September, 1893.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



127 



rare Parula, were the only ones in the woods 

 and fields. In the swampy thickets the 

 Maryland Yellow-throat and Golden-crowned 

 Wagtail appeared, while on the river banks 

 the Redstart and Water Thrush held sway. 

 The Bobolink was unknown, the Cowbird 

 not common, but both Orioles were every- 

 where if you were in their confidence enough 

 to find them. Save the Red-tailed Hawk and 

 an occasional Sharp-shinned or Red-shoul- 

 der, and the lordly White-headed Eagle, the 

 Hawk tribe was scarce. What three or four 

 species did show up were few in number. 

 The Flycatchers 'were all there { I mean the 

 common ones of this latitude and longitude) 

 except Traill's and the Yellow-belly. I saw 

 one Olive-sided Flycatcher, but the rest, 

 even the Acadian, were fairly common. 

 Blue Jays were rampant, but Crows scarce. 

 I found no Grosbeaks, but only Chewink, 

 Goldfinch and Indigo, besides the plebeians 

 of the field. Ruffed Grouse were thick^ 

 Quail and Woodcock neither rare nor com- 

 mon. The noisy and meddlesome Robin, 

 whom I heartily dislike, was there too ; and 

 of the Woodpeckers, the Downy, Hairy and 

 Flicker were common, the Pileated rare, and 

 the rest unknown to me there. Chicadee 

 was a rare resident, though common back in 

 the coniferous forest. 



The Red-eyed and Warbling \'ireos were 

 in great numbers, but those were the only 

 ones of their family. The common House 

 Wren was the only one I found, though I 

 looked for others of the family. Barn and 

 Kave Swallows were common ; Bank and 

 ^Vhite-bellied rather rare. Chimney Swifts 

 were in great numbers in the many deserted 

 houses. The Carolina Nuthatch was fairly 

 common ; the Carolina Dove very common. 



On the islands of the river we found the 

 Spotted Sandpiper and Green Heron. Here 

 also the dashing Kingfisher caught minnows 

 and sprung his rattle triumphantly. I think 

 that is a pretty accurate list of what birds I 

 found resident. There are several rare resi- 

 dents I am not at all sure of in \h§\x identifi- 



cation, so I leave that till later. I have said 



nothing about the migrants ; they will come 

 later. 



Now about the White-headed Eagle. 

 I've heard them slandered most foully, even 

 in the school reader, which should be patri- 

 otic. I found these magnificent birds fairly 

 common, two pairs being within five miles, 

 and young ones strung around everywhere. 

 There were a few Ospreys in the river, but 

 never have I seen them molested by the 

 Eagles. Perhaps it was because dead shad 

 were so plenty, but we must give the Eagle 

 his due. I never saw those Eagles quarrel 

 with anyone, even a Kingbird, whom Job 

 would have squabbled with, save one tres- 

 passing Eagle, who quarreled over a dead 

 fish with one of our young Eagles. Then 

 there was screaming and a superb chase, 

 wheeling round in magnificent curves, flying 

 with a speed that seemed incredible until you 

 heard the pinions roar as they wheeled. Fi- 

 nally the trespasser fled — no, not fled, he 

 majestically sailed away, " every inch a 

 King." 



I know of no sight more sublime than that 

 of an Eagle soaring in one of those contem- 

 plative moods they sometimes have, soaring 

 in superb great circles, slowly rising until the 

 gazer, fascinated, finds the superb fellow 

 nearly invisible, and then to hear the wild 

 call to the queen, as the royal pair sail away, 

 swift as arrows, to their roosting place. I 

 believe that sight would make the most pain- 

 fully practical person feel a gush of delight — 

 that they had been permitted to see our na- 

 tional emblem under such perfect conditions. 

 I suppose he is a thief and a robber, but he 

 is tnie to his mate, and has so many noble 

 qualities that one must forgive the little in- 

 consistencies. Herbert IV. Congdo)i. 



Capen's " Oology of New England " is 

 nearly exhausted. We know of only 6 co- 

 pies in the market; we have 4 and F. H. 

 Latin 2, The price is $15, colored plates, 

 1"he plates have been rjestroj'edt 



