58 



THE OOLOGIST 



ten days in oviposition. Even the small 

 and prolific Sharp-shinned lays its eggs on 

 alternate days. In all, I took eighty-four 

 eggs this Spring, but could have secured 

 many more Cooper's with little effort. 



The Bluebird which lays the white eggs, 

 again had three clutches this season, and 

 once more I took the first set of six snowy 

 eggs. The Blue Yellow-backs bred more 

 than a week earlier than in '79, and though 

 I found many nests, was unable to secure 

 auy good sets — the eggs of this species be- 

 ing especially frail and hard to prepare 

 after incubation has well begun. Took a 

 nest of Prairie Warbler with four fresh 

 eggs. May 31. The peculiar thing about 

 this set is that the spray of hazel-bush sup- 

 porting the nest also holds last year's nest, 

 the old walls touching the new structure. 

 I had marked down the first nest June 7th, 

 1879, whea it contained four young. A 

 set of Redstart's, taken June 6, on Groton 

 Long Point, present markings of a uui- 

 form Slate color. A trio of Orchard 

 Oriole's eggs, from a nest in a poison su- 

 mach bush, like those taken last season, 

 are larger than any western specimens Fve 

 seen. As early as May 21, I collected a 

 set of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, averag- 

 ing larger than usual, and after blowing 

 the fine pink tinge was retained. This 

 last peculiarity I never saw before in six 

 season's observation in the field. 



In conclusion, I grcnip the following 

 notes from my field-book : A stale liuftled 

 Grouse's egg was found dropped in the 

 woods. In previous seasons have run ac- 

 cross a newly laid egg of the Chimuey 

 Swil't on the ground, and a fresh egg of 

 the Golden-winged Woodpecker on an as- 

 phalt walk in the suburbs of our city. 

 More than once have found dropped eggs 

 of the Quail in the pairing season. Took 

 one 'runt' egg of the Sharp-shinned Hawk 

 this year, which is the only Hawk's egg 

 of the kind I ever collected. I have, how- 

 ever, taken a Barred Owl's egg half the 

 normal size. One Crow's nest examined 

 held the extreme complement of seven 

 eggs. Have Recorded three Woodcock, 



killed by telegraph wires this season, and 

 two killed by domestic cats. From the 

 the stomack of a frog, killed for the table 

 July 16, took two Red-winged Starlings, 

 nearly fledged. His meal had apparently 

 been too much for him, for when first seen 

 he was gasping for breath, andi»would not 

 bite at a tempting bit of red flannel dang- 

 led before his eyes on a stout limerick 

 hook. Clearly he was in trouble about 

 his digestion, and in his loaded state could 

 hop no further than Mark Tw^ain's cele- 

 brated Jumping frog of Calexeras. 



Prairie Warbler. — (6*. iJlscolor.) 



This bird arrives here the first week in 

 May, if the weather is favorable, and is 

 quite common by the middle of that month. 



While walking in the woods on Prospect 

 Hill on Shelter Island, on May 24th, 1880, 

 as I began to descend, I started a small 

 bird almost from under my feet. She flew 

 quickly out of sight and I began to search 

 for the nest. This I soon found in a small 

 clump of bushes about eight or ten inches 

 from the ground, and it contained 5 fresh 

 eggs. I waited a short time, when the 

 male and female came back crying. Not 

 being satisfied with the identification I left 

 the nest until the next day and then went 

 there with my gun. As I came near I 

 could see the bird sitting on the nest. When 

 I got within a few feet of her she hopped 

 on the side of the nest and stood still, but 

 as she got more frightened "she soon flew 

 into a tree a few yards away and begao to 

 eat the worms with which the trees were 

 swarming, making very little ado. The 

 nest is not quite such a neat affair as I ex- 

 pected ; it is built rather loosely of sea- 

 weed, strips of thin bark, and plant fibre, 

 and is lined with vei*y fine grass stems. 

 It is built in at the top, and the diameter 

 here is 1 3-4 inches ; it is 1 3-4 inches 

 deep inside ; outside it is about 2 1-2 in-. 

 chcs deep, 2 3-4 inches in diameter. 

 Around the inner edge a few soft feathers 

 are worked in. The eggs are pearly white 

 in color, with a wreath of spots and blotch- 



