
that  practiced  their  characteristic  habits  be- 
fore the  modern  genera  began  to  diverge. 
On  the  other  hand,  we  may  fairly  conclude 
j  that  since  climbing  is  rather  exceptional  a- 
j  mong  perchers,  the  few  groups  that  prac- 
tice it  have  acquired  it  at  a  comparatively 
recent  date,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that 
competition   with   climbing  perchers   may 


92 


TRE  OOLOGIST 


coustitute  a  large  share  of  the  disturbing 
cause  which  has  compelled  certain  Wood" 
])eckers  of  late  to  abandon  the  habits  of 
their  ancestors. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  too,  that  the  species 
whicli  have  suffered  most  in  this  competi- 
tion are  among  the  largest  of  our  Northern 
Woodpeckers.  With  the  exception  of  the 
Pileated  Woodpecker,  they  are  in  fact  the 
largest,  and  furnish  another  illustration  of 
the  fact  that  nature  looks  with  but  small 
favor  upon  mere  bulk.  A  little  nerve  often 
outweighs  a  large  amount  of  muscle.  \ 

The  Pileated  Woodpecker  frequents  deep 
forests,  and  I  have  never  been  able  to  ob- 
serve its  habits.  Its  retirement,  however, 
has  withdrawn  it  from  competition  with  the 
more  agile  forms  we  have  noticed,  and  if 
food  is  only  sufficiently  abundant  there  is  \ 
no  immediate  necessity  for  giving  up  its  an- 
cestral habits.  The  Red-head  and  Flicker, 
preferring  open  glades,  are  brought  into  ' 
constant  and  active  competition  with  more 
sprightly  and  energetic  climbers,  and  find 
themselves  obliged  to  adopt  other  habits  in 
great  measure,  or  perish. 


known  that  thousands  are  obtained  annual 
ly  for  taxidermists'  purposes,  and  to  escap 
this  destruction,  many  doubtless  learn  ti 
evade  certain  localities  which  were  danger 
ous  to  them.  However  this  may  be,  an( 
whatever  the  reason,  where  once'the  Tan- 
agers  occurred  in  large  numbers  quite  reg- 
ularly, they  have  gradually  become  lest 
common,  until  now,  they  are  to  be  num- 
bered among  the  occasional  summer  res- 
idents. 


Itcccut  gxiblicntions. 


Comparative  Scakcitv  of  the  Scar- 
let Tanaoer. — A  perceptible  diminution 
in  the  numbers  of  this  bird  has  been  re- 
marked in  many  localities  where  it  was  once 
one  of  the  most  abundant  species.  For 
Central  New  York,  this  seems  certainly 
quite  true,  for  it  is  clear  that  there  have  been 
fewer  Tanagers  observed  within  the  past 
iew  years  than  formerly  ;  and  tiiis  can  be 
due  to  no  lack  of  observation,  for  collectors 
have  been  as  diligent  as  ever  —  even  more 
so.  What  can  this  diminution  be  due  to? 
Such  attractively  plumaged  birds  naturally 
not  only  I'all  prey  to  those  in  search  of  pret- 
ty specimens  for  ornament,  but  are  sacri- 
ticed  to  the  destructiveness  of  rambling  boys, 
and  it  is  probable  that  experience  has  done 
much  in  teaching  the  birds  to  be  more  wary, 
and  to  secrete  themselves  as  much  as  pos-  ! 
sible  upon  the  approach  of  a  gunner.  This  I 
seems  more  probable  than  that  the  birds  I 
are  actually  becoming  scarcer.     It  is  well 


Fhotographed  Birds'  Eggs. — A  new  de- 
parture in  bird-egg  illustration,  combining 
;  merits  seldom  obtained  by  the  usual  pro- 
t  cesses,  the  figures  possessing  a  remarkably 
natural  appearance,  has  been  made  in  the 
;  production  of  plates  by  the  camera.  The 
;  illustrations  are  indeed  excellent,  the  finish 
and  general  appearance  being  very  good, 
while  the  aiTangement  and  backgrounds  are 
I  such  as  to  make  the  figures — all  life  size — 
appear,  through  a  roll  of  paper,  very  natu- 
ral. Tlie  purpose  of  the  publishers  is  com- 
;  niendable,  and  being  in  a  fair  way  to  advance 
illustrated  oological  literature  to  a  point 
nearer  perfection  than  is  usually  attained, 
we  trust  the  enterprise  may  succeed.  We 
understand  the  publishers  propose  to  render 
their  plates  as  far  educational  as  possible, 
by  illustrating  the  eggs  in  natural  series,  ac- 
companied with  appropriate  explanatory 
text  uj)on  the  reverse  side  of  the  cards.  The 
plates  would  be  a  good  acquisition  for  any 
young  oologist,  and  if  colored,  as  we  sup- 
pose they  will  be  at  a  slight  additional  ex- 
pense, will  prove  a  by  no  means  small  con- 
tribution to  current  oological  literature. 

Nests  and  Eggs  of  American  Birds. — Fart 
II.  of  this  work  contains  two  plates,  repre- 
senting the  eggs  of  fourteen  species,  includ- 
ing varieties,  among  which  may  be  mention- 
ed figures  of  the  Cape  St.  Lucas  Thrasher, 
Sickle-bill,  Wheat-ear,  Ruby-crowned  and 
Golden  -  crested  Kinglets,  Black  -  headed 
Gnatcatcher,  Tufted,  and  California  Tuft- 
ed Tits. 


o[dqi0) 


SUMMER,  1879. 


