168 



THE OOLOGIST 



doubtedly belonged to the captured 

 female. The former were fresh and 

 these I took, but the latter were far 

 gone in incubation and I considered it 

 both useless and a waste of time to 

 attempt to save them so they were 

 allowed to remain. The captured duck 

 was taken out into the open, and 

 after completely satisfying myself as 

 to its identity I threw her high into 

 the air, and watched her shoot with 

 great rapidity thru the trees and over 

 the water. 



This is the first time that I have 

 run across any nests of this species, 

 but I had always supposed that they 

 nested only in hollow trees and thus 

 was more than surprised to find them 

 located in such a site. I have no doubt 

 but that this place had been used by 

 these birds, or others of the species, 

 for many years, for here both bird 

 and eggs were admirably protected 

 from wind and rain and in addition 

 were quite remote from the depreda- 

 tions of man. 



During my short time on the island 

 I was able to find no other birds 

 breeding altho several species were 

 seen in plenty, but I returned to the 

 ship after darkness set in well satis- 

 fied with my excursion ashore. 



Lieut. I. T. VanKammen. 



The Baltimore Oriole 

 A pair of Orioles built their nest 

 in a maple tree on our street. It was 

 about thirty feet from a house where 

 children were playing most of the day, 

 and about fourteen feet from the 

 street where wagons and autos were 

 passing every few minutes, and yet 

 they hatched their eggs and fed their 

 young, and did not seem to mind, or 

 care anything about what was going 

 on around them. I have this nest and 

 it is a fine specimen of Oriole work. 

 I am a cripple, have not walked 

 for over twelve years, but as our 



streets are provided with cement 

 walks, I am able to enjoy myself, in 

 my wheel chair watching the birds 

 and squirrels. 



I notice that the Oriole does not 

 sing any more after their eggs are 

 hatched, but the young can be heard 

 every time the old birds feed them. 

 R. B. K., Columbus, Wis. 



The Birds of July. 



With the approach of July and the 

 hot days of summer the bird life be- 

 comes less and less evident than in 

 the spring. The birds are nesting; 

 separating from the large flocks of 

 the spring and fall they go off in pairs, 

 and are seldom heard except in the 

 early morning. 



Toward the latter part of July, 

 young birds, just beginning to fly, put 

 in their appearance. They fly from 

 branch to branch, accompanied by 

 the parent birds, and. may be seen 

 thus occupied at any hour of the day. 



It was such a scene which drew my 

 attention one morning not long ago. 

 Two young blue jays, together with 

 the old birds, were sitting on a branch 

 of a shrub which grew on a bluff 

 overhanging the river. As I noticed 

 them my attention was drawn by a 

 movement in the grass at the foot 

 of the tree. A large snake had ar- 

 rived on the scene, unknown to the 

 birds, and was watching them intent- 

 ly. Whatever his intentions may have 

 been I do not know, but at that mo- 

 ment one of the old birds observed 

 him. He gave the scream of warning 

 characteristic of a jay, and rose to 

 the top of the trees, where he perched 

 himself and emitted cry after cry. 

 The other parent bird flew down and 

 circled the snake, attempting to beat 

 him with the wings. The young birds 

 remained perched on the limb. They 

 were evidently not well prepared to 

 make their escape. Then the queer 



