THE OOLOGIST. 



185 



time for these nests to have owners. 

 From these varions experiences, I am 

 inclined to Ijelieve that the Red-tailed 

 Hawk does not occupy the same nest so 

 much as is commonly believed. I 

 would like to hear fi'om others on the 

 point, whether the Red-tailed Hawk 

 occupies the same nest after it has been 

 disturbed the pievious year. I will 

 h«ve a wide field to vork next year, 

 and hope to be able to decide more 

 about this point. 



Albert Gakkett, 

 Lawrence, Kansas. 



The Hummingbird in S- C- 



The Rul)v-throated is the only mem- 

 ber of the Humminorliird family that we 

 haAC in South Carolina that I know of. 

 I have heard persons say that they have 

 seen Hummingbirds that did not belong 

 to the Ruby-throated variety, but it is 

 very likely that they were mistaken. 



It fs a common sight m the city to see 

 Hummingbirds darting ai'ound among 

 the flowers in the yard; or while sitting 

 in the piazza, to see one within a few 

 feet of you poised on musical wing be- 

 fore some potted i)lant. 



Although we see them much ofteuer 

 in the city than elsewhere, they only 

 visit the city on excursions of pleasure, 

 as they have their real home and breed 

 in the woods. 



I have been very lucky in linding 

 Hummingbii-d nests, having found ten 

 in the last four years, while I do not 

 know of another collector in this vicin- 

 ity who has found more than two in 

 that time. 



My first nest was found in ' 18t<9. and 

 I found it by watching the birds fly 

 from a large jjoplar tree where they 

 were feeding and then following in the 

 direction they flew. A friend was with 

 me and we saw the bird as she 

 flew to her nest in a good-sized pine 

 tree, al)Out 40 feet up. This nest was 

 built in a curious position. A small 



twig grew straight down and about 

 half Avay had two cones growing to- 

 gether one on each side of the twig as 

 is often seen. The birds built on top 

 of one cone, the nest being fastenet.1 

 along its side to the twig. I tried very 

 haril to get this nest and set but it was 

 far out on a small limb, so I only suc- 

 ceeded in getting the nest, breaking the 

 eggs and nearly breaking my neck. 



In 1890 I found two nests. While 

 Avalkiug along through the woods I 

 heard a Hummingbird, so I kept per- 

 fectly still and presently saw her fly to 

 a sweet-gum tree and light on her nest, 

 which was just begun. When the time 

 came for getting the nest, it had disap- 

 jjeared, and I found out afterwards 

 that a pai'ty of negroes found it and 

 tried to get it, but broke the eggs in the 

 attempt. 



I found the second nest, of that year 

 in very much the same way, b'lt it was 

 in a small slender gum and contained 

 one egg when I found it. On account 

 of the tree being so slender, I could not 

 climb it without its bending so far over 

 as to spill out the eggs, so I propped it 

 i^p with a forked sapling and then 

 climbed it. Altogether I had a -good 

 deal of trouble getting it, as it Avas so 

 far out on the limb that I had to cut 

 the limb off and while I was cutting, I 

 had to keep from shaking out the eggs 

 and also hold up my Avhole Aveight by 

 Avrapping my legs around the tree, 

 Avhich being small nuuie it very tiring. 

 But I got my lirs^ set of eggs out of it 

 which repaid all my troui)le. 



Last year I found four nests. The 

 first Avas in a pine tree which Avas vei'3' 

 hard to clinili, but I finally got up and 

 tried to get the nest but failed as it Avas 

 too far out. The next Avas in a pine too, 

 about 30 feet uj), but she left it after she 

 had laid one egg. The third Avas in a 

 small oak tree on a limb aljout six feet 

 from the groinid and directly over a 

 path that w:is not u.sed much. I got a 

 nice set of two from this nest. Tiic fourth 



