X 



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1S.S2.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



171 



Jnnc 8tli I found a nest of the Wilson 

 Tlinish contiiiniiif,'' one eg-g with a very 

 tliin slicll. r took it, and left in its place 

 the c'^ii that still remained in the nest 

 found June 5tli, that nest having been de- 

 serted after I took the two eggs. I visited 

 this new nest nearly every day for four 

 weeks and saw the female bird on the nest 

 evei-y time, but found no more eggs. I 

 saw but one bird in all this time, and at 

 last I found the nest empty and deserted. 

 I wondered at the patience of the bird, 

 and took several friends to see the curiosity. 



June "iOth I found a nest of the Wilson 

 Thrush containing three fresh eggs, and 

 later found two more nests w-ithout eggs. 

 These were all found in one piece of woods 

 and withiu five minutes' walk of each other. 

 Now, as I am a novice in collecting, having 

 devoted very little time to it since I was a 

 small boy, I will tell why I am certain that 

 I have made no mistake in this matter. I 

 have read very carefully the description of 

 these birds in Minot's '• Land and Game 

 Birds of New England," and could easily 

 identify the birds from the knowledge thus 

 gained, as they would remain upon the nest 

 until I was within a few feet of them, giv 

 ing me a tine opportunity to make observa- 

 tions. 



The nest of the Wood Thrush was in a 

 tree within twenty feet of a river, and about 

 eight feet from the ground. It would have 

 been pronounced a Robin's nest by a care- 

 less observer, although the outside w-as 

 composed almost wholly of dead leaves. 

 The eggs were smaller than those of the 

 Robin, (Minot says 1.10—1.00x70) and 

 n en rer spherical. The nests of the W^ilson 

 Tlnush were in each instance within two 

 or three inches of the ground, sometimes 

 attached to a stub or brier, and occasion- 

 ally in high grass near a cart-path. They 

 were constructed of dead leaves (princi- 

 pallj- beech leaves) and grape-vine bark. 

 The eggs were '■ light-blue, green-tinted, " 

 and about the size of the Bluebird's 

 eggs. 



Birds of New York. 



In response to your request. I herewith 

 give you a brief outline of the work I am 

 doing upon our State birds. In advance 

 of the publication of my '' History of the 

 Birds of New York,"* which has been un- 

 avoidablj- delayed. I propose to issue a 

 Pri'Iiniinnry Cdtitloipie of the birds of 

 the State, accompanied by an essay upon 

 the Distribution, of Speciex within our 

 borders. This paper will be illustrated 

 \\ith colored ma2is showing Ijoth the boun- 

 daries of the Faunal Areas, and the caiises 

 that operate in determining their limita- 

 tions — such, for example, as altitude, the 

 temperature during the breeding season, 

 etc. The completeness of this portion of 

 the work depends largely upon the assist- 

 ance rendered by resident collectors. A 

 large nmuber of " Local Lists," from nearly 

 all parts of the State, have already been 

 received : but the iindersigned is desirous 

 of obtaining still more information of this 

 character, and takes the present opportu- 

 nity to solicit lists of species known to 

 breed fi'om all collectors who have not al- 

 ready favored him with such contributions. 

 For all material made use of due credit 

 will, of course, be given. — (,\ Hurt Merri- 

 mn. 31. J>.. Locust Grore. X. V.. Oct.. '82. 



•An outline of the plan of this work was published in 

 " Forest and Stream" for May l.i, 18T9 {Vol. 12, No. 1.5, p. 

 2S5.) 



L.-VTE Breeding of the Hermit Thrush in 

 Northern New York. — On the 24th of 

 August. 1879, Dr. Frederick H. Hoadley 

 and myself found a nest of the Hermit 

 Thrush, containing three fresh eggs, at 

 Locust Grove, in Lewis County. New York. 

 It was on the ground, near an old log. in 

 an open place in the woods ; and I almost 

 stepped on it before the parent bii-d flew 

 oiJ. Two weeks later there were three 

 young in the nest. They were very small 

 and helpless, and evidently not more than 

 a day or two old. — C. Hart Merriam. 31. 

 />.. Loriist (rrore. N". Y. 



