I4S 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-N0. 10 



very large black spruce, and out on the 

 end (underneath) of one of the long limbs, 

 and will be hard to secure. 



June 29. Started for woods this after- 

 noon with intention of taking the Yellow- 

 bellied Flycatcher's nest, but to my dis- 

 gust I found the boys had destroyed it. 

 These youngsters are a nuisance, and de- 

 stroy great numbers of nests, eggs, and 

 young birds simply for pure devilment. 



On my way home I found a Myrtle 

 Warbler's nest with two eggs. This is up 

 about 15 feet in a small black spruce, 

 and placed close to body of tree. Before 

 returning, I went up over the ground 

 where I found and took the Rubv King- 

 let's nest on 19th with six eggs, and hear- 

 ing the $ about, I went to work and in 

 three hours and seven minutes I had lo- 

 cated the spot on which the ? had com- 

 menced to build her secojid nest. I saw 

 her working at it, and she has been at it 

 for but a short time, as I can just make 

 out the bare outline of the nest. 



July 3. To woods this afternoon ; found 

 and took nest of Song Sparrow on a low 

 spruce tree, with five eggs ; also took nest 

 of Junco, with four eggs. The Myrtle 

 Warbler's nest found on 39th, with two 

 eggs, I find the boys have destroyed. The 

 Ruby Kinglet nest found building on 29th 

 looks to be finished now, but the one 

 found building on 27th I see the ? is still 

 working away at. 



July 3. Found Cedar Bird's nest with 

 three eggs. This was up near top of little 

 spruce; took this next day, the 4th, with 

 four eggs. 



July 5. To woods this morning, found 

 four nests of the Red-eyed Vireo, three 

 with three eggs each, one with three 

 young. All these nests were on beech 

 trees up seven and ten feet, out on the end 

 of the limbs and suspended. I only saved 

 one set out of the three, as the eggs were 

 very badly incubated. I examined inside 

 of Ruby Kinglet's nest found building 

 29th, and it now held three eggs. 



July 7. Out to Preston to-day ; took 

 nest of Olive-sided Flycatcher, with two 

 eggs. This was found building on i8th 

 by my friend Morse, of Sudbury, Mass., 

 and was examined by him on 25th before 

 leaving for home, but it held no eggs. 

 So the ? has had twelve days to complete 

 nest and lay the two eggs, and as they 

 were badly incubated I concluded the set 

 was complete. 



July 9. Went out this evening and took 

 the Ruby Kinglet nest found building 29th 

 and that held three eggs on the 5th. To- 

 night it held seven eggs, so I took it, as I 

 thought set complete. The 9 was on the 

 nest ; nest was up about 1 2 feet, out on 

 limb of black spruce, underneath the limb, 

 and suspended. This is the second nest for 

 this 9 this season and was distant about 

 45 yards from where I took the first one 

 on June 19, with six eggs. 



This completes my notes and collecting 

 for the season. Next year, if I am spared, 

 you will hear from me again. 



H. Austell. 



The Birds' Christmas Dinner. 



Almost Christmas, and no snow to 

 speak of. I wondered what the birds 

 would have for a Christmas dinner, and so 

 I concluded that, as experience is an able 

 teacher, I would visit their haunts and 

 find out for myself. 



The subject of food supply of our win- 

 ter birds is one I had always thought of 

 as worthy of attention, and I have had 

 vague ideas and doubts as to the efHcacy 

 of Dame Nature as a winter housekeeper ; 

 but as year after year the birds remained 

 along through the cold months and always 

 seemed in good spirits when spring came, 

 I concluded that they knew her secrets 

 better than I, and that when the "spirit 

 moved" I would investigate more thor- 

 oughly. The spirit has moved, just as I 

 hope it will sometime with the man who 

 is going to give us the " Botany of Birds'- 



