138 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol 7-No. 18 



2.73x1.96 inches, while another out of 

 the same set measures but 2.40X1-82 

 inches. One of the finest sets in my col- 

 lection measures as follows: 2.73x1-88, 

 2.70x1. 9-4. 2.71x1-98, 2.60x1.90, 2.44x 

 1.84. The average size, as determined by 

 me from a large number, is 2.65x1-80. 



Similar to the Pelicans, the young of 

 this sj)ecies for the first week or two are 

 entirely destitute of feathers or down, the 

 bare skin being pale slaty blue. They sit 

 close together on their nests, forming a 

 circle with the heads all turned inward to 

 the centre, and emit a hissing noise, simi- 

 lar to young Wood-peckers, when dis- 

 turbed. The old birds are very shy ; at 

 the least unusual noise they may be seen 

 standing upright on their nests with necks 

 fully extended, and at the slightest sign 

 of danger make out of sight at once. 

 They do not seem to care much for their 

 young, judging from what I have seen. 



On this same visit I found the DouI)le- 

 crested Cormorants occupying the western 

 slopes of the Islands in full force, while the 

 Pelicans occupied the more sheltered posi- 

 tion on the east side, and the Great Bhie 

 Heron the central parts. Each species 

 kept to a certain degree by itself and did 

 not encroach on the other's territory. 

 About two-thirds of the Cormorants' nests 

 were placed on the ground and raised a 

 few inches from it by coarse pieces of drift, 

 small sticks, etc., the balance on low grease 

 wood bushes. The nests, considering the 

 size of the bird, are small, and were lined 

 more or less with pieces of bark or tule 

 and coarse grasses, and as a rule might be 

 called well constructed. They were all, 

 with scarcely an exception, placed very 

 close to the water's edge. "When the lake 

 was rovigh, the water must have splashed 

 into a good many of them. The eggs, four 

 or five in number, are of an elongated oval 

 shape, considerably pointed at the smaller 

 end, pale green in color and covered more 

 or less with a chalky matter, which can 

 easily be washed off when freshly laid. 



They average about 2.42x1-48 inches. 

 The largest set in a number measures 2.86 

 Xl.60. 2.70X1.65, 2.66x1-64,2.70x1.60. 

 A single egg was found measuring but 

 1.80 X 1.20 inches. In the early stages the 

 yovmg of this species are also perfectly 

 naked, the skin being a deep glossy black ; 

 they are greasy and loud smelling crea- 

 tures. In fact the Islands are reeking with 

 filth during the breeding season, and it 

 requires a strong, healthy stomach not to 

 be affected by the overpowering smells en- 

 countered on landing. I was imable to 

 leam anything about the tactics employed 

 by the Cormorants on their fishing excur- 

 sions, but I presume they are about the 

 same as used by the Pelicans. The num- 

 ber of pounds of fish destroyed by these 

 birds must be enormous, and there are still 

 larger colonies to be found on the western 

 end of the Lake, but with all this I have 

 never seen more fish at any one time than 

 near the head of the spring mentioned in 

 this article, the water being perfectly alive 

 with them. 



Curious Nesting Pl.\oes. — In the Spring 

 of 1878, I found a Robin's nest on a rock 

 and level with the ground. There was 

 scarcely any attempt at a nest, simply a 

 few weeds around the edge, and the eggs 

 laid on the bare rock. Still, the bird was 

 as noisy at my presence, as if she were 

 defending a much more elaborate struc- 

 ture. On June 18, 1880, I found a Song 

 Sparrow's nest placed in an abandoned 

 Downy Woodpecker's nest, eight feet 

 from the ground, in a dead witch hazel 

 stub. The identification was positive, as I 

 stood within three feet of the nest and 

 watched the female feed the half-grown 

 young. May 20. 1881, took a set of five 

 Cat Bird's eggs. Is this not an unusual 

 number ? I have examined dozens of 

 nests of this bird, but never saw five eggs 

 in a set until this year, when M. B. G. and 

 myself have e.ach taken a set of five. — W. 



W. Wort/ii)if/ton, Shelter Island. New 



York. 



