THE OOLOGIST. 



14a 



Our Question Box. 



Cierles to be answered In these columns should 

 be wrltt«n on a postal or slip of paper— never mix 

 them In your letter wtien wrttiug about other 

 matters. 



J. A. L., Chuksvill.-, T<'nn.— Tli(^ 

 f^ggs of tlie Lark Bunting, as well as 

 those of the Black-tliioated Bunting or 

 Difkcissel xevy closely resemble the 

 eggs of the Bluebird. What the eggs 

 of any of tiie.se birds were doing in a 

 Brown Thrasher's nest, we are at a loss 

 to understand. 



I. S. ('., Padueah, Ky.— Think your 

 nest and eggs are simply "Knglisji Sj)ar- 

 i-ows. 



Does anyone, anywhere, know of a 

 bird that is "Ijlaek and red," which is 

 called "Kink" from ils note? 



F. V. P , Las Vegas, Nev. 1— The bird 

 about the size of a House Wren, with a 

 light 3'ellow head, building a globular 

 nest of thorny sticks in the ends of the 

 branches, the eggs being light blue 

 with br(.>\vn .spots, is the Verdin or 

 Yellow-headed Tit. 



2. D.> any of our readers know of a 

 bird about the size of the Robin and 

 much like it in appearance, only having 

 a lighter breast and a small topknot. 

 It builds in holes and ledges along cliffs 

 and lays four eggs (usually). Pinkish- 

 white, about the size of a Bluebinlv 



W. E. (i., Galveston, Tex. — Your 

 ball-shaped nest suspended to the rank 

 grass of a marsh, containing i\vv Avliite 

 eggs speckled with red-brown, and 

 belonging to a small bird with yellow- 

 edged wings, douljtic.ss is that of the 

 Seaside Spari'ow. 



J. W. A., Allegan, Miili. — 1. 'Jhe 

 "Yellowbird," with black croivn, wings 

 and tail, is the American (ioldtinch. 

 Its eggs are white with a liluisli tinge, 

 unspotted. 



2. Th(^ "Yellowbirtl" of a uniform 

 yellowish color throughout, is the 

 Yellow Warbler. Its eggs are white or 

 gi-eenish-white, spotted, usually in a 

 wreath around the larger eiui, with 

 umber-lirown, blackish and lilac-gray. 



V N. M., Mt. Union, O.— The y.mng 

 males of the genus AfjelacKs h.-ive the 

 feathers of the liack edged with bay. 



A. (J. (i., l>awrence, Kans. — The 

 only safe means of distinguishing 

 Ix^tween the nests of the Bank and 

 Rough-winged Swallows, is by securing 

 the parent bird. 



J. V. C, Marathon, Li.— The Wilson's 

 ■I'halai-oi>e is about nine inches long, 

 light-gray above, wings brown. A 

 dark strij)e through the eye, becoming 

 purplish-chestnut on tlie sides of the 

 neck. Upper tail-coverts and under 

 parts, white. 



C M. G., Sacramento, 

 "Red-headed Linnet" is 

 Finch— A. O. U.. No. 51!). 



Cal.— Your 

 the Hon.se 



A. S., Linn Co., la.— 'J'lie habitat of 

 the Western Red-tail in the Uuite(l 

 States is from the Rockv Mts. to the 

 Pacific Coast. 



L. R. B., Cleburne, Tex. — Your 

 "Mexican Canary" having a hery-red 

 breast, black head and greenish-blue 

 wings, is doubtless the Painted Bunting 

 or ]S'on]jareil. 



A. _L._ T., Newark, N. Y.— All of the 

 descriptions you give are very incom- 

 plete. The set of nine eggs proljably 

 iielong to (MIC of the Rails, perha]is the 

 Virgiiuan. The Cheriy-bird is Avithoiit 

 douljt, the Cedar Waxwing; while your 

 "Guinea Wood])ecker" may be the 

 Down}', although we wouldn't say so 

 detinitelj". 



C. A. T., Petaluma, Cal.— Yiiui- bird 

 with l)r<'ast and head of red, lading 

 from four to six light l)lue eggs spotted 

 at the larger end with black, is doubt- 

 less the House Finch. 



(j. H. (1., Baltimore. — The descrip- 

 tion of your bird is like that of the 

 female Scarlet Tanny-er. 



E. E. H., Clev.dand, O.— Th.' eggs of 

 the English Sparrow vaiy greatly; and 

 that bird quite fre(iuently nests in holes 

 in trees. Couhl 3'our eggs not po.ssiijly 

 be of this birdr As to jour second 

 nest, we can hardly jmlge from the 

 description given. We know of no egg- 

 so small as to be only one-fourth of an 

 inch in length. 



