136 



THE OOLOGIST 



sects, do not form an appreciable article 

 of diet for the Oriole, and it would seem 

 tiiat as both are intent upon a common 

 purpose, the Oriole passes over this 

 beetle without disturbing it. 



Wasps, [Eymenoptera) bugs, (Eemip 

 tera) among the latter being many of 

 the stink bugs, {Pentalomidae) th'^ assas- 

 sin bugs, (Reduvinidae) which feed on 

 other insects, the scale lice (Coccidae) 

 and the common plant lice (Aphidae); 

 the two latter being among the most de- 

 structive insects known. Fiies {Diptera) 

 are also common food, the larvae of the 

 March fly (Bibio) being greatly in evi- 

 dence. During the months of June, July 

 and August, the grasshoppers and lo- 

 custs were found in the proportions of 

 3, 10 and 12 per cent., respectively. 

 Spiders also constitute a favorite article 

 of diet, and gradually increases to near- 

 ly 10 per cent, of the animal food in 

 August. 



The vegetable diet of the Oriole con- 

 gists almost entirely of fruit, but seeds 

 and grain are sometimes taken. The 

 favorite fruits are cherries, raspberries, 

 blackberries, mulberries and juneber- 

 ries. 



The examination of these s'omachs 

 has shown that this bird is a great in- 

 sect destroyer; that it destroys immense 

 numbers of caterpillars, grasshoppers, 

 bugs and noxious beetles and does not 

 prey upon the predacious or useful in- 

 sects. Let, then, the farmer continue 

 to hold his good opinion of this beauti- 

 ful bird and accord it the protection it 

 deserves. 



C. C. PURDUM, M. D. 



"Some Twice Occupied Nests" 



After reading the article by Mr. Rich- 

 ard F. Miller, Philadelphia, Pa., in the 

 August OoLOGiST, under this heading, I 

 thought, perhaps, my experiences in 

 that line would not come amiss 



April 16, 1897, collected a set of three 

 Phoebe eggs. Nest placed on a beam 



under a large covered bridge In col- 

 lecting I had to remove the nest, which 

 I replaced on the beam, but there was 

 another beam that crossed beam No. 1 

 and it was on the other side of No 2 that 

 I placed the nest. This was not in its 

 original positio n. A beam separated 

 the two positions. 



May 15 1897, I returned to the bridge 

 and found the nest gone from where I 

 had placed it, but there was a nest in the 

 place where I had found the one on 

 April 16. There had not been water 

 high enough to carry the nest away. 

 Did the birds tear the old one apart and 

 rebuild it in the old position? I think, 

 undoubtedly, that they did, although 

 they would have to carry the mate'-ial 

 past an 8inch beam. Near Arden Sta., 

 W. Co., Pa. 



May 25. 1897, collected one set of 

 seven eggs of the Flicker from a hole in 

 the limb of an apple tree in an orchard. 



June 5, 1897, I returned to the Flick- 

 er hole, from which I collected the set 

 on May 25, and collected another set of 

 seven eggs. Near Washington, Pa. 



June 18, 1898, col ected a set of three 

 eggs of the Kingbird from a nest fifteen 

 feet high in an apple tree in an orchard 

 nesr Tarkio, Mo. 



June 23, 1898, I found a pair of Mourn- 

 ing Doves had taken possession of the 

 Kingbird nest, from which I collected 

 the set on the 23d inst. They relined it 

 with a few straws placed in the bottom. 

 I noticed that although the Doves built 

 a nest for the first set, for the second 

 and third they always took a deserted 

 Robin, Kingbird or Blue Jay's nest and 

 placed a few sticks or straws (generally 

 the latter) in the bottom and proceeded 

 with incubation. 



June 15, 1900, collected one set of five 

 eggs of the Barn Swallow. I also took 

 the nest, situated on a beam of a small 

 bridge over a run. 



July 10, 1900, I found that the Swal- 

 lows, from which I took the set of five 

 eggs on June 15, had built a new nest 