No.  12. 


Nesting  of  Swainson's  Thrush 
(Turdus  swainsoni). 


Wild  roses  and  other  bright  colored  flowers 
hung  out  over  the  deep,  clear  water,  where 
they  were  reflected  as  in  a  mirror.     Tall 
tamaracks,  covered  and  fantastically  draped 
'E   were   "rafting"   up  a   deep   and    with  moss  and  lichens,  rose  into  the  air  on 
beautiful  Stillwater  of  Mill  Creek  in    each  side,  overshadowing  a  vast  field  of  im- 
Herkimer    County,    New    York,    penetrable  swamp  alders,  giant  ferns  and 
searching   for   birds   and   enjoying   to    the   masses   of  decaying  vegetation.      Farther 


NEST  AND  EGGS  OF  TURDUS  SWAINSONI.    {%  Natural  Size.)       ' 

fullest  extent  the  bracing  air  and  varied  [  00  rose  the  outline  of  a  hill,  whose  forest 
scenery  which  every  turn  of  the  stream  of  trees  lifted  their  heads  in  awful  majesty 
seemed  to  render  more  and  more  enchant- ;  above  the  surrounding  landscape.  Now 
iug,  while  the  melody  of  numerous  song-  1  and  then  some  unfamiliar  bird  would  flit 
sters  and  the  strange  notes  of  birds  only  to  across  the  water,  and,  uttering  a  note  of 
be  heard  iu  the  heart  of  the  deep  solitudes,  surprise,  plunge  into  the  bushes  ;  anon  from 
accorded   happily   with   the    surroundings,    the  forest  would   come   the   weird   sounds 


94 


THE  OOLOGIST 


which  every  hunter  is  accustomed  to  hear 
in  the  wilderness. 

Progress  with  the  raft  was  necessarily 
slow,  but  this  gave  us  ample  opportunity 
to  examine  the  bushes  for  birds  and  nests. 
Warblers  of  various  and  desirable  species 
were  secured  ;  Flycatchers  chased  insects 
through  the  air  ;  Woodpeckers  rattled  on 
the  tops  of  the  adjacent  dead  trees,  and  as 
if  to  complete  a  scene  whose  every  aspect 
was  already  charming,  the  Wood  Thrush 
and  Veery,  as  if  in  mutual  rivalry,  poured 
out  their  beautiful  songs,  which,  re-echoing 
and  reverberating  through  the  woods,  lent 
us  an  appreciation  of  the  admirable  dispo- 
sition of  nature  which  will  never  be  forgot- 
ten. Almost  every  bend  in  the  stream 
seemed  to  reveal  new  birds  and  furnish  ad- 
ditional material  for  study.  Here  we  saw 
the  Black-and-Yellow  Warbler,  here  a  Red- 
bellied  Nuthatch,  there  a  Yellow-bellied 
Flycatcher  ;  while  the  hearty  little  song  of 
the  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  seemed  to 
proceed  from  all  quarters.  The  plaintive 
note  of  some  parent  bird  whose  nest  was 
already  the  home  of  several  little  ones,  and 
the  indignant  cry  of  another  protector  vvei'e 
among  the  incentives  to  careful  search  for 
eggs,  even  though  the  season  was  well  ad- 
vanced. 

Our  raft  had  been  poled  some  distance, 
when  a  nest  was  espied  in  the  bushes  on 
our  left,  just  above  the  water.  It  required 
but  a  few  moments  to  reach  the  place,  but 
with  all  the  caution  which  it  was  possible 
to  use,  the  sitting  bird  must  have  been 
frightened,  for  she  evaded  us.  The  nest 
was  that  of  a  Thrush,  and  the  eggs  told 
plainly  that  the  species  was  the  Olive-backed 
or  Svvainsou's.  There  were  only  three 
eggs  in  the  nest.  Without  disturbing  ei- 
ther eggs  or  nest,  we  retired  and  awaited 
the  return  of  the  parent,  and  in  half  an  hour's 
patient  quiescence  succeded  in  obtaining  the 
female.  Like  many  other  smaller  species, 
she  had  uttered  no  note  whatever,  but  had 
glided  noislessly  from  her  nest  upon  our  ap- 
proach, only  returning  when  assured  of  our 
apparent  harmlessness.  The  male  bird  was 
heard  singing  in  the  trees  a  few  paces  from 


the  nest.  Being  near  the  edge  of  the  wa- 
ter, and  but  four  or  five  feet  above  it,  the 
nest  was  easily  discovered  ;  but  had  we 
been  obliged  to  search  for  it  without  other 
indication  of  its  presence  than  some  action 
of  the  bird,  we  never  should  liave  found  it ; 
the  usual  circumstances  were  reversed  — 
having  found  the  nest,  which  surely  inti- 
mated that  one  parent  was  near  by,  we  had 
no  difficulty  in  securing  her. 

