8.4 



THE OREGON NArURALIST. 



The nest was originally latlier large for the 

 size of the bird, but owing to the falling of some 

 rotten wood, it was only about one and one 

 half by two and one quarter inches in size. 



This is my first record of the nesting of the 

 Red-breasted Nuthatch, I believe it is a rare 

 summer resident although I have heard of their 

 nests being taken. I have sometimes seen them 

 jn large flocks in the fall and winter. They are 

 usually in company with the Oregon Chickadee. 



Hervey M. Hoskins. 

 Newberg, Or. 



'BIRDS AND POETS." 



MELANISM IN EGGS OF THE HOODED 

 MERGANSER. 



John Burroughs writes, in his book 

 entitled "Birds and Poets". "Is not the 

 bird the original type and teacher of the 

 poet, and do we not demand of the human 

 lark or thrush that he 'shake out his 

 carols' in the same free and spontaneous 

 manner as his winged prototype?" 



I clip from THE INTERIOR, of Chicago 

 the following pleasant item in regard to 

 the ornithology and the poetic possibilities 

 of Oregon. 



"It seems that one of the standing 

 grievances of the poets in regard to 

 America, namely that it has no skylarks, 

 is in a fair way to be remedied. Old 

 World songsters, such as thrushes, sky- 

 larks, nightingales, finches, and star- 

 lings have been domesticated in Oregon, 

 and are nowalso to be found in the 

 neighboring states. Oregon has long been 

 know for its red-cheeked girls, and with 

 the fields and woods vocal with skylarks 

 and nightingales, we may look for the 

 American Shelly and Keats of the future 

 to the region whose poetic possibilities 

 Bryant was the first to hint at in his lines 

 about the woods 



Where rolls the Oregon and hears 



no sound 

 Save his own dashings.'" 



Meriden S. Hill. 

 Tacoma, Wash., May 27th, '96. 



At one time the Hooded Merganser was 

 common on the Cedar river, Iowa. In looking 

 over my old notes I find that in 1868 I collect- 

 ed 40 eggs of this bird. I believe it is well 

 known that the Wood Duck often drives the 

 Merganser from her nest, and in one nest I 

 found 30 eggs of Wood Duck and five eggs of 

 Merganser. The hollow in the tree in which 

 the nest was placed, was not very large and the 

 eggs were several layers deep. 



The eggs of the Hooded Merganser are clear 

 white, the shell thick and hard, but the most 

 singular set that I ever saw, were eggs of this 

 species. The nest contained ten eggs; the first 

 egg was perfectly black, the second a little 

 lighter, until I think the fifth egg was nearly 

 white. This is the only duck that I ever saw 

 cany anything in its bill, I once saw a duck of 

 this species fly away with a small fish. 



Geo. D. Peck. 



PETROGLYPHS IN PATTON'S 

 VALLEY. 



In a previous issue of this journal there 

 occured a review of the work of the U. S. 

 Bureau of Ethnology * in regard to the 

 Petroglyphs in sandstone rocks in Patton's 

 Valley, about two miles from the village 

 of Gaston. 



The cuts accompanying this note are 

 from sketches of the aforesaid Petroglyphs. 

 These are associated witli numerous other 

 "petroglyphs" of a decidedly more modern 

 character. Even these pictures here re- 

 produced are the object of considerable 

 skepticism of the part of many who have 

 seen them. However, there is some 

 reason to think there are aboriginal in 

 origin, and in order to invite criticism the 

 writer has taken the liberty of submitting 

 them for publication. 



FRANCIS E. LLOYD. 

 Forest Gro ve, Or. Pacific University. 



* "Tenth Annual Report U. S. Bureau of 

 Ethnology." 



