THE OOLOGIST. 



127 



most branch of a small oak. The latter 

 species rauKs uext to the Soug Sparrow in 

 abundance. 



May IS. Spent to-day among the reeds 

 along the river. The first find was two sets 

 of four, five sets of three and one .set of five 

 lled-wiuged Blackbird's eggs. The nests 

 were jjlaced in a clump of rose and thorn 

 bushes mixed with the reeds. At mid -day 

 the heat in the reeds became almost stifling 

 and I was glad when a grove of oaks loomed 

 up ahead, this reached.* I threw myself in 

 the shade of a large tree to rest. Sevr'ral 

 male Blackbirds discovered me, alighting on 

 the branches overhead, exhibiting many 

 signs of uneasiness and anxiety. Occasion- 

 ally one of them would perform a .short 

 flight and poising over the reedy shore, ut- 

 tering warning cries to the inmates of his 

 well concealed home below. I walked along 

 the reeds through the marsh hay for nearly 

 four more miles more and found only tliree 

 incub. Kingbird's eggs in a nest on the hor- 

 izontal fork of a half decayed willow. As 

 the nfteruoon was well advanced I started 

 for home. On a bridge some boys were 

 amusing themselves by catching bank swal- 

 lows with a small fish-hook, baited with a 

 fly, as they went skimming over the smooth 

 surface of the water beneath. They told 

 me that they kuew;^ where there was a 

 swallow's nest full of white eggs and agreed 

 to show it for a nickle. So we started down 

 the road. We had not gone far when one 

 the boys showed me a hole in a fence post 

 and said the nest was there. It was a Tree 

 Swallow's and contained seven white %ggs, 

 nearly fresh. 



May 23. Four fresh Tree Swallow's eggs 

 from box nailed on top of a tall pole. 



May 25. Least Bittern, set of three fresh 

 eggs, one of which was finely dotted with 

 light brown, nest a mere platform of cut 

 blades of grass and weeds placed in dead 

 reeds four feet over the water. A resident 

 only in the large marshes along the river, 

 not very common, also a set of eggs of the 

 King Kail, nest comjjosed of reeds, and 

 placed in bush four inches over water. 



May 28. Ked-headed Woodpecker, thiee 



fresh eggs, they were deposited on bare 

 wood at bottom of cavity in a tree stump 

 twenty feet up. 



May ;50. Took a White-rumped Shrike's 

 nest situated among the lowest branches of 

 an oak tree and contained three young, and 

 three fresh eggs of the Lark Finch. Nest 

 placed in a depression on the ground and 

 well concealed. 



June 4. Set of Bee Martin's eggs, nest in 

 an iipplc orchard on till' firk of a small 

 horizontal branch ;md well concealed among 

 the leaves. Went to the Towhee's nest 

 found on the lltli of May and found in the 

 place of of a handsome set if f^gs four 

 young. In the same woods I noticed a bird 

 of the Flicker species h ave a hole in the 

 dead top of an ash tree, and climiug secur- 

 ed seven incub eggs. The last two finds 

 were in a thick willow swamp, namely tliree 

 Cntbird'.s eggs and a nest of Yellow AVarblcr 

 in a thorn bush holding four ymng and mie 

 addled egg. Under the nest was a peifectly 

 fresh Cowbird's egg. 



June 5. Jack has no great love for dogs, 

 or cats and will dash unhesitatingly at them. 

 This reckless, headlcmg courage often gtts 

 him into trouble and if he does not lefirn to 

 be more prudent will some day be the means 

 of his death. 



lled-winged Blackljird, set of three incub. 

 eggs, nest placed among the reeds in the us- 

 ual manner. While engaged in collecting 

 their eggs one must be very careful in push- 

 ing his way through the reeds to get as firm 

 a footing as possible, for many of the best 

 appearing places are very deceiving and the 

 collector need not be at all surprised if he 

 suddenly goes down into a hole of .'•liniy 

 water and sticky mud, out of which he will 

 have some difficulty in cxtrictiug himself. 

 While collecting in Ihc marshes, a long, light 

 pole to sound the way with, is very useful. 

 When the young are fledged and able to lly 

 this bird leaves the reeds very early in the 

 morning, going inland to feed, and return- 

 ing to their former haunts at sun down. 

 Long-billed Marsh Wren, set of five eg<^s 

 from a nest in the marsh hay, which grows 

 in abundance around the margin of the 



