November, 1S92.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



165 



per bushes, four to six feet off the ground." 

 In describing the eggs and nest of this 

 species, Mr. Davie says, " Pinkish white, 

 marked and spotted with purple, lilac, 

 reddish brown and dark brown approach- 

 ing black. The complement of eggs is 

 usually four, size .75 by .50. The bird 

 breeds in abundance in Utah, Montana, 

 Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and probably 

 also in northern California, and is said to 

 breed through its United States range. 

 The nest is j^haced usually in low under- 

 brush or thickets, is cup-shaped, loosely 

 constructed, of slender strips of bark, de- 

 cayed stalks of plants and grasses, lined 

 with fine materials of the same. Habitat, 

 Western and Middle provinces of the 

 United States north to British Columbia." 

 William L. Kclh. 

 Listowel, Canada. 



Note. — A female Ruby-throated Hum- 

 ming Bird, apparently a young bird of the 

 season, was captured here in a dwelling 

 house, which it had entered after flowers, 

 on the 15th of October. This is the lat- 

 est date that I have known this species to 

 be seen in this country, as they usually 

 leave by the 20th of September. 



The Bald-headed Eagle in Fulton 

 County, Illinois. 



To-day a school teacher of this county 

 brought me a fine Bald-headed Eagle, 

 with the following history : On Friday 

 evening, November 4, a farmer was out 

 "Coon" hunting on a stream called 

 " Sugar Creek." He had just captured 

 an Opossum, and crossing over the creek 

 had gone but a little distance when a 

 large bird spread its wings a little ways in 

 front of him. Not being able to discern 

 just what manner of varmint it was by the 

 dim moonlight, he hissed his dog on it. 



The dog sailed in valiantly, but quickly 

 had enough of the fight, and came back 

 howling to his master. Nor did he come 



alone, for the great bird with outspread 

 wings was hopping close after him. The 

 hunter was frightened nearly out of his 

 wits, but, when the Eagle was nearly on 

 him, made a wild blow at it with an axe 

 that he was carrying. 



Luckily the blow fell upon the bird's 

 head, stunning it, and repeating the strokes 

 he soon dispatched it. The teacher that 

 brought it to me said that on the after- 

 noon previous to its capture it had perched 

 on the fence near his school house for two 

 hours. This fact, and the circumstances 

 of its capture, would lead a naturalist to 

 surmise that the bird was an escaped pet 

 Eagle. And this idea was further strength- 

 ened when an examination showed that 

 the left leg had at some time been broken 

 just above the knee. This wound was 

 entirely healed, but there was a consider- 

 able enlargement at the point of fracture, 

 and the limb was much curved. 



The plumage, however, did not show 

 any cage worn condition and the gray 

 head indicated that it was not a bird of the 

 year. 



From tip to tip it measured 7 feet and 

 3 inches. The Bald Eagle is not uncom- 

 mon in Illinois, especially In the fall sea- 

 son along the Illinois river and its lakes, 

 where a few of them may be found as long 

 as the seine fishing is continued, the dead 

 fish being the line that draws them to this 

 locality. Dr. W. S. Strode. 



Lewiston, 111. 



I have reason to believe that the rat is a 

 transmitter of some of the most dangerous 

 diseases which aflilict humanity — diseases 

 that have for ages baffled the skill of the 

 ablest scientists in the world. — Dr. S. E. 

 Weber s Lecture. 



An American Egret was shot at Ipswich, 

 Mass., November 22. It has been pre- 

 served by N. Vickary the well known 

 Lynn taxidermist. 



