THE OOLOGIST. 



11 



also the Indigo Bimtiug; the latter seems 

 to be increasiug in numbers here. 



Our Starlings, named in the order of 

 their abundance, are Red-winged Black- 

 bird, Meadow Lark, Purple Grackle, Bob- 

 olink, Baltimore Oriole, and Cowbird. 



The Crow is very common, especially in 

 spring and autumn, when large flocks as- 

 semble here. In the more retired parts of 

 the county. Blue Jays are plenty ; during the 

 winter they are often seen on the outskirts 

 of the towns, probably in search of 

 food. 



The Shore Lark is most common in fall 

 and spring; a very few remain in the 

 county till July. They probaV)ly breed 

 here. 



The most abundant Flycatchers are the 

 Kingbird?, followed closely by the Pewee 

 then comes the Wood Pewee, Great Fly- 

 catcher and Least Flj-catcher. 



We haye one representative of the 

 Hummingbirds, Euby-throated. Chimney 

 Swifts are very common and are • often 

 found nesting in barns like the Barn 

 Swallow. Both the Whip-poor-will and 

 the Night Hawk occur; the latter in the 

 greatest numbers. 



Except the Flicker, the Hairy and Downy 

 Woodpeckers are the most common of their 

 tribe. The Red-headed Woodpecker is 

 not vei-y plenty. Diiriug the migrations 

 we have the Yellow-bellied and Red-bellied 

 Woodpeckers; the former is the more 

 c jmmon . 



The Kingtisher is common along streams, 

 iu the banks of which it nests. The Black- 

 billed Cuckoo is quite common ; the Yellow- 

 billed species occurs rarely if at all. 



Owls are somewhat rare, though the 

 Saw-whet, Screech and Horned Owls may 

 be found in the deejDer woods. 



Among the Hawks, the Sparrow Hawk is 

 the most common. We have also, the 

 Fish, Marsh, Red-tailed and Red -shouldered 

 Hawks. 



The Mourning Doves are very commcm 

 and are freq\;ently shot by hunters who 

 mistake them for Wild Pigeons. Quails are 

 seldom seen, but the Ruffed Grouse is a 

 common resident. The Green Heron is 



very common, and the (xre.it Blue Heron 

 frequently occurs. 



The Killdeer, Woodcock and Snipe aie 

 not verj' common. The Spotted Sandpipc r 

 is abundant along water. Daring niigrt - 

 tions a few Rails are found, Viut 1 believe 

 none stay to lu-eed. 



WiLLAP.D N. Cl.UTE, 



Binij;hampton, N. Y. 



Black-capped Chickadee. 



On the 13th of last May my brother and I 

 started out on a hunt for oological speci- 

 mens. We tramped about four or live 

 miles without finding anything worth tak- 

 ing. Then we came to a large piece of 

 woods where we found a bine jay's nest in a 

 small oak tree. It contained one egg. We 

 then tramped around a little, until we came 

 to a part of the woods that was all swampy. 

 It looked a first class place for eggs. As we 

 stood looking around, I saw a black-capped 

 chickadee fly to an old elm stub about 

 three feet high and three inches in diameter. 

 It disappeared in a small knot hole near the 

 top. we crossed over to it, l)y jumjjiug 

 from (me bog to another- As I was anx- 

 ious to obtain a set for my collection, but 

 when we got there wa. found they were only 

 building. Both birds were very tame, as 

 they would almost let lis touch them. I 

 visited the nest again on the 21st, as I hap- 

 pened to be that way aud found it 

 contained a beavitiful set of six eg'.^s. 

 They were cream}' white, covered with pink 

 spots, thickest on the large end, thev aver- 

 age about 21-32 X 15 32. I also took the 

 nest, as I collccti-d nests as well as eggs. I 

 think there is as much, if not toore to be 

 learned from the nest than the eggs. It 

 was composed of a layer of gi-een moss 

 then a thick layer of some wooly substance 

 aud lined with a thick coating of gi'ay 

 squirrels' hair forming a very warm ami 

 comfortal)le dwelling. 



T. W. 1!. 



