THE OOLOGIST 



General Items. 



— A NOTE from a pro-Sparrow natural- 

 ist, detailing every possible species of abuse 

 that he has seen heaped upon the poor little 

 foreigner, has beeu received. Blue Birds, 

 Swallows, Wrens and Chipping Sparrows 

 are the aggressors : and these birds have 

 treated the House Sparrows so mercilessly 

 that the latter have beeu compelled to re- 

 linquish their oion boxes to the victors. 

 This is nothing new ; it is a tale many times 

 told, and one which is never painful to us 

 to hear. Would that every native bird in 

 the laud were " aggressive " to such an ex- 

 tent as far as this Sparrow is concerned ! 

 Why, bless these naturalists who write such 

 long articles on the cruel treatment the 

 Sparrow is receiving, did they ever stop 

 just a moment to reflect that every word 

 they write in that strain is just what every 

 anti-Sparrow observer is ready to credit 

 and admit? Just let every Blue Bird and 

 Swallow iu the country defend his national 

 and civil rights ; let him set up defiance to 

 strangers who never purchased a right to 

 comfortable houses by any reputable serv- 

 ices, and occupy himself the snug quarters 

 intended for him and his companions. 



— Crow Blackbirds have flocked ; Rob- 

 ins are gathering iu little groups of two to 

 half a dozen and their songs are weak and 

 disinteresting ; Spnrrows have commenced 

 to congregate ; Cedar Birds fly about among 

 the wild clierry trees in flocks, and Blue 

 Jays are roaming the country in bands of 

 half a dozen. 



— Though known to be a carrion eater, 

 it is quite evident the White-headed Eagle 

 prefers fresh to tainted flesh. Conversation 

 with fishermen educed that the Eagles sel- 

 dom took fish that had lain about very long, 

 and then only when no others were to be 

 procured. We frequently tested the asser- 

 tion by experiment and always found it to 

 be true — the fish just thrown away were 

 borne oflf in preference to those whose flesh 

 was softer and decomposed. No doubt this 

 Eagle is in many cases obliged to live upon 



carrion, but if sufficient fresh prey is to be 

 obtained, we do not think they will partake 

 of the former in preference. In districts 

 of the country where the birds are obliged 

 to subsist upon other prey than fish, offal 

 and putrefied flesh are largely devoured, 

 for live quarry is not easily procured. It 

 is rarely, indeed, that White-headed Eagles 

 attack lambs ; they usually obtain a suffi- 

 ciency of food from other sources ; and when 

 hard pi-essed iu winter, lambs are seldom 

 obtainable, for they are generally wintered 

 in secure, warm buildings. There are very 

 few White-headed Eagles who live entirely 

 upon terrestrial prey ; the greater number 

 ai'e to be found about bodies of water where 

 fish are obtainable almost throughout the 

 year. 



Habits of Young Brown Creepkrs. — 

 In July they have become nearly full feath- 

 ered, except that the tail is not more than 

 one-half to two-thirds as long as in the a- 

 dults, and comparatively weak. The little 

 Creepers go in troops of sometimes eighteen 

 or twenty accompanied by old birds. Their 

 single note, repeated quickly, of se, se, 

 sounds almost exactly like the note of the 

 Cedar Bird, but is not so lond. One may 

 approach to within a few feet of them with- 

 out disturbing their innocent composure ; 

 they do not dodge around the tree as Wood- 

 peckers and Nuthatches are wont to, but 

 withont even stopping to scan the stranger, 

 it pursues its useful occupation. Being by 

 nature rather social birds, the little Creep- 

 ers playfully chase one another about among 

 the trees, now making the place quite live- 

 ly with tlieir quickly uttered and multiplied 

 se se 's, anon dispersing among the trees af- 

 ter insects. They climb up as high as they 

 care to go on one tree, then fly down toward 

 the base of another, which they examine in 

 the same manner as the last, always climb- 

 ing np the tree. Sometimes they will alight 

 upon a trunk, and with but a moment's ex- 

 amination will proceed to another, which 

 they may climb to the top. They usually 

 confine their search to the body of the tree. 



