283 



THE OOLOGiST 



genial, and will eutei'taiu one for lioiirs 

 delightfully in relating incidents and 

 experiences in the course of his jour- 

 ney's for study. His aucedotes, collect- 

 ed would make an interesting book. 



"Mr. Goss has his collection in a 

 large pleasant room in his residence. 

 He has given a duplicate to the Public 

 Musiiem in Milwaukee. Besides his 

 collection of eggs, Mr. (ioss has many 

 fine specimens of butterflies, moths and 

 beetles. He began this collection for a 

 daughter, an only child, of whom he 

 has since been bereaved. He continues 

 collecting, however, to fill up the time 

 when he cannot be "birduesting." His 

 collection of eggs is now so complete 

 that it is a rare pleasure to come across 

 a new specimen. He has a large cabin- 

 et full of various specimens of interest 

 and beauty, which he calls Mrs. Goss' 

 collection." 



, A Day in the Woods. 



By Dr. A. G. Pkill. 



Having been very busy for some time 

 during this Spring and consequently 

 unable to study much the habits of our 

 feathered songsters, it oc^ured to me 

 that a days outing, among the hills, 

 Avould combine both I'ecreation, and an 

 excellent opporaiuity to secure a few 

 sets of eggs. 



It was on the afternoon of June 3rd 

 that I decided upon spending the next 

 day in such a manner and at once set 

 about making the necessary arrange- 

 ments. Before daylight on the folio w- 

 morning found me driving toward 

 "Sweet Home," a distance of about 1(5 

 miles, arriving there at about 6 o'clock. 

 I ate a hasty lunch and struck out for 

 adjoining hills together with a friend. 

 We soon entered a deep grove of firs 

 and had proceeded only a short distance 

 Avhen the dog (which I have failed to 

 mention before) Hushed a Sooty Grouse 

 and proceeding to the i)luce\ve found a 



tine set of seven eggs. The nest was a'- 

 mere hollow in the ground lined with 

 leaves at the roots of a clump of hazel 

 bushes. This bird is a constant resi- 

 dent but is not often seen during the 

 V inter months, as it ascends high up in 

 the fir trees, feeding upon the buds. and 

 remaining there until al)Out April. 1st, 

 when a person is aware of their pres- 

 ence again by the booming of the males.- 

 This continues along well into May. It 

 is during this season that- the Grouse 

 are hunted much, being easily located, 

 in a tree and then one accustomed to 

 tindiusr them, 'will have no difficulty in 

 securing the bird. The birds do not 

 descend to the ground until they cease 

 booming, when they at once begin 

 mating and pioceed to nest. 



After carefully taking our notes and 

 blowing ihe'eggs we again started for- 

 ward and ray friend soon flushed a 

 Mountain Quail from her nest of- 13 

 cream colored eggs. The bird fluttered 

 along on the ground as if seriously in- 

 jured, but being well aware of this pe- 

 culiar habit of leading one astray from 

 its nest, we did not follow it, but a few 

 minutes search '.revealed its nest in a 

 clump of dead ferns. This beautiful 

 bird is also a constant resident and can 

 be found at all seasons of the year. 

 During a -fall snow many are caught in 

 traps, as they are easily decoyed with 

 wheat. 



Passing on again we soon entered a 

 dense fir thicket in which we disturbed 

 several Blue-fronted Jays, but as this 

 was a late date for their nesting, we did- 

 not expect to^find eggs and were very 

 much surprised when on peering into a 

 nest near the top of one of the firs to 

 find four-beautiful eggs. The nest was- 

 made of x'oursealead lir twigs, loosely 

 put together and lined with a few dry' 

 grasses and moss. - This bird is exceed-- 

 Ingly noisy'even as much as the East- 

 ern Jay, and just as boUl. 



Three species of the Jay are found in 

 this State, viz. Blue-fronted, Stellers and 



