THE OOLOGIST 



Woodpecker. Then it flew away and 

 I got a glimpse of it. I soon lost 

 sight of it. but however, soon found it 

 again by its call and followed it about 

 the grove for a time watching its 

 moves in search for food. 



Wilson says, "It prefers the highest 

 timbered woods and tallest decayed 

 trees of the forests; seldom appearing 

 near the ground, on the fence or in 

 the orchards or open fields." I think 

 it had been driven out of the heavy 

 timber nearby, by the numerous hunt- 

 ers banging away from early dawn. 



Wilson also says, "It rattles like the 

 rest of the tribe, on the dead limbs 

 and with such violence as to be heard, 

 in still weather, more than half a mile 

 off." This is a bird not often seen 

 in these parts, about ten miles west 

 of Columbus or have I seen it farther 

 east than in the vicinity of Columbus. 



The first one I ever saw was in a 

 good sized piece of timber, some 

 twenty years ago. 



Geo. Vos Burgh, 

 Columbus, Wis. 



Some Late Nesting Dates in Yates 

 County, N. Y. 



In reviewing the bird notes record- 

 ed in my journal during these even- 

 ings my attention is attracted to many 

 instances of very late nesting of our 

 common birds, some species rearing 

 young that could leave the nest but a 

 few days before their migration. 



The following brief data is offered 

 hoping it may cause the oologists to 

 report their observations of this phase 

 of bird nesting. To me the most in- 

 teresting late nesting is that of the 

 Ruby-throated Humming Bird. Just 

 now I do not recall seeing this tiny 

 gem later than September 25. They 

 nest here in Western New York as 

 commonly in July, as in June and 

 August nesting is not rare. Two late 

 breeding pairs are recorded. One nest 

 discovered on August 25 contained 



two young, but on the 30th both were 

 dead. The latest date was of a nest 

 with two young on September 4th, 

 1903 and I do not believe they could 

 have left the nest before September 

 9th or 10th. One is forced to conclude 

 that these bird midgets mature rapid- 

 ly in order to have strength enough 

 to migrate from this section by the 

 last week in September. 



Cedar Waxwing — The nesting dates 

 of this slick plumaged, light voiced 

 bird is about as erratic as its occur- 

 ence throughout the year. May nests 

 are comparatively rare although I 

 have noted them in the latter part of 

 the month. June probably is their fav- 

 orite nesting month, but July is a 

 close second and nests of this bird 

 with fresh eggs in August are not at 

 all rare. I have recorded at least 

 three instances of the Cedar Wax- 

 wing's late nesting, on September 7, 

 1900 with four young and another 

 Sept. 8, 1901 with young just hatched 

 and another September 10, 1905 con- 

 taining two young and one egg. 



Other late summer breeders, briefly 

 stated are: 



King Bird. August 5, female brood- 

 ing on the nest. 



Vesper Sparrow. July 22; four 

 fresh eggs. 



Chipping Sparrow. July 23; four 

 fresh eggs. 



Field Sparrow. August 10; with 

 young in nest. 



Bluebirds. August 17; the third 

 family left one of the bird boxes in 

 our yard. 



Oven Bird. July 17; four fresh eggs 

 with bird near. 



Purple Finch. July 16; two nests 

 in apple trees containing 3 and 4 fresh 

 eggs. 



Mourning Dove. July 29; two fresh 

 eggs. 



Hermit Thrush. July 2; three fresh 

 eggs. 



