THE OOLOOI8T 



135 



17. — Blur-gray Gnatcatcher 2 



19. — Ruby-throated Hummer 2 



22. — Great-crested Flycatcher 4 



23.— Ruby-throated Hummer 2 



24. — Ruby-throated Hummer 2 



27. — Ruby-throated Hummer 2 



* Of 14 sets of this Kite collected in 

 Iowa, this is the only one containing 

 three eggs. 



The Louisiana Water Thrush. 

 (Seiurus motocilla) 



In Southern Pennsylvania tlie Louis- 

 iana Water-thrushes arrive from their 

 winter home early in April. At this 

 time one may find them busily engag- 

 ed in searching the muddy banks of 

 creeks and runs, bent upon securing 

 their food. 



As the warm days of late April ap- 

 pear, these birds seek a mate and re- 

 pair to the brooks that slowly wind 

 their way through the small clumps 

 of woodland; these woods abounding 

 in the locality. Here they wade about 

 in the sparkling water, or flit from 

 stone to stone, in search of some 

 dainty morsel of food. 



Xest building is begun late in April 

 or early in May, depending upon the 

 weather. The sites chosen are varied. 

 Some birds build their nests under 

 overhanging rooty sod; others build 

 their homes in crevices among a mass 

 of fallen dry leaves; while a few se- 

 lect a bunch of tangled roots that 

 dangle from a small tree, standing 

 near the water. All of these situa- 

 tions are near the clear water of a 

 brook. 



The materials used for nest con- 

 struction are dry oak or chestnut 

 leaves, bits of dry grass, some root- 

 lets, and a few horse hairs. 



From three to six eggs are dei)Osit- 

 ed in this cozy nest — three being a 

 full clutch when the lazy cowbird adds 

 one or more of her eggs. These have 

 a pure white ground color, and are 



either heavily spotted, or lightly 

 speckled with reddish brown and lilac. 



During a tramp of a single day I 

 have found as many as 15 nests. Had 

 I searched especially for nests of the 

 waterbrush, I have no doubt that I 

 should have found many more. 



The song is commonly a sharp 

 "chip, chip"; but at times a very 

 beautiful song is uttered from the 

 darker and quieter parts of the wood- 

 land. 



Water-thrushes are busy birds, and 

 seldom do we find them at rest. They 

 are quite interesting to a bird lover, 

 and great entertainment may be de- 

 rived from studying their habits. 



S. S. Dickey. 

 Waynesburg, Pa. 



Breeding Warblers of Harvey's Lake, 

 Luzerne County, Pa. 



Harvey's Lake is situated among 

 the foot hills of the Blue Mountains, 

 in Pennsylvania. It is the largest 

 lake in the state, covering about six 

 square miles, and is surrounded by 

 high hills covered with Hemlock, 

 White Pine, and a few Chestnut, Beech 

 and other deciduous trees. 

 • My father and myself during two 

 trips have found the following Warb- 

 lers breeding: Black and White Warb- 

 ler with young, and nest placed among 

 roots of upturned tree; Parula Warb- 

 lers were abundant among the higher 

 Hemlocks, and evidently breeding. We 

 found no nests. Black-throated Blue 

 Warblers were fairly common, and 

 several nests were seen among the 

 Laurel and in small bushes. 



Of all the Warblers the Magnolia 

 was by far the most abundant. We 

 counted at least a dozen nests, and 

 found a most beautiful set of five eggs 

 which unfortunately were too much in- 

 cubated to preserve. Most of the nests 

 were on low branches of the Hem- 

 locks. 



