THE OOLOGIST 



237 



the Dogwood berries. I have a tiue foui), crvstal wliite eggs, small lor so 

 pair mounted in my colloetion, one of large a liird; size about 1x1.25. 

 whieh was shot a few days ago l)y my j The adult is about 18 iiu-hes in length 

 husband, the other by myself. | coloi-, blaek, with a narrow white stripe 



It is almost impossible to gi^t a shot above the eye; a wider one front the 

 at them unless they are feeding. i.( stril fi-athers (inclusive), under the 



A few mornings ago I heard an un- eye and along the side of the head and 

 usual commotion in some trees near neck. 



the house, and went to see what it was The chin is white, tinged with snljjhur- 

 all about. It proved to be a Sparrow yellow. Entire erown from the base of 

 Hawk trying to catch a Golden wingeti i the bill, with a well developed occipital 



Woodpecker for his breakfast. Soon 

 another Golden-winged put in appear- 

 ance, and in a few minutes a Pileated 

 came to the rescue He would swoop 

 down on the hawk from his elevated 

 position in some tall ti'ce, and drive it 

 screaming away. Tie would then return 

 to his chosen position uttering his loud 

 metalic cry, and await the coming of 

 the hawk. They kept up the battle till 

 the hawk seemed completely tiled out. 

 and gave up in despair. 



They utter but one note, so far as I 

 have been able to discover. This is a 

 a series of aik, cnk.cAik, with each letter 

 sounded, thus cuk (short),i-epeated many 

 times in succession, with a variati(m in 

 pitch of voice and rai)idity. The note 

 somewhat resembles that of the Golden- 

 winged Woodpecker, though it is much 

 louder and more metalic. 



The towering top of some dead pine 

 furnishes a good "lookout," and from 

 these the males keep watch in the morn- 

 ing hours uttering their peculiar note 

 and making the hills for miles around 

 resound with their "music." 



There are Tailor-birds, Oven-birds 

 and Masons, and the Wood{)eckcr is 

 truely a carpenter. He slia|)cs his home 

 to suit his taste, the entiance being 

 made with the ])rccision of a compass. 

 He is n >t a "jack of all trades," but 

 works only in wooil, and oft<'n in live 

 hard timber, making large excavations 

 which are sometimes three feet deep. 

 The eggs are placed at the bottom of 

 these excavations, the eonii»lement lie- 

 ingfrotn three to six,fgenei-ally three or 



crest, bright scarlet. Cheek patches of 

 the same. 



The fema'e and ,young male hu ks the 

 red on th(> cheek, and the anterior half 

 of the top of the head is rei)Iaced by 

 black. 



These birds inhabit North America, 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacilic, in tim- 

 bered districts, but seem to shun civil- 

 ization; for,as a country becomes thick- 

 ly settled they all <lisa])pear, 



I took a set of four fresh eggs this 

 season from a large dead white oak tree 

 three of which were average sized eggs, 

 and the fourth not more than half as 

 large and almost spherical. 



Mrs. Lili.ie Pl!:.\s, 



Clinton, Ark. 



Eusset-backed Thiush' 

 No. 758. Tunlns n^lualtus (m:tt.) 



Hab.— Paciiic Coast Region of North 



America. 



This biril is a common resident of 

 Linn county, Oregon, during the breed- 

 ing season, and can be found in the low 

 shrubeiy along the many small moun- 

 tain streams, at any time during the 

 nesting season. During the moining 

 and afternoon the birds are generally 

 silent, but in the evening twilight, its 

 song rings forth and tills the hills and 

 valleys with its joyous nu-lody. 'I'he 

 bird i.s generally perched upcm some 

 small bush, head erect and thrown back 

 while singing. At these times one can 

 appi-oach within a short distant e. with- 



