50 



THE! OOLOGIST 



limb reminds one strongly of a nut- 

 hatch. 



Its food is mostly of an insectivor- 

 ous nature, consisting mainly of small 

 beetles, weevils, caterpillars, etc., al- 

 though they sometimes eat acorns 

 and a little grain. 



The breeding season extends from 

 about April 1 to June 1, and nesting 

 sites are usually found in the oaks 

 of the foothills, although I have found 

 nests in the willows of the river bot- 

 toms and in sycamores and alders of 

 the mountain canyons above 3000 feet. 



The eggs are usually four in num- 

 ber and all the sets I have found have 

 been of this size, although others have 

 found sets of five and six. 



I have never found this species oc- 

 cupying an old hole or a natural cav- 

 ity, and believe that they excavate a 

 nest each year. 



D. I. Shepardson. 

 I cs Angeles, Cal. 



Lift of Birds of tlie Eastern U. S. 



Found in Jamaica, B. W. I., and 



Colombia, South America, in 1913. 

 By Paul G. Howes. 



The following list of birds of the 

 eastern IT. S., are those recorded by 

 the writer while in the British West 

 Indies and Colombia, S. A., between 

 .lanuary 13th and April 29th, 1913. 

 This list sheds considerable light on 

 the migration and winter habitats of 

 many of our common birds and should 

 be of great interest to all thinking or- 

 nithologists. 



To the writer there is no question 

 quite as absorbing or fascinating as 

 the migration of wild bird life and T 

 therefore take pleasure in presenting 

 this pai)er: 



Wilson Snipe. Two were taken in 

 a marsh at Puerto Berrio, on the Mag- 

 dalena river, January 30, 1913. 



Solitary Sandpiper. Two taken in 

 the same locality marsh January 30th. 



S])otted Sandpiper. Quite common 

 all along the Magdalena river as far 

 up as Puerto Berrio. 



King Bird. On April 14th on the 

 way down the Magdalena after having 

 been over the eastern Andes, a large 

 flock was observed at the above local- 

 ity (Puerto Berrio). This flock was 

 doubtless making ready for their flight 

 to the northern states. 



Acadian Flycatcher. A single speci- 

 men taken from a group of four indi- 

 viduals at Apon on the Magdalena, 

 January 27th. 



Alder Flycatcher. Noted at Puerto 

 Berrio, January 29th. 



Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The first 

 one recorded was a male specimen in 

 changing plumage at Consuelo, about 

 4000 feet above the river town of Hon- 

 da. This bird was in a more or less 

 open forest which was often covered 

 by clouds and in which every tree and 

 every twig was covered with varied 

 and beautiful mosses and lichens. 

 Mosses also grew under foot making 

 a soft carpet and everywhere one 

 noted the drip of perpetual dampness. 

 A second male specimen in full plum- 

 age was taken at Villavicencia on the 

 eastern slope of the eastern Andean 

 range on March 11th. This was a 

 much dryer country at an altitude of 

 2000 ft. Two more were observed and 

 collected at Fusugasuga on March 

 24th. These were taken at 7500 feet 

 in a beautiful jungle forest. One was 

 in full, and one in changing plumage. 



Dickcissel. A few were observed 

 at San Marta, Colombia on April 

 29th. 



Summer Tanager. Puerto Berrio 

 January 30th. Male. Shot on thick- 

 ly grown dry hillside, February 6th, 

 Honda, Male in changing plumage. 

 March 15th Buenavista, 4400 ft. Sev- 

 eraleral in gigantic jungle forest. 

 March 16th, Monteradondo 4500 ft. 

 Single in changing plumage. March 



