28 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. iS-No. 2 



silent. Not a blade of grass underfoot, noth- 

 ing but fallen and decaying trunks and limbs 

 of trees. 



But alas the CapcpJiiliis principalis 

 was ne\er found, and my collection is still 

 without a specimen of the Ivory-bill. With 

 the exception of one green Heron,not a single 

 aquatic bird was seen in the swamp. The 

 reason for this I suppose to be from the fact 

 that the water is everywhere deep, thus af- 

 fording no good place for waders to feed. 

 Two or three droves of Brown-headed Nut- 

 hatch were noted on the pine bluffs and one e 

 a Carrion Crow wheeled into \iew. 



While a trip through the Dismal Swamp is 

 well worth the trouble, yet as a point for col- 

 lecting birds, other localities may be found 

 which are both more desirable and profit- 

 able. 1\ Gilbert Pearson. 



Guilford College, N.C. 



The Acadian Owl in Philadelphia 

 County, Pa. 



there may be quite a number about, but on 

 account of their habit of sleeping in hollow 

 trees and dark dreary places during the day, 

 they are seldom come across. 



M. L. C. M'i/dr. 

 Camden, N. J. 



Are Spotted Eggs of the Native Gold- 

 finches Common? 



On November 5, 1892, while walking 

 along the edge of the woods which extend 

 almost the entire length of the Wissahickon 

 Creek, I came to a stream of water, the hills 

 on either side of which formed a small val- 

 ley. The bushes along the stream being 

 very thick, made the place very dark. As 

 I approached the edge of the bushes, I al- 

 most trod upon a small Owl, which flew into 

 the thicket. After searching around for the 

 bird a short time, I disturbed it again. 

 This time it flew into the woods, and after 

 another search of fifteen or twenty minutes, 

 I succeeded in finding it, perched on a limb 

 of a tree about four feet from the ground. 



I thought I could capture it alive by get- 

 ting back of the tree while my friend, H. R. 

 Stetler, Jr., stood about fifteen feet in front 

 to attract its attention. The owl could see 

 a little letter than I thought it could 

 and as I did not want it to escape, the only 

 thing to do was to shoot it. 



This is the first Saw-whet Owl I have ever 

 taken in Philadelphia County, Pa., although 



Coues, in his" Key," speaking of the eggs 

 of the American Goldfinch, says : " Normally 

 unmarked." I had heard of no spotted eggs 

 being taken, until .April 18, 1891, when I 

 took a set of three of the Arkansas Goldfinch, 

 one of which was faintly marked with cinna- 

 mon around the larger end. May 3, 1892, 

 I took another set of three, one of which has 

 faint but numerous dots on the larger end 

 and others scattered irregularly over the 

 balance of the egg. The nest containing 

 these eggs was placed about four feet from 

 the ground in a sage bush and was substan- 

 tially built, being composed of bits of sage 

 stems and finely split grass neatly woven 

 together and placed in an upright crotch of 

 four prongs. 



April 27, 1891, I discovered a new nest 

 of the Arkansas Goldfinch placed on top of 

 an old one in a sunflower bush. The top 

 nest contained three eggs. May 23 I took 

 one egg from a new nest of this species and 

 seven days later I took seven more from the 

 same nest. 



This bird nests abundantly among the low 

 foot hills, building its nests in poison oak, 

 sunflower or other bushes, which grow in 

 abundance along the canons wherever there 

 is enough water to keep them alive. 



I would be pleased to hear through the 

 "O. & O." from other collectors regarding 

 spotted eggs of the Goldfinch. 



Harvey J/. Hall. 



Riverside, Cal. 



[I ne^■er saw any. — J.P.N.] 



Any of our readers who are interested in 

 a musical publication will do well to read 

 our club rate with the " New York Musical 

 Echo." 



