120 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Anent the Cardinal. 



On October 29, 1906, at Cornwell's 

 Station, Bucks County, Pa., a nest of 

 the Cardinal Grosbeak was found six 

 feet up in a clump of green briars in 

 a wood, containing a rotten egg, which 

 was collected and is now in my col- 

 lection. 



It is, of course, impossible to tell 

 how long the nest had been deserted, 

 (as it was), and the exact time the 

 egg was laid, but judging from ex- 

 perience, the time necessary for an 

 egg to addle and rot does not exceed 

 six weeks, then we can safely admit 

 that the egg was deposited about Sep- 

 tember 16th, or even allowing a long- 

 er period for its decomposition, and 

 supposing it to be about eight weeks 

 old, it could then have been laid about 

 September 1st, which is remarkably 

 late nesting for this handsome bird 

 in this vicinity. 



But the Cardinal is an erratic 

 breeder, albeit, for I have found new 

 nests as early as March 30, 1902. and 

 April 1, 1908, and collected fresh eggs 

 as late as August 17, 1904; and ex- 

 amined young almost fledged August 

 2.5, 1899. I have found eggs and 

 young birds in nests of Cardinal in 

 April, May, .June, July and August, 

 and am of the opinion that the bird 

 rears two broods in one season, al- 

 though most ornithologists seem to 

 think that only one brood is raised. 

 Of course, when a nest containing 

 eggs is destroyed, the bird will build 

 another and lays a clutch of eggs in 

 it, but I do not regard this as a second 

 "brood," as I have known some orni- 

 thologists to so style it. 



RICHARD F. MILLER, 

 Frankford, Phila., Pa. 



search of food? The only time I have 

 known it to do this was on July 5, 

 1908, when the bird covered a space 

 of from 3 to 4 feet and then stopped 

 to sing his full set of notes once. He 

 continued the performance several 

 times, at last flying to a near-by ever- 

 green to sing for five minutes or so. 

 On June 6th, I found a set of three 

 Chipping Sparrow's in a large single 

 rose bush in yard. The eggs were 

 fairly heavily marked over entire sur- 

 face with brown and lilac, principally 

 with brown, but the usual wreath was 

 quite plainly visible above the other 

 spots. 



Is this not also an uncommon oc- 

 currence? 



CHAS. A. HEWLETT. 



The Song Sparrow sings on the 

 wing quite commonly. Eggs of the 

 Chipping Sparrow showing spotting 

 over entire surface are not common. 

 —[Ed.] 



Chimney Swifts Nesting in Hollow 

 Trees. 



Woodmere, L. I., July 8, '08. 

 Dear Mr. Short: — 



Is it not an uncommon event for 

 the Song Sparrow to sing while in 



The Chimney Bird unquestionably 

 in early times nested in hollow trees, 

 but now such a habit is a curiosity. 

 While in Warren county in June of 

 this year, I found three of these birds, 

 two females and a male, sailing 

 around over a slashing; full- five miles 

 from anywhere. Presently the birds 

 were noticed going in and out of a 

 tall, hollow tree, and they had every 

 appearance of having selected it for a 

 nesting site. A friend of mine reports 

 having observed the same state of 

 affairs in a hollow tree standing on 

 the edge of a Xew York lake, last sea- 

 son. 



R. P. SHARPLES. 

 West Chester, Pa. 



