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THE OOLOGIST. 



Black and Yellow billed Cuckoos. 



In the OoLOGisT for 1888 I have noticed 

 but few articles on the Yellow and Bhick- 

 Inlled Cuckoos. Are they not worthy of 

 mention ? The past season I have found 

 two sets of each. Althou<^h not rare finds, 

 it always gives me pleasure in finding their 

 nests, and studying their ways. 



The first that 1 found was that of the 

 1 >lack-billed. It was placed on the horizon- 

 tal branch of a thorn apple tree abont 15 ft. 

 from the ground. It was very frail, and 

 contained one egg and a young bird about 

 a week old. The mother bird was very 

 anxious as to what would be the outcome 

 of my observations, but I at last left her 

 "Monarch of all I survey" and she was 

 satisfied 



About a wegk later we had a severe storm 

 luid I heard frtni a friend that the nest was 

 blown down, and the young killed. Foolish 

 bird! I wonder if she took the lesson and 

 built her nest lower another time. 



The next nest was that of the Yellow- 

 billed, and contained only one egg. I left 

 the egg a week, but when, I returned there 

 was only that one there. Incubation was 

 well nigh complete . VVas this not a small 

 set? I am iiositive it was complete: 1st 

 because I had watched the nest from the 

 beginning: 2nd, because it was in a very 

 retired piece of woods, and not near a 

 highway where collectors might abound. 

 This nest was only one foot from the ground 

 and was simply a platform of sticks. 



On July l(>th I took a set of two eggs of 

 lUack-billed. The nest was made of grass, 

 and was placed in a thorn Imsh. Incuba- 

 tion was nearly comiDlete. 



The last set taken was that of the Yellow- 

 billed and contained four eggs. Incubation 

 was nearly complete. The nest was the 

 best I have seen, and was placed in a clump 

 of hazel bushes about four feet from the 

 ground. 



The Black and Y'ellow-billed Cuckoos 

 are great insect devourers. I think they 

 devour more insects than (tny insect devour- 

 ing birds. Some writers say tliey prey 

 on the eggs, and sometimes the young of 



other birds. Gi'ant it. Is not the great 

 work they do in devouring those hairy, 

 spiney cnterpillars (not so much sought 

 after by other birds) a sufficient reason for 

 their protection? The habits of the two 

 birds are very much alike .as far as I have 

 observed. Their feeding grounds are grassy 

 swales, willow swamps, t:miarac marshes 

 and damp tracts. I have found the favorite 

 breeding haunts to be the interior of wood- 

 lauds, small groves, thorny trees and bushes 

 and wooded banks of strrams. 



Hoping to hear from others on the Ijabils 

 of these two birds, and also the time and 

 range of breeding. I am, 



Oologically E. C. , Wauwatosa, Wis. 



Notes from an Alabama Collector. 



Doubtless your readers would like to luar 

 from this state, and as I have not seen many 

 articles from this part of the country, I 

 take the liberty of sending you some glean- 

 ings from my note book. 



My first set collected was a Turkey 

 Buzzard's, placed on the groimd under a 

 pile of oak limbs. 



April '2nd. Set of o eggs of the Black- 

 Capped Chickadee; situated in an old stu njj 

 about ten ft. high. 



April 'Itli Browu-headctl Nuthalch 



with 6 eggs. 



A^jril 20. Brown-headed Nutliatih. two 

 Bluebirds nests and a Mocking-bird's wiih 

 4 fresh eggs. Mocking-birds are veiy com- 

 mon here. This season I f.^uiid ulxnit 

 twenty of their nests, but vould not t;ike 

 but a very few. 



April 27. Cardinal (Trosbcak. :> fresh 

 eggs. I have found about twelve nests of 

 th'.s bird, and three ei:gs was the numlicr 

 that each contained. 



May 8th. Blue Jay's ,.est, in an oak about 

 lifteen feet from the ground. 



May 11. Brown-1-.eaded Nuthatch, four 

 eggs slightly incwl)ated, also a Blue Jay"s 

 nest containing four eggs. 



May 14. Acadian Flycatcher, 2 fresh 

 eggs; nest situated on the extremity of a 

 limb, also a Summer Bed-bird's nest con- 

 taining four ficsh eggs. 