This  nest  was  composed  of  rootlets,  slen- 
der and  rather  stiff  grasses  and  bits  of  moss 
in  nearly  equal  proportions.  The  bed  of 
the  nest,  as  well  as  the  lining  or  interior 
consisted  mainly  of  dried  leaves,  some  of 
them  skeletonized  ;  the  edges  were  mostly 
of  fine,  compact,  hairy  moss  ;  while,  worked 
in  the  outside  and  forming  part  of  the  main 
structure  were  stems  of  various  kinds.  It 
resembled  a  Cat  Bird's  nest  more  than  those 
of  either  Wood  Thrush  or  Veery,  for  no 
mud  Vi^as  used  and  but  very  few  leaves, 
while  rootlets  were  a  prominent  material. 
A  horizontal  position  between  three  or  four 
slender  twigs  had  been  selected  by  the 
builders,  their  nest  settling  into,  and  not 
resting  upon,  the  sprigs  ;  the  support  was 
not  strong,  inasmuch  as  the  bush  itself  in 
which  the  nest  was  placed  was  frail,  and 
bent  to  the  touch.  The  nest  measured  2.5 
and  4.5  inches  in  inside  and  outside  diam- 
eters, and  1.5  and  2.5  in  inside  and  outside 
depths,  respectively  ;  its  general  aspect  was 
indicative  of  solidity,  and  it  could  easily  be 
lifted  from  its  position  without  disintegra- 
tion. 

The  eggs  were  pale  green,  covered  with 
light  brown  spots,  most  of  which,  however, 
were  collected  about  the  greater  end  ;  in 
shape  they  were  like  a  Robin's  egg  —  a 
rather  long  ovoid  ;  their  measurements  were 
about  equal  to  those  of  a  Baltimore  Oriole's 
or  Cat  Bird's  egg.  Though  it  was  the  lat- 
ter half  of  July,  the  eggs  had  not  been  sat 
upon  more  than  two  or  three  days  at  the 
most,  which  pointed  strongly  toward  the 
probability  of  the  clutch  being  a  second 
laying ;  for  by  the  first  of  the  month,  the 
first  brood  of  young  would  have  become 
competeut  to  take  care  of  themselves,  even 


THE  OOLOGIST 


95 


if  the  nest  had  been  begun  no  earlier  than 
the  last  week  in  May.  Eggs  of  1\  swain- 
soni  are  readily  told  from  those  of  the  oth- 
er North  American  species,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  eggs  of  variety  ustulatus,  with 
which  they  exactly  correspond  ;  but  the  ge- 
ographical range  ot  each  species  will  usually 
determine  to  which  bird  a  nest  belongs. 


Oological  Notes  for  Summer. 

June  25  while  out  collecting  I  came  a- 
cross  what  I  took  to  be  a  Yellow  Warbler's 
nest,  but  on  bringing  it  in  it  proved  to  be  ; 
—  that  a  Chipping  Sparrow  had  built  its 
nest  in  an  old  Golden  Oriole's  nest,  in  which 
were  three  young  birds  and  one  egg.  The 
egg  was  clearly  a  Chipping  Sparrow's. 
Now  is  it  common  for  Chippies  to  use  oth- 
er birds'  nests?  If  so,  I  should  be  glad  to 
have  any  ornithologist  notify  me  of  the  fact, 
as  it  is  the  first  instance  of  the  kind  I  have 
seen.     E.  M.  Hasbronck,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

eggs. 


Turtle  Dove, 

April  20, 

2 

Robin, 

23, 

4 

Blue  Bird, 

22, 

5 

Blue  Jay, 

May  10-15, 

5 

Meadow  Lark, 

26, 

5 

Browu  Thrush, 

28, 

4 

Blue  Martin, 

June  10, 

4 

Ground  Robin, 

July  27, 

4 

L.  H.  Johnson,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ills. 

The  birds  nested  from  one  to  two  weeks 
later  in  this  locality  this  year  than  last. 
April  26  a  pair  of  Purple  Grackles  built  a 
nest  in  the  top  of  a  large  spruce  in  a  gen- 
tleman's door-yard  in  the  midst  of  the  city 
and  on  the  29th  of  May  the  young  were  out 
of  the  nest.*  June  18th  I  shot  a  fine  male 
Hooded  Warbler.  The  same  day,  while 
out  collecting,  my  attention  was  called  to 
a  very  large  bull-frog  in  a  fish  trap,  which 
had  swallowed  a  Cedar  Bird.  When  I  saw 
him  the  ends  of  the  wings  were  sticking  out 
of  the  frog's  mouth,  on  opening  which  I 


*  The  Grackles  are  now  engaged  in  incubating  a 
Becond  set. 


could  see  the  bird  had  just  been  swallowed 
and  appeared  as  if  just  killed.  I  think  the 
bird  must  have  alighted  on  the  edge  of  the 
trap  to  drink  and  was  seized  by  the  frog. 
I  now  have  him  preserved  in  alcohol  with 
the  bird  in  his  throat.  June  ISth,  young 
Water  Thrushes  able  to  fly.  May  22ud  I 
took  a  set  of  Red-shouldered  Hawk's  eggs 
pure  white.  May  8th,  saw  a  single  speci- 
men of  the  Red-bellied  Woodpecker  —  this 
is  only  the  second  specimen  of  this  bird  I 
have  ever  seen  about  here.  May  30th  saw 
three  Turtle  Doves, — very  rare  about  here. 
Purple  Finch  very  scarce  this  year — always 
before  very  plenty. 

