THE OOLOGIST. 



75 



♦•oiitaiued t'our egg-s of some species of 

 Warl)lei-, but I eaii not say what kind, 

 as the bird disappeared before T liad 

 a ehauee to slioot it. 



During all my years of collecting I 

 have seen but this one ("owbird u])on a 

 nest. I am positii-c that it was :i Cow- 

 l)ird. 



If anyone else has had similar ex- 

 periences, I join with Mr. Alexander 

 and would be pleased to have them 

 i-idated in the columns of theOoLOOiST. 

 W. E. Snvdek, ■ 

 Dodge Co., Wis. 



Seeing Mr. R. C". Alexander'.s query 

 ill respect to the Cowbird, I thought I 

 would relate a little experience with it 

 which may be of interest to him. 



On May 20, 1889, I found a nest of 

 the Chipping Spari-oAv, completed but 

 containing no eggs, as yet. On the 

 '23rd, I had occasion to pass that way 

 and was attracted by the Ijird which 

 .seemed to be in distress. Remembering 

 the ne*;t previously found, I thought I 

 would take a look into it; so stepping 

 up, I parted the bush in which it was 

 situated and saw a Cowbird sitting 

 upon it. She eved me an instant and 

 then was (itf. 



The nest and its two eggs was after- 

 wards deserted by the parent birds 

 although no Cowbirds' eggs were laid 

 therein. 



VV. CONUEK MoHG.\N, 



Allauy, N.Y. 



The Downy "Woodpecker. 



Although this bird is rathei' coniinon 

 in my locality, I have only had the 

 opportunitj^ of collecting one set of 

 eggs. A Dryobtites j?j?<&e.s'c<:7K'« com- 

 menced, last season (1889), the excava- 

 tion of its nesting hole in a dead limb 

 of a cherry tree, near the house in 



which I was staying. During the ex- 

 cavation of the future receptacle of 

 eggs, I had ample oj)i)ortunity of study- 

 ing the haijits of this progenj- of tlu- 

 red-headed family. 



It would drum, drum, drum for 

 hours at a time, with unceasing energy, 

 and continue with its work without a 

 moment's intermission. It would some- 

 times be so occupied with the work in 

 hand that I could approach clear under 

 the hole, and then I have had to jar the 

 tree liefore it would become alarmed. 

 In all my observations of this bird I 

 have found it to be very companionable 

 and social in its character; enjoying the 

 societ3' of other birds and not fearing 

 the presence of man. Out of nesting- 

 time it can Ije found continually cling- 

 ing to the trunk <n- l)ranches of trees 

 searching for larvae. It also destroys 

 a large number of insects. 



The bird in question would, again, 

 al)sent himself for a considerable 

 period, until sometimes I would grow 

 alarmed, unless my somewhat frequent 

 interruptions of the gocnl work going 

 on, had frightened it away from the 

 nest. But it would return after its 

 holiday with renewed energy and go to 

 work with more vim and vigor than 

 Ijefore. 



After work of exca\atioii had ceased 

 I waited the required time and on May 

 28d 1 concluded it time for the set to br 

 completed and to take the eggs. I cut 

 away the l)ark from around the hole 

 and found it to contain five glos.sy, 

 white eggs, laid on the bare bottom of 

 the hole. When I blew them I found 

 the incubation to be from fresh to ad- 

 vanced . 



Let us hear from other collectors, on 

 the habits of the Downy Woodpecker. 



A. C. LiLLAKD, 



Marion Co., Ky. 



