THI OOLOeiST 



287 



I once found a Downy Woodpecker's 

 nest in a dead i)Oi)lar stub about 

 twenty feet from the ground. The 

 stub was not badly decayed but so 

 weak at the roots that it would not 

 hold my weight. I cut a large wooden 

 hook from a young sapling growing 

 near. I put on my climbers and went 

 up another tree and placed the hook 

 around the top of the stub and fas- 

 tened it to the tree which I had climb- 

 ed, with a piece of small cord. The 

 stub leaned a trifle from the tree so 

 that I was enabled to climb it as it 

 rested firmly in the hook. 1 went un 

 the stub and had soon cut into the 

 nest with my chisel. I found a fine 

 set of four eggs nearly fresh. In this 

 case I did not stop the hole up as 

 there was a full set. Possibly had I 

 done this I might have got another 

 set, but I did not have time to again 

 visit it the second time. 



As I have already used more space 

 than I intended, I must close. If the 

 editor finds this of sufficient interest 

 to print in THE OOLOGIST, I may 

 write more, in the future on this sub- 

 ject, .lohn Parsons. 

 South Paris, Maine. 



The Starling at Philadelphia and 

 Vicinity. 



In the .November, 1908 issue of THE 

 OOLOGIST I recorded the occurrence 

 of the Starling's arrival at Philadel- 

 phia. Well, it has come to stay, !*■ 

 seems, but whether the bird will 

 prove a blessing or a "consarned ' 

 nuisance, like the "English" Sparrow. 

 time alone will tell. 



During the past spring and summer 

 I found about a dozen Starling nests 

 in Philadelphia, Montgomery and 

 Bucks counties, Pennsylvania, mostly 

 in the former county, and one in Glou- 

 cester county. New Jersey at Wood- 

 bury; and a friend reports having dis- 



covered two nests at Fish House. 

 Camden County, New Jersey. 



The ma.iority of the nests found 

 were placed in Flicker holes; all the 

 others being in knot holes, and they 

 were usually high up in big dead or 

 half dead trees. The lowest nest was 

 placed in a small knot hole only seven 

 feet up in a living pear tree in an 

 orchard. Two broods were success- 

 fully reared in it. It may be of inter- 

 est to state that this cavity. had pre- 

 viously been used, since 1903, annually 

 by a pair of Passer dome^ticuses; be- 

 fore that time it was the yearly home 

 of the Bluebirds. 



The earliest eggs were found on 

 April 21, 1911, and were icur in num- 

 ber and fresh; they are in my collec- 

 tion. 



The Starling frequents the tidci 

 water marshes and meadows in the 

 late summer and fall, generally asso- 

 ciated with flocks of Pur]"le (Jrackles, 

 Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds and 

 Rusty Grac-kles; after theie blackies 

 have departed to the south, the Star- 

 ling band together in lun- lies and 

 flocks and roam about the country 

 during the winter. It is a hardy bird 

 and as far as my limited observatiom 

 of its habits goes, it appears to be an 

 inoffensive creature, never molesting 

 our birds, nor committing any obnox- 

 ious depredations to the farmers' 

 crops. 



Richard F. Miller. 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



In California. 

 Personal. 



It was a pleasure during our recent 

 trip to California to come in contact 

 with and meet a number of the Cali- 

 fornia ornithologists and oologists. 



At Pasadena we made the acquaint- 

 ance of Plngrey I. Osburn, of whom 

 we had known for a long, long time, 

 and had the pleasure of looking over 