D.  D.  Stone,  Osivego,  N.  Y. 

Red-tailed  Hawk 
Loggerhead  Shrike 

Cooper's  Hawk 
Ground  Robin 
Maryland  Yellow-thr't 
Hairy  Woodpecker 
Yellow-breasted  Chat 
Philadelphia  Vireo, 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak 
Great-crested  Flycatc'r 
Black-throated  Bunting 
Killdeer  Plover 
Green-crested  Flycatc'r 
Black-throated  Bunting 

C.  W.  Strumberg,  Galesburg,  Ills. 

The  Hermit  Thrush  {Turd7is pallasi)  is 
a  very  abundant  bird  in  the  Middle  States. 
It  nests  in  suitable  places  very  near  the 
ground  :  two  nests  were  both  within  two 
feet  of  the  earth,  both  also  built  in  the  top 
of  the  dead  branches  of  fallen  trees.  In  one 
instance  the  female  was  quite  demonstrative 
over  our  close  jipproach  to  her  nest,  which 
contained  young ;  in  the  other,  both  pa- 
rents appeared  and  regarded  us  silently 
from  a  distance  until  we  had  departed.  The 
nests  were  composed  largely  of  rootlets  and 
very  small  twigs,  with  leaves  and  a  little 
dry  moss  intermingled.  Both  the  nests  a- 
bove  referred  to  were  built  in  rather  open, 
elevated  woods. 


klarch  17 

2  eggs 

April  21 

6 

30 

6 

May    8 

3 

23 

4 

23 

5 

26 

4 

28 

4 

June    2 

4 

3 

3 

5 

4 

8 

4 

17 

4 

26 

3 

July  22 

4 

96 


THE  OOLOGIST 


T^fte  ©otogi^l 


FOURTH    PUBLICATION    YEAR. 


SUMMER  NUMBER,  1879. 


Bound  copies  of  Volume  IV.  of  this  jour- 
nal may  be  obtaiued  at  this  office.  Price, 
75  cents.     Unbound,  60  cents. 


Volume  V. — Subscribers  to  Volume  IV. 
whose  terms  of  subscription  expire  with  this 
number,  are  referred  to  the  notice  accom- 
panying this  issue.  We  hope  that  every 
one  will  renew. 


We  have  printed  a  complete  index  to 
the  volume  just  ended,  wliich  our  readers 
will  find  accompanying  this  number.  Vol- 
ume IV.  contains  one  hundred  pages  of 
oological  and  ornithological  information, 
which  we  feel  qualified  to  pronounce  fully 
equal  in  value  to  the  subscription  price,  not 
to  speak  of  the  engravings  which  have  been 
published  from  time  to  time. 


SUBJECTS  OOLOGIOALLY  CONSIDEEED. 


VI.  REFLECTIONS. 


T^HE  season  for  birds'  eggs  being  nearly 
at  an  end,  collectors  have  begun  to  elab- 
orate their  notes  and  arrange  their  cabinets. 
There  are  a  few  species  yet  to  be  found 
nesting,  but  with  the  majority  the  chirp  of 
the  birdling  announces  the  waning  of  anoth- 
er year.    In  looking  over  the  season's  notes, 


there  are  to  be  noticed  a  few  late  sets  of 
eggs  taken  in  July,  when  most  birds  are 
quiet  and  nature  seems  to  be  dead.  Some 
of  these  were  second  depositions  and  others 
the  last  of  the  year's  extended  fruits,  from 
which  there  always  happen  many  late 
broods.  Our  book  shows  a  larger  number 
of  late  sets  than  usual,  excluding  those 
which  are  to  be  sought  for  latest.  Nests 
whose  contents  were  expected  to  furnish 
material  for  skill  with  the  embryo  instru- 
ments were,  with  but  one  or  two  exceptions, 
found  to  be  only  partially  used,  incubation 
having  advanced  but  few  days  ;  and  this 
was  the  more  fortunate,  since  many  of  the 
sets  were  valuable.  Various  reasons  might 
be  assigned  for  the  lateness  of  these  clutch- 
es, but  on  account  of  the  isolation  of  many 
of  them,  with  a  small  degree  of  satisfaction  : 
the  season  has  been  in  all  respects  favora- 
ble to  early  and  quick  house-building  and 
oviposition,  so  we  must  look  to  the  minor 
causes  of  tardiness,  and  these  are  not  easi- 
ly and  satisfactorily  disposed  of,  unless  the 
collector  has  been  in  the  same  local  field 
during  the  season,  and  has  had  ample  op- 
portunity for  giving  close  attention  to  and 
keeping  each  of  several  species  under  his 
constant  vigilance. 

