20 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 2 



tamaracks in the backgroiuid, with myriads of 

 vines and bush, were also prominent objects. 

 A Hawk sailing about in wide concentric circles 

 occasionally emitted his loud ka, hee ! No 

 other sound broke the stillness except the cries 

 of a number of Chickadees and loud energetic 

 tap of a Woodpecker. The ground was covered 

 with half decayed logs, to whose surface a few 

 creeping vines were clinging. When I came 

 to the oak and beech timber, tlie distant, 

 confused murmuring of Hesperiphona vesper- 

 tina reached my ear, and, following the sound 

 I came upon a flock of these birds comprising 

 about one hundred individuals. P'rom here, 

 followed a cow-path and came out on the south 

 side where there is a high, grass-covered hill, 

 on the top of which stands an old, broken 

 down cabin. Explored this and found an old 

 Pewee's nest and two of the Chimney Swift. 

 Sweeping around the base of the hill is a stream 

 known to us boys as Norris' ditch. Through 

 the winter and early spring there is a constant 

 volumn of water running over the pebbly bed, 

 and the stones gather a slimy coat of green 

 moss. Here the Pike come to spawn, and in 

 a single day two companions and myself 

 speared twelve by the simple process of a 

 table-fork, fastened firmly to the end of a 

 hickory pole. As the hot days of June 

 approach it gradually dries away, and nothing 

 is left by July but the dry, hard bed ; except, 

 perhaps, in some deep hollow a pool of stag- 

 nant water, where a few tad-poles still struggle 

 for existence. The banks are high and steep. 

 and covered with luxuriant grass and tall weeds. 

 In places where the soil is sandy are berry 

 bushes. Every year I take a trip along its 

 course, for amid the dense growth. Song and 

 and Chipping Sparrows, Catbirds, Brown 

 Tinasher and many other .species make their 

 homes. On one occasion I found a Thrasher's 

 nest, situated in a bunch of hardy ferns that 

 grew so near the water's edge that their roots 

 were constantly bathed in the flying spray. 

 Tiie stream is crossed by numerous little 

 bridges which make a regular paradise for 

 Birds. Spotted Sandpipers are also very 

 common. 



On the l.'ith of this month last year, I 

 was sitting on the bank of the stream, when a 

 Tree Swallow paid me a visit. He flew back 

 and forth over the surface of the water several 

 times, occasionally dipping in his beak, whether 

 to drink or snatch up some insect I cannot say. 

 He appeared half stupefied with the cold, 

 lacking in his flight the various evolutions and 

 quick turns of his April brother. The crimson 



and golden tints of old "Sol" were glistening 

 and sparkling on the distant tamaracks when 

 I turned my face towards home. High up in 

 the air could be heard the call notes of various 

 migrating birds as they passed swiftly over- 

 head on their journey northward, and the frogs 

 awakened from their long winter stupor poured 

 forth their melancholy ditty to the silent, 

 silvery moon. All nature seemed to have at 

 last burst the bonds of winter, and the 

 recollections of that day's ramble are imprinted 

 on my memory so deeply that time cannot 

 erase them, and will always be regarded by 

 me as one of the most enjoyable days ever 

 spent in the field. 



May 5. A rather ortunate day. Tiie first 

 nest (a Pe wee's) was taken early in the 

 morning. It was on a beam under a bridge and 

 contained five slightly incubated eggs. About 

 a quarter of a mile above this, on the same 

 road, secured another nest of this species with 

 three fresh eggs. Worked my way into 

 Highland Park and came suddenly upon a Red- 

 shouldered Hawk's nest, about thirty feet up 

 in a beech tree. The female arose with a ciy 

 of alarm and was soon joined by her mate. 

 They soared high overhead uttering their 

 familiar scream and occasionally darting 

 downward in a most threatening manner, but 

 a charge of shot put an end to these perfor- 

 mances and they both retired to a respectful 

 distance where they sorrowfully watched the 

 plundering of their home, which held three 

 highly incubated eggs. One of these eggs is 

 very handsome, its color being creamy white, 

 covered with brown of different shades. The 

 third is grayish white and unspotted, 

 while the second is between the two. Just 

 before leaving the wooils, I took five Crow's 

 eggs. In the next woods visited, found another 

 Red-shoulder's nest, from which two fresh eggs 

 were secured. They were both highly coloi ed, 

 plainly showing that the set was not complete. 



May 7. Collected a set of five eggs of the 

 liOng-eared Owl. Nest in red oak fifteen feet 

 from the ground; evidently an old squirrel's 

 nest. 



May 8. Set of three Bluebird's eggs from the 

 hollow of a fence-post and four Robin's out 

 of an old barn. 



May 19. Secured three slightly incubated 

 eggs of the Crow to-day. Nest placed in main 

 fork of red oak, seventy feet up. The latest 

 set ever found by me. 



May 2.S. Four eggs of the Red-headed 

 Woodpecker. This bird was (until the last 

 few years) found around here in plenty, but 



