98 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (Hdbia mehuioccitliahi) 



One day last svimmer, while talcing a ramble along the ^liddle Louj) 

 River I found a nest of the Black-headed Grosbeak. The female was 

 sitting on the nest, and did not leave it until I was within a few feet 

 of the place; then she slid off to one side, and was soon joined by her 

 mate. Thej' made quite a racket while I was examining their nest. 

 It was situated in the top branches of a white-\^^llow about six feet 

 from the ground; nest composed of willow-twigs, grasses, and rootlets, 

 loosely put together. It contained two fresh eggs, in size and colora- 

 tion similar to those of the Eose-breasted Grosbeak. As the set was 

 incomplete, I left them with the intention of returning in a few days 

 and take it when complete. But almost two weeks passed before I got 

 a chance to look after the nest and then it contained four eggs, with 

 incubation too far advanced to allow of blowing. So I left the nest 

 and eggs to the care of the parent birds and noticed with pleasure 

 about six weeks afterward that there were now six Black-headed Gros- 

 beaks instead of two. They are not scarce at this locality. 



Geo. p. Anderson, Dannebrog, Howard Co. 



NESTING OF THE PLUMBEOUS VIREO IX SIOUX COUNTV 



. On the 27th of May, 1899, while encamped in Monroe Canyon, Sioux 

 County, the writer discovered the nest of this vireo in a small box elder 

 fifteen feet from the ground. The bottom of the canyon at that point 

 is about a hundred yards wide with a small stream and full of shrub- 

 bery with a few older trees and many young poplar and box elder 

 saplings. At one side of the winding road a young but crippled box 

 elder with a trunk six inches in diameter, stood leaning, with its largest 

 branch running off in a horizontal direction on the farther side. Out 

 on this in a clump of twigs and leaves and suspended in the fork of a 

 small branch just off the larger one, was the nest, unfinished when 

 first foimd, lacking still the lining- and external decoration. The birds 

 were very tame and allowed of close and repeated observation. Other 

 specimens were shot by others in the party in the immediate vicinity 

 and thus the species positively identified; their collecting, however, was 

 the source of much anxiety to me until I found that neither of "my birds" 

 were the victims. On my departure, on the 30th, the nest was just done, 

 ready for eggs, and a dainty structure it was, deep and purse-shaped, 

 its contracted opening with neatly rounded margins, its surface deco- 

 lated with cottony down and spider webs, and with just enoug'h down 

 in the bottom to make it soft to the little ones. The walls were not 

 thick but close and firm, and woven, for the most part at least, of fine 

 grasses. The structure was not molested, but the owners left to rear 

 their yoiing and many times afterward did I think of the little home 

 off there in Sioux County and wonder how the family were doing. 



ROBT. H. WoLCOTT, Lincoln. 