—  In  connection  with  the  above  might 
be  mentioned  the  frequency  with  which  the 
collector  is  brought  into  contact  with  addled 
eggs,  sometimes  in  a  nest  together  with 
young  birds,  at  others  after  parents  and 
young  have  taken  their  departure.  In  the 
former  instance,  it  is  fortunate  for  the  col- 
lector ;  in  the  latter  it  is  equally  mortify- 
ing, for  in  the  one  case  the  identity  may  be 
certain,  in  the  other  not  merely  doubtful,  but 
impossible  to  be  determined  with  accuracy, 
excepting,  perhaps,  in  regard  to  some  of  the 
best  known  species,  whose  eggs  resemble 
those  of  no  other  bird.  Occasionally  one 
comes  upon  "  rare"  specimens  in  this  way, 
which  search  during  thei  season  of  oviposition 
had  failed  to  reveal.  It  is  surprising  how 
some  eggs,  the  contents  of  which  have  been 
spoiled  in  incubation,  can  withstand  the 
rough  usage  which  they  must  undergo  before 
the  young  quit  the  nest,  and  yet  often  be  found 


THE  OOLOGIST 


97 


without  a  scratch  or  crack.  Reference  to 
this  subject  recalls  the  frequency  with  which 
collectors  meet  with  nests  out  of  season  — 
some  new,  others  in  the  last  stages  of  de- 
letion. Nests  in  unaccountable  positions 
and  of  unfamiliar  materials  and  construc- 
tion appear  in  localities,  the  oology  of  which 
one  thinks  himself  familiar.  It  seems  the 
more  aggravating  because  there  are  no 
means  of  ascertaining  to  what  species  these 
nests  belong,  and  they  are  useless  except 
as  ornament. 

—  Nests  vary  considerably  according  to 
location,  even  when  the  difference  geograph- 
ically or  botauically  seems  so  slight  as  to 
make  noticeable  variation  in  materials  or 
positions  appear  unlikely.  These  varia- 
tions, moreover,  occur  constantly,  and  teach 
us  not  to  expect  too  great  an  uniformity  in 
nature.  One  point  is  noticeable  :  that  is 
the  fact  that  nests  constructed  in  populated 
districts,  where  such  materials  as  twine, 
rope,  yarn,  wool,  cotton  and  other  like  sub- 
stances are  easily  procured  and  quickly  ap- 
propriated, possess  an  appearance  not  read- 
ily reconciled  with  that  of  nests  of  the  same 
species,  built  where  none  but  the  raw  ma- 
terials of  nature  can  be  obtained.  Dried 
leaves  and  grasses  predominate  in  these  lat- 
ter, where  we  should  expect  to  find  a  vari- 
ety of  materials  if  built  near  the  dwellings 
of  man,  and  a  somber  sameness  seems  to  be 
present  in  all  nests  of  the  wildernesses. 
Hair  and  rootlets  and  occasionally  a  iew 
feathers  are  used  in  nests  built  in  unculti- 
vated places  and  deep  woods,  in  many 
cases  where  we  find  soft  plant  down  and 
cottony  materials  at  home. 

—  A  favorite  nesting  place  of  wood  birds 
is  near  water,  and  here  the  collector  may 
always  be  sure  of  a  diversified  and  general- 
ly desirable  field  of  search.  As  a  rule,  the 
edge  of  a  stream,  lake  or  other  body  of  wa- 
ter, in  the  woods,  furnishes  specimens  which 
both  in  value  and  number,  far  exceed  those 
to  be  tound  elsewhere.  With  equal  truth 
it  may  be  said  that  the  borders  or  vicinity 
of  the  borders  of  forests  are  more  produc- 
tive to  the  collector  than  their  wildest  and 
darkest  recesses.     There  are,  to  be  sure, 


species  whose  nests  and  eggs  are  very  de- 
sirable, to  be  found  breeding  in  the  midst  of 
heavy  timber ;  but  the  variety  is  limited, 
and  the  surroundings  such  as  to  render  gen- 
eral search  much  less  profitable  to  the  oblo- 
gist  than  the  more  open  localities  referred 
to ;  for,  with  very  few  exceptions,  deep 
wood  birds  build  their  nests  in  places  offer- 
ing concealment  from  the  most  laborious 
search.  Swampy  shores  are  even  more  pro- 
lific of  birds'  nests  than  dry  ones,  for  then 
may  be  found  birds  of  no  less  than  four  or 
five  diff"erent  classes  or  groups,  according  to 
the  number  of  different  characteristics  pos- 
sessed by  the  locality. 

—  Isolation  does  not  always  have  the  ef- 
fect of  inducing  birds  to  build  lower  in  trees 
or  in  more  accessible  positions.  Indeed,  to 
state  the  proposition  in  another  form,  the 
instances  are  comparatively  few,  in  which 
birds  in  inhabited  places  have  gone  to  ex- 
tremes in  placing  their  nests  out  of  danger. 
There  are  in  fact,  as  many,  if  not  more  en- 
emies in  places  not  frequented  by  man  as  iu 
populated  districts.  Animals  and  birds  of 
prey  and  plunder  are  most  to  be  feared  by 
wood  birds,  and  instead  of  gaining  confi- 
dence in  the  wilduess  and  supposed  security 
of  the  locality,  as  some  writers  have  endeav- 
ored to  show  beyond  a  reasonable  limit,  the 
birds  have  used  all  their  old  and  much  of 
recently  acquired  ingenuity  in  protecting 
their  treasures,  A  comparison  of  a  given 
number  of  nests  found  in  an  uninhabited  re- 
gion with  a  like  number  about  home,  in  po- 
sition, will  show  very  little  difference — per- 
haps none  as  regards  the  safety  of  the  loca- 
tion. Exception  must  be  made,  of  course, 
in  consideration  of  the  abundance  of  a  spe- 
cies in  one  locality  and  its  scarcity  in  anoth- 
er, since  a  colony  of  birds  will  frequently 
nest  differently  from  a  single  pair  —  the 
Herons  furnish  a  good  example.  Ground 
building  birds  conform  their  nests  to  an  es- 
tablished position  more  noticeably  than 
most  other  groups  ;  admitting  some  promi- 
nent exceptions,  their  habit  is  the  same  in 
all  places.  Another  group  of  birds  —  the 
Woodpeckers  and  their  allies  and  the  Belt- 
ed Kingfisher  furnish  examples  —  are  never 


98 


THE  OOLOGIST 


known  to  change  the  general  character  of 
their  nesting  places  ;  a  Woodpecker's  nest 
in  the  wildest  region  imaginable  is  as  likely 
to  be  found  in  the  top  of  a  forest  monarch 
as  lower  down  ;  while  Kingfishers'  holes 
are  as  often  to  be  met  with  in  easy  reach 
as  in  the  side  of  an  inaccessible  cliff — more 
so,  in  our  experience. 

