ORNITHOLOGIST 



—AND- 



OOLOGIST. 



$1.00 per 

 Annum. 



PUBLISHED BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 



Established, March, 187.5. 



Single Copy 

 10 cents. 



Vol. XVI. 



HYDE PARK, MASS., JULY, 1891. 



No. 7. 



Two Days in the Woods with the 

 Birds. 



Wo stavtefi early, and by tlie time the sun 

 was coining up over tlie tops of the trees 

 were looking at a Pine Warbler (Dendroica 

 vif/nro.-:!!) quietly taking lier position on her 

 nest. It was placed on a pine limb, forty 

 feet up, and about twelve feet from the 

 trunk. We ccmcluded not to molest it now 

 and went away leaving the nest for future 

 operations. 



On we went until we came to a Chipping 

 Sparrow's {Hjiizella nocialix) nest containing 

 three fresh eggs. It was placed in an apple tree, 

 eight feet up. We aecordingly apjuopriated 

 the eggs, and then went to ;in out-hou.se 

 in which there were holes, and found several 

 Purple Martins (Protjne suhia) nesting, from 

 which we took one nice set of four eggs. 



We plodded along for about an hour with- 

 out finding anything worth noting, and we 

 were getting tired, but at last it came in shape 

 of a Viroo's nest, presumably the Red-eyed 

 species (Vireo olioaccvx) which contained (Uie 

 egg. 



Leaving this we sped on and kept going 

 for a good while until we were brought to a 

 standstill by a loud "chip, chip, chip." We 

 listened a little while and it (^ame again, and 

 we started in pursuit of the maker, but did not 

 liear any more of it. We kept on in the di- 

 rection from whence it came, looking in every 

 bush and on the ground for the nest. Pres- 

 ently I saw it and squalled out "here it is," 

 but on inspection it pioved to be a last year'.s 

 Hooded Warbler's (.S'j/ivanja Htifrnio) nest. It 

 was In a first-class state of preservation, and 

 was i)Iaeed in a little oak busli about two feet 

 high. Just as I was on the point of turning 

 away I happened to cast my eyes to a little 

 bush about one foot further on and tliere was 

 the female sitting on her nest innorentty 



watching my movements. I put out my hand 

 towards her and she slipped off and hopped 

 along on the ground as if her wing or leg was 

 broken. I did not pursue her, but watched 

 her, and she, finding that I did not run after 

 her much, soon hopped upon a small limb, 

 when I shot her to be sure of the identifica- 

 tion. 



Looking in the nest I beheld four as pretty 

 eggs as could be. This nest was in a small oak 

 bush and I think that it was the same pair 

 that built both nests. Two years ago I found 

 a nest near the same place and for this reason 

 think that it was the same pair of birds that 

 returned to their former summer home. 



The next find was an incompleted Wood 

 Thrush's (Turdus mtistelinns) nest in a beech, 

 twenty-five feet up. The female was working 

 on it then, bringing material for lining. This 

 species is our commonest summer Thrush and 

 is a common breeder. Their usual nest com- 

 plement of eggs is fcnir. 



We then left this piece of wood and cros.sed 

 the road to try our luck again. I was in pur- 

 suit of a Screech Owl (.SVops asio) when I 

 heard that peculiar note the female Hooded 

 Warbler makes when she is near the 

 nest. Forgetting the Screech Owl I hur- 

 ried on in search of the nest which I was 

 almost sure was somewhere near. I was not 

 disappointed either, for just ahead w.as the 

 nest snugly placed in a small oak sprout con- 

 taining two eggs. I think that the female had 

 just come off from laying the second egg when 

 I heard her, as I did not see her anywhere. 

 I left this nest for a complete set and once 

 more set out. 



About a quarter of an hour after found us 

 standing still listening to another female of 

 the same species. We st.arted forwaid and 

 were soon gazing upon a nice set of three 

 eggs from which the female had just flown. 

 This nest was in a small myrtle bush, three 

 feet from the ground, and was in a very open 



Copyright, 1891, by Frank B. Webster. 



1' 



