THE OOLOGIST. 



109 



xiluini R., and invself, started out on a 

 vollec'ting trip, at nine o'cloek A. M. 

 We tramped about a mile with no luck 

 but a few nests of the Sonfj Sparrow, 

 until we eame to a rotten Cottonwood 

 tree, from which we saw a Downy 

 Woodpecker lly. Upon investigating, 

 we saw a hole about ten feet from tlu; 

 ground, and upon climijing up, I could 

 not get ni}' hand in, so I used my knife 

 vigorously for a half hour, when 1 had 

 the hole enlarged enough to get my 

 iiand in. I drew out tive clear, gloss^', 

 white eggs, which were slightly incu- 

 bated. We then started for a group of 

 "Cottonwood tree.s, about a mile away. 

 Upon arriving there, we found a uest 

 of the Baltimore Oriole, wliicli contain- 

 ed tive fresh eggs. In a vacant house 

 near, we obtained a nice set of live eggs 

 <»f the Ciiimney 8wift. I let down our 

 collecting-bo.\, just below the nest and 

 then fastened niy knife to a long stick, 

 and separated the nest from the chim- 

 ney, when the nest fell into the box, 

 which was tilled with cotton. Xone of 

 the eggs were brok(Mi. The nest was 

 put ou so tightly that part of the bricK 

 stuck to the nest. We then went to a 

 crab-apple orchard, where we had 

 found a numJjer of nests the week Ije- 

 fore; afid upon arriving tliere, we found 

 H Ked-eyed Vireo's ues^t, suspended 

 from a small l>ranch, at the top of an 

 apple tiee, K. climbed up and found 

 four fresh v^^^. In a tree near by, we 

 u ncist of the Ros(!- breasted GroslVeak, 

 which contained four eggs, slightly in- 

 cuijated. Last season tin; Grosbeak 

 uests were very common; ancl I couUl 

 have collected at least thirty sets. On 

 H liml) of an oak tree, lifteen feet up, I 

 saw a Scarlet Tanagers nest, which 

 containcnl three fresh eggs. The nest 

 was mad(! of smaH twi^s and lined with 

 small rootlets. Atiout a block away, R. 

 saw a nest of the Red- headed Wood- 

 pecker, from which we obtained live 

 fresh eggs. Two years ago I found a 

 -Red-heatled Woodpecker's nest, con- 



taining two eggs. Taking one, I went 

 back the next day; and found two eggs. 

 I kept this up. taking one and leaving 

 one until she had lai<l ~'3eggs in 2.") days. 

 After leaving our Woodpecker's nest 

 we sat down on the bank of the Miss- 

 issippi River, and ate our lunch. While 

 we were eating, I saw a Belted King- 

 fisher Hying back and forth uneasilly. 

 After lunch w^e investigateil and found 

 its nest, about lifteen feet from where 

 we had been hitting. We dug for over 

 an hour and a half, with the perspira- 

 tion pouring down our faces, until we 

 reached the nest, which contained seven 

 fresh eggs. W(! then measured the hole 

 and ft)und it to be 7 feet 8 inches long. 

 The nest was a mass of lish-bones, 

 whicii smelled horribly. As it was 

 then nearly 5 o'clock we wended our 

 way homeward, and arrived there 

 sui)per time, well pleased with our trip 

 Walton Mitchell, 



St. Paul, Minn. 



The Ruffed Grouse Burrowing in the Snow. 



■ ^^e have all hearii of the curious hab- 

 it which the Riilfed Grouse indulges in 

 during the winter months; that of bur- 

 )-owing in the snow for warmth. It was 

 my good fortune to see this habit for 

 myself while out rabi)it hiuitingon Feb. 

 13. While going through a patch of 

 woods I noticed about a dozen holes in 

 the snow and seeing the marks of part- 

 ridge' wings at the entrances came to 

 the conclusion that they were the bur- 

 rows I had read about. Farther on in 

 the Woods about lifteen i)artri(lg(( Hew 

 frf)m the snow in fi'ont of me, while I 

 stood open mouthed, Av^atching them 

 depart, and wishing it was the open 

 sea.son. I suppose! they had ail gone, 

 so walked on a little farther and stopped. 

 I heard a great commotion and looking 

 down saw a partridge endeavoring to 

 get from under iijy snow-shoe, and had 

 I not been no surpriseil I could easily 

 have caught him. 



(ilLHKUr B. FlJUNKSS, 



Ugdensinirg N. Y. 



