ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-N0. II 



A cat purs very much in the same way 

 as a mouse sings, and both are signs of 

 comfort and satisfaction. But the mouse's 

 song, unHke that of the cat, has given rise 

 to many absurd superstitions, and houses 

 have acquired the bad reputation of being 

 haunted because of singing mice in the 

 walls. The soft wailing sounds which the 

 song then assumes is said to come from 

 the uneasy spirits of those who have been 

 murdered ; and the servants who are 

 frightened of the singing mouse could 

 never be made to believe that the contin- 

 ual picking and stealing from the pantry 

 are done by the singer himself and his 

 near relatives. For although it seems as if 

 so delicate a creature should be above such 

 a mean thing, he is really no better than 

 his common-place companions. 



Harper s Votnig People. 



Broad-winged Hawk in Hillsboro 

 County, N.H. 



Before this spring I have always con- 

 sidered the Broad-wing as one of our very 

 irregular visitors. But this year they seem 

 to be more plentiful than usual, as I know 

 of at least four pair that have undoubtedly 

 nested in this county the past season. 



To begin with, the first one noted this 

 year was on April S, on which day I was 

 collecting Hawk's eggs along Black Brook. 

 While eating my lunch I discovered a pair 

 of Broad-wings and soon found their nest, 

 which they were just finishing up ready 

 for eggs. 



The female was a handsome specimen, 

 but I did not molest her, because they are 

 so rare here that the destruction of a sin- 

 gle pair would make quite a gap in their 

 ranks. 



After this pair were noted I observed 

 several scattered individuals, and later on 

 another pair. They were flying about 

 East Turn Hill and upon searching I found 

 their nest, just completed. Seeing that 



this species had appeared to be so plenty 

 this year so far, I thought that I would 

 be justified in collecting a set, inasmuch 

 as I had never taken any before. -I re- 

 turned May 17 with Mr. Dinsmore, who 

 desired to examine the nest. Just as we 

 stopped beneath the tree the bird left the 

 nest, which contained two nearly fresh 

 eggs. 



The nest was placed fifteen feet from 

 the foot of a small oak tree that grew out 

 oyer the edge of an out-cropping mass of 

 rocks that formed a steep cliff. 



No. I is of a dark cream color heavily 

 blotched with umber and a few lines of 

 black. 



It has several small feathers adhering to 

 the larger end on one of the black lines, 

 from which I infer that they are unnatural 

 markings. This egg measures 2.14x1 .73. 



No. 2 is dirty white in color and sparse- 

 ly lined about the larger end, with brown 

 and black. This egg is not so rounded 

 in form as No. I . Size 2.1 1 x 1.58. 



As the set now reposes in my cabinet, 

 it does not look so beautiful in my eyes as 

 it did when I first examined it, birt never- 

 theless I am glad that I took it. 



Arthur J/. J^ar/i/er. 



Amoskeag, N.H. 



From now to January i we will mail to 

 any one sending us 60 cents any of the 

 following volume of the Ornithologist 



AND OOLOGIST : vol. 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 



This offer will not be open after the date 

 named. Now is the time to make a val- 

 uable addition to your library. 



Notes from Danbury, Conn. 



A. E. Betts writes that "George Dick- 

 erman of this place found a nest of the 

 Barn Swallow on September 3, with five 

 eggs slightly incubated." Unfortunately 

 they were accidentally broken. 



November 9 a Great Blue Heron was 

 seen and on the i-^tth a Fish Hawk. 



