134 



THE OOLOGISl 



As I placed my fingers in the nest, the 

 egj? was crushed and the bird had aban- 

 doned it. A few days later another nest 

 was found nearby containing a rotten 

 egg in a position no different than the 

 former, but at a height of twelve feet 

 above ground. As this was July the 

 second nest found was, undoubtedly, 

 the first of the nests built by the birds. 



On May 25, 1898, a female was observ- 

 ed building her nest in the same clump 

 of trees, the situation being in no wise 

 different from the two nests above de- 

 scribed eight feet above ground. 



On June 3d the nest and two eggs 

 were collected, but by the 18th another 

 nest with eggs were found only a few 

 feet away from tne place where the first 

 nest was found. The height, position 

 and protection by the tree-trunk were 

 very much the same as in former nests 

 noticed. 



The female was caught from the nest 

 and identity made certain in this in- 

 stance, after which she was given her 

 freedom. 



Two exceptions to the above have 

 been noticed where the nests were 

 placed on a forked branch of the oak, 

 one to tTO feet out. 



One nest observed differing from all 

 others seen is worthy of mention; while 

 as a general thing the nests are covered 

 with lichens, this one contained an 

 abundant supply of moss woven into the 

 exterior and no lichens. 



The female is not easily noticed by 

 one not familiar with Hummingbirds, 

 as she quietly hums from flower to 

 flower, the bumming of her wings being 

 heard but a few feet away. 



P. L. Jones, 

 Beulah, Colo. 



The Food Supply of the Baltimore 

 Oriole. 



To the enthusiastic working ornithol- 

 ogist there is not a subject of more in- 

 terest than that of food supply; for 



other things being equal, this governs 

 to a large extent, the geographical dis- 

 tribution of the various species. Im- 

 portant as the subject is, however, it is 

 one which is overlooked by a large num- 

 ber of the rank and t le of bird students, 

 who, while interested, do not dev te the 

 time they should to this most important 

 division of the study, but conteht them- 

 selves with leading what others have 

 written. For myself, I would rather 

 toil a whole season without other result 

 than to establish a hitherto unknown 

 point, than to add a thousand skins to 

 my collection and learn nothing. 



Let us consider as a start, six of our 

 birds which we are constantly meeting 

 with during the spring and summer 

 months, viz: Baltimore Oriole {Icterus 

 galbula), Catbird ( Oaleosco2)tes carolien- 

 etisis), House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), 

 Meadow Lark (Si^crnella magna), and 

 the Mockingbird (Miraus poJyglottos). 



The Baltimore Oriole is so well and 

 so favorably known about the land by 

 his various names of Golden Robin, 

 Hang Bird, etc., that i" may seem some- 

 what out of place to consider him, but 

 the food habits of this interesting crea- 

 ture are fully as beneficial as the plum- 

 age and song are pleasing, and where 

 ever this "flash of ornithological flame" 

 chooses to build its pendulous abode, it 

 is as safe as the nest of the Stork on the 

 roof of the Hollander. 



The habitat of the Oriole extends 

 throughout the eastern United States 

 north of Virginia, and at times some- 

 what south of there. In the Mississippi 

 valley, however, it reaches farther south 

 than on the Coast. In New England it 

 is especially abundant, and extends west 

 over the wooded portions of the great 

 plains, and is finally replaced by its 

 brother in appearance, Bullock's Oriole 

 (/. bullocki). Here in New*England we 

 look for him with the bursting apple 

 tree buds, about the 15th to the 30th of 

 May; and westerly he is often seen as 

 early as the middle of April. Climatic 



