Mar. 1888.] 



AND OOLOGTST. 



47 



distributed as any of the otlier warblers. The 

 same is true of the South, where (in South 

 Carolina and Georgia). I have found it breed- 

 ing in great abundance, placing its nest in the 

 long streamers of ruiandsin that drape tlie 

 forest trees. 



Nesting of the Blue-headed Vireo. 



HY II. W. KI.IST, NEW HAVKN, CONN. 



In the summer of 1884, while visiting a friend 

 at Kast JJouglass, Mass., (on the line of the 

 New England Hailroad, and a few miles from 

 the Connecticut line) I had the good fortune to 

 find the nest and eggs of this bird (Vireo soH- 

 tarixs). I had been in search of young winter- 

 green in a rather wet piece of woodland, and 

 wiiile engaged in picking a bunch of tlie same 

 was electrified by the note of a bird new to me 

 proceeding from a point not ten feet distant. I 

 recognized the bird in a moment and laying 

 aside my winteiiireen commenced a diligent 

 search for the nest, knowing that at this season 

 of the year (June 2yrd) It must be nesting, but 

 though the male continued in uninterrupted 

 song in the vicinity for an hour or more, I was 

 unable to 11 nd the nest. This was somewhat 

 dishciirteiiing as I was obliged to leave town on 

 the followuig day and that evening I spent a 

 eonsidcr.-ible portion of the time In thinking 

 about my unfound prize. 



The next morning, while on mj' way to the 

 depot I was obliged to pass near the scene of 

 the previous day's search, and as 1 had nearly 

 an hour before train time I sat down my valise 

 and determined to try again. Entering a small 

 clump of pines a short distance from where I 

 saw the bird the day before, I had hardly iiro- 

 ceeded twenty feet before 1 was again saluted 

 with the ringing notes of iny looked for speci- 

 men and in a moment more had fastened my 

 eyes on the nest in a birch sapling about ten 

 feet up, upon which was .sitting Mrs. V. soti- 

 tariiis composedly eyeing me with her bright 

 little brown eyes. Taking hold of a branch 

 wi'hin reach I pulled that upon which tlie nest 

 was suspended down until I could touch the 

 bird and actually did so befoie she left the nest. 

 in fact, I never met with so close a sitter before 

 or since. 



The nest is very neat and pretty, rather shal- 

 low, composed mostly of fine yellow bark strips 

 mixed with pieces of leeroj-ia cocoons, one dry 

 leaf, pieces of rotten wood, etc., covered outside 

 more or less evenly with caterpillar's silk and 



lined with pine needles and a few fine strips of 

 grape vine bark. 



The eggs, four in numljcr, were of a delicate 

 pinkish white ground color, sprinkled chiefly 

 about the greater end with fine reddish dots, 

 and entirely unlike any vireo's eggs I have ever 

 seen. 



New Haven Ornithological Club. 



An Ornithological Society has been formed 

 at New Haven, Conn., known as the New 

 Haven Ornithological Club, which cordially in- 

 vites correspondence with all who are interested 

 in the subject. 



Its membership consists of seven active, one 

 honorary and two cori'esponding members, 

 with Mr. I.. C. Bishop as I'lesident, II. W. 

 Flint, Vice-President, (_'. C, Trowbridge, Treas- 

 urer, and Robert D. flainp. Secretary. Meetings 

 are held once a month on the first Thursday, at 

 which papers are read, notes on inigiation con- 

 densed, and the subjects bearing on the study 

 di.si'ussed. 



The club is at present in a flourishing con- 

 dition, and the members are striving hard to 

 maintain it. 



The address of the Secretary is P. <). Box 

 726, Stamford, Conn. 



The Red-tail Hawk Repairing Nest 

 in the Fall. 



liV HI!. W. S. STKODK, llEUN A liOTTi;. II. I., 



About Nov. 4th this vicinity was visited l>y a 

 strong gale of wind, lasting about twenty-four 

 hours and blowing old trees, haystacks, fences 

 etc. down in great shape. .\nd among other 

 things that was entirely or partly blown down, 

 was the old nests of the Red-tailed Hawk, {Bu- 

 teo borcalis). A few days aftei-, the weather 

 warm and pleasant, I found a pair of them car- 

 rying sticks and repairing a nest that had been 

 nearly all blown away. This they continued to 

 do until the sides were again well liuilt up, 

 after which they soon disappeared .-ind I have 

 not noticed them since. 



That the Osprey strengthens and repairs its 

 nest in the fall, that it may withstand the 

 storms of winter, is well-known, but this is the 

 first instance that I have ever met with in 

 which the Red-tail did so. What has been the 

 observation of others? 



