THE OOLOGIST. 



229 



found in company with Sand Swallow's 

 nests, which may be deep, but almost 

 invariably have eliptical openings. 



Securing the live pure while eggs it 

 contained, after a tiresome dig, I enter- 

 ed a small grove where the lisping dittj' 

 of the Redstart proclaimed the uearliy 

 presence of a nest, refusing the inces- 

 sant challenge of the Maryland Yellow- 

 throat to "tnc.'cle nii" "tackle ?He," and 

 espied a flimsy platform of twigs, where- 

 on was seated a Rose-breasied (Jros- 

 beak, called by the natives, "Red heart," 

 which recalled to my mind the story of 

 the henpecked hulib}'^ taking care of the 

 children while his wife went calling. 

 Packing away this set of three eggs, I 

 went on to a small sapling whei'e I saw 

 the trim little nest of the Redstart, its 

 owner seeming rather more distressed 

 than houoi-ed at my presence, and re- 

 lieving the nest of its four dainty treas- 

 ures did not tend to allay its distress. 



I had now reached the foot of the hill 

 where the stream rippled over the slate 

 in musical little cataracts, and the hem- 

 lock and beech formed an ai'ch over- 

 head, when, like a tongue of flame a 

 Scarlet Tanager darted past in pursuit 

 of its better half, both alighting on a 

 branch of a small tree, seemingly un- 

 conscious of a hostile ])re.sence. The 

 female had somelliing in its i)ill, which, 

 l)y the aid of my Held glass, I made out 

 to be a few small twigs, and after wait- 

 ing a short time it flew to a limb of s 

 hemlock, whither the male closely fol- 

 lowed, and on approaching I saw a 

 nearly completed nest. Spotting this 

 nest for the future I proceeded up the 

 glen, to where the growth was smaller 

 and in a small shrub, about two feet 

 from the ground I found a nest of the 

 Chestnut-sided vvaibler. Gesticulations 

 did not seem to frighten its occupant 

 in the least, so I g' ntly removed it with 

 my hand and disclosed to my delighted 

 gaze fo-ir eggs of the Warbler and one 

 Cowbirds. 



In a grape- vint; neai" by a Black-billed 

 Cuckoo was silting on si.x eggs. Three 



were of the normal size, but the re- 

 maining three were as large as those 

 of the Yellow-billed. 



Seated on the nu)!ssy bank of the 

 stream, I satislied the cravings of the 

 inner man, occasionally tossing a stone 

 at an impudent Jay, which was eyeing 

 me with evident distrust. Watching 

 the Magnolia and Ulack-throated Green 

 Warblers flitting from tree to tree and 

 listening to the twittering of a tlock of 

 Pine Siskins, ami the far oil" ank, auk 

 of the Nuthatch, I had gradully arrang- 

 ed myself for a quiet doze, when I 

 heard a harsh scream overhead and 

 starting up began to look for the in- 

 truder. It px'oved to be a Sharp-shin- 

 ned Hawk and a through canvass of the 

 district soon show'ed a nest, snugly 

 packed against the trunk of a large 

 hemlock. The tree was very large and 

 the birds daring, but after a hard tussle 

 I reached the nest, and linally stepped 

 once more on terra lirma with four 

 heavily incubated eggs. Thisy were 

 beauties, with a delicate clouding 

 around the larger end, and make a line 

 ajjpearance in my cabinet. The male 

 Hawk made an excellent skin. 



As it was nearly time for the return 

 train. I began to make my way toward 

 the depot, noting many nests on my 

 way, though few deserving mention, 

 and soon my attention was attracted bj' 

 the mellow lay of a Warbling Vireo. 



It has always been my experience, 

 that we are excusable, the Warbling 

 Gi-eenlet prefers a poi)ular tree, (ropnl- 

 UH Ircmuloidcsov candkans) and as this 

 song came from such a ti'ce I began to 

 search for the nest, soon lindiug it on 

 one of the topmost branches. The 

 owner of the |)i('miscs olTcrcd some 

 slight objections, but these weie rea<liiy 

 overcome l)y the judicious administra- 

 tion of Uncle Sam's ail powerful coin. 



Ascending the tice I secured the sin- 

 gle egg it contained, reaching the depot 

 just In tiuK!, and was soon whirling 

 towards home wrai>i)ed in the memoirs 

 of the pleasant day I had pai^sed. 



CiiAS. C Tkemulv, 

 Ulica, N. Y. 



