28 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Belted Kingfisher. This species was 

 seen but very sparingly. 



Kingbird. This species was very 



common on the banks of the river but 



no nests were obtained. 



Pewees. Several pairs were observed. 



Crested Flycatcher. Several birds of 



this species seen near the river. 



Least Flycatcher. Birds of this spec- 

 ies were seen near the river in a low 

 growth of ash and maple. 



Blue Jay. Not very plentiful, a few 

 birds of this species were seen in conif- 

 erous growth near the camp. 



American Crow. Very abundant 

 everywhere. 



Savanna Sparrow. Birds supposed 

 to belong to this species were observed. 

 White-crowned Sparrow. Birds of 

 this species were seen by Mr. Teague. 

 Chipping Sparrow. Abundant. 

 Barn and Bank Swallows. Abund- 

 ant flying over the water of the lake. 



Cedar Waxwing. Very abundant 

 along the river banks. 



Red-eyed Vireo. Quite plentiful in 

 woods near the river. 



Chestnut-sided warbler. Several 

 birds seen both male and female. 



Black-throated Green Warbler. A 



few pairs of this species were observed. 



Chickadee. Very abundant. 



American Robin. Very common 



near camp, also on the shores of the 



lake and river.' 



Bluebird'. A few birds of this species 

 were seen. 



In concluding this paper, I know how 

 very incomplete it is of the species 

 found breeding and inhabiting this lo- 

 cality, but it is nevertheless a true re- 

 cord of species observed during our 

 week's stay at beautiful Androscoggin 

 Lake. 



Gut H. Briggs, 

 Livermore, Maine. 



A later report states that B. F. Bow- 

 dish, of Porto Rico, who was reported 

 dead in Jan. OOLOGIST; is still living. 

 Full particulars in March issue. 



Blue Jays at Play. 



Reading Dr. Gibbs' interesting paper 

 in the December number of the Oolo- 

 GiST entitled "Performers and Sing- 

 ers," recalled to my mind a "perform- 

 ance" that I was a witness to many 

 years ago. 



Being in a newly settled part of the 

 country, where the virgin forest was 

 largely composed of pine, hemlock and 

 cedar, a veritable paradise for Blue 

 Jays, and they were there in great num- 

 bers enjoying it to the utmost of their 

 capacity, and that is small for a bird of 

 their size. Being seated on the brow of 

 a high hill, in the shade of a wood be- 

 hind me, looking down on a cleared 

 flat, with a large elm tree with a wide 

 spreeding top standing alone in the 

 centre; dead by girdling, but still re- 

 taining its ponderous branches; and 

 having for a background a dense 

 growth of cedar and hemlock a little 

 distance away. Whilst surveying the 

 situation around, above and below me, 

 a noisy flock of perhaps twelve or four- 

 teen Blue Jays came out of the wood 

 behind me and made for the elm tree. 

 They all dropped down upon the same 

 branch, seemingly at the same time, 

 which caused it to bend with their 

 weight, to rebound again. This seem- 

 ed to instantly suggest to the Blue Jays 

 that they could have a teeter; so appar- 

 parently with that end in view they all 

 began to work in unison. Grasping 

 the branch tightly with their toes they 

 would throw their bodies up to raise 

 the branch, then bring it down with 

 force to send it lower; until they soon 

 had the branch going up and down to 

 such an exteut, that on its descent some 

 of them had to partially extend their 

 wings to maintain their balance; whilst 

 each seemed calling on its companions 

 to urge them on to the utmost of their 

 ability At last the branch broke from 

 their united efforts and sent the flock 

 into the air, when they made for the 

 cedars and hemlocks beyond, with the 

 greatest amount of discordant noise I 

 have ever heard from Blue Jays; which 

 I can only compare with the screaming 

 laughter of children over the success of 

 some of their own pranks. 



J. Alston Moffat, 



London, Ont. 



