Dec. 1889.] 



AND OOLOGrST. 



18/3 



June 11th, was placed in a clump of mullen, 

 on top of a little bank. This contained but 

 three eggs, and as I knew tliat incubation had 

 begun several days, it was not molested. 



On the 27th of May I also collected another 

 set of four eggs on a neigliboring farm. This 

 nest was also placed at the root of a mullen, 

 and was in its form and the marking of its 

 eggs so like those of a Song Sparrow that it 

 would have been difficult to identify them if 

 the bird had not been seen. 



Several otlier new nests were located in a 

 swampy burn, butbef<n'e their sets of eggs were 

 completed they were destroyed by some small 

 animal or bird. x\nother nest, whose set c)f 

 four eggs were among the most beautifully 

 mottled that I liave seen, was collected by my 

 son from a tuft of grass in a deep tamarac 

 swamp on tlie r2tli of June, he liaving, to make 

 i lentity certain, shot the bird. 



Tlie last nest of this species that I noticed 

 this season was on tlie 12th of July. I had 

 Hushed the bird nesting, and on that date four 

 days after the first egg had been deposited 

 found that it contained but two eggs whicli 

 the bird was incubating, and I did not molest 

 them nor disturb her again. This nest was 

 placed at the root of a small black ash, among 

 tall, wild grass, and formed chietly of fine 

 dry grass, but the eggs were the darkest in 

 color of any that I had yet seen. The middle 

 of May appears to be the earliest time for this 

 species to nest, but some years ago I took a 

 set of three eggs, incubation begun, on the 4th 

 of August. WilUani L. Kells. 



Llstowel, Ontario, Canada. 



[Xo one, exce]>t a very ignorant person, 

 would mistake the eggs of the White-throated 

 Sparrow for those of the Song Sparrow, as 

 they are so much larger than the latter in 

 addition to tlie difference in their general ap- 

 peaiance. Normal eggs of the Song Sparrow 

 measure about .75x.o.t, while those of the 

 White-throated Sparrow (normal specimens) 

 are about .S4x.(5o. — /. P. JV.] 



Nesting of the Chestnut-collared 

 Longspur. 



While on a recent collecting trip in Lac-qui- 

 Parle County, Minnesota, an excellent oppor- 

 tunity presented itself for the observation of 

 the nesting habits of the Chestnut- collared 

 Longspur (CJalrarius ornatu.s). Let me give 

 you what information I gathered while there. 



On the 12th of May, 1880, the day I arrived 

 at Madison, the county seat, I observed the 

 birds in every field. They were apparently 

 mated, and seemed greatly excited when I ap- 

 proached their particular section. Each pair 

 had established themselves in a certain portion 

 of ground, and there raised their brood. Al- 

 though I hunted diligently during that day and 

 the day after, and for a week or more, I could 

 find no nests. 



I looked in tall grass, and short grass, and 

 places where there was no grass at all. I tried 

 watching the female bird, but gave that up and 

 was slowly becoming disappointed at my ill 

 luck, when, on May 20th, as I was riding home 

 about noon with a farmer, I saw a female 

 Longspur fiying across the prairie with a piece 

 of grass in her bill. Presently she alighted 

 and walked a short distance, and then stopped, 

 and after fussing about a little, she flew away 

 again, but without the piece of grass she had 

 carried there. Guessing what she was doing, 

 I went over to where she had been, and sure 

 enough, there was the beginning of a nest. It 

 was a shallow hole, scoopgd out in the ground, 

 which was just receiving its lining of grass and 

 reed stems. Both birds soon came arovind, 

 and flew nervously about, keeping up a plain- 

 tive twittering sound. 



I told the farmer he need not wait for me, so 

 I walked about for quite a distance to observe 

 their actions. 



As soon as the birds had quieted down the 

 male began to soar high up in the air, and 

 when at its greatest height would begin its pe- 

 culiar little song, and then with wings almost 

 touching behind his back, would come tum- 

 bling down, as if overcome with the ecstacy of 

 his own music, never ceasing the strain until 

 he alighted on the ground. While thus singing 

 he would always settle near the nest as became 

 down. 



With this information gained I started home, 

 resolving to revisit the nest at a later date ; but 

 I never did this, for some reason. 



The next morning (May 21st) I was out early, 

 looking for Longspurs' nests. I first went to a 

 piece of ground where I always had heard a 

 male singing whenever I passed the place; and 

 as I came in sight this time he was still there. 

 After watching him go through his peculiar 

 singing performance several times, I decided 

 about the spot the nest must be located, and 

 started for it on the run, making as much noise 

 as possible, hoping to flush the bird directly 

 from the nest. As I came upon the place, 

 sure enough, out she went from almost under 



