44 



THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



Pigmy Nuthatch. 



This diminutive species, accarding to 

 the specification to Siiider, Davis' Check 

 List, etc., breeds only on tlie Pacific 

 Coast. But this season while in com- 

 pany with Mr. George Noble, I had 

 the good fortune to find them. They seem 

 to be quite numerous, both in Georgia and 

 South Carolina, as I found them in both 

 states this season. They are among our 

 earliest breeders, commencing to build the 

 latter part of JIarch The first nest I 

 found was on the 12th of April, situated in 

 a dead Pine tree, about fifteen feet high, 

 which contained young, my second was on 

 the same day in a live pine tree, about 

 fifteen feet high, which also contained 

 young. I did not go up to either of the 

 nests as I knew it would be useless, as I 

 saw the parent birds feeding the young — 

 both these nests were found in Georgia. 

 My third nest was found on the 19th of 

 April, in Beauford County, South Carolina, 

 the nest was situated in a pine stump, four 

 feet from the ground, which contained five 

 young about one week old. My fourth 

 nest I found on the 30th, in a pine stump, 

 six feet from the ground, which contained 

 four eggs, but incubation was so far ad- 

 vanced I was unable to save them, whether 

 they rear more than one brood during the 

 season, I am at present unable to say. 

 There can be no doubt about the identifica- 

 tion as the male birds were shot, and are 

 now in the possession of Mr. George 

 Noble, a taxidermist of this place. 



T. D. Pehky, 

 Sani, Ga. 



An Explanation Wanted. 



Editor of The Voiing (Mogist : 



In collecting this spring, I have met 

 with quite an interesting experience. 



I found a robin's nest on the 2nd inst., 

 containing three eggs. I took the eggs 

 but afterwards replaced them as I did not 

 want so small a set. On the 4th I again 

 visited the nest expecting to find a full 

 set. The eggs were gone, and as there 



were no foot prints l)ut mine visible, I con- 

 cluded some other birds had destroyed 

 them. But on the 13th 1 found another 

 robins nest containing tliree eggs. One of 

 them was fast losing its identity as an egg 

 and was trying hard to become a robin. 

 The nest No. 2 was certainly not built on 

 the 2nd, as 1 had carefully looked for one 

 in that trre on that day. Now I don't 

 believe Iht-re is any robin smart snough to 

 build a nest on the 3d, lay three eggs and 

 have one hatched by the 13th of Jlay. So 

 I concluded that the birds to out-wit me, 

 constructed another nest and carried them 

 thither ; fully 200 yards. 



Have you seen anything similar? "I 

 know what I have seen." 



Yours, D. B. P. 



Oljerlin, O. 



Ferruginous Rough Leg. 



Editor Toiiny Ouhyiat : 



While spending a few days at the sheep 

 ranche on Lone Tree Creek I obtained a 

 few notes which I thought would be of in- 

 terest to the readers of the YouNo Ooi.o- 

 GisT. They are concerning the Ferrugin- 

 ous Rough Leg ; or, California Squirrel 

 Hawk. When we located the ranche on 

 the creek we noticed in a cotton-wood 

 tree, about 100 yards from the tent, an im- 

 mense nest, and in a fLW days a large pair 

 of these hawks took possession. They did 

 not mind our presence at all, and with the 

 aid of a good field glass I watched the 

 pair pretty closely. At first the uest was 

 lined with immense tufts of dry grass, 

 root and all. And the first egg was laid 

 on Monday, April 18. The male bird 

 never visited the nest after this, but would 

 sit out upon the prairie catching gophers, 

 etc. , which were turned over to the fe- 

 male. On Tuesday I went up again while 

 they were away, and there were three or 

 four gopher-heads and tails, but no more 

 eggs. The first one verj' much resembled 

 a Fish Hawk's egg, having a light blue 

 back-ground with rich rufus, brown and 

 chocolate markings blotched all over 2..'iOx 

 1.95. The .second egg was not laid until 



