88 



THE OOLOGIST. 



to him anil I'dulkI him lonkiuc: at a 

 Robin's nc^t nnihi' yidund. He said 

 that the bird tlew from the nest just as 

 the horses were almost over it. 1 re- 

 moved the nest from the ground with 

 difliculty, as it was securely fastened to 

 the earth, and I took it home. The 

 eggs, which numbered four, were of 

 the same size as the other eggs of the 

 species. The nest was composed of 

 layers of mud and grass as usual, but it 

 was more shallow than ordinary Robin's 

 nests. There is no doubt of the identi- 

 ty. Did you ever hear of a Robin's 

 nest on the ground in an open field 

 where the grass was not three inches 

 high? DoxALD DeWitt, 



Lawrenceville, New Jersey. 



Notes From North Carolina. 



Bachman's Sparrow: This species is 

 somewhat shy in its actions when 

 flushed from the nest, running off a lit- 

 tle way, beating the ground with their 

 wings. They build their nests in a 

 slight depression in the ground, and 

 nests are nearly arched over. They do 

 not fly from the nest, but ■ run 

 through the grass, and by standing still 

 and watching, you will soon see the 

 bird sneaking back to the nest 



I have found three nests of four. All 

 three nests were in a slight hollow and 

 made of fine, wiry grass. They com- 

 mence to build about the last of April, 

 and I think they rear two broods in a 

 season, because I found two nests in 

 middle of June. One nest was June 

 20, 1893, under a tussock of grass, In a 

 slight hollow, made of wiry grass. The 

 nest found June 15th, contained fresh 

 eggs. 



Blue Grosbeak: The Blue Grosbeak 

 is a tolerably common bird, breeding 

 where the first growth of timber has 

 been cut down, and a growth of low 

 bushes have replaced it. Nest is usual- 

 ly about 4 to 15 feet high. Begins about 

 the last of May and generally two 

 broods in a season. A characteristic of 



the Blue Grosbeak's nest, is that it al- 

 most invariably contains a snake skin 

 in the outer material of leaves, etc. 

 July 2. Ftjund a nest with four eggs, 

 ill a small oak thicket about 12 feet 

 high, of grass, sticks, I'oi^ts and leaves 

 lined with roots and contained a snake 

 skin, eggs slightly incubated. July 7th. 

 Nest in a small dogwood l)ush about 5 

 feet high, three fresh eggs. Made of 

 sticks, roots, leaves, etc., lined with 

 hair and contained a snake skin. July 

 7. Nest with four eggs, in a small 

 thicket about 10 feet high, of leaves, 

 sticks, roots, etc., lined with grass, eggs 

 fr^sh. 



rine V.'nrbler: A common summer 

 resident, nesting in pine trees, ranging 

 all the way from 8 to 80 feet high. A 

 nest with four incubated eggs were 

 taken from a nest in a pine tree, about 

 20 feet high, made of chicken feathers, 

 spider webs and other fibres, lined with 

 hair and feathers. 



H. Gould Welborn, 

 Lexinerton, North Car. 



A Prolific Goldfinch in Captivity. 



I have in my possession a female 

 American Goldfinch. On the 12th of 

 thepresentmonth (July) she commenced 

 laying and on the 22d she laid the eighth 

 egg, all but one— which was cracked — 

 being left in the nest. I thought I 

 would mention the fact, as I have ex- 

 amined probably 30 or more nests of 

 this species, and have never seen but 4 

 or 5 containing as many as 6 eggs. 

 C. N. Pklton, 

 Milwaukee, Wis. 



A Variety of Minnesota Ducks. 



Under notes of Oct. 5, "89, I find the 

 following: 



Among the ducks 1 shot today were, 

 male and female Pintail, male and fe- 

 male Mallard, male and female Scaup, 

 male Red-head, Gad wall, Widgeon and 

 Green-winged Teal. One of party shot 

 a Ruddy Duck. Saw a few Buffie-heads. 

 L. O. Dart, 



Litchfield, Minn. 



