The Oologist. 



VOL. XVII. NO. 7. ALBION, N. Y., JULY-AUGUST, 1900. Whole No. 168 



The Oologist. 



A Monthly Publication Devoted to 



OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND 

 TAXIDERMY. 



FRANK H. LATTIN, Editor and Publisher, 

 ALBION, N. Y. 



Correspondence and Items of Interest to the 

 student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited 

 from all. 



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Nests and Eg'g's. 



All species of birds, so far as I am 

 aware, are governed by their require- 

 ments in the line of timber for the nests, 

 in selecting their nesting quarters. 

 This is noticable in many cases. For 

 instance, a few pairs of Eave Swallows 

 built each season about half a mile 



from a small pond. But in time the 

 pond dried up, and the Swallows left 

 the barn eaves and have never returned; 

 for an Eave Swallow must have mud 

 for its nest, and there is apparently 

 nothing which will take its place. 

 Some birds will make a shift in certain 

 cases of necessity. Chimney Swifts, as 

 a rule, use a regular sized twig for 

 nest construction, but in an instance 

 which came under my notice a pair 

 had to make use cf the very fine and 

 irregular twigs from the raspberry 

 vines or bushes. They make a peculiar 

 looking nest, and the Swifts may have 

 thought it odd, but they preferred this 

 timber to travelling farther. Robins 

 may build in any quarter where there 

 is mud to be found, and the situations 

 are various. It is not uncommon that in 

 late April or early May there is a dry time 

 in the land. Only lasting for a week 

 or so, yet it is sufficient to stop the 

 nest building of the Robins, and to keep 

 them at a stand-still for the time being. 

 I have seen a pair of Robins start a nest 

 and the dry weather would come on 

 and stop operations, and the pair would 

 wait about for the rain so they could 

 find the mortar. On one occasion we 

 furnished mortar by letting the hydrant 

 run on the ground. The delighted 

 Robins immediately accepted the situ- 

 ation and gathered materials for the 

 partially finished nest which was quick- 

 ly completed, and the eggs duly deposi- 

 ted. 



Many birds ornament their nests, 

 evidently with design, for though the 

 birds of a species usually follow a set 

 style, it is nevertheless a principal of 

 ornamentation. The Hummers are 

 well known as dainty designers, and 

 our little Ruby-throat is the maker of 

 one of the most beautiful little struct- 

 ures in the woi'ld. Composed of deli-. 



