THE OOLOGIST. 



15 



May •!'). Twii sets of t'ardiuiil Ginsbeiik 

 also n Wood Thrush's nest. 



May 'H\. Great Crested Flycatcher's 

 Dest, made of piue needles, wool, feathers 

 and a snake skin, and jilaced in a Martin 



1) )X. 



May "i'.t. Ohimney Swift's nest also 

 collected a set of Bachmau s Finch. The 

 uest was placed near a V)rach in the midst of 

 weeds. 



June 7th. Yellow-hilled Cuckoo's egg 

 in a "Wood Thrush's nest, and, same date, 

 a Yellow-breasted ('hat's nest, containing 4 

 fresh eggs. 



June 9tli. An Amei'. l^uail's nest with 

 17 eggs fresh. 



•Tune ll)th. Brown Thrasher and a 

 Y'ellow-breaste 1 Chat's nest containing 4 

 fresh eggs, about 4 ft. from the ground. 



June J 4th. Logger-head Shr ke's nest 

 with four fresh eggs placed in a small oak 

 tree about loft, from the ground. 



June 17th. Y'ellow-shafted Flicker, six 

 fresh eggs. These eggs were very small, no 

 larger than a Red-head's. 



June 24;h. Summer Red Bird's nest with 

 2 eggs, also a Yellow-Vjllled Cuckoo's with 3 

 c^'gs slightly iucabatod. 



June 28th. Carolma 'Wren, 4 fresh eggs 

 placed over the door in an unoccupied 

 house . • 



The above are some of the sets I collected 

 during the season of '87. I found a number 

 of otheis. but did not take the eggs. 



C. W., York Sta.. Ala 



The Critic! 

 Carolina Parakeet. 



To THE Editor of the Oolocist: 



An article in the Oct. and Nov. No. of 

 the Oologist, 1888, entitled -Carolina 

 Parakeet" and devoted more particularly to 

 the nesting habits of this rare sijecies, en- 

 gaged my attention while perusing the 

 last interesting number. 



Undoubtedly the writer, who signs him- 

 self " T. S., Clai-inda, Iowa," is a well- 

 meaning collector, and honest in his 

 convictions; but is certainly far from 

 correct in stating that the Parakeet breels 



in Iowa. Mauj' articles creep int<j tin' 

 Oologist, as with many other natural 

 history papers, that are not only highly 

 improbable, but I am sorry to say, siiui^le 

 emanations of untruthful collector's brains. 

 Witness an article on the nesting of the 

 Bald Eagle during the last year or so in 

 which the writer describes the eggs as 

 equal in size to goose eggs, whereas they 

 are less than one-fourth of the cubical 

 dimensions. 



This little criticism is not intended to 

 api>ly to the editor of the Oologist, as it is 

 impossible for him to supervise each article. 

 Many other papers are, unfortunately, the 

 exponents of equally ridiculous fabrications, 

 readily detected by experts in the various 

 branches of science, but unfortunately, too 

 often believed by the inexperienced. In 

 conclusion allow the writer to say to all 

 j-oung donaturs to the cohnnns of any paper 

 never deviate from the truth; never 

 fabricate. Be sure that you know your 

 lesson before you attempt to impart it tn 

 others. In other words, " Be sure of yoin- 

 identification and then stick to your text. " 

 This, from one who has studied our birds 

 over twenty years', may suggest, at least 

 accuracj' in description and identification. 

 Nov. 2(», '88 ScoLOPAX. Kalamazoo, Mich. 



Bank Swallows at Picnic Point. 



These little fellows are very common on 

 very near all the small lakes in Wisconsin 

 A very large colony of them has taken 

 possession -^'f the cliffs on Picnic Point over- 

 looking lake Mendota. 



Thej' arrive here about the middle of 

 April. The old ones use the same nest 

 year after year: but the young, when they 

 begin to breed, make new nests. , Their 

 nests are made by burrowing in the side of 

 the chfl' until they get a hole about two feet 

 deep and large enough for the bird to 

 enter. At the end of this hole is placed a 

 number of downy feathers and dry grasses, 

 on which are laid anywhere from thi'ee to 

 six white eggs. They leave here about the 

 1st. of Septend)er. 



F. S. 15. N., Madis,)n. \\i>. 



