THE OOLOGIST. 



55 



lee. which it breaks off at tlie desired place 

 aud gathers with great adroitness and skill 

 while on the wing. This is a fact agreed 

 to by all who have ever watched the Swifts 

 at work constructing their nests. 



By means of an adhesive saliva secreted 

 by the bird in the back of its head, aud 

 which it can eject at leisure, each twig is 

 securely fastened to its fellows, and l)y the 

 same cement the whole structure is fast- 

 ened to the side of the chimney in which it 

 is built. As this saliva dries it hardens 

 ' into a tough glue-like substance, so firm 

 that in separating the nest from the chim- 

 ney I have known of the bricks to which it 

 Avas fastened part .sooner than it ; but when 

 inoistened by heavy and long-continued 

 rains this cement becomes softened and the 

 weight of the contents of the nest will 

 sometimes cause it to give way from the 

 .side of the chimney and the whole is 

 (lashed to the bottom. Sometimes vast 

 nimibers of eggs are destroyed in this man 

 ner. The young leave the nest several days 

 before they can fly and cling to the top of 

 the chimney, where they are cared for by 

 their parents. 



T he eggs are from four to six in number, 

 somewhat elliptical in form, though more 

 acute at one end than at the other. In 

 color they are pure crystalline white and 

 vary but little in size and shape, and meas- 

 ure alxmt .75 in. in length by .50 in. in 

 breadth. W. H. Foote, 



Pittsfield, Mass. 



A Day "With the Loons. 



About six miles from Hermon lies a 

 beautiful sheet of water three miles long by 

 one and one-half wide. The water is clear 

 and numerous islands dot the surface of the 

 lake. This to the young oologist is a fer- 

 tile tield for cultivation, as a goodly num- 

 l)er of water fowls breed here, and also of 

 land fowls. June 12 myself and another 

 (collector visited this resort to .seek a day of 

 recreation and also add some specimens to 

 our cabinels. 



We took a skiff aud were soon enjoying 

 the bracing jur, at -the same time carefully 

 watching for anvthing like a bird's nest. 



We had not gone far before a Kingbird's 

 nest was spied, but that was not what was 

 wanted. We traversed the lake until Ship 

 Island was reached, and there my two 

 large treasures were found. 



The birds are considcied the hardest to 

 shoot of any that inhabit the Adirondack 

 forest and their nests are rare to be found. 

 Only two pair inhabit this inland sea, and 

 but cone before has their nesting place been 

 found before hatching. 



The nest was about three feet from the 

 water's edge and the eggs laid upon the 

 bare sand. No sticks or other substance 

 was made around it ; onh' the sunken earth ' 

 would indicate their nesting place. 



The eggs measured 3.80 by 2.25 and 3.55 

 by 2.30. Only two eggs were found and 

 in these incubation wa.s far advanced, but a 

 re.sort to an ant hill soon cleaned ihem of 

 their contents. 



The eggs were of a dark olivaceous drab 

 — very dark, with darker .spots over the en- 

 tire surface of the eggs ;_ these an; quite 

 pointed at the smaller end and upon expo- 

 sure to the light .soon fade. 



I have also this season procured a ver}' 

 fine set of Ring-billed Gulls, and also found 

 the found the eyrie of the Bald Eagle. But 

 as this is my second year collecting I will 

 be sure next time to visit the home of this 

 bird in season, for when I found the nest 

 on the 2d of April young eagles gi-eeted me. 

 Edson a. McMillak, 

 Hermon, N. Y. 



Brown-headed Nuthatches ; Spotted 

 Eggs of Indigo Bunting. 



Have taken a nice clutch of the Brown- 

 headed Nuthatch. In your hand book j^ou 

 price the egg at 50c. Is that the usual 

 price '? Of all dealers whose catalogues I 

 have, I know of no one who catalogues the 



egg- 

 Have taken a set of eggs of No. 24S, In- 

 digo Bunting. One egg was perfectly 

 white, while two were very distinctly s])ot- 

 ted ; the white egg was the first laid. Have 

 found many nests of this species, but never 

 saw one's egg spotted before. Have you 

 known of a similar instance ? 



R. B. McL., 

 Statesville, N. C. 



