June, 1889.] 



a:n^d oologist. 



93 



Curious Nesting Traits of Birds. 



On May 16, 1889, as I was passing through 

 my orchard, I observed a Kingbird {Tyrannuft 

 carolinensis) building her nest, and seating my- 

 self under an adjoining tree for a few minutes, 

 to watcli her movements, I noticed that while 

 she was gone for more material a Warbling 

 Vireo ( Vireosylvla gilva) who was also building 

 a nest close by, would dart into tlie Kingbird's 

 nest and after selecting such tit-bits as she 

 thought she could make use of, would fly 

 directly to her own nest, thus saving her the 

 trouble of finding at least part of the material 

 she needed. It was amusing to note how care- 

 ful she was to see that the Kingbird was absent 

 from her nest when she made her visits. But 

 twice she was caught in the act of stealing, 

 when the Kingbird gave her a warm reception 

 and close pursuit. I have also observed that 

 when the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (Polioptila 

 ciBrulea) are building and a storm partly de- 

 stroys their nest, they will tear down the old 

 structure and rebuild it again in another tree, 

 using the same material for tlie new nest. 



On April 22, 1889, I collected a set of four 

 eggs of the Haii'y Woodpecker {Picus v'Mosus). 

 They were slightly incubated. I made fre- 

 quent visits to the tree before collecting the 

 eggs and always found the male bird on the 

 nest. Does the male Hairy Woodpecker hatch 

 their young? I wish some one of more ex- 

 perience would answer this question. 



JanieH B. Purdy. 

 Plymouth, Mich. 



Our Halifax Correspondent. 



Is it the California Bob-white, A.O.U. 

 289c? 



There are quite a number of Bob-whites {Co- 

 linn.H viryinianuH) running wild in the vicinity 

 of Gilroy, California, and last year while I 

 was visiting near there a boy found a nest. 

 You see your eastern birds, like the rest of 

 the easterners, are finding out that California 

 is a good place to live in. 



By the way, can't we run these birds into 

 the A. O. U. list as the California Bob- white? 

 They belong to this state now, sure enough, 

 even if they did come out by train. Let me 

 know, and if the scheme's "canonical" why, 

 I'll import a lot of Blue-jays, Ruby-throated 

 Hummers, Cliuck-will's widows, etc., turn 

 them all into California birds and wait to see 

 climatic differences. //. R. Taylor. 



College Park, Cal. 



Halifax, N. S., May 30, 1889. 

 Publisher O. <fc. O.: 



I wrote to you about my last fishing trip, 

 eagle nests, etc. The man from Jeddore has 

 since been in, and says he has found two more 

 eagles and if he can manage it will go down 

 next week for the young. After watching the 

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet for over a week build- 

 ing the nest, and just when they had it com- 

 pleted the female disappeared, and I feel badly, 

 the nest is now finished, but the birds gone. 

 I cannot account for it ; it is the first I ever 

 discovered. The $ kept about for a few days 

 after the 9 left, and I shot him, and have him 

 set up. I can get the nest but no eggs. I 

 took a Purple Finch with six eggs just by the 

 Kinglet's nest. On the 21st, I went up the 

 line after Ruffed Grouse, found one nest with 

 eight eggs, brought them home, put them 

 under a hen; she ate two eggs; I wrung her 

 neck, and that settled it. I wanted the young 

 to stuff. I am glad you have told everyone 

 that you are coming to Xova Scotia. August 

 will be the best time, then we can get all 

 kinds of Shore birds, also Woodcock, Spruce 

 Grouse, etc.; the shooting don't begin till the 

 20th; depend upon it you will have plenty of 

 sjiort. 



June 2, 1889. 



It "never rains, but it pours," hence, we 

 smile again. After killing the blasted hen, 

 mentioned in my last, (because I suspected on 

 her part "fowl play"), I found the two miss- 

 ing Grouse eggs in the straw, and now have 

 the original set of eight eggs complete. 



To-day being the Lord's, and I being a good 

 and faithful follower of his (nature's) works, I 

 started off to secure the Ruby-crowned Kintr- 

 let nest. After cutting down the branch from 

 which the nest was suspended, I let my eagle 

 eyes roam around, when, lo and behold, I 

 spotted a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets 

 flitting about on a black spruce, about fifteen 

 yards distant. I got down my tree in a lively 

 manner, and was in time to see one of the 

 Kinglets fly into another black spruce, and as 

 she did not come out, I flitted up ; consequence 

 was I started her off the nest. It was way 

 out on end of the branch, underneath (same as 

 the Ruby-crowned), so I had to crawl out and 

 fill the nest up with wool, then I crawled me 

 back, cut off the branch, and with careful 

 work landed with the whole business safe on 

 the ground. The old hen still flitting about. 



