THE OREGON NATURALIST. 2 
On 
The White Headed 
Picus Albolarvatus, is a commen bird in the 
Mts., Farmington, 
Wood pecker, 
Coeur d’-Alene near 
Wash. 
“Tn the Museum at Christchurch, New Zeal- 
land, there is a perfect Skeleton of the Moa, a 
hird believed to have become extinct about two 
thousand years ago. It is sixteen feet in height. 
Flint Lock Guns and Pistols have taken a 
decided jump and are now worth from $4 00 to 
$12.00. 
NESLING OF THE TEAST BITTERN 
AND TEXAS GRACKLE. 
The afternoon of May 15th we struck camp 
and reluctantly departed from Mason’s Lake, 
Fort Bend county, Texas, after a most success- 
ful stay, oologicaily and otherwise. Soon we 
were rolling along the sun-baked road feeling 
somewhat relieved after a three day’s stay 
among the bull-frogs, alligators and other 
denizens of the lake, and with the hoarse din, 
which they kept up day in and day out during 
our stay, still ringing in our ears. 
We left a little earlier than was necessary, 
fir [ had decided on exploring a large pond I, 
had noticed by the 1oadside, on the way out, 
it was overgrown with tall saw grass which 
afforded an excellent nesting place for many 
kinds of water birds. This pond was one of a 
jong chain which follows parallel with a ridge 
of sand hills, and about three miles from the 
timber that we had just come out of, which 
was the nearest trees to it. 
As soon as we aniived I started in, and was 
immediately greeted by a great hubbub from a 
large colony of Texas grackles, which were 
assisted by a colony of red-wiuged blackbirds. 
The female grackles being in great numbers, 
while there were only two or three males. The 
nests were placed from two, to three feet from 
the water, and about the same distance from 
the tops of the grass. The composition of the 
nests was about the same as that of the Purple 
grackle. but proportionately larger, they were 
fastened by having the stalks of the saw-grass 
woven around by the grass and mud mixture 
of the nest, they were so well secured that to 
remove them it was necessary to cut away the 
grass to which they were fastened. This col- 
ony I rcughly estimated to contain between 
seventy-five and one hundred nests. The date 
was a little too early for eggs, as only a few 
nests had full sets, while the majority were in 
all stages of construction, quite a number 
having only one or two eggs. The usual num- 
ber of eggs toa set is three, but sets of four 
are not uncommon. In this locality the great 
tailed grackle seems to prefer isolated, rather 
than the settled portions of the country, and 
are rarely seen about the towns. 
As I was wading around examining nests, a 
small bird resembling a rail in flight, flew out 
of the grass a short distance ahead of me. On 
going to the spot I found a fine set of five pale 
greenish-blue eggs, which I identified as those 
of the least btttern. The nest was simply the 
tops of the saw-grass bent over and interwoven 
together, with a few loose pieces worked in. 
It was a rather shaky-looking affair, about four 
by three inches with such a slight hollow that 
the eggs appeared as though they were on a 
I had to use consider- 
able care, while taking the set to keep, from 
perfectly level surface. 
shaking the eggs off, On blowing them they 
became somewhat paler in color, and were 
slightly incubated. 
This nest was placed in the midst of the 
grackle colony in close proximity to several of 
the grackles’ nests, which were in plain view. 
In 1892 I also noted this bird breeding in com- 
pany with the Texas grackle; then I saw the 
birds and newly-finished nests. This colony 
was located in a bunch of rushes growing in a 
large lake some scventy-five yards from the 
shore, this was a much smaller colony than the 
one described above. 
It appears from my observations that the 
least bittern habitually nests in company with 
the Texas grackle, the explanation of this 
must be on account of the protection which 
derive from their and more 
they stronger 
pugnacious neighbors, as this bird is very 
timid and retiring in its habits, and another 
that the 
suitable for 
reason is 
equally 
species. 
same surroundings are 
the nesting of both . 
JEssE W. MILLER. 
