THE OOLOGIST. 



45 



ice cover the trees, besides, the houses, 

 which were let to Passer domesticus, have 

 not as yet been vacated, the rent is over- 

 due and I must "turn the rascals out." 



I take the following from some of my 

 winter notes, made during professional 

 trips to the country. I may say, right 

 here, that I never go out day or night with- 

 out my gun and a complement of loaded 

 shells in the back of the buggy — fixed, you 

 see, for anything in the line. Killed a 

 Screech Owl last December with a load of 

 Arsenious acid pellets ; shot worked out 

 of shell, so I loaded the next best ; it cost 

 me 4.T cents for the load, but I let her go 

 and got the Screecher. 



Jan. 10th — Bluebirds in plenty, with 

 Juncoes and Tree Sparrows ; counted nine 

 Meadow Larks in seemingly good condi- 

 tion. Thermometer — 8° Fah. 



Jan. 15th — Marked three pairs Little 

 Screech Owl this morning. Saw a pair 

 of Long Ears in a large spruce this after- 

 noon. Thermometer — 5' Fah. 



Jan. 18th — Counted seven Meadow Larks 

 around a wheat stack having a big time, 

 one shot was found in excellent condition, 

 they have struck a bonanza, and will work 

 it till spring. 



Jan. 20th — Snow eight inches deep — 

 much drifted. Blue-birds, Song Sparrows 

 and Snowbirds in numbers along the road. 

 Shot a pair of Short-eared Owls this after- 

 noon. In good condition and make fine 

 specimens. Thermometer — 7" Fah. 



Jan. 30th — Pair of Blue Jays put in an 

 appearance and rested in the pines near the 

 house; never visited me so early before. 

 Thermometer — 5^ Fah. 



Feb. 1st — Saw four pairs Blue Jays this 

 morning. An old Red-tailed Hawk's at- 

 tempt to capture a red squirrel amused me 

 very much. Scene: 



Squirrel on fence under den — tree, Buteo 

 hovering, instant's pause — recognition mu- 

 tual — squirrel skips for home, pulls hole in 

 after him. Buteo slaps bang against tree. 

 Time — not yet calculated. 



Very few of the Warblers have put in an 

 appearance ; the weather has been very un- 

 settled thus far this spring, but with all the 



cold and wet I have the first set of Blue- 

 birds for the season ; five, very fresh and 

 pretty. Have marked down seven nests of 

 above, ready for eggs. I have also the first 

 set of Crow's for the season, the nest was 

 finished nine days ago. On Saturday, April 

 3d, I procured six fresh eggs ; do not think 

 the female would have deposited any 

 more. 



I collected two sets of the Sparrow Hawk, 

 one five the other six. One set of three of 

 the Red-tailed Hawk, a set of five from 

 Long-eared Owl, and a nest and two eggs 

 from Little Screech Owl, completes my 

 finds thus far. The Screecher's nest I will 

 visit later. I am sure that at least three 

 pairs of our large Hawks are eluding me, 

 so also the Owls, but business has kept me 

 closer than usual, and I have not been able 

 to locate them. 



Should you consign the foregoing to the 

 waste basket, I shall not mourn, the fever 

 is on, you know, and this half hour's work 

 gives much relief. Very truly, 



J. H. Melsheimer, M. D., 

 Hanover, Pa. 



We trust the Doctor will have the 

 " fever " often. — [Ed. 



From Chester County, Penn. 



The past season has been one of rich ex- 

 perience to the oologists of our county, and 

 thinking some notes on the more rare finds 

 would be of interest, I send you the memo- 

 randa of same, prefacing by the statement 

 that so far as published, our breeding list 

 comprises ninety-eight species, the number 

 being restricted on account of lack of any 

 large body of water and the absence of 

 "shore" birds. The principle instances 

 of note that have come under my notice are 

 1. Long billed Marsh Wren— Under date 

 of June 18th, 18S6, Mr. T. H. Jackson, of 

 West Chester, writes me: "About the 

 - middle of JMay I discovered a pair of Long- 

 billed Marsh Wrens in a swamp near West 

 Chester. At that time they had constructed 

 about four or five nests. Yesterday I again 

 visited the locality, and after searching 



