7G 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Hardly Ornithological. 



A Fossil Snake and a Kock-enclosed 



Toad. 



Ill 1876, some of our workuieii while 

 (lifrging limestone in our quarry, 

 brought to light a large petritied snake, 

 about four feet in length, all eoiled up, 

 whieh had the appearance of being 

 spotted like a rattler; it came loose 

 fi-om the upper stone all except the 

 head which adhered so lirmly to the 

 stone that it broke all to pieces when 

 father tried to chisel it out. We after- 

 ward found another more imperfect 

 snake and several petritied fresh water 

 clams only one of which is perfectly 

 shaped. The snakes were given away 

 before I knew the value of such speci- 

 mens. In vain have I searched for a 

 l)etritied bird's nest. 



But the queerist of all is this. About 

 13 years ago father and one of his men 

 were quarrying stone in the same quar- 

 i-y when they removed a large stone 

 from off another and discovered an 

 extra large toad lying in a slight hollow 

 in the lower stone. They laid it in the 

 suu a short time when, to their aston- 

 ishment, it hopped oft' quite livel3\ 

 They examined the stones to see how it 

 had come there but could find no visible 

 crack or opening by which it had enter- 

 ed — nothing but the two hollows where 

 it lay between two layers of solid lime- 

 stone each a foot thick by ten square, 

 which lay closely adhering to each 

 other. The question is how did he 

 come there, had he lain for perhaps 

 (■enturies in a torpor betAveen two 

 layers of solid rockv This is a true 

 statement although it may seem impos- 

 sible. I will close by. asking pardon 

 for writing about snakes, clams and 

 toads, instead of birds. 



Geo. W. Vosbukg, 

 Columbia Co., Wis. 



query in last Oologist, I will say that 

 an Albino Bhukl)ird stayed with a 

 large ttock for an entire summer, in 

 the neighborhood of my former home 

 in Southern Illinois. This Hock Avas of 

 about 300 birds. I would say that Al- 

 binos of the Blackbirds are very rare, 

 here at least. 



From George Vo.sburg, Colunibus, 

 Wis. — I noticed Mr. Urouet's query in 

 the March Oologist "Are White Black- 

 birds Common"? They are not that I 

 know of, but I have heard of one other 

 than the one he spoke of. It was capt- 

 ured, or rather taken from the nest, by 

 one of my cousins, in Minnesota (01m- 

 stead Co.) over 12 years ago. I don't 

 remember the species, but I think it 

 was the same kind he speaks of. 



More "White Blackbirds." 

 From W. E. Snyder, Beaver Dam, 

 Wis. — In reply to Mr. A. Drouet's 



Queer Nidification. 



Thinking perhaps it might be of 

 interest to some of the readers of the 

 Oologist, I will give a note which I 

 made on May 17, 1889. While in com- 

 pany with my father on a trip through 

 the woods in South Duxburg, Mass., 

 we flushed two crows from a pine tree. 

 On ascending I found a nest *of the 

 common size and structure, containing 

 four young birds just hatched and four 

 eggs. In l)lowing the eggs, I found one 

 about to hatch, one dead and two poor 

 ones. I also took two sets of robin's 

 eggs which I think may also be of note. 

 The tirst set contained tw^o eggs. She 

 left them and built a second nest in 

 which was laid four eggs. She then 

 built a third nest in which was laid and 

 raised three young. The nests were 

 place in the orchard where I had good 

 opportunities to watch their prcjgress. 



I would like to ask if it is a very com- 

 mon occurrence with the crow; also if. 

 the third party to the nest is a female. 

 Hoping to receive an answer through 

 the columns of the Oologist. 



E. S. Glovek, 

 Plymouth Co., Mass. 



