56 



THE OOUGIST. 



and ssattering the contents of her bill 

 by a flirt of the head, turning around to 

 enter again Soiuetimts only the head 

 is protruded from the hole, the wood 

 being scattered iu the same way. 



The entrance is an inch and a half in 

 diameter and the cavity is Ave to six 

 inches in depth. The nests, of which I 

 have several before me, are all precise- 

 ly alike. They are rather slight struc- 

 tures composed entirely of fine brown- 

 ish shreds of cedar bark, placed in the 

 bottom of the cavity. I have 

 never known the birds to use a 

 cavity other than of their own con- 

 struction and a new cavity seems to be 

 made for every nest. Usually some 

 feathers become detached from the bird 

 and are attached to the wall of the cav- 

 ity and mingle with the nest material. 

 The eggs are live to seven in number, 

 six being most freq lenty found; pure 

 white, dotted with red, more heavily at 

 the larger end where the spots some- 

 times tend to form a wreath. A typi- 

 cal set measures in inches, .63x.47, 

 .60X.48, .65x45, GIkAI, .61x.47, .61x47. 

 They are not distinguishable from eggs 

 of the Chickadee but the nest is entii'e- 

 ly diti'erent and could not be mistaken. 

 There is always a quantity of fresh tir 

 pitch about the entrance to the nest, 

 frequently entirely surrounding it, the 

 greatest quantity being directly below 

 the entrance and often extending down 

 some inches. I have never been able 

 to satisfactorily determine its purpose, 

 but it is invariably present. The nest 

 is about as easily found after incubation 

 commences as when it is being built, 

 as a few raps on the stub is sufficient 

 to cause the bird to leave the nest. 



If one knows a pair of Nuthatches 

 are nesting in a certain block of woods, 

 a careful examination of the suitable 

 stubs, rapping on each, will be quite 

 certain to reveal the nest. The parent 

 birds display considerable solicitude 

 whenever the nest is disturbed, remain- 

 ing near, uttering notes of anger and 



distress. The female is especially bold,, 

 coming close to ihe dispoiler of her- 

 home and uttering those protests which 

 are the hai'dest part of collecting even 

 though we knovv the distress we are 

 caasiug will be soon forgotten and an- 

 other nest and eggs replace the ones we 

 are taking. C H. Morrell, 



Pittstield, Maine. 



April Contest. 



Twenty-two subscribers sent in their 

 opinions as to the value of April OoLO 

 GIST. Seven articles were mentioned. 

 The wiauiug one and credits and pre- 

 miums to which each is entitled follows : 



1st pri7.e, $3 00 cash. -"The Summer 

 Home of Vireo SoUtarins Cassini and 

 Other Notes." 46 credits, j 



2d priz^, $5.00 worth of books 'Red- 

 head and Ruddy." 39 credits. 



3d prize, $5.00 worth of premiums. 

 "Prairie Horned Lark in Illinois." 37 

 credits. 



Six judges nameil the winning arti- 

 cles in their correct; order, hence the 

 piize> were awarded in the order in 

 whie'a their decisions were received. 



1st priz3, $1.00 cash. No. 1, E. A. 

 Doolittle. Painesville, O. 



2d prize, $1.00 worth of books. No. 4, 

 F. B. Mclvechnie, Dorchester, Mass. 



3d prize, $1.00 worth of premiums. 

 No. 9, V. L. Beed, Hampton, Iowa. 



Inasmuch as the three following 

 named the winning articles 50 cents, 

 worth of premiums were awarded each. 



No. 14, R. P. Smlthwick, Merry Hill, 

 N.C. 



No. 15, Ralph W. Clayton, Galesburg,. 

 Ills. 



No. 19, R. H. Beek, Berryessa, Cal. 



A portion of the Mss. received in. 

 June contest appears in May and June 

 OoLOGisrs. The balance will appear 

 in July issue at which time an oppor- 

 tunity will be given the readers of the 

 OoLOGiST to decide on the merits of 

 the articles iu the three numbers. 