—  Search  for  a  nest  whose  owner  you 
have  disturbed,  till  you  find  it,  if  you  have 
reason  to  believe  it  is  within  a  certain  lim- 
ited area  ;  it  is  fully  worth  while  in  the 
case  of  a  desirable  species.  Patience  is  as 
great  a  virtue  to  the  oologist  as  to  any  one 
else,  and  may  often  serve  him  better  than 
natural  quickness  of  perception.  To  give 
up  a  search  without  due  examination  of  all 
the  immediate  surroundings  is  often  to  leave 
behind  treasures  of  great  value  ;  and  even 
though  it  is  to  be  considered  fortunate  for 
the  parents,  it  may  be  the  sacrifice  of  a  lit- 
tle information  which  to  the  scientific  world 
would  prove  a  most  important  acquisition. 


Note  on  the  Olive-sided  Flycatch- 
EK. — The  isolation  of  Gontopus  horealis 
from  cultivated  regions,  and  the  occupation 
by  it  of  little  known  or  densely  wooded 
tracts,  where  those  who  study  birds  seldom 
penetrate,  may  be  taken  as  a  reasonable 
ground  upon  which  to  build  up  statements 
of  its  rarity.  That  it  is  not  an  abundant 
bird  we  do  not  question,  but  from  recent 
observations  in  its  own  haunts,  we  found 
material  sufficient  to  justify  the  assertion 
that  in  certain  localities,  it  does  breed  in 
by  no  means  small  numbers.  One  locali- 
ty—  an  extended,  rather  marshy  tract,  bor- 
dered or  either  side  by  almost  impenetrable 
clumps  of  bushes  and  trees,  studded  here 
and  there  with  tall  dead  hemlocks  —  was 
particularly  noticeable  for  the  number  of 
birds  of  this  species  which  the  high,  clear, 
though  somewhat  plaintive  cry  proclaimed. 
These  birds  always  occupied  the  topmost 
twigs  of  the  dead  hemlocks,  and  flew  from 
one  to  another  as  if  it  were  ordained  they 
should  never  descend  any  lower.  The  young 


birds,  nearly  full  feathered,  were  not  so  ex- 
clusive in  their  selection  of  a  perch,  but 
none  were  seen  lower  than  forty  feet  from 
the  ground.  No  specimens  were  met  with 
excepting  near  the  water,  over  which,  at 
considerable  elevation,  the  air  swarmed 
with  insects.  The  Olive-sided  and  Yellow- 
bellied  Flycatchers  are  thus  seen  to  have 
their  own  separate  spheres,  though  both  oc- 
cur in  localities  of  the  same  character. 


Notes  on  the  Dusky  Grouse  (Can- 
ace  obscurus).* 

BY  CAPT.  CHAS.  BENDIRE,  U.  S.  A. 

A  COMMON  resident  throughout  the 
mountains.  We  have  two  varieties, 
fuliginosiis  and  richardsoni,  the  former  be- 
ing the  most  abundant.  They  seem  to  pre- 
fer the  more  open  forests  to  the  dense  tim- 
bered sections,  and  while  the  young  are 
small  they  frequent  the  creek  bottoms  and 
open  side  hills  almost  exclusively.  At  such 
times  1  have  found  them  twenty  miles  front 
timber  of  any  size.  After  pairing,  the  males 
separate  from  the  hens,  and  are  frequently 
found  in  small  coveys,  from  four  to  six, 
sunning  themselves  on  high  rocky  points, 
crouching  close  to  the  rocks  if  anything  ap- 
proaches to  disturb  them.  In  the  early 
part  of  tlie  fall  they  rarely  fly  into  trees 
when  flushed,  but  later  in  the  season  they 
do  so  almost  invariably.  It  is  said  that 
where  a  number  are  found  in  one  tree,  by 
shooting  always  the  lowest  first  the  rest  will 
remain,  and  that  they  can  all  be  killed  ;  but 
I  never  got  more  than  two  shots  at  birds  in 
one  tree.  They  sit  close,  and  usually 
lengthways  on  a  limb,  like  Night  Hawks, 
as  long  as  they  think  they  have  not  been 
discovered,  but  after  the  first  shot  they  gen- 
erally all  take  wing.  In  the  winter  they 
seldom  alight  on  the  ground,  excepting  to 
get  water.  They  feed  on  the  tender  buds 
of  the  spruce  or  pine,  and  their  flesh  is  not 
palatable.     In  the  fall  they  are  in  splendid 


*  Birds  of  Southeastern  Oregon,  p.  137. 


