THE OSPREY. 



27 



(Bcncral motes* 



LATE NESTING. 



I have recently returned from a collect- 

 ing" trip in Penobscot Ba}-. Was g-one 

 about a week and took about forty fine 

 specimens of various Plovers and Sand- 

 pipers for skins to add to my collection. 

 I found the Common Terns still nesting- 

 at the late date of Aug-ust 19th, and took 

 nearly fresh eg-g^s. Also noted some 

 Herring- Gulls' nests with eggs. 



O. W. Knight. 



Bang-or, Me. 



BLUEBIRDS. 



I have lately seen a flock of about 20 

 Bluebirds since the breeding- season, also 

 man}" sing-le specimens. I believe they 

 are increasing- in numbers. 



Wm. H. Warken. 



Danielson, Conn. 



THE MURDEROUS WOODPECKER. 



The Red-headed Woodpecker must be 

 somewhat of a ruffian. I have seen him 

 pursue and kill the young- of the Fox 

 Squirrel in the same way which Mr. Wil- 

 lard mentions in the September Osprey, 

 of his killing- the young Wood Pewees. 

 H. C. Butcher. 



(jalesburg, 111. 



THE RED-HEADED VILLAIN. 



On May 3d, 1896, I observed the Red- 

 headed Woodpecker killing- the young- of 

 the House Sparrow. At this time they 

 came to look after their nesting- site and 

 found it occupied, but it was only of a 

 short space of time till they had it all 

 cleaned out. The hole was in a deca3'ed 

 apple tree, ten feet from the g-round. 

 They went in and broug-ht out three 

 young birds, one at a time and beat them 

 on a limb until they were mashed to jelly, 

 then let them fall to the ground, then 

 they cleaned out the trashy nest and 

 laid their own eggs. 



W. G. Savage. 



Hillsboro, Iowa. 



FREAK eggs of THE WOOD IBIS. 



Some time ago I had an inquiry for 

 peculiar or freak eggs. I wrote the party 

 stating what I had, and I think he was a 

 little afraid of the erenuineness of them. 



I told him I had the following of Wood 

 Ibis: 1 set )4- (measurement in inches) 

 2.65x1.80— 2.55x1.79 — 1.62x1.81 — 1.95>^ 

 xl.42; 1 set 1-5, 2.39>4xl. 73— 3.31x172^ 

 — 2.30x1. 74>4— 2.64x1.72^2— 1.70x1.33. I 

 have never found an}^ thing like it before 

 or since. Can give positive and correct 

 data, having collected them last season. 

 If any one doubts this I will deem it a 

 favor if he will write me and I will for- 

 ward the two sets to the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution for identification. I hardly 

 think they will find any "Raine"in these. 

 A. M. Nicholson. 

 Orlando, Fla. 



motes from mcbrastta* 



From J, R. Bonwell, Nebraska City, Neb. 



Large flocks of Robins and Meadow 

 larks are in this vicinity, now probably 

 on their way south. 



No doubt a great many species have 

 already gone, as one misses a great many 

 once familiar voices now in the woods. 



A number of observers have mentioned 

 that they have noticed a greater number 

 of Baltimore and Orchard Orioles in this 

 locality this year than ever before. Speak- 

 ing of the Orchard Oriole brings to mind 

 that I noticed a, to me, very original nest- 

 ing site for this species. While in a 

 thicket on the Missouri collecting last 

 summer, I found several nests of this 

 Oriole in the willows, sometimes right 

 amongst a colony of Red-winged Black- 

 birds. This place was at least a mile 

 from any habitation, which impressed me 

 as I had always thought that this species 

 was fond of civilization. 



The local Naturalists' Association will 

 open their fall course of lectures in Octo- 

 ber with a lecture by Prof. Barbour of 

 the Nebraska State University. 



Agnes Engel, the President of the Ger- 

 man League for the Prevention of the 

 Killing of Birds for Decorative Purposes, 

 delivered a lecture at the international 

 congress at Perth, and pointed out the 

 wanton destruction of birds to gratify 

 modes of the moment. 



