42 



THE OOLOGIST 



It was taken on July 2nd 1877, and con- 

 tained three fresh eggs. Its situation was 

 the usual one, an osage hedge. From the 

 fact of the eggs being fresh so late in the 

 season, I think it is very probable that two 

 broods a year ai'e reared. Outside diam- 

 eter 5 inches, inside diameter 2 1-2 inches, 

 height outside 3 inches, depth 2 inches. 



Nest No. 3, is more slightly built 

 than any of the nests in my possession. 

 The outside is composed of large pieces of 

 straw and grass stalks, corn husks, grass, 

 bits of corn stalks and a fine vegetable 

 substance resembling white horse hair. It 

 is lined with fine grass and black horse 

 hair ; it was collected June 12, 1877 and 

 contained three eggs far gone in inculatiou. 

 The nest was placed in a thick clump of 

 grass, so close to the road, that chancing to 

 strike it with a short piece of stick I held 

 in my hand, the bird was frighteded up and 

 the nest Avas discovered. The rim of 

 the nest is very loosely built. Outside di- 

 ameter 4 inches, inside diameter 2 inches, 

 height 3 3-4. inches, depth 2 12 inches. 



Tue fourth nest in the series before me 

 is composed on the outside of hay, grass, 

 grass stalks, leaves, a little of the same 

 white hair like substance mentioned above, 

 and two small pieces of the outside (peel?) 

 of a corn stalk. It is lined with fine grass 

 and a very few horse hairs. The eggs 

 were four in number, quite fresh and of 

 the usual size and color. It was collected 

 on June 21) 1877 and was placed ia an 

 osage hed'i'e. Outside diameter 4 1-2 in- 

 ches, inside diameter 2 1-2 inches, lieight 

 3 1-2 inches, depth 2 inches. 



Nest No. 5, is composed on the outside 

 of fine roots, one quite large, stalks, blades 

 of grass, Aveeds with the flowers sticking 

 out in all directions. It is thicker and 

 more compactly woven than any of the 

 others. The lining is similar, except in 

 the absense of hair. It was collected on 

 June 11 1877 and contained four eggs 

 partly incubated, it was placed in a (redar, 

 about 2 feet from the ground. Outside 

 diameter 5 1-2 inches, inside diamter 2 1-4 

 inches high 2 1-2 inches, d.^pth 2 inches. 



The sixth and last of the nests in this 

 series is composed on the outside of roots, 

 blades of coarse grass, leaves, grass stalks, 

 the peel of coru stalks, and one of the 

 flowering weeds, about 4 or 5 inches long, 

 mentioned above, running obliquely from 

 the bottom to the top of the nest. The 

 lining is of fine grass. The nest was tak- 

 en June 28 1877, and contained four fresh 

 eggs. It was in an osage hedge jive feet 

 from the ground. Outside diameter 4 1-2 

 inches. Inside diameter 2 1-4 inches, 

 height 3 1-4 inches, depth 1 1-2 inches. 

 D. II. Eaton. 



Scarlet Tanager. 



[^Pyranga Eubra.^ 



T^OR twenty-five years I longed to pos- 

 sess this beautiful Migratory bird. A- 

 bout two months ago, one evening I met a 

 boy with the bird, of course I bought it of 

 him ; not knowing whether it would suc- 

 ceed or not, as I had never seen or heard 

 of one in Confiument. I put him in a 

 cage and darkened it, leaving it partial- 

 ly so for a few days, and when I removed 

 the cloth altogether he seemed quite gentle 

 taking a fly from between my finger and 

 thumb. I first tried the "universal paste" 

 made of new milk and stale bread, boiled 

 into a paste. This he ate greedily, and 

 continued to do well on it, accepting a few 

 flies, spiders, grasshoppers beetles and 

 meal worms. He is about seven and a 

 quarter inches long, in color a solid scar- 

 let, except the wings and tail which are a 

 beautiful black. The eyes are a sparkling 

 jet black. He makes a lovely pet ; is 

 harmless with canaries and seems fond of 

 their company. I cannot describe his 

 Oological habits, his nest or his eggs, but 

 know that this bird frequents the forest 

 for his breeding home. I think it well to 

 give our experience in adding new attrac- 

 tions to our homes. All wild birds should 

 be kept in the open air as much as possible, 

 always prevent tlieir being frightened, either 

 by cats or human beings. In winter give 

 ventilation freely. Y. M. FiROR. 