THE  OOLOGIST 


99 


condition,  and  without  a  doubt  the  best 
game  bird  in  this  country.  They  feed  then 
ahnost  exchisively  on  wild  berries,  of  which 
they  find  an  abundance,  preferring  a  species 
of  wild  gooseberry,  but  eat  service,  thimble 
and  salmon-berries,  wild  currants  and  cher- 
ries, with  an  occasional  cricket  or  grass- 
hopper, and  now  and  then  a  few  tender  tops 
of  plants.  The  full  complement  of  eggs  is 
from  eight  to  ten.  These  vary  considera- 
bly in  size,  shape  and  color.  In  some  the 
ground  color  might  be  called  a  creamy 
white,  in  others  it  is  a  pale,  and  again  a 
very  deep  buff'.  The  eggs  are  evenly  spot- 
ted with  specks  of  reddish  brown,  and  none 
of  these  larger  than  an  ordinary  sized  pin 
liead.  Their  shape  is  an  enlongated  oval, 
and  they  measure  as. follows,  each  egg  out 
of  different  nests  :  1.99  x  1.30,  2.02x1.33, 
1.84x1.35,  1.90x1.30,  1.86x1.40  and 
1.80  X  1.23.  Considering  the  size  of  the 
bird  their  eggs  are  very  small.  They  com- 
mence laying  about  May  1.  Their  nests 
are  always  on  the  ground,  generally  close 
to,  or  mider  a  fallen  tree,  occasionally  in  a 
cavity  of  a  burnt  and  fallen  log,  and  also  in 
the  open  air  without  any  cover  whatever. 
I  found  such  a  nest  on  June  7,  1876,  near 
the  summit  of  the  Canyon  City  mountain. 
It  was  placed  in  perfectly  open  ground  about 
two  feet  from  the  roots  of  a  young  fir  tree, 
and  contained  nine  eggs  on  the  point  of 
hatching,  all  being  chipped  already.  The 
eggs  were  laid  on  the  bare  ground,  a  few 
feathers  of  the  bird  and  a  little  dry  grass 
being  placed  around  the  edges  of  the  nest. 
I  liave  several  times  flushed  quite  young 
birds  and  noticed  how  quickly  they  hide 
themselves,  even  where  there  is  little  to  con- 
ceal them.  The  young  can  soon  fly,  even 
when  not  larger  than  a  man's  fist.  The 
love  notes  of  the  male,  called  here  hooting, 
in  the  early  spring,  are  very  peculiar  and 
hard  to  describe. 


Clubs  of  five  subscribers  may  obtain  this 
journal  for  $2.50  ;  clubs  often  for  $4.20, 
or  42  cents  each.  Scientific  societies  should 
avail  themselves  of  these  terms. 


Le  Conte's  Thrasher  (Harporhyn- 
chus  lecontii). 

T  E  CONTE'S  Thrasher  still  bears  oflf  the 
^~*  palm  for  rarity,  even  in  competition  with 
the  newly-found  H.  hendiri.  Though  it  has 
been  known  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, only  three  or  four  specimens  have 
come  to  hand.  The  original  was  taken  at 
Fort  Yuma,  at  the  junction  of  the  Gila  with 
the  Colorado.  Dr.  J.  G.  Cooper  states 
that  he  secured  two  near  Fort  Mnjave,  along 
the  route  in  the  Colorado  Valley  on  the  San 
Bernardino  Mountains,  where,  however,  he 
found  them  "rather  common"  in  thickets 
of  low  bushes.  He  discovered  an  empty 
nest  built  in  a  yucca,  like  that  of  H.  redivi- 
vus.  In  September,  1865,  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  meeting  with  the  bird  myself,  about 
fifteen  miles  east  of  the  Colorado  River,  at 
a  point  a  little  above  Fort  Mojave,  and  I 
managed,  not  without  difficulty,  to  secure 
a  single  individual.  It  was  in  excellent 
plumage,  and,  having  been  killed  with  a 
touch  of  fine  shot  and  preserved  with  spe- 
cial care,  made  a  very  fine  specimen.  We 
had  come  through  the  "  Union  Pass"  of  a 
low  range  of  mountains,  or  high  line  of 
bluifs,  which  flank  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river,  and  were  preparing  to  make  a  "  dry 
camp"  in  a  sterile,  cactus-ridden  plain, 
which  stretches  across  toward  the  broken 
ground  where  Beale's  Springs  are  situated, 
when,  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  this  sin- 
gular whitish-looking  bird  caught  my  eye. 
Though  I  was  not  at  the  moment  in  an  en- 
thusiastic frame  of  mind  respecting  ornith- 
ology, the  siglit  was  enough  to  arouse  what 
little  energy  a  hard  day's  march  had  not 
knocked  out  of  me,  and  I  started  on  what 
came  near  being  a  wild-goose  chase  after 
the  coveted  prize.  It  is  bad  enough  to  play 
the  jack-rabbit  among  Arizona  cactuses  in 
broad  daylight,  and  to  be  obliged  to  skip 
about  in  the  uncertain  glimmering  of  the 
evening  is  discouraging  in  the  extreme.  My 
bird  had  the  best  of  it  for  awhile,  and  seem- 
ed to  enjoy  the  sport,  as  it  fluttered  from  one 
cactus  bush  to  another,  with  the  desultory 
yet  rapid  flight  that  is   so  confusing,  and 


