TEE OOLOGIST 



bird are, and how weak and slender those 

 of another — the one adapted for hard, 

 heavy work, the other seemingly for beauty 

 alone. Compare the vitality of a chick 

 hatched from an egg very large for the size 

 of the bird, with a reverse case, and notice 

 what vivacity your note-book records of the 

 little Sandpiper just out of the shell, and 

 how sluggish the Hawklets seemed to be 

 for days after they were hatched. The 

 smallest particulars frequently clear up 

 doubtful and unseen, though remarkable, 

 characteristics in birds ; while a little study 

 rightly applied sometimes breaks down the- 

 ories propounded by the best of observers. 



Increase of Some Species in Cer- 

 tain Localities. 



BY FRED. J. DAVIS. 



^EEING in a recent number of The Ool- 

 OGIST some remarks on the scarcity of, 

 the Scarlet Tanager {^Pyranga ruhra) in j 

 this vicinity as compared with some years j 

 ago, I was reminded of a comparison con- j 

 cerning certain other varieties which is the ^ 

 exact opposite of the above. One of the 

 most prominent instances of the increase of 

 a variety in this vicinity is that of the Crow 

 Blackbird {Quiscalus versicolor^. Some 

 years ago these birds were considered a de- ! 

 cided rarity in and around the city of Utica, 

 and in order to procure a specimen of this 

 beautiful and desirable bird or to take its ; 

 nest and eggs, it was necessary to proceed ■ 

 some miles down what was known as the 

 river road, to whei'e grew a row of large 

 poplars, and when there to elude the vigi- { 

 lance of the watchful owner of the proper- 

 ty, since he objected to the destruction of 

 what he chose to call the useful and beau- 

 tiful birds. Within a few years all this has 

 changed, and everywhere on the suburbs of 

 the town and in the country the caw and 

 croak of the Crow Blackbird is heard, and 

 the vigilant farmer who formerly objected 

 to its destruction now prays that his corn 

 and grain may be delivered from its devas- 

 tating presence. 



Another instance not as noticeable to the 

 general observer, but still evident to the 

 collector, is that of the Great-crested Fly- 

 catcher (^llyiarchus crinitus) . Some few 

 years ago this bird was considered a desid- 

 eratum with the collector, and its whistle 

 or call was seldom heard, while the eggs 

 were an almost unknown rarity in the col- 

 lections of central New York ; but within 

 the last few summers this bird might have 

 been found in almost every wood of any 

 size, and is now common in many of our 

 older orchards. I have frequently seen as 

 many as three or four pairs nesting in one 

 wood of no considerable size. That beau- 

 tiful wader, the Green Heron (^Butorides 

 virescens) , furnishes still another instance 

 of this remarkable increase ; it is now com- 

 mon in the swamps and lowlands of Oneida 

 County, where formerly a specimen of the 

 bird was a curiosity, and to procure a set 

 of eggs was indeed an honor to the tinder. 



For sixteen years prior to the winter of 

 1873-4 the Pine Grosbeak (^Pinicola enu- 

 cleator) had not been seen in this vicinity. 

 In that winter it made its appearance in 

 large numbers and was noticed every sea- 

 son until last winter, '78-9, when it was 

 not to be found. Its appearance here for 

 five consecutive winters could not have been 

 owing to severe cold and snow, as the last 

 two winters during which they were here 

 were extremely mild, whilst last winter, 

 when they were not to be seen, was quite 

 severe. The first two winters these birds 

 were quite wary, even on the coldest and 

 most unpleasant days, but later they became 

 quite tame and many were caught with a 

 horse-hair noose fastened to a long pole. 

 Some were kept in cages for a time, but ei- 

 ther died or were liberated before warm 

 weather set in. 



I have some other notes upon the subject 

 under consideration which I would mention 

 did space permit. I am aware that with 

 the possible exception of the last, none of 

 the above instances are remarkable, except 

 as furnishing an illustration of how fast 

 many of our birds will multiply, even un- 

 der somewhat unfavorable circumstances ; 



