46 



THE OOLOGIST. 



about tvventj' empty nests, came on the 

 right one, containing six eggs. They had 

 probably been set on several days, but I 

 secured them with the nest, and prized 

 them highlJ^ I do not think there is more 

 than a single pair in this locality, but it 

 seems incredible that they should make so 

 many nests." This species breeds abund- 

 antly along the Delaware river and on 

 Christiana Creek, as high up as Newport, 

 Del. .within six to eight miles of our county, 

 but as there are few localities within our 

 limits suitable for their nesting, they have 

 not, so far as I am informed, previously 

 been found in this county. 



2. Black and White Creeper — On June 

 6th Mr. Jackson, in company with two 

 kindred souls, were collecting in the county. 

 Mr. Jackson writes : "The most import- 

 ant find of the day was a nest and five 

 young birds of the Black and White 

 Creeper. They were nearly ready to leave 

 the nest, and together we fully identified 

 the parent birds at close quarteis. We also 

 saw a female feeding a young bird, from 

 another nest, that was just able to Qy." 



3. Mourning Warbler — On June 21st a 

 friend brought me a female 3Iourning 

 Warbler in the flesh, but in poor condition. 

 The bird was found dead by the 

 side of a public road June 10th, partially 

 consumed by ants, etc. The feathers, how- 

 ever, except about one side of the head and 

 on the abdomen being intact. On the same 

 day a male of this species was seen within 

 a quarter of a mile of the same place. The 

 probability is they were or would have 

 nested in that localitJ^ 



4. Worm Eating Warbler — Mr. Jackson 

 took four nests with eggs this year, the 

 earliest date being May 29, five fresh eggs. 

 Two or three instances of this species nest- 

 ing in the count}' prior to this year are on 

 record. 



5. Virginia Rail — Five nests of this 

 species have been taken this year in the 

 county. I believe but three previous oc- 

 urrances are recorded of their breeding in 

 Chester county, one in 1S85, one in 1886, 

 and one about 1878, all in this vicinity, i 

 am of tire opinion the breeding of this bird 



has been heretofore overlooked in our vicin- 

 ity, and that careful search will discover 

 it more abundant. 



6. Broad-winged Hawk — Mr. T. H. Jack- 

 son took a set of three eggs May 29th near 

 West Chester, being the third occurrance 

 to my knowledge within the county. 

 C. J: Pennock, 

 Kennett Square, Pa, 



Turkey Buzzards. 



I have noticed from . time to time de- 

 scriptions of the nesting habits of the Tur- 

 key Buzzards, but as none of the sketches 

 I have seen describe their nesting habits as 

 I find them, I will briefly describe them. 

 Some writers speak of finding their nests 

 in thickets of briars or " Spanish Dagger," 

 but here the only brush we have are thick- 

 ets of wild plum bushes, and though they 

 may nest among them I have never suc- 

 ceeded in finding a nest among bushes of 

 any kind. Four or five years ago Coyotes 

 were very common here and had numerous 

 burrows along the banks of the small 

 creeks and sloughs, but tjs the country be- 

 came better settled they went into the 

 wilder parts of the country and now only 

 their "holes" remain to tell of their exist- 

 ence. These old Coyote holes have been 

 "preempted" by the Buzzards, who find 

 them a congenial nesting place. The holes 

 are generally dug about eight feet before 

 they turn, and just at the turn the eggs are 

 usually deposited on the bare earth, no at- 

 tempt to build a nest being made. I took 

 a fine set of two fresh eggs May 14th of 

 this year, and a week later found two nests 

 containing young, so I conclude that the 

 first week in May is the time to look for 

 their nests in this latitude. The nests are 

 easily found, as the male bird may usually 

 be seen perched on some point close to 

 where the female is setting. The eggs 

 have a creamy ground color, dotted and 

 blotched with spots varying from a choco- 

 late to a light brown, the spots sometimes 

 running together on the large end, and 

 measure about 2ixl-|. 



C. A. Babcock, 

 Danvile, Kau. 



