110 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 7-No. 14. 



as the ^ggs are laid, which, on the average 

 arnnunt to one a day, the female commences 

 the tryiiiff duties of incubation. . . We 

 hane never observed the male in the vicinity 

 of the nest duri7ig the day-time. . The peri- 

 od of incubation is about twenty- four days." 



Mr. Corey and I made daily observations 

 of several nests of the Bam Owl with the 

 view of detenuining these matters, with 

 the following results: (1), The eggs in 

 every case were laid on alternate days ; (2), 

 incubation invariably began soon after the 

 first e^g was deposited; and (3), in nearly 

 every instance, both male and female were 

 found occupying the nest-cavity, whether 

 in the ground or in a hollow tree. Clods 

 or stones thrown against the bank near the 

 nest usually brought otit the male first, 

 who was soon followed by the female, but 

 often not until more clods had been thrown. 



Tliat incubation begins before the full 

 nest-complement has been completed is 

 evident to any one who removes the con 

 tents from a full set of eggs and notices 

 the various stages of development reached 

 by the embryos. So true is this that it is 

 impossible to blow a full set of these eggs 

 with equally small holes. The same fact is 

 also shown by the great difference in the 

 sizes of the nestlings. The i)eriod of in- 

 cubation is twentj'-two to twenty-four days. 



— B. W. Evermann, Blooniington, hid. 



^ 



Least Bittern. 

 In the O. and O. for February, 1882, Mr. 

 Guy C. Rich asks the question : " Does 

 the Least Bittern come as far north as forty- 

 three degrees ? " I can answer this in the 

 affirmative, for I have before me a male of 

 that species taken in September, 1880, 

 near the mouth of Black River, a small 

 stream which empties into the Bay of 

 Fundy, about eight miles east of St. John, 

 and a little north of forty-five degrees. 

 And this is not the only individual that 

 has ventured thus far north, for between 

 1877 and 1881 some five were captured 

 within ten miles of this city. — 31. Oham- 

 berlain, St. Johns, N. /?. 



Hints to Collectors. 



Nests made wholly of Usnea or North- 

 ern Hanging Lichen, if kept in a cellar, 

 will mould and disintegrate — falling in 

 pieces at a touch in two years' time. 



Remember and never neglect to rinse 

 every specimen thoroughly vidth clean 

 water when blowing eggs. It is part of 

 the operation. I recently examined a 

 box of seventeen quails' eggs, blowni in 

 1879 in the field, with no water near. 

 Eveiy egg held insects, pupfe, and excre- 

 tions, and much labor and trouble was the 

 consequence of not using proper precau- 

 tions at the, right time. 



The Prairie Warbler returns yearly to 

 its nesting-place in a hazel-bush or in a 

 hazel and blackberry patch in dry pastures. 

 The Yellow Warljler uses no feathers, the 

 Chestnut-sided Warbler not habitually, but 

 the "'Prairies" always, if any are to be 

 found. I had one nest beautifully trimmed 

 with Quail's feathers, but alas, it is not ! 

 Another hned with feathers of the Indigo 

 Finch, but alas for this also ! — both de- 

 voiu-ed by insects. Nests with sticks, 

 leaves, grasses or cotton, can be preserved 

 easily — and wool with a little care. Mosses 

 fade and fall apart. But watchfulness does 

 not always avail to keej) feathers from the 

 ravages of insects. The hoiues of the 

 Hinmdines are beautiful, but lousj'. If 

 forgotten for a while, they are liable to be 

 destroyed. The constant use of camphor 

 and almost weekly baths of benzine or 

 carbolic acid seem necessary. 



Hawks' eggs can be blown with care and 

 patience even if well incubated. But small 

 eggs should be left in the nest if incuba- 

 tion has begun. Two sets of rare spar- 

 rows, taken hiui-iedly in '81, proved to be 

 well incubated, and though there were nine 

 eggs in all, I have nothing to show now 

 but the nests. Blue-Tellow-Backed War- 

 bler's eggs are especially hard to blow if 

 three days incubated. I have blown fifty 

 fresh eggs of this Warbler without a mis- 

 hap, but never succeeded in cleaning an 



