36 



THE OOLOGIST. 



spread three inches, the color is brown 

 above, drabish light beneath, with a 

 j'ellow band beneath the throat. 



In the heat of the hot June and July 

 sun, it will swing to and fro 

 in some tree or on a swajing 

 weed and chant its few, unmusical 

 notes, Avhen all other songsters are si- 

 lenced. 



Its notes can be heard coming from 

 all directions in a locality where Spiza 

 is numerous as in this. A favorite 

 place is souie top-most twig of a tree 

 near the nest, on which the female is 

 setting upon Avhich the male swa3"S back 

 and forth during the entire day utter- 

 his song. There is scarcelj' ever more 

 than a pair in company, The food con- 

 sists of seeds largely and many insects. 

 When the nest is approached both birds 

 remain near uttering their cry in which 

 scarcely indifference can be detected 

 from that uttered in happiness, unless, 

 pei'chance, the nest should contain 

 young, then the scene is different, the 

 parents remain near uttering cries of 

 distress and Hying near the intruder. 



The nest of the Black-throated Bunt- 

 ing may be found in a variety of places, 

 ■often upon the gi'ound in meadows or 

 attached between several large stalks, 

 sometimes in bushes or hedges gener- 

 ally near the ground when placed in 

 bushes or small shrubs. The nest is 

 often composed of coarse tongue grass 

 on the exterior and lined with hair or 

 some ecpiaily soft -or downy substance. 

 The nest is usually composed of line 

 material and a well made structure, 

 but some probably from hurried build- 

 ing or by an inexperienced pair are 

 made of husks of corn, coarse rootlets, 

 etc,, but usually lined with some com- 

 forting element, liut the average nest is 

 an architect ual affair of merit to the 

 f e a t h e re d build er s . 



The eggs deposited from May to July 

 are of a blueish green, three to five 

 eggs constitute a complement, and I 

 think two broods are often reared in a 



season, they are exceedingly shy and if 

 molested will often vacate their par- 

 ental abode. 



The eggs measure from .75x,60 to .80 

 X.02 as an average. 



Ja:mes Hill, 

 Etlinburg, Ills. 



Mountain Bluebird. 



768. Sialia arctica, (swains) 



Hab. Rocky Mountains and higer ranges west 

 of them. 



This is our common and only Blue- 

 bird, in higher elevations of the Cascade 

 Mt. range. 



It is by no means abundant, in the 

 vicinity Avhere I made my observations, 

 (Sweet Home, Oregon,) and I only saw 6 

 pairs within a radius of 5 or 6 miles. Its 

 nesting sites are similar to those of Sia- 

 lia sialas, but is more often found in 

 barns and out buildings, than S. sialis 



I have found it nesting in the Post 

 Office front, in Hnder the eaves of the 

 hotel, and deserted Woodpecker holes, 

 generally not a great distance from the 

 habitations of man. 



The nests are composed mostlj- of 

 fine dry grass, but in some locations 

 coarser material is used to strengthen 

 the nest in an un secure position. 



The eggs are generally 6 in number 

 of a pale blue color,with a slight green- 

 ish tijge. They are a little more pale 

 than the eggs of Sialia sialis, and will 

 average about .84x.64. 



Nesting season begins about May loth 

 and fresh eggs can be secured by June 

 5th. 



Western Blue bird- 

 No. 767. Sialia niexicana, (swains) 



Hab. Western U. S., from Rocky Mountains 

 to Pacific. 



This bird is chiefly found in the val- 

 lays and low foothills of the mountains. 



