THE OOLOGIST 



67 



I know of no place where this Finch 

 breeds so abiiiulantly as in a salt meadow 

 comprising about fifteen acres, situated 

 near this city (Boston). It was first bro't 

 to my attention by a boy finding what he 

 supposed to be a nest of M. meloJia in a 

 certain salt marsh. Never having heard of 

 a parallel case I wished to investigate the 

 matter, and one of the birds being shot it 

 was recognized as belonging to the species 

 named as the subject of this article. Here 

 I alterwards found several complements of 

 eggs, they and the nests not differing essen- 

 tially from the description given above. 

 Their variation is very slight, being but 

 .80 to .70 inch in lengtli by .74 to .68 inch 

 ill breadth. 



After rearing one brood, these birds 

 gather in scattered flocks, and frequent the 

 same places as in early spring till the first 

 of October, when their shrill chee a dee dee 

 dee is no more heard in New ICngland, hav- 

 ing gone to more southern localities to pass 

 the incjement season. 



Oblogical Notes for April. 



TllK Journal d' Agriculture Progressive, 

 says : *" In France it is forbidden, under a 

 penalty of from 16 to 100 francs, either to 

 tiike or destroy the nest or eggs of wild 

 birds, with the exception of the Crow, the 

 Magpie, the Wood Pigeon, and birds of 

 JJl't'y. Familiar Science. 



In the government of Cherson, Russia, 

 in the bed of a river, a peasant found an 

 egg of unusual size. It is equal to forty 

 hens' eggs, whereas the Ostrich egg is equal 

 to only twenty-four. It is of a yellowish 

 color, and, being found between the clay 

 and gypsum layers, is supposed to belong 

 to the tertiary formation. The purchaser 

 of this ^gf^ offered it to the Imperial Acad- 

 emy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, for 1,000 

 roubles [a little over $700]. The Acade- 

 my failed to buy it on account of lack of 

 means, but asked permission to take a mould 



from it. The British Museum has now 

 bought this unique egg, to the grief of the 

 Russian students of natural science. 



Chicaijo Eveniufi Journal 



Allow me to take exception to the state- 

 ment in the February number of your jour- 

 nal under the head of "Oological Notes for 

 February," that the Woodcock and Ruffed 

 Grouse nest during March and April. In 

 central New York the former may some- 

 times nest in March and undoubtedly does 

 in April, but I doubt that in the same lati- 

 tude the Ruffed Grouse ever nests in March, 

 and I should be surprised to find the eggs 

 much before the first of May. In eastern 

 Massachusetts (south of the latitude of cen- 

 tral N. Y.) during ten years of observation 

 I never knew of an instance of this bird's 

 breeding earlier than the fii'st of May, while 

 the newly hatched young are most often met 

 with during the last of May and the first 

 half of June. So far as my own observa- 

 tions go, the same holds true for New York 

 state. Relatively to the time of breeding 

 of other birds, I should say — look for Wood- 

 cocks' eggs while the Blue Birds are sitting 

 on their first set of eggs, and for those of 

 the Rufl'ed Grouse wlien the Blue Jay and 

 Brown Thrush begin to build. 



W. B. Bakrows. 



[" The Woodcock is an early layer, gen- 

 erally in April, but even, according to Au- 

 dubon, in March or February at the South 

 — the period varying a month or more ac- 

 cording to latitude." — CouES, B.N.W. . . 

 "May 5, '74. — This afternoon, while en- 

 gaged in examining some bushes in what is 

 known as Cascade Glen, from which a Spar4 

 row had flown, a Grouse ran out followed 

 by nearly a dozen little ones, which immedi- 

 ately sought concealment." . . *■'. . Mav 

 10, '76. — On the 19 ult. the farmer's son 

 informed me that he had foimd a ' Par- 

 tridge's ' nest with s^j^ eggs in it, but would 

 not tell where. . . " — Ed. 's Note-book. 1 



April 22 ; Robins carrying materials. 

 Song Sparrows building. Chipping and Bay- 

 winged Sparrows mating. — 24 ; Grackles 

 carrying mtU;erials. 



