94 



ORKITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 14-:N^o. 6 



I thought it best to gather her in, so putting a 

 few shot in my catapult (if you know what that 

 is), I brought her down. When I came to ex- 

 amine the nest, I found that it contained nine 

 eggs, seven of them white marked with brown, 

 and two jjure white. While I write this I 

 have both nests before me, and I wish to re- 

 mark that they are not built on a branch, as 

 described in Coues' key, but they are sus- 

 pended to the small little branches on twigs, 

 that shoot out from the main branch, and are 

 fully three to eight inches underneath the 

 main branch; the bottoms of the nests are not 

 fastened, nor do they touch a branch, but the 

 nests are fastened by the sides with moss to 

 the small branches; both are alike and both 

 were built on black spruce trees, about 18 feet 

 from the ground. The nests, outside, are 

 made with moss, such as grows on the ground, 

 and that hangs to the trees, and the insides 

 are nicely lined with feathers. You will see 

 them when you come on, and that I am cor- 

 rect in statement made. I am sorry now that 

 the Ruby-crowned changed her mind about 

 laying her eggs, after my spending several 

 days, watching her build the nest, as I might 

 have had the two kinds, but 1 hope to get one 

 yet. Harry Auxten. 



Notes after Taps. 



In looking over my notes I find that on the 

 night of May 5, 1887, while running my out- 

 line, I heard a Spotted Sandpiper call, and 

 after I answered he called again. I also heard 

 a Song Sparrow. It was then about ten o' clock, 

 an hour or so after I heard a Robin sing. 

 Were these birds out serenading, or were they 

 talking in their sleep? I often hear Chipper 

 Sparrows and Phojbes at midnight and after. 

 Let us hear from others on the subject. 

 A CURIOUS oriole's xest. 



I inclose a photograph of a Baltimore Oriole's 

 nest now in my collection. It was found in 

 a maple tree about thirty feet fi-om the ground. 

 It is what might be called two nests on one 

 twig. The lower nest was used last 'year, and 

 the vipper one the year before. My opinion is 

 that the male slept in the upper nest while 

 the female tended the eggs below, as you 

 see the lower nests partly fastened to the 

 upper one. Did you ever hear of or see a 

 nest like this before? Let others give their 

 opinions. Aklen Lorlng. 



Oswego, N. Y. 



[The photograph shows two nests linked to- 

 gether. The lower one has the regular ap- 



pearance, and seems well preserved, while the 

 other, placed above at one side, does not 

 appear as deep as is usual. The position 

 would certainly give the impression that the 

 birds were attracted by the old nest. — Ed. 



Occurrence of Yellow-legs and 



Pectoral Sandpiper in the 



Spring, at Cape Cod, 



Mass. 



On date of April 20, 1889, I shot three speci- 

 mens of the Yellow-legs on a marsh at Mono- 

 moy Island, Cape Cod. They were in company 

 with one Greater Yellow-legs and a large 

 Sandpiper that I was unable to identify. The 

 day following, while gunning near the point of 

 the island, which is about six miles from the 

 marshes, I saw three other small Yellow-legs 

 in company with six (ireater, feeding about a 

 small pond. Altluuigh I could not get near 

 enough to shoot one, I could easily identify 

 the small Yellow-legs as tliey Hew past me 

 several times. Although one of our most 

 abundant waders in the summer and autumn, 

 it is exceedingly rare in the spring, and I have 

 never before seen one on Cape Cod at this 

 season. Many of our oldest and most exper- 

 ienced collectors say that they have never 

 taken or seen a specimen along the Cape 

 coast in the spring. 



April 80th, shot a Pectoral Sandpiper, 

 which I Hushed from a marsh. This bird is 

 also of rare occurrence in the spring, and I 

 have one other instance of its being taken on 

 the Cape at this season. Two were shot at 

 Monomoy Island in April, 1888, an account of 

 which was published in the O. & O., under the 

 heading of "Probable Wintering of the Pec- 

 toral Sandpiper, at Monomoy Island, Mass." 



John C. Cahoon. 



Occurrence of the Vermilion Fly- 

 catcher at Riverside, San Ber- 

 nardino Co., Cal. 



I wish to record the capture of a full plum- 

 aged $ Vermilion Flycatcher (P. ruhineuft 

 mexicanus), shot by myself on May 24, 188!». 

 As its habitat is Southern Arizona, and the 

 valleys of the Colorado and Rio Grande, the 

 occurrence of it in this locality will be of 

 interest. Theo. L. Ilnrd. 