100 


THE  OOLOGIST 


makes  one  hesitate  to  risk  a  poor  shot,  in 
momeutary  expectation  of  getting  a  better 
chance.  At  length,  it  dived  into  the  recess- 
es of  a  large  yucca,  where  it  stood  motion- 
less just  one  instant  too  long.  I  did  not 
see  it  fall,  and  feared  I  had  missed,  till,  on 
gaining  the  spot,  I  found  the  body  of  the 
once  sprightly  and  vivacious  bird  hanging 
limp  in  a  crevice  of  the  thick  fronds.  As 
I  smoothed  its  disordered  plumage,  and 
strolled  back  to  camp,  I  felt  the  old-time 
glow  which  those  wlio  are  in  the  secret 
know  was  not  entirely  due  to  the  exercise 
I  had  taken. 
Elliott  Coues.  Birds  of  Colorado  Vallei/. 


The  Gigantic  Kingfisher  of  New 
Holland  (Dacelo  gigantea). 

rPHIS  remarkable  bird  is  a  native  of  New 
-*-  Holland.  The  plumage  is  full  and  soft ; 
and  the  feathers  of  the  head  are  enlongated 
into  a  crest.  The  bill  is  large,  long,  pow- 
erful, and  swollen  at  the  sides  ;  the  edge  of 
the  upper  mandible  is  bowed  in  near  the 
point,  which  latter  is  acute  and  bends  over 
the  point  of  the  lower  mandible.  The  tar- 
si are  stout ;  the  toes  armed  with  sharp 
claws  ;  the  wings  are  rather  long,  advanc- 
ing when  folded  halfway  down  the  tail  — 
this  is  long,  broad,  and  somewhat  rounded. 
The  eyes  have  a  forward  situation,  being 
placed  close  to  the  base  of  the  beak,  impart- 
ing a  sharp,  cunning  and  even  fierce  ex- 
pression to  the  face,  and  well  depicting  the 
disposition  of  the  bird,  which  is  daring  and 
rapacious.  Among  the  wooded  mountain 
districts  in  many  parts  of  Australia,  and  es- 
pecially those  which  border  the  Murrum- 
bidgee  River,  this  species  is  very  common, 
and  may  be  observed  sitting  on  the  watch 
for  its  prey,  which  consists  of  insects,  small 
quadrupeds  and  reptiles.  Ever  and  anon 
it  breaks  out  into  a  singular  and  abrupt 
laugh,  somewhat  resembling  the  syllables 
yah-yah-yah,  commencing  in  a  low  and 
gradually  rising  to  a  high  and  loud  tone, 
startling  when  heard  amidst  the  solitudes 
of  the  woods.     From  this  wild  and  discord- 


ant cry  it  has  obtained  from  the  colonists 
the  title  of  the  "  laughing  or  feathered  jack- 
ass." The  natives  call  it  gohera  or  gogob' 
era.  One  seldom  laughs  without  being  an- 
swered by  a  second,  and  among  diurnal 
birds  it  is  the  first  which  is  heard  in  the 
morning,  and  the  last  at  the  close  of  even- 
ing ;  it  rises  with  the  dawn,  when  the  woods 
re-echo  with  its  gurgling  laugh,  and  at  sun- 
set they  are  heard  again  in  dissonant  cho- 
rus. 

Unqualified  for  plunging  in  the  stream, 
this  bird  is  vigilant  in  the  pursuit  of  rep- 
tiles and  insects.  Snakes  are  said  to  be  a 
favorite  food,  and  it  may  often  be  seen  fly- 
iug  to  a  tree  with  one  of  these  reptiles  in 
its  beak,  holding  it  just  behind  the  head. 
Generally  the  snake  is  killed  before  being 
carried  away  :  but  sometimes  the  bird  is 
observed  on  the  branch  to  break  the  rep- 
tile's head  in  pieces  with  its  strong  sharp 
beak.  Occasionally,  it  is  asserted,  the  Gi- 
gantic Kingfisher  will  kill  young  chickens 
and  carry  away  eggs  ;  but  its  services  in 
destroying  reptiles  compensate  the  settler 
for  these  petty  depredations.  We  have 
seen  specimens  of  this  bird  in  captivity : 
generally  they  sat  quietly  on  their  perches, 
earnestly  watching  all  around  them,  and 
now  and  then  uttering  their  abrupt  laugh ; 
on  food  being  presented,  they  became  high- 
ly excited,  traversed  the  cage,  repeatedly 
mingling  their  voices,  and  manifesting  by 
every  action  the  utmost  eagerness  and  spir- 
it. The  general  color  above  is  olive  brown  ; 
beneath  whitish,  with  obscure  dusky  bars 
on  the  breast ;  top  of  the  crest,  brown  ;  a 
white  belt  above  each  eye  goes  round  the 
occiput ;  and  a  broad  white  collar  extends 
from  the  throat  over  the  sides  of  the  neck  ; 
the  tail  is  banded  with  black  and  ferrugin- 
ous—  white  at  the  tip.  Its  total  length  is 
eiirhteen  inches. 


The  Golden  Eagle,  once  seen  frequently 
in  the  eastern  portions  of  the  United  States, 
has  gradually  retreated  before  the  rapid 
population  of  the  country  to  the  most  inac- 
cessible places  in  the  mountains.